Share

It's probably safe to say that Andrew Sisk, the brainchild behind the folk-inspired electronic project Share, had to leave home to find what he was looking for. A native of Chipman, New Brunswick, Sisk didn't see a punk band in concert until he left his hometown for Fredericton as a 17-year-old. That experience, along with discovering other New Brunswick indie acts like Eric's Trip and a chance meeting half-a-world away, led him on the path to write his melodic sound collages. He will perform with his three-piece band (including drummer Kyle Cunjak and multi-instrumentalist Nick Cobham) at One World Cafe this weekend as part of his Can Can Missile album tour.

"I was lucky enough to take guitar lessons at 13 or 14 years old from this guy who was a friend of my dad's," Sisk says from a tour stop in Montreal. "He used to play in this Boston/Supertramp cover band and so he had all these beautiful Gibson Sunburst guitars and things like that. I was learning CCR and random country hits of the early '90s. That was the be-all, end-all of the Chipman music scene."

Sisk, now 26, discovered there was much more to music than what he heard on the radio when he made his move to Fredericton. He immersed himself in the local scene, going to punk and alternative rock shows. It was a stop in town by seminal Washington, DC, punk band Fugazi that really piqued his interest in being more than a spectator.

"I have this theory that when you're at a live musical event, there's something that's passed on to you," he says. "I don't want to get spiritual, but they change you and your perspective. And when you see shows like that, it changes the music you make, at least."

After a few years in Fredericton, Sisk hit the road, taking his ukulele with him. While travelling he wrote enough songs to fill an album. He also met Halifax-based sound artist Aaron Wallace of Sleepless Nights and AA Wallace fame while living in Sri Lanka. The two became close friends and upon his return to Canada, Sisk moved to Halifax.

"Aaron had been making music in the Halifax scene for a few years already," Sisk says. "I had told him I loved playing drums and he had a project with Roger Nelson that they would call Cheval. I was way out of practice—I hadn't played in two years—so I went in and it was rough going at first, but I ended up being the drummer."

Although Cheval didn't last long, Sisk continued working on his own music. He bought a few Casio keyboards from yard sales and a four-track recorder from Wallace on which he would record the demos for Ukulele Tragic, his debut. He went on to record his second album, the more electronic Can Can Missile, with Wallace as well.

"I had this digital sampler that I was making rhythm tracks with and I was writing songs how I would on any other instrument," he says. "It opened up this whole new way of writing when you can record, go back and experiment. The second album, Can Can Missile, resulted from the access to experiment and writing songs from the recording process rather than relying on your voice and instrument."

While Sisk's first album sounds like an avant-garde Old Man Luedecke, Can Can Missile drops the ukulele in favour of Kraftwerk electronics while maintaining the indie-folk mindset. Recorded over a few days in Wallace's bedroom, the 25-minute album is a collection of minimal soundscapes bolstered by melodic instrumentation, Sisk's poetic lyrical structure and danceable beats.

The entire package, from music to presentation with the silk-screened album cover, feels positively DIY. Unlike Eric's Trip, which went from an experimental group and fractured into folk-inspired projects like Julie Doiron's solo efforts, Sisk took the opposite route, using the folk template as a launch pad to find something new.

"Growing up in a small town, I didn't have access to the music that I would later love and feel close to," he recalls. "For me to know there are musicians like Rick White and Julie Doiron that were doing something so influential and unique out of New Brunswick, it was so impressive. I didn't know who they were until I was 21 years old, but going back and listening to them, I feel a real affinity to their music and what they did."

by Johnston Farrow - The Coast

Halifax-based songwriter Share (Andrew Sisk) is a busy man. He's crossing the country via train to play in support of his new Can Can Missile album and, when not performing his hypnotic, experimental folk, he lends his musical talents to The Sleepless Nights.

"Once I get back to Halifax I'll have about a week until The Sleepless Nights go on tour," says Sisk. "This is the first time I've been out west.

"It's the whole Canadian experience being on the train."

