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Good Intentions Good Vibrations
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"I just think it comes out of a sincere love of the pop song–that thing that we hear growing up on t..."I just think it comes out of a sincere love of the pop song–that thing that we hear growing up on the radio, that we hum on the way home, that song that we sing along with in a concert, that one that we put on the remix tape we make for a year," explains Nick Perreault.
It’s not surprising to hear Newfoundland-born Perreault (who moved to Edmonton four years ago) admit he has a love for pop music. Perreault grew up in a period where parents invested in updating their music collection from vinyl records to CDs, and he was exposed to the most classical form of pop at an early age–The Moody Blues, America, Belinda Carlisle (which he covers on his solo debut, The Good Intentions), and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, among others.
"I’ve been trying desperately to write a Randy Newman type song, and the results were just so different from anything like it that it was an exercise in futility, you know?"
The Good Intentions is a pure pop record: one inspired and influenced by the music of his youth and his life experience before and after moving to Alberta. Recorded through numerous small stints at Norwood Studios with Captain Tractor’s Chris Wynters and James Murdoch over the span of 11 months, Perreault’s first effort is remarkably smart and mature, exposing a songwriter with a definite knack for pop hooks and layers, a deep understated voice, as well as a magical hand in crafting stripped-down piano numbers.
Working with Wynters and Murdoch (and having met them through the open mic scene), it didn’t take long for Perreault to find himself surrounded by friends who were more than willing to guest on the record–Scott Peters, Jason Kodie, Will Preville, Mireille Moquin, Ann Vriend... And most of them will make an appearance at Perreault’s release gig at the Sidetrack Café on Sat, Dec 2.
But it had to be asked. Why The Good Intentions?
"Years and years ago I was helping a friend’s band–part manager, part groupie, I was the guy who sells the merch and drives the car. I had just started to write lyrics and one time I told him, ‘Listen, I got this idea for a line, I think it’s really cool.’"
Perreault then delivered, "If I had your good intentions, I’d be on my way to hell."
"He was like, ‘Oh, that’s a terrible line. That sounds like the worst Garth Brooks song that could ever be re-written. That is the most cliché country turnaround line.’"
Perreault held on to the line for years until it was the right time, and thus it became the title of the record.
"I thought, ‘Well, to hell with those guys.’" He laughs. "I’ll show them.’"
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CD Review (rating: "This Rocks")
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"I get weak when I look at you / Weak when we touch / I can't speak when I look in your eyes." Anyon..."I get weak when I look at you / Weak when we touch / I can't speak when I look in your eyes." Anyone who either remembers or is fascinated by the 1980s might recall those lines from the grandiose original by Belinda Carlisle. While that version had a touch of sadness to it, in the hands of Nick Perreault the song becomes a melancholy contemplation on the shackles of love. Coupled with "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing," the old hymnal that rises up out of the final notes, Perreault demonstrates an impressive vision for arranging songs for maximum impact.
It helps, too, that Perreault happens to hold his own as a songwriter. There's a literate touch to the lyrics, be it in the way that Perreault sings about size and widescreen televisions on "Alberta Blues" (exactly what is the metaphor here? Well, it could be pretty much anything. Give it a listen and see what you come up with), or the sing-a-long barroom storytelling of "Miles." These are lyrics that really should be awkward, but Perreault's songs—and the impressive production by Chris Wynters and James Murdoch—bring them to life, forcing the listener to pay attention rather than simply humming along to another predictable melody. This is not an immediately accessible album by any means, but neither is it an easy one to dismiss, burrowing deep and inviting the listener to spend some time with the songs before making any judgments.
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Nick Perreault's Not Ready For Sea Shanties Yet
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Right now, the thick curls atop Nick Perreault's head are thanking him; they won't have to struggle ...Right now, the thick curls atop Nick Perreault's head are thanking him; they won't have to struggle to cover an enlarging cranium due to narcissistic inflation.
Indeed, the Edmonton-based singer/songwriter — whose The Good Intentions debut album peaked at #1 on local campus radio charts — isn't going to let good fortune get the best of him. Instead, the happy-go-lucky Newfoundland native plans on using the foot he currently has wedged in the door to promote fellow Edmonton artists, all while building upon his own musical styles.
"I want to explore a remix EP idea now, where I get other artists to play my songs," Perreault says in an animated conversation over lunch. "I don't think there's one way to do a song, and I don't necessarily think the way I've done it is the best way.
