Back in 2018, Barenaked Ladies got one of the highest honors a Canadian music act can receive when the group was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
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For the occasion, the current four-man lineup of lead singer/guitarist Ed Robertson, drummer Tyler Stewart, bassist Jim Creeggan and keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hearn reunited with singer/guitarist Steven Page. Page left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career, a split that, according to most accounts, involved some tension.
Media coverage of the induction featured plenty of speculation over whether the reunion would result in emotional fireworks or if it would possibly lead to a lasting reunion with Page.
Alongside Robertson, the two wrote the bulk of songs that made Barenaked Ladies the biggest band in Canada during the 1990s. Early singles like “If I Had $1,000,000” and “Jane” blew up and charted in the top 20 in Canada, the U.S. and UK; later on, “It’s All Been Done,” “One Week” and “Pinch Me” became global hits.
“I think the media were expecting something different and certainly tried to push a narrative of ‘Hey, they’re getting back together — and it’s, actually, both parties have no real intention of that.”
That sort of coverage missed the point, according to Stewart.
“Ultimately, it was beautiful because to be recognized by your peers and by the Canadian music establishment as hall-of-fame-worthy was really incredible,” he said in a recent phone interview. “But, yeah, there was definitely lots of focus on the fact that after 11 years — or whatever it was — we were getting back together with Steven.”
Stewart said they practiced a few times ahead of the induction but mainly caught up on their families and shared in laughter.
“Instead of playing music, we snacked and told jokes,” he said. “That’s sort of how it went. And that was great.”
Five years later, Page continues to build his solo career.
The four-piece edition of Barenaked Ladies seems more established than ever, a notion reinforced by “Detour de Force,” the studio album the band released in 2021.
The 14-song release is the most musically ambitious wide-ranging album in the band’s 16-deep catalog. It includes four songs written by Hearn and two Creeggan co-writes to go with Robertson’s four tracks, the latter co-written with long-time collaborator Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra.
The music ranges from the hooky rock-pop of “Flip,” “Good Life” and “New Disaster” to warm pop ballads like “God Forbid,” “Live Well” and “The National Park.” There is also a lively horn-infused rocker, “Roll Out,” and a multi-faceted six-minute-plus opus, “Internal Dynamo.”
“One of the great things is now each band member kind of gets to utilize more space,” Stewart said. “We all get more space to be ourselves within the group. So, whether that means bringing songs in and singing lead on them, or singing different parts or helping arranging in different sessions or co-writes, whatever, I think each guy does a lot more now than when we were a five piece. That continues to grow. That continues to evolve and we continue to broaden everybody’s involvement.”
Ironically, the band started the project expecting to make a more modest, largely acoustic and live-in-the-studio album. In early 2020, they gathered at Robertson’s cabin in Northern Ontario with producer Mark Howard to record that very album. The four musicians emerged with a dozen or so songs and feeling great about the band’s internal chemistry.
“I think if anything, we confirmed the magic that has been percolating ever since we became a four piece,” Stewart said of the cottage session. But he added the band didn’t think they had a finished album — that they wanted to “beef up” the songs.
“There were a couple of songs we didn’t record, which were more kind of production numbers, songs like ‘Flip’ and ‘Good Life,’” he said. “So we decided to go back into the studio in Toronto.”
The Covid-19 pandemic delayed those plans, but once the shutdown was lifted in June 2020, Barenaked Ladies entered the recording space with a different producer, Eric Ratz. He’s known for big-sounding rock albums, and polished pop songs played right into the band’s intentions to bring elements of a big studio production into “Detour de Force.”
“So we kind of married the two [sessions[,” Stewart said. “We got the acoustic off-the-floor, intimate sessions mixed with the bigger, shinier, full studio production. So there you go, the album is ‘Detour de Force,’ but we had to take a detour to get it there.”
The new album demonstrates how today’s Barenaked Ladies aren’t resting on their laurels. The band members don’t really need to make new albums and could tour for as long as they want on the strength of their hits and catalog. But, when it comes to making music, no one in Barenaked Ladies says it’s all been done — yet.
“I’m so happy we keep moving forward and we keep pushing our boundaries and growing our band,” Stewart said. “Obviously, it would be great to have a hit single again.”
Yet, Stewart muses not many are coming from “55-year-old bald guys.”
“That’s just the way it is,” he said. “However, we go on a tour and still play to thousands of people, and do great business and make people happy. Our music is everywhere and it’s part of the cultural fabric of both countries. That alone is very satisfying. It’s more than enough to keep us going.”
Their more-or-less-annual Last Summer on Earth tour includes opening acts Semisonic and Five For Fighting, each on board for separate halves of the tour; Del Amitri is opening the shows for the full run.
Stewart said he and his bandmates are getting creative with varied setlists.
“You’re going to see some departures musically,” he indicated. “You’re going to see some different guys singing lead vocals, taking over. You’re going to see some surprises, as usual from various things, and a smattering of swapped-out songs, where one night we might play one song and the next night we might play another. We’re going to try to vary the set as much as we can.”
What’s more, fans will be privy to a band that clearly seems invigorated and grateful to be back on tour. The tour showcases everyone in the group, turning the spotlight on their “turn to shine.”
“Perhaps this record, more than any others in the last several years, suggests the cohesion within the group,” Stewart said. “But at the same time, it’s truly, at its core, it’s Barenaked Ladies.”
Barenaked Ladies perform in downtown Wilmington’s Live Oak Bank Pavilion on Friday, July 14. Tickets start at $27, available here.
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