While Sisk takes in the Rocky Mountains, rolling hills, giant hay bales, endless stretches of prairie and everything else in between, he finds comfort in railroad tracks but looks forward to reuniting with his fellow wide-eyed, nocturnal bandmate, Matt MacDonald (The Sleepless Nights, The Superfantastics). Just as Sisk's railroad pass runs out, he'll join MacDonald on the final leg of The Superfantastics tour.

"I'm that smalltown boy who never thought I would leave rural New Brunswick," Sisk says. "I get so excited seeing tall buildings. I wonder what's going on in there.

"A lot of my first album, Ukulele Tragic, was from the perspective of the country versus the city. I see the world that way, I guess everyone does, as we're all leaving the country to move into cities."

Share has ditched the ukulele and moved into far murkier territory with Can Can Missile. With the production expertise and help of Aaron Wallace, he recorded the album in a bedroom in downtown Halifax.

"Prior to creating this album I was in a bit of a car accident," Sisk says. "The concept of the album was someone having their life flash before their eyes.

"I'm not sure if translates or not, but you can dance to it."

One would assume, with the burgeoning Halifax music scene, that Sisk would find inspiration in his musical peers. But instead he finds it in Canadian poetry.

"I've been writing songs since I was 14, but I would never show them to anyone," Sisk explains. "I went through the early twenty-something stage of writing terrible poetry and then went back to writing songs. I'm far more influenced by poets like Al Purdy and Leonard Cohen than any other lyricist."

Share is one of the talented acts playing a part in No Scene Records, an anti-scenester collective comprised of The Establishment, The Sleepless Nights, Jon McKiel, Ryan Cook, Joyless Streets and Capsized.

Check out Share at these shows:

April 26 Montreal, QC @ Shaika Cafe
April 30 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
May 2 Montreal, QC @ Green Room
May 3 St. Andrews, NB @ Fulcrum Gallery
May 4 St. John, NB @ Elwood's
May 5 Fredericton, NB @ The Capital
May 6 Halifax, NS @ One World Cafe
—Shannon Webb-Campbell - Chart Attack

Halifax’s Share have recently become a full pop rock band but on Pedestrian, the palpable sense that these songs are just coming together makes this gutsy album that much more charming. Once a solo project for songwriter Andrew Sisk, Share now include bassist Kyle Cunjak and guitarist Nick Cobham, who both appear here. New drummer Zach Atkinson isn’t present on Pedestrian, which actually led to more inventive percussion choices, giving several songs a halting yet endearing groove. In fact, one of the coolest parts of the wonderful, reggae-tinged “Too Shy to Blush� is the domineering hi-hat and snare. Just as Sloan fostered a wave of pop followers some 15 years ago, Wintersleep’s prog folk rock has proven inspirational to young Halifax musicians and, without any of the bombast, Share’s “Silhouette� and “Murderer� pay tribute. Despite the latter’s mechanically mixed beats or the sarcastic electronica of “Dance Dance Retribution,� there’s an overall gentleness to Pedestrian, best exemplified by the earnest, spare “Continents.� As they turn the volume up live these days, Share know where their heart really lies and Pedestrian exemplifies the band’s strengths.

- Vish Khanna - Exclaim!

Though this Halifax-based band exists largely as a vehicle for the songs of front man Andrew Sisk, its fourth release sounds no more like a one-man project than The Band did for Robbie Robertson. When a group of guys can convince you that they've lived every syllable of someone else's autobiography, well, that's no small feat. - The Toronto Star

Share, the latest band I have found from Halifax, Nova Scotia is set to release their new album this August. What is happening in the East Coast of Canada? These people are ridiculously talented, it could be our version of Portland/Seattle, me thinks. If I were you, I would start counting the days, as it needs to be on your must have list – hey, Polaris Prize folks…ideas for next year??

The new album (the band’s third) was created from the essence of Andrew Sisk (vocals, guitar) with Nick Cobham (guitar, vocals), Kyle Cunjak (bass, vocals), Dennis Goodwin (synth, guitar) and Zach Atkinson (drums) when they retreated to a cabin in the backwoods of PEI (Prince Edward Island for you non Canadians) with producer and Slowcoustic favourite Daniel Ledwell (In-Flight Safety & awesome solo stuff). This was a new experience for the group who now find them as such…an actual group instead of a part time project they were all working on, see below description from frontman Sisk:

“We wanted to make an album that captured Share as a band,” claims Sisk. “It was the first time that Share was a band rather than a recording project so it was an entirely different process.”