"I don't think Leonard Cohen did 'Hallelujah' the best way, and I don't think Trent Reznor did 'Hurt' the best way. Maybe someone can improve upon my music."
While Perreault's Newfoundland roots may provide him with a personality laden with witty banter and carefree jubilance, the east coast is one thing that doesn't lend a hand in shaping his music. When it comes to his songwriting, Newfoundland stereotypes are something he'd rather avoid.
"I've had people who I've known for years and years and who totally expected [The Good Intentions] to be Celtic east coast stuff," Perreault says. "I don't play off the Newfoundland aspect.
"I'm not ashamed of the place, but I know that it's going to put images in people's minds that I'm singing about cod fish and net mending. I think I'm at the point where I'm trying to figure out how to have a consistent voice in songwriting that still allows for creativity in the live performance, in a way that I can do a song five different ways live, but in a way that's recognizably mine. Maybe in 15 years I'll have some big epiphany and go and record some old sea shanties."
Now that Perreault has become more comfortable with the idea of being a full-fledged musician, he's not wasting any time in taking some new steps. The Good Intentions is already a soft, stripped-down production, harnessing Perreault's opinionated and passionate pop vigour, as shown by "Alberta Blues" (which speaks of the hoards of money that Albertans seem to be coveting and the big-screen televisions they desire, all to make up for, er, some inadequacies). But for the next little while, Perreault hopes to dabble in more home recordings and return to quieter, folkier tunes.
Perreault is also gearing up to play a few festivals and organize a tour. Although he's a master of the drums, a pianist at heart and a church choir singer above all else, perfecting the guitar will be his challenge before taking off across the dusty plains — or maybe not.
"You can fool a lot of people with the guitar, I learned," Perreault says with a laugh. "If you can strum it half regularly and if you can sing loud enough, it distracts from you playing the guitar.
"That's my trick. If you yell a lot and scream a bit, they forget about the guitar."
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CD Review
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ither Shameless Records are in league with the devil, or they've just been incredibly fortunate. I s...ither Shameless Records are in league with the devil, or they've just been incredibly fortunate. I say this because Shameless Records plays host to a roster of youthful and talented local musicians who all seem to have been plucked right out of their musical cribs and pushed into the studio, instruments in hand, ready to wow listeners with unexpected folk velour and pop delicacies.
To clarify things, Shameless Records aren't baby snatchers. They're just darn good at honing in on talent. Amy Seeley, the Wheat Pool, and now Nick Perreault with his album, The Good Intentions, put the independent label up on the leader board. "Fire By Night" features Perreault spilling on his piano like a rainforest waterfall on a boulder, and "Alberta Blues" takes a nostalgic stroll down happy-go-lucky lane. Even his cover of Belinda Carlisle's "I Get Weak" (although the vocals feel a bit rough and ragged at times) challenges the most gifted pianists. Every track manages to hand a lollipop to its listeners (except maybe for "Injured Ignored," which tastes like sucralose), and on that note, we truly have to wonder whether genetic modification might be the "shameless" weapon of choice.
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Perreault Gets Weak
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Nick Perreault has no shame.
The local singer-songwriter is an unapologetic fan of 80s music - an...Nick Perreault has no shame.
The local singer-songwriter is an unapologetic fan of 80s music - and not just those artists with the right indie cred, like The Smiths, the Cure, or The Clash.
He loves it all... from Matthew Wilder's goofy helium-ized hit Break My Stride -shudder!- to pop vixen Belinda Carlisle's I Get Weak.
"It's a terrible, terrible problem," Perreault, 25, admits.
The Newfoundland native blames it on his morning drives to school when he was a wee tot in St. John's.
"I was too young to be buying records and really have specific tastes," says Perreault. "But I was at the age when all those songs aer imprinted in my brain. It's amazing. I can sing you Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley from star to finish. The pop hits of the 80s are way better than the hits of the 90s."
Mercifully, Astley's single isn't on Perreault's pop debut, The Good Intentions, released on Edmonton's Shameless Records - but he couldn't resist wrapping his vocal chords around Carlisle's I Get Weak.
His version is much slower and rootsier than the original.
"It's a terribly sad song," says Perreault. "I had to change some of the words - like 'baby' to 'maybe'. When I do it love, I'm tempted to do the full Carlisle vibrato."
