Sylvie Become Bigger Family

10/09/08 4:41pm

by Shawn Despres (CHARTattack)

Sylvie are hitting the road this week in support of their third full-length, Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences.

The band will set out on a short tour from their hometown of Regina to Montreal, and fans will have the chance to pick up a copy of the disc before its official Oct. 21 release. A round of U.S. gigs with Minus The Bear will follow before the quintet embark on a proper cross-Canada jaunt in November.

"[Drummer] Jeff [Romanyk] was just remarking how awesome it's going to be," says very excited bassist Riva Farrell Racette. "We're looking at seven-to-eight weeks of pure tour-ness for October and November.

"Folks who come to the shows will be subject to our new songs, which we are very proud of. Essentially, there will be lots of playing, singing, dancing and sweating."

Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences was written in 2006 and early 2007 and recorded last summer with talented musician/producer J. Robbins (The Dismemberment Plan, Against Me!) at his Baltimore, Md. studio. The disc marks the recorded debut of keyboardist Erin Passmore, guitarist Joel Passmore's younger sister. Racette praises her contributions on the album and on stage.

"We all knew that Erin had a wicked set of pipes. Plus, like her brother, she has a natural gift for creating music and coming up with parts that fit well with what is going on. For the older stuff, she has come up with some melodies on keys, and sings harmonies. Sometimes she jumps on speakers."

Joel and Racette are married, so Racette now gets to spend more quality time with her sister-in-law, albeit not always in the nicest of places.

"I can say that, on a social level, it has been really nice to have Erin in the band," she explains. "It's nice having someone else getting ready for shows with me in random filthy bathrooms."

While Erin's addition helps close the gap between the number of males and females in Sylvie, Racette says that it hasn't made the band's boys any more gentlemanly.

"The guys still do not abstain from passing deadly gasses, nor have we all stopped swearing like sailors. We can be a loud and abrasive lot, but Erin had already come out on one of our tours with Wintersleep and definitely knew what she was getting herself into."

According to Racette, there's a feeling of optimism running through the Sylvie camp. This is much different from the pessimistic leanings which preceded the unveiling of their rightfully praised pairing of post-punk and indie rock on 2003's I Wish I Was Driving and 2005's An Electric Trace. She cites the quality of the singing on Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences as one of her favourite things about the recording and shares her picks for best tracks.

"We threw everything we had into this record: emotionally, creatively and economically. There is a real sense of accomplishment for us all. 'Breakout For Summer' is one standout track because every time we play it live, I feel like people know what Joel is talking about.

"For me, personally, 'When We Were Young' is of particular relevance. The vocals are about the residential school experience and the tone it set for generations to come. For this song to come out the same year as the long-awaited apology from the federal government has been very significant for me and my family, to say the least."

Here are Sylvie's Canadian tour dates:

Oct. 10 Regina, SK @ The Distrikt w/Ghosts Of Modern Man and Said The Whale
Oct. 11 Winnipeg, MB @ The Lo Pub & Gallery
Oct. 12 Thunder Bay, ON @ Jacks
Oct. 14 London, ON @ Call The Office
Oct. 16 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Oct. 17 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
Oct. 18 Montreal, QC @ Club Lambi