Two Hours Traffic Want To Be Like Sloan

08/31/09 4:50pm

by Scott Bryson (CHARTattack)

A spot on the Polaris Prize short list will put a band on a pedestal mighty quickly.

Two Hours Traffic may not have claimed the coveted 2008 Prize, but the nomination for their Little Jabs album has led to two y ears of fans and critics wondering what the Charlottetown foursome might do to top that sophomore effort.

"I think there was quite a lot of pressure," says singer/guitarist Liam Corcoran. "That was from the onset of writing the new songs. There were months of us thinking that we really have to raise the bar."

Two Hours Traffic decided that raising the bar meant tweaking their proven formula for Territory, their upcoming full-length album. Though they stuck with oft-talked-about producer Joel Plaskett, they did make some significant changes to the face of their music.

Sonically, they took a less-is-more approach. Lyrically, they decided they were finished focusing on romance.

"A good chunk of the songs on the record don't deal with just the classic boy/girl theme, which is something we've done many times in the past," says Corcoran. "Young adults falling in love — that's something we've done quite a bit of."

In case there wasn't already enough pressure on Two Hours Traffic, some individuals (like CHARTattack's Stereo), have already started comparing the quartet to prolific indie legends Sloan.

"I'd love to be at Sloan's status," Corcoran says. "Everyone in the United States who likes pop music knows who Sloan is. Serious music fans know who Sloan is. Obviously, everyone in Canada knows who Sloan is.

"We were all fans of them growing up. I think people who like pop music will seek it out and eventually find us, too. They're a good act to follow. If you have to be in someone's shoes, I wouldn't mind being in Sloan's shoes."

Corcoran suggests Two Hours Traffic are itching to make their way to the United States again, but for now, they're focusing their sights on conquering Canada. They already had a chance to road test some of their new material, earlier this year.

"On our last extensive tour for Little Jabs, we were probably playing four or five of these songs," Corcoran recalls. "They changed a lot when we actually laid them down, but people who go to all our shows will probably know a handful of them.

"We're going to do all of Canada. We'll probably get across the country twice."

Two Hours Traffic fans from coast to coast will also be bombarded by fellow Charlottetowners, The Danks. The two groups share members — Andrew MacDonald plays bass and Alec O'Hanley plays guitar/keyboards for The Danks (the fourth Two Hours Traffic member is drummer Derek Ellis) — so touring together makes sense both logistically and financially.

"I think they're a good opening act for the show," says Corcoran. "We've been playing together for years."

The two bands will share stages for at least the first leg of the Territory tour. Here's where you can catch Two Hours Traffic and The Danks this fall:

Sept. 11 Saint John, NB @ University Of New Brunswick
Sept. 12 Fredericton, NB @ St. Thomas (University Of New Brunswick)
Sept. 18 Kingston, ON @ The Mansion
Sept. 19Peterborough, ON @ The Montreal House
Sept. 23 Thunder Bay, ON @ The Outpost
Sept. 24 Winnipeg, MB @ The Royal Albert Arms
Sept. 25 Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina
Sept. 26 Edmonton, AB @ The Pawn Shop
Sept. 30 Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar
Oct. 1 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Oct. 2 Kelowna, BC @ Habitat
Oct. 3 Calgary AB @ The Legion
Oct. 5 Regina, SK @ The Exchange
Oct. 8 Sault Ste Marie, ON @ Lop Lops
Oct. 9 Sudbury, ON @ The Townehouse Tavern
Oct. 13 London, ON @ Call The Office
Oct. 14 Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
Oct. 15 Guelph, ON @ E-Bar
Oct. 16 Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
Oct. 17 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
Oct. 23 Halifax, NS @ Coconut Grove (Halifax Pop Explosion)
Oct. 24 Charlottetown, PE @ Hunter's Alehouse