Patrick Watson: Best Of 2007

Of all the blues joints crammed into the New Orleans strip, Patrick Watson unanimously chose to drink at the most run-down one.

The four-piece Montreal art pop band were in the middle of an exhaustive world tour and they knew nights like these, where they had enough time to explore a city beyond the concert venue they played at, were rare.

Walking in, they were struck by the eclectic mix: old bluesmen in suits were propped up on seats next to scraggly homeless men swigging from bottles. One strange man in particular stood out. He sat at the very front of the bar facing the balcony outside — and they soon learned why. Every evening for the past 20 years a woman had walked out there at exactly 11 p.m. and, um, pleasured herself for an appreciative crowd. Not for money, but just for fun.

The night only got stranger from there. The band ended up getting drunk and playing an impromptu show in front of a weathered blues legend who later recounted stories of wailing with Janis Joplin and then, inexplicably, awarded each member "lucky" trinkets from his pocket.

"I just remember that night being one of the most amazing nights," says Patrick Watson, singer for the band that bears his name. "It's been a rock 'n' roll year. It's been really fun, but this is what life's going to be like from now on for quite a while."

It's been an undeniably successful year for the band, but measuring 2007 by the Polaris Music Prize bestowed upon them would be superficial. Despite the award packing a meaningful punch — it's given to a group or artist based solely on artistic merit and they beat out giants like Arcade Fire and Feist — it was more a road sign reassuring them that they're following the right path. The real highlights were those moments in between shows when they met memorable characters and came away with strange stories.

"An award's not a highlight. We've been touring around the world — going to Iceland or Greece or Russia would be a bigger highlight than winning an award," Watson says.

He always suspected, eventually, life would be the chaotic whirlwind it became this year. In 2006, they released their third album, Close To Paradise, a collection of achingly beautiful songs that won over crowds both here and abroad. Although they had been toiling away for years, to many it seemed they had appeared out of nowhere and, suddenly, were everywhere.

"We don't fit anywhere so it (took) a while for (the music) to find its place. I kind of always knew it would take time and when it found its place it would grow," Watson says.

If this was a year for creating a foundation for fame, 2008 will be the year to build upon that. Watson reveals they plan to continue touring extensively while working on the next album.

But before ringing in the new year, there's still one more award the group could take home. They've been short-listed for best yacht rock and best falsetto for CBC Radio 3's listener-voted Bucky Awards. And although he maintains his apathy towards titles, there's one Watson believes they've earned.

"I bet we'll win the falsetto one," he predicts. "I'll be pissed if we don't win the falsetto."

Patrick Watson's album of the year:
BEIRUT Lon Gisland EP

George Stroumboulopoulos says:
"What I like about Patrick Watson is I'm excited about Patrick Watson's next record. I really like the album, but I'm really looking forward to what comes after."

The following feature is taken from the December 2007 issue of Chart Magazine. To purchase the issue, head on over to the Chart Shop.