The Carlisle cover is one of three on Perreault's release produced by Chris Wynters and James Murdoch. He also recorded a hymn from his choirboy days, Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing, and a spooky, electronic rendition of The Smiths' Bigmouth Strikes Again.
Perreault regards it as an apology for some of the biting lyrics in his own songs, including Alberta Blues, a rip-roaring, piano'n'accordion track about men's preoccupation with size - using TV screens as a metaphor for, well... you know what.
"I know that you're wondering: 'How many inches?' Better get a ruler, it's a feast for the senses," Perreault boasts on the song.
He wasn't quite as cocky when it came to stepping out from behind his drum kit - he plays with Deadcity Serpents - and taking the plunge as a singer-songwriter.
"Ooooh, nervous," he says of his first few attempts at open stages. "I was terrible by people were very kind. Performing is very interesting - I have to pretend that I'm not performing."
Perreault offers his Good Intentions tonight at 9 at the Sidetrack Cafe, 10238 104th St. Tickets are $8.
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First Release Explores Duality
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Nick Perreault, 25, has made a visual impact on St. Albert through his graphic designs for the Arts ...Nick Perreault, 25, has made a visual impact on St. Albert through his graphic designs for the Arts & Heritage Foundation
Tonight Perreault colors new creative territory with the debut of his first solo pop album at the Sidetrack Café. The Good Intentions, a 15-track CD crafted under the mentorship of James Murdoch and Chris Wynters of Captain Tractor, was recorded at Edmonton's Norwood Studios.
In an era where many grassroots musicians sneer at pop music as a sellout to mass marketing, Perreault has embraced the early pop-rock icons. Influenced by the likes of Randy Newman and the Beatles to U2 and Blue Rodeo, this indie album concentrates a mélange of flavors that combines straight ahead rock and alternative country with ballads and instrumentals. No two songs sound alike.
"I feel no need to fit in the box. I'm not into reinventing the wheel. I just don't think people will get bored. I want to mix it up. I like playing with cool and uncool. The CD isn't [going] to tie you down," Perreault explained.
While many pop albums are chock-full of empty platitudes, The Good Intentions explores opposing sides of man's nature. "The duality between cynicism and naiveté, joy and fear, contentment and dissatisfaction. I like exploring both sides and finding the middle ground."
For instance Alberta Blues has a Tin Pan bounce that pokes fun of the bigger-is-better mentality whereas The Sky Tonight has a peaceful mood that evokes a campfire feel.
In the pick-me-up ballad Marigold, Perreault was inspired by a lunch outing at Tim Horton's. Sitting on the patio was a mother and her young daughter sharing a snack with grandma.
"There were three generations, and it turned into a completely fictitious story based on that site with references in Canada."
Perreault's first experience playing in a band came in his hometown of St. John's, Newfoundland as a drummer for a high school band. "We were a terrible '90s alternative rock band. We didn't have a lot of original ideas. We were just trying to make sounds like we heard on our tape deck."
Perreault moved to Alberta in 2001 to be with a girl he'd met in Europe. But they subsequently broke up and the foundation for a relationship song was born.
As a songwriter, he lives by a simple rule. "Anybody who tells a story honestly, it's going to come out original. If you keep it real and try not to be obtuse, it will work."
At the concert a choir of singers he met on the open mic circuit backs him. They include Ann Vriend, Amber Bissonnette, Robb Angus, Robin Hunter and James Murdoch.
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PreVUE: Nick Perreault
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Nick Perreault is stepping out from behind the Deadcity Serpents’s drumkit and into the spotlight as...Nick Perreault is stepping out from behind the Deadcity Serpents’s drumkit and into the spotlight as the frontman on his solo debut, The Good Intentions. With local producers Chris Wynters and James Murdoch at his side, Perreault says that he approached the sessions from an overambitious standpoint, determined to make a record with legs—the sort of album that takes time to grow on people, offering many a mysterious avenue to explore and discover. That meant taking chances and trying things out along the way without worrying about the potential for failure. The trio recorded the album in short bursts that spanned nearly a year, constantly throwing ideas back and forth and finding new approaches as they went. “Because it was so collaborative between the ideas of the producers and my ideas, I think it kind of sprawled,” Perreault reflects. “My worry about it for a long time was that it would be schizophrenic and kind of hard to follow, but I think ultimately it does have a common thread. There are a few little things that I can tell tie it together, and I think that as people listen to it, they’ll understand why it was done the way it is.”