My first experience with Share was their “Ukelele Tragic” album – a bit more of a lo-fi affair by title alone. While a pretty darn good album in its own right, the new album shows a lot of growth to a band and possibly more “mature” sound. Whether that is something you are looking for or is something that doesn’t mean anything to you, Share are growing and you should take the trip along with them. From the beauty of “Maybe and Always” with fellow East Coaster Jenn Grant to my current favourite “Horse & Rider” and back again to a great lead off track with “Penmanship”, this is one to watch folks. - Slowcoustic

Share, who played on Wednesday, had me at “Dance Dance Retribution,� one of my favourite Pop Explosion song titles. Moving from acoustic folk into a more electronic and experimental sound, New Brunswick-born Andrew Sisk, along with A.A. Wallace, Kyle Cunjak and Nick Cobham keep things interesting by not sticking to one formula. Instead, we get blips, bleeps, guitars and melodies all getting along, with a few surprises. “Continents� begins as longing acoustic alt-country, eventually veering into jazz territory. Catherine MacLellan’s backup on “The Yard� is a lovely duet about a love empty as a hole in the ground.

-Sue Carter Flinn - The Coast

Share’s Slumping in Your Murals is just low-key enough to catch you off guard. Early on, it feels like one of those albums that’ll be easy to like but next to impossible to love. Singer-songwriter Andrew Fisk clearly knows his way around a folk-rock tune and the spacious production perfectly complements the music, but there’s nothing that immediately makes you go “Wow.” From Fisk’s vocals to the band’s musicianship, Slumping proudly announces itself as a competent release, inviting faint praise.

Then the little moments start to add up. The whale song intro and cathartic climax to “Awake at Dawn.” The welcome touch of musical aggression in “Fish Out of Water.” The triumphant outro of “KC,” which could easily be the last minute of an unreleased Do Make Say Think epic. They’re little things, but they’re persuasive.

By the time the album wraps up (it’s concise at 10 songs and just over a half-hour) it’s near impossible to resist its charms. There’s not much flash to the disc, but sometimes substance can win over style. - FFWD Weekly, Calgary

Although this is Share's fourth album, in some ways it's the first as a band. Originally intended as a musical and experimental outlet for guitarist/vocalist Andrew Sisk, Share has settled nicely into its place as a roots pop band with a cohesive mature sound. Produced by Dan Ledwell in a PEI cabin, the fresh air and rural atmosphere has infused the album with a haunting, life-slowed-down ambiance.

Pedestrian boasted a quirky, lovely electro duet with Catherine MacLellan; this time around, a quietly intimate, almost sad, pairing with Jenn Grant on "Maybe Always." Songs like "Horse and Rider" and "Awake at Dawn" are cautionary tales, but "Penmanship" soars like a classic-in-the-making ballad. - The Coast, Halifax

Is Chipman, New Brunswick the first place you think of when you think of Electronic folk music? No? Perhaps it should be. Although now based in Halifax, Andrew Sisk, who created Share with his friend and Producer A.A. Wallace, hails from the tiny New Brunswick town. The two produced two albums under the Share moniker, the folky Ukelele Tragic and the electronic-themed Can Can Missile before deciding to try and merge those two sounds on the group's latest effort, Pedestrian. Two new members also joined the band on a full time basis, Kyle Cunjak on acoustic double bass and Nick Cobham on guitar, with both of them also helping out with the vocals.

Although not an entirely new phenomenon, the blending of folk harmonies with electronic samples and sounds is always a risky proposition. And based on the album bio, the band aren't looking to play it safe:

Taking an organic sound base and building upon it with samples, synths and programmed beats, the album is an expression that doesn't bend to the commonality of genre constraints.

After my first few listens, I can say that this isn't just idle talk. There are plenty of chances taken on the album, from folk and country sounds, through to songs that almost seem as though they're constructed from dueling breakbeats. Importantly though, I never felt like I was listening to an experiment, that organic base mentioned in the quote above ensures that each song manages to keep a melodic essence, and that makes for enjoyable listening. In fact, this is an album that rewards repeated listens, as I was picking up nuances in the songs, in the lyrics especially, on the second or third time through.

