Toronto’s Massey Hall has become hallowed grounds for Canadian musicians. Revered Canadian music staples like Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, and Ron Sexsmith have held historic performances at the cozy Victoria Street venue. Whitehorse, the latest to try their hand at the prized music hall with a headlining show on March 2, are only too aware of the weight of playing Massey.
The two-piece band based in Hamilton, Ont., comprised of guitar-toting husband and wife Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, released a six-track recording of covers of their favourite Canadian artists last month. Stripped-down and live, the recordings are a tribute to the influences who have helped the two get to where they are.
“[It’s] really captured the imagination of not only a lot of Canadian fans, but also most of the artists we’ve grown up knowing and loving,” Doucet said.
“All the artists we chose to cover songs by not only have played there, but they’ve all had fairly seminal experiences there.”
The lively release comes as the group tours to promote their second full-length album, The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss. The record delivers all the intrigue, intimacy, and power that the title suggests.
The transition from solo career to band for both McClelland and Doucet has been a rewarding one, but not without adjustments. Discussing the writing process when involved with not only a second front-person, but a partner, the couple stressed unity and honesty.
“You’re not simply writing extraordinarily personal things about yourself,” Doucet said. “We’ve insisted upon a certain fusion that we may not have otherwise insisted upon.”
“You’re always aware of the fact that there’s somebody else in the room with you who not only has to understand where you’re coming from, but also needs to take a certain degree of ownership over the stories as well.”
“Because we’re both songwriters, we know not to hold back when it comes to what we want to write about, and I think we just give each other license with that,” McClelland said. “We’re not about to dig into the meanings behind songs or take it personally.”
The fusion of songwriting and musical style has played an important role in Whitehorse’s inception. The band creates a synthesis of country, blues, folk, and everything else under the sun.
“I think we were guilty of the same thing [in our solo careers], of delving into so many different styles of music,” McClelland said.
“I think at some point we’re feeling, ‘Are we supposed to limit this?’ and I think at some point we let ourselves off the hook, and just say, ‘This is how we enjoy doing this, so let’s just go with it.’”
Each of the band’s studio records features incredibly lush and quietly powerful vocals. Though most acts opt for complicated harmonies throughout, McClelland and Doucet have found strength in unison singing, an often-unused musical tool.
“It’s a really difficult thing to do,” Doucet said. “It’s much easier to sing in harmony than in unison. Singing in harmony is a lot more forgiving.”
“A lot of singers that work together avoid unison like the plague, but I think it’s something that should be used.”
Though it’s only a two-piece, and a married two-piece at that, they stress the importance of being a band, not simply two lovebirds cooing back and forth.
“It’s not just husband and wife coming together and writing these duet songs and singing at each other,” McClelland said. “It is a band.”
“We could hire people,” Doucet added. “But there’s something about it just being the two of us that I think is worth preserving.”
“It is difficult for sure, but ultimately as a creative venture, it’s richer, cause we’re forcing new ground.”
For the past eight months, the pair have recorded, produced, and performed relentlessly. Their music blurs the lines between personal and professional lives. These are one and the same for McClelland and Doucet.
“Our work really is our life, so much so that we’re living on the road full time right now,” McClelland said. “We have no place to call home.”
Whitehorse will bring their music to Ottawa on March 23 at the National Arts Centre.
