Joel Plaskett keeps things unique, releasing one song a week.


Whether you’re a Thrush Hermit enthusiast, recognize his work with The Emergency, or are a die-hard fan of his solo endeavours, Canadian indie rock musician Joel Plaskett is a name that speaks volumes and soon his new record Scrappy Happiness will too.


Joel Plaskett Emergency


with special guest Frank Turner


Friday, April 27, 2012


Inspired by his 33rd birthday in 2009, Joel Plaskett released Three, an ambiti ous three-disc collecti on compiling a total of 27 songs. Though a daring move in the music industry to produce such a sprawling album, Three was, and sti ll is, well received by both old and new fans alike.


"I thought that the triple record was a bit of a risky move because I didn’t know if people would even tune in for that durati on. Some people probably just picked their favourite songs and made a mix and that was that, but the record tells a story for those who want to hang around for the hour and a half," said Plaskett .


42 centrestage - SPRING 2012


Always approaching projects in his own unique way, Plaskett is channelling the days when songs went from studio to radio in record ti me. On Jan. 10, Plaskett kicked off the fi rst of 10 weeks in which he and his band, The Emergency, release a new song every Tuesday.


"I was faced with a challenge because the recepti on was really positi ve with Three and it did introduce my music to a lot of new people. So, I feel like people are going to check in and care, but at the same ti me I knew that I had to deliver something diff erent and hopefully interesti ng in another way," said Plaskett .


"And that’s when I got the idea that maybe recording a song a week would be fun."


"Frankly, from a sheer desire to have people tune in, part of me thinks that with records it’s like that Bonnie Raitt song, ‘Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About’,


like what can you do that’s going to catch people’s ear? There’s a story to Scrappy Happiness now and that can be the hook. I wanted it to feel diff erent. This feels diff erent," said Plaskett .


Plaskett ’s songs are ideas long before they reach the studio. So, even though he is releasing a song a week, each one undergoes signifi cant prior contemplati on. The diff erence is that he has intenti onally not recorded demos of the songs to keep them fresh. According to Plaskett , a week devoted to a song is plenty of ti me to sti ll allow for perspecti ve to be gained without the anxiety of perfecti onism interfering.


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