HAMILTON, ONTARIO: Hoping to help Canadians stay at home, The Trews have released a new single and accompanying video.
Safely in isolation at his home with his family, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald told The Reporter their latest track “God Speed Rebel” was recorded last summer.
“It was going to go on our next record which we haven’t finished recording, we’re supposed to be recording right now,” MacDonald said. “We decided since we had this song handy and ready to go, that we would share it with everybody because people need things to do and they need reasons to stay inside.”
Lead singer Colin MacDonald agreed that the new song and video will help people self-isolate and remain at a safe distance.
“Spring is in the air and we’re in quarantine, here’s a new song to help you along these unprecedented days,” he said in a press release. “This tune showed up on our doorstep last year and we’ve been looking for a home for it ever since. We figured it was time to send this quirky, warm and friendly little jam out into the world to keep you company while you’re stuck inside; a song for your soundtrack of solitude.”
Calling it a “cool and catchy tune,” the lead singer explained the origins of the track.
“It’s about rock ‘n’ roll, being an individual in the ever changing and unforgiving world, doing the right thing always and helping others along the way,” Colin said.
Not just willing to pat themselves on the back, John-Angus said he’s been overwhelmed by the response from the music community during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“It’s really heartening to see the way the artists have stepped up to help people get through,” he said. “It’s really tough, we’re living in very strange circumstances that none of us have experienced in our lifetime.”
Seizing on the current self-isolation zeitgeist, the video for “God Speed Rebel” was created entirely on the virtual meeting app ZOOM two weeks ago.
“We decided we’d join with the rest of our artistic brethren and just release stuff,” John-Angus stated. “This new song and video was part of that.”
On the making of the video, John-Angus said like everyone else, The Trews have had plans fall through, are trying to keep busy and want to keep their fans entertained. The video is described by the band as a rare look inside the band’s home life, with each band member in their own frame. This includes “special guest star appearances” by Rio, Jeff’s cat and John-Angus’ six-year-old son Elliott, who steals the show with his incredible dance moves.
“That was fun experiment, I’ve never done that before,” John-Angus recalls. “It’s just a perfect example of how we’re living these days. We’re living on-line and communicating through screens.
“Nobody is exempt from this, we feel as strained and alienated as everybody else. For us to reach out and play for our fans, and feel that they also are getting something out of it, means a lot to us and it means a lot to them.”
The track is available on all streaming platforms, with all revenue from the streams and sales donated directly to the Unison Benevolent Fund, a non-profit, registered charity that provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. The fund helps professional music makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties.
The band decided to release the single “with no plan to link it to the next record,” because they are unsure when that next album is going to come out, MacDonald said, adding The Trews are hoping to perform at Nova Scotia Summer Fest at Keppoch Mountain on August 28 and 29.
“I hope we can preserve some of our shows for the summer,” John-Angus added. “We plan to play Antigonish for the first time in a really long time at Summer Fest.
“I just hope for a timely resolution or some of kind of path forward that lets us all get out and see each other.”