The Great Before kicks things off with a sound that reminds me a bit of Beat Radio, an outfit we've been quite high on here at the hill, so that's a good sign. It begins as kind of light, contemplative song until a drum beat kicks in at the 3:20 mark and everything shifts into a higher gear. As it's title suggests, Too Shy To Blush is about shyness, but it's catchy track full of jangly guitar and snapping drums certainly isn't afraid to get out and mingle. Silouette is a beautiful song, all about guitar strum and a harmonica riff that, oddly enough, brings to mind the Gorillaz Tomorrow Comes Today. I have to say, considering it contains lines like "we can all pull a knife, we can all silouette", it's certainly one of the happiest "feeling" songs about loneliness I've heard.

Steel guitar and piano give Continents a lonely, countryish vibe. "Some days you're Africa, telling Europe not to stray...Most days you're Australia, reaching to touch Bombay". I have to say, in the wrong hands, that could sail mighty close to the cheese continent, but the measured delivery of the song makes it work here. I wanted to like Dance, Dance, Retribution, simply because I loved the title, and I have to say it's a lot more electro than I would've expected, chock full of snaps & hand claps with computer effects on the vocals. But in the end, it works. The other songs have enough electronic influence that it's not completely shocking, and it was enjoyable on the next listen. The Yard has a cacophonous beat that sounds like they looped a few seconds of Neil Pert busting a solo on his 146 piece kit. Catherine MacLellan also makes an appearance on vocals, and normally you'd have this sweet back & forth interplay over a correspondingly sweet/sparse track, and so kudos to the guys for pairing it with a kind of out-there track. Makes it a standout for me.

Perhaps you can tell, I'm a fan of this album. Share are on a tour of Eastern Canada over the next several weeks (check their myspace for dates), so if you have the chance, get out and see them. I'm guessing their electroacoustic goodness will make them quite a few more new fans. As for me, I'll be trying to catch Share's show during the Halifax Pop Explosion, which is October 17th at Ginger's Tavern. - Hero Hill

Flying under the radar, Halifax's Share have quietly been building up to Slumping in Your Murals, a mature, roots-tinged pop achievement. Singer/guitarist Andrew Sisk possesses a unique perspective on instability, conjuring songs about unrest in a hazy voice that places Share somewhere between the Sea and Cake and Wintersleep. But there's a rural bent to his approach that works on a folk level — like songs sung around campfires backed by cinematic soundtracks. Just as something like "Date & Time" plays at pop sophistication, integrating a variety of sounds for something haunting, there are thoughtfully low-key moments like the Jenn Grant duet "Maybe Always," where hopefully forlorn voices are tucked in under a blanket of ambience provided by Share and the lap steel of guest Mike Feuerstack (Snailhouse). Overseen by In-Flight Safety's Daneil Ledwell, Murals has a rich murkiness that suits this latest line-up of an ever-shifting band, discovering their most effective configuration. Tastefully compelling, Share stand tall on this wondrous new record.

Share sound more cohesive here than on 2007's Pedestrian. Why?
Sisk: Share started as a recording project and, when we recorded Pedestrian, the image of it was complete in my mind beforehand. It was a documentation of something I'd been going through: travelling and a break-up. The concept and multiple-meanings of "pedestrian" were all there. With Slumping in Your Murals, it happened really organically. I started writing for this incarnation of the band and we knew what the songs were meant to sound like.

You sound more confident here.
I feel that this is the best thing we've done and I feel more confident for sure. I think I've grown a lot as a songwriter in the last two years. My favourite parts of this record are the performances by the band and the things that Dan added afterwards. I'm just really happy with it.

Does this record have a particular tone?
We chose these ten songs because they seemed to flow together. I was learning about a lot of things during the writing of it and astrology was one of them. Just this idea of destiny or things being bigger and broader — that tone is in every song and that was the mood. The feel comes from the players and Dan's production; he really added a lot of ambience as well. (Forward) - Exclaim!