John-Angus Macdonald of the Canadian rock-scene sensation, The Trews gave me a call from his Toronto home to chat about the history of the band, stories of tours, and life in general. Hot off the tour, John-Angus was pretty pumped about the recent 6-week tour in the US.

May 26, 2008

Wrote By: Amanda Waschuk (Calgary Correspondent - Canada)

You know a band has dedication when they are still willing to give an interview on their day off.  In this case, John-Angus Macdonald of the Canadian rock-scene sensation, The Trews gave me a call from his Toronto home to chat about the history of the band, stories of tours, and life in general.

Hot off the tour, John-Angus was pretty pumped about the recent 6-week tour in the US.  The Trews joined Ace Frehley, formerly of KISS, on a mission to market themselves down south and gain a bigger American fan base.  One difference he says of the American music scene in comparison to Canada is "Americans are cut-throat; they have a shorter attention span so bands are very here today, gone tomorrow."  Glad to be a part of the Canadian music scene, John-Angus claims that Canadians are "more willing to give new artists a chance and stay loyal to the ones they like." 

These small-town boys come from Antigonish, Nova Scotia where they started out at the young, average age of 15, playing in local pubs.  At this time, their band was called "One I'd Trouser", inspired by a skit from Monty Python: The Meaning of Life.  As they aged and matured, the name was shortened to Trouser until threatened by a lawsuit from a band with the same name.  This is when "The Trews" came about, a word that means trouser in Scotland. 

The band is made up of brothers Colin Macdonald and John-Angus Macdonald along with cousin Sean Dalton and friend Jack Syperek.  On the topic of touring with family, John-Angus said "it has its ups and downs but we've been together for so long, you learn how to get along".

Their big break came when they won a prestigious radio contest out of Ontario.  Although John-Angus claims the band isn't a "lucky break" kind of band, this win made the music industry aware of their talent and brought success in the coming years. 

Averaging 200 shows per year, The Trews are proud to say they have toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Guns ‘n Roses, and Robert Plant.  Being a big Led Zepplin fan, John-Angus certainly hopes the rumors of a reunion show in Toronto are true (as do I!).

On a deeper note, we talked about a current issue that is striking fear in the public.  When asked what the biggest problem affecting present-day society is, John-Angus wisely answered that "there isn't one problem that is more important than another; it's all based on the perspective of the individual."  In his case, being a citizen of Toronto, he worries about the increase in violence and gun-use that is seeping north from the US.  "We're all dirty hippies at heart; more guns do not make for a safer world."

Music has a big influence on people today, whether it's a good influence or a bad one;  according to John-Angus, it's a positive influence in the way it allows people to blow off steam, which is an important activity given the stresses of today.  "People work all week and need a release, so they spend their money on music." 

The Trews' current tour for their new album No Time For Later has been their "best run in Canada so far with more tickets sold and more ecstatic fans than ever."  The tour is still on until the end of August and their next gig in Calgary will be at the Stampede.  This will be their fourth time playing the Calgary Stampede and they will be featured on the Coca Cola Stage (free with admission) on Saturday, July 5, 2008.  As it's one of their favourite places to play, make sure you check out this high-energy show.  And if you can't, don't worry; being one of the hardest-working bands in Canada, you know The Trews will be in your neighbourhood soon.

To read a review of the new Trews album 'No Time For Later' click here

The Trews newest music video 'Paranoid Freak'