Eric's Trip INTERVIEW ARCHIVE July 21, 1993 - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Personnel
- Interviewer(s)
- Joanne Levasseur
- Jacqui Touchette
- Interviewee(s)
- Julie Doiron
- Mark Gaudet
- Rick White
Sources
| Publisher | Title | Transcript |
|---|---|---|
| Slot Magazine | Eric’s TriP | Yes |
Transcript
Eric’s Trip is about as sappy as Quebec in the Springtime. Their low-fi sound is dripping with raw personal emotion, boy-girl harmonies melt into distorted guitars. This band is like maple sugar pie: simple, sweet and good.For those who were just scared away by the use of “sappy”, and “boy-girl harmonies”, read on. We’re not talking Sonny and Cher love ballads here. These guys really kick butt.I caught even the most cynical scenesters shakin’ their heads to this rock and roll outfit from the Maritimes.Eric’s Trip, whose moniker is derived from a Sonic Youth song, features Julie Doiron on bass and vocals, drummer Mark Gaudet and guitarists/vocalists Chris Thompson and Rick White. Come, take a trip with us…
SLOT: So is anyone getting on each other’s nerves so far?
Julie: Rick and I kind of lose our patience. But we can deal with that.
SLOT: That’s it, open old wounds Joanne…
Julie: When I get tired and cranky I get unbearable.
SLOT: With Sloan being signed to a major label, people are really talking about the music scene in the Maritimes. What do you think of that?
Julie: It’s a good scene right now. It died out for a while but it’s coming back. That’s for Moncton. I don’t know about Halifax.
SLOT: Who wrote the song “Understand”?
Julie: Rick…
Rick: It’s about personal stuff and when we went jaywalking around Halifax. My songs have lots of personal stuff, things I shouldn’t be putting on records. To people who don’t know me, it’s not as personal but it’s your friends you have to worry about. It’s like, ‘hey, that’s about me.’”
SLOT: The copyright on all your songs is “Sappy Music”. Sappy seems to pop up a lot when you describe your music.
Rick: Sappy songs are the best songs. Then there are the ones that are straightforward. There’s a difference between sappy and corny, I think.
SLOT: What exactly are sappy songs?
Rick: They’re straightforward, they’re not all cute. They tell things in a naive sort of way. Sappy Songs was our first demo tape, and we put out a seven inch on our label, Sappy Records. So far there’s only one seven inch out on the label.
SLOT: How do you feel about playing all-ages shows compared to a bar crowd?
Julie: They are totally different kinds of crowds.
Mark: At all-ages shows there is more reacting. People are all up front but they don’t seem to be listening as much.
Julie: But then again, at club shows everyone is drunk. I get hassled more at all-ages, like by young guys.
SLOT: How have you been hassled?
Julie: Once a guy said, “Show us your tits”…and I did. But he missed it, he was looking behind. In Moncton, a bunch of skinheads heckled memoir about half an hour. It was interesting, I had this energy I never had before. I played a lot better. They were jerks, but they were kind of funny.
SLOT: So you played with Sonic Youth in Toronto. What was that like?
Julie: It was awesome. They watched us from the stage. We were really scared. We only had a twenty minute set and we had to cut off two songs. We looked back and they said, “One more song!” I was playing and I saw Thurston’s legs and I just had to turn around. After the show they said, “Good show!” And I said “I’ll be right back” and went to the bathroom. I said “Thank you”, but I was afraid to talk to them. We were supposed to go downstairs and talk to them but security wouldn’t let us into their room. Oh well…
© Joanne Levasseur and Jacqui Touchette, 1993