Said The Whale Befriend Cop

Said The Whale had a little bit of a run-in with the law on Monday night.

Guitarist/singer Tyler Bancroft told CBC Radio 3 the band were driving to Invermere, B.C. to have a day off following their tour with Mother Mother, when they were pulled over near Red Deer, Alta. by a police officer who told them their trailer looked crooked and may have been loaded wrong.

"One thing led to another," Bancroft said. "We admitted that we had a bottle of Jack Daniel's on board, but it was in the back of the vehicle and it was sealed.

"Apparently that was actually illegal and we didn't know that. I thought that it just couldn't be within reach of the passenger, but apparently if it's in reach of any of the passengers it's illegal."

The group's van was searched and the cop had found a murse (man purse) and asked whose it was. (Bancroft says the officer actually used the word "murse," for the record.) The murse contained contraband items, which led to its owner being taken back to the squad car for questioning.

Bancroft called the items "Twizzlers" and "Pixie Sticks" in his interview with host Grant Lawrence before admitting the unnamed band member (referred to later in the interview as Ben, which would be singer/guitarist Ben Worcester) was carrying "a little bit of pot."

The van was checked more thoroughly before its owner and the police officer talked for a while and Bancroft relentlessly and humorously updated Said The Whale's Twitter page. You can also see photos from Said The Whale's "run-in with the fuzz" here.

Bancroft said Worcester got on well with the officer in the cruiser and they talked about music, touring and food. To make a long story short, the cop took the marijuana but Said The Whale were told they could keep the Jack Daniel's if they moved it into the trailer. No arrests were made.

You can see a potless Said The Whale here:

April 25 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox w/Hey Rosetta (BC Scene Festival)
May 9 Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom w/Mother Mother
May 20 Calgary, AB @ Jubilee Theatre w/City And Colour