Formed back in 1988, Alt Indie band The Purple Helmets from Nova Scotia Canada, released three albums and becoming a big name across the country with their fetching songcraft and raucous indie-power-pop-meets-garage-rock sound. Having released their last album in 1996, the band is back and making waves with a cool rock sound that’s been labelled as Canadiana.

After  reigniting the project last year they ended up writing more than 30 songs, which have been whittled down to 10 favourites for an album that they believe is so strong that it’s been called “a record of 10 singles.” The Purple Helmets members, Mike Carter, Chris Thibedeau, Jonathan Kini and Donnie Leblanc now join us to talk about their influences and The Posies.

Hey thanks for asking us to take part! 

AN ECLECTIC MIX

As a band, TPH is all over the place in terms of musical influences and it’s difficult to pin down one band in particular that we all love.  Mike is into metal and loves anything from Judas Priest to Mastodon.  Chris digs Brit-Pop and enjoys Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, the LAs, Kasabian, etc., Donnie loves Folk and Americana like Tom Waits, the Jayhawks, and Wilco.  Jon is into Queens Of The Stone Age, and even 80s pop from Duran Duran, to Tears for Fears, and Depeche Mode.  It’s an eclectic mix for sure.  In terms of one band we all love, I think it would have to be The Posies from Seattle, Washington. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We first heard The Posies when recording the album Bugs In Jars in Halifax, Canada.  Our producer was Terry Pulliam and he had just recorded the Sloan Smeared Album.  Sloan had raved to Terry about this band called The Posies they had recently toured with in the U.S.  While in the studio, Terry played us their record called Frosting On The Beater and we were awestruck.  All of us. Solar Sister was the first song we heard, and we saw it as a new objective to aim for in songwriting.  The melodic structure of 2 harmony vocals sitting on a foundation of heavy pop rock, distorted (not metal) guitars, and incredible drumming resonated with us immensely.  It clicked immediately and we all rushed out to buy that CD.  I think we all wore it out too! 

It’s 30 years old now but we all still listen to that record to this day.  It certainly influenced our sound going forward.  Songs like Wrong Again, Placemat, Picture, and Escape Artist all came out on our Milo Stretch album a year later and were heavily influenced by that Posies Album.  We weren’t intentionally  copying in any way but you can clearly here the influence.

Other songs that still give me goosebumps off that record include Love Letter Boxes.  Jon’s harmonic, melodic choices and song writing are arguably influenced by that song.  Listen to that song and then listen to Letters off our Milo Stretch album.  Same goes for the drumming and tom hits.  Mike plays with similar stylistic choices.

A MUSICAL POLAROID

Donnie’s fave song off that Posies Album is Burn And Shine.  It takes us all back to a moment of living in Halifax NS in our younger years.  It’s almost like a musical polaroid for us.  The tone of the vocals is impeccable.  Those harmonies have always influenced us.  Don and Jon sing like that together.  The middle 8 scales into a climax of harmonic notes that is so understated.  It’s incredible art.  It was certainly Avant Garde for that time.  I wanted to see it recognized for more than it was received at the time.  A good band to many listeners, but in our view, they were the best at that time.  Love it love it love it.  Still love it.  It stands the test of time.

HARNESSING A LIGHTNING BOLT

Chris’ fave is Definite Door off Frosting On The Beater.  Lyrically it’s very poignant and it builds to some fantastic drumming, and a controlled mayhem of the band is skilfully executed.  It feels live off the floor and that’s what retains its energy in the recording.  The main lead lick is very similar stylistically  to what Donnie often comes up with in our songs.  You’ll hear leads like that in many TPH songs.  The use of feedback in the breakdown is stellar.  It’s like trying to harness a lightning bolt but they manage to do it.

I think we all went to a show at Birdland in Halifax to see them play live in the mid 90s.  Maybe Sloan was on the bill but can’t remember.  I seem to remember the drummer left The Posies before the show.  I remember being a bit disappointed to learn this because they were such a strong musical unit with him included.

Also – check out Coming Home from our latest album Weirdo Squad and see if you think the influence is still in there somewhere?  Maybe?  Perhaps with the harmonies in the second verse..?

Our thanks to the guys in Purple Helmets for all their insights into a band whose influence they all share.

The Purple Helmets online: Facebook / Instagram / Youtube

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

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