I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

When you think of Newfoundland, specific things come to mind: fishing, the sea, fish, water…you get the idea. What normally doesn’t come to mind is music (sorry Great Big Sea lovers). This is all changing however, as there appears to be such an influx of amazing acts coming out of the east coast these days, that that stigma is rapidly evolving. This is where Hey Rosetta! step in. Hey Rosetta! are a six-piece hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland who have been able to break out of their small hometown and make it big time all over Canada. With the release of their 2007 EP Plan Your Escape, these friends were followed with eager ears as they toured and tried to make a name for themselves in the “big city”. Well they certainly made an impact during that time and have since released their full length album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your ) which saw them grab three East Coast Music Awards, album of the year at The Verge Music Awards and most recently a Polaris Music Prize nomination (for the second time). It appears as though there is no stopping this group and we got the chance to speak with lead vocalist Tim Baker to hear how they handle this new found fame.

iheartthemusic: You guys have had a tremendous year so far, including being nominated again for the Polaris Prize. What was your reaction to hearing you had been recognized?

Tim: I was certainly expecting not to win it given the competition. I mean I didn’t think we really deserved to win. I don’t know much about the Fucked Up record so I can’t really comment on that, but I wasn’t really particularly surprised hearing what I’ve heard about the record and how forward thinking and new and groundbreaking it is. Polaris seems to be in the business of awarding that, which I think is great.

iheartthemusic: How did it feel to win Album of the Year last year at The Verge Awards and what has that money done for you as a band?

Tim: It was great and very surprising. A pleasant shock and it has done a lot. The money itself took us to Australia on tour and we got a trailer that we can stash our gear in. It certainly didn’t take long to spend all that money but it was extremely helpful. The publicity of it has just given the record sort of a second life, which I think is extremely helpful. This is what these awards are about really. Also, just being rewarded for work was excellent.

iheartthemusic: What I found interesting to hear is that you don’t actually listen to music yourself. Can you give us the lowdown on that statement?

Tim: It is a bit of an overstatement. I mean I listen to music, but I’ve never really been an avid music listener and I never really went to shows. I saw maybe three or four bands play in my life before I started this [Hey Rosetta!]. I grew up in St.John’s and I didn’t hang out with people who were into music. I was the only musician in our group of friends. It was just something I did because I liked it and was also skilled as a piano player. I don’t know how to play anyone else’s songs, I mean the simple ones I could learn but I enjoy making stuff up.

iheartthemusic: This album was the first time that you didn’t take recording to the bedroom- literally! How was that?

Tim: This album was recorded in The Sonic Temple; a really nice recording studio in Halifax. It was a great experience. A little rushed though as it took only two weeks. There are a lot of tracks on thealbum so it was kind of stressful, but we tried to keep calm and confident.

iheartthemusic: Well clearly it payed off!

Tim: Apparently two weeks was enough time then! [laughs]

Hey Rosetta! play two sold out shows at the Horseshoe this weekend; Friday, December 4th and 5th w/ Julie Fader and La Strada

photography provided by Sara Collaton