Veal Emerge From Annual Hibernation

07/06/06 6:00pm

by Noah Love (CHARTattack)

As Luke Doucet becomes more and more known for his solo work and Nik Kozub sits on the verge of electronic rock greatness with the Edmonton-based Shout Out Out Out Out, their seminal band Veal becomes more and more a distant memory. But Doucet insists that the group aren't going anywhere.

"In fact, I fully intend to make another record," the Juno-nominated performer says. "Nik's masterminded the Shout Out Out Out Out thing and they've got a lot to do.

"They're gonna play a whole bunch. The record's gonna come out soon and it's probably gonna do really well. Chang is in Winnipeg. I don't know exactly what he's doing. I know he's playing a little bit of music and laying low. And I've been busy. Veal will happen again. It's just a question of when and how."

Doucet and Kozub will reunite Veal in Toronto on July 10 with Whitey Houston drummer Gravy filling in for the absent Chang. Gravy will also play with Whitey, who are opening the show at the Horseshoe Tavern.

Veal formed in Vancouver in 1995 and released three albums in the next eight years. Their last record, The Embattled Heart, marked the end of non-stop touring for the trio, which saw them achieve a decent following in Europe and the U.S. Now they play about once a year.

"We make an effort to make it happen," Doucet explains. "We all travel a lot, so it doesn't happen by chance.

"For eight years, we made it a priority. We toured a lot. We went to Europe a few times, and around the U.S. and Canada countless times. There was a bit of a banging-your-head-against-a-wall feeling to some of it, so we thought, 'Why don't we take a few steps back, stop trying to make this something that it's not. Let's make it a rock band that we love and we want to make music together when we can all be in the same city at the same time.'"

If you head down to the 'Shoe to check out the show, don't expect new material, which Doucet says isn't on the agenda but could happen spontaneously. And don't get your hopes up for entirely faithful renditions of your favourite songs.

"The thing about Veal is that it's second nature to listen to each other and to play off of each other and for it to be musical," Doucet says. "Whether it's going to be the same as the last time we played or how it sounds on a record, that's not even necessarily the goal.

"We'll get together the day before the show to run through some stuff, just to make sure of what key we're in. But beyond that, I'm pretty happy to let the chips fall where they will.

"That's what I love about the band. That's why it was such a successful band artistically for us. There was a really intuitive level to the way we communicated musically."

While Kozub's looking at a busy 2006/07 with SOOOO, Doucet's next calendar year is also pretty full. On the agenda is the U.S. re-release and promotion of 2005's Broken (And Other Rogue States) and a big move.

"In the fall, I'm gonna start doing residencies where I'm gonna do Chicago, New York, Nashville, Boston and Philadephia," explains Doucet. "I'm gonna play the same club in each of those cities every week for six weeks.

"Then, in November, I'm moving to Nashville for a while. It's not a permanent move. I'm not going down there to immerse myself in the studio world of Nashville. That doesn't really appeal to me. I mean, it could, but I don't really know. I'm not ambitious enough or careerist enough as a producer or guitarist to want to take it on in such a calculated way.

"I enjoy working in the studio with people whose music I know and love and who ask me to participate in their work. And then I'm flattered and if I can find time, I will. But I'm not constantly looking for gigs to further my session career or my production career. I'd rather be in a band. I'd rather play songs. I'd rather be on the road. I'd rather make records myself. Right now, it appeals to me more to be communicating with people, the audience."

Besides Veal's July 10 show, you can see Kozub and Shout Out Out Out Out on the free stage at the Yonge and Eglinton intersection this Saturday as part of the Celebrate Toronto street festival.