In November 2013, Vancouver duo Japandroids posted to their Facebook page a thank-you note to their fans: “Time for us to disappear into the ether for a while.”
They were true to their word: It was their last message for three years – a lifetime in terms of social media. In that time, they didn’t play shows, give interviews or release any new music. With no outward signs of activity, fans were left to wonder what had happened to the buzzed-about indie-rockers.
But even though they kept a low public profile, guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse were busy mapping out a sound that veered away from the back-to-basics rock ’n’ roll minimalism of their past work.
“Part of the fun this time around is: anything goes,” says King, sitting down with Westender in Dude Chilling Park. “We’re not going to worry about how we’re going to play it and how it’s going to sound live. We’re just going to do what we think sounds good, is fun and serves the song, and go from there.”
On previous albums (2009’s Post-Nothing and 2012’s Celebration Rock), Japandroids gleaned maximum emotional impact from a basic setup of triumphant drums, distorted guitars and cathartic shouts. This time, they threw out the rulebook, giving themselves free rein to add overdubs and expand their instrumental setup for their recently released third LP, Near to the Wild Heart of Life. “We expanded on what we did before and didn’t really accept the limitations of our prior work,” says Prowse. “There’s kind of an endless amount of stuff you can dump on top of a track to keep making it bigger and keep pushing it sonically.”
The expanded musical palette isn’t the only change in Japandroids’ world. Since their last album, King moved to Toronto, marking the first time he and Prowse collaborated while living in different cities. To kickstart the writing process for this album, they rented a house in New Orleans for a month, with subsequent meet-ups taking place in Vancouver, Toronto and Mexico City. “I see all those four cities reflected in the record,” says King. “Being in those different cities has an exciting and inspirational effect on the band and what comes out of it.”
Near to the Wild Heart of Life came out in January through two prestigious indie labels: Arts & Crafts in Canada, and Anti- in the rest of the world. As promised, it combines Japandroids’ ecstatic rock sound with widescreen, outside-the-box arrangements. “I’m Sorry (For Not Finding You Sooner)” is a static-drenched shoegaze ballad, while the travelogue “North East South West” accentuates its stomping country leanings with acoustic strumming. “Arc of Bar” is an epic tale of drunken debauchery featuring female backing vocals and a heavily effected guitar loop; King points to this seven-and-a-half-minute cut as the most radical departure from the band’s usual wheelhouse. “Of all the songs we’ve ever written and recorded, it’s our most original song,” the singer says. “I feel like we’ve finally started – at least with this song – to leave some of our past influences behind and create something that’s totally ours. It’s very us.”
The guys see Near to the Wild Heart of Life as the beginning of a new chapter in their career. “It’s almost like the second time we’ve made a mission statement,” King observes. “There’s a lot of chance and risk involved in making a record. We were more open to that this time. Sometimes you have to just let fate steer you.”
And if some listeners are left alienated by the album’s exploratory tendencies? “There’s not much you can do about that, and on some level you have to do what’s exciting to you,” Prowse muses. “We’re pushing ourselves. If people don’t like it as much, that’s okay. But at least we’re excited about it. I think that’s the most you can hope for.”
Japandroids play a sold-out show Monday, Mar. 20, at Commodore Ballroom.
