Nova Scotia musician Joel Plaskett released his brand new album, One Real Reveal, on Sept. 13.
Plaskett has amassed a dedicated following across Canada over the last three decades, racking up 140,000 monthly listeners on Spotify between his solo work and his band, Emergency. Plaskett has opened for Paul McCartney, toured with The Tragically Hip and released more than half a dozen studio albums as a solo artist.
The Charlatan spoke with Plaskett on the release day of his album — just days before embarking on a 40 date two-month tour — about the new record and his career thus far.
The Charlatan (TC): With this brand new folk album, what made you want to try something new? It’s unlike anything in your rock-filled discography.
Joel Plaskett (JP): I’ve always liked the limitation of a four-track cassette, which the album was recorded on. It makes for a singular sound. There’s a sort of intimacy to it — it warbles and the pitch is a little off, like an old record that you’re listening to. It’s got a bit of charm and nostalgia. There’s that, and I just wanted to make a record that felt more contemplative — it’s a quiet record.
TC: What sort of themes did you try to capture on this record?
JP: I think of this record as being more of an inner search than my other records. There are some themes that run across all my projects. There are some real ghosts on this record, much like 44. But the themes aren’t as outward, since I’m thinking about the search for self on this album — not to sound melodramatic (laughs).
It’s kind of a romantic record too, and it’s partly inspired by my wife Rebecca’s artwork that I ended up using as the album cover. The cover has a divine feminine element that’s running across it.
TC: You recorded One Real Reveal on a four-track cassette machine, much like Bruce Springsteen’s intimate recording of Nebraska. Were you inspired by that method, or his music over the years?
JP: I’ve always loved Springsteen. I remember seeing an old live version of “Rosalita” and just being like, “Oh my god!” The joy in which he performed was amazing. I love Nebraska — it’s one of his finest records. I’ve made recordings on cassette before, but the answer is, yes, I was inspired. It’s funny, my manager asked me, “You’re going to record this new record on a cassette?” and I just told her to listen to Nebraska to understand.
TC: If you had to pick one track from the album that you feel is most representative of its essence, which would it be and why?
JP: I suppose if I had to centre it around one, it would be the title track. It takes on the whole searching theme. That or “High Summer.” The centre of the album is going to be different for everyone.
TC: You’re kicking off a huge two-month tour on Sept. 17 where you’ll travel across Canada. How are you feeling? What can fans expect?
JP: I’m doing this whole tour on my own. I’m doing two sets with a bunch of guitars, and with a different presentation than other tours. I’m going to ask the audience to not use cell phones. I want it to be personal. It’ll be just me and my tour manager rolling down the highway with a trailer of stuff around Canada.
I picked out some smaller venues so it could be more intimate. Small venues meant there was a big demand. It’s really encouraging. This is my most extensive Canadian tour in 20 years, so I’m a bit nervous, but after I get a show or two under my belt I’ll be fine.
TC: You’ve played some great venues with artists like Gord Downie and McCartney. Does any show stand out as your favourite?
JP: There’s some pretty special ones, like McCartney in Halifax and some incredible shows with The Tragically Hip. There is one particular show with the Emergency at the Marquee Ballroom in Halifax on New Year’s Eve one year. We got into two or three encores. We had a bar on the corner of the stage and my friends were at the bar while we were playing. The whole band started throwing the maracas around and playing other instruments at the same time. It was great. That’s one that comes to mind that was just epic and glorious.
TC: Are there any classic elements from your earlier work that you intentionally kept or reinvented in this new project?
JP: I’d say so. My first solo record has some things recorded on four track. While this is a different record, I think it touches down on both my first album and La De Da. Actually, I wrote the opening lyrics of the title track on One Real Reveal 10 to 12 years ago. There’s stuff and themes that sort of cross time. For folks that have followed me for years they might even pick up on things that seem familiar that I didn’t realize.
TC: This album seems like a great new chapter for you. Do you intend to keep down this path or just see where music takes you?
JP: I’ve got another record halfway done somewhere. It’ll be different, since I don’t think I would chase this in the exact same way. I love the studio too much to stay out of it. Now that this is out in the world, I’ve already got my brain on another project. It’ll take a while to come to fruition. As soon as I’m done with a record, my brain is in a new and different creative space. I’m free to write other things, and the old songs I’ve written become old buddies I travel with on tour.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured image provided by Joel Plaskett.
