Despite being made up of members of two much-loved bands, York Redoubt and Long Long Long, it's pretty easy to like Each Other on its own merits. The product of former Haligonians Mike Wright and Brad Lahead, Each Other creates spacey, jangly and disarmingly beautiful pop music that is captivating and inviting. But the pair would rather not link Each Other to their old bands. "We don't remember those other ones anymore," says Lahead.
The longtime collaborators moved to Montreal earlier this fall and Each Other's inaugural release, Taking Trips, soon followed. Beautiful vocal harmonies---the centrepiece of the album---evoke an image of good friends on the same dreamy musical wavelength.
But it's possible to read too much into a band name---it wasn't chosen to evoke any feelings of reciprocity or co-dependency. "Each Other was the name I came up with that didn't make Christian and Mike cringe," says Lahead. "The original intent is backfiring now though, because every time I read the words 'each other' anywhere I think of my band. It's distracting."
Each Other eased into Montreal life with the aid of old Halifax friends, making the transition relatively painless. They have different takes on their former home---missing the ocean and Halifax's potable tap water. Wright's preference at the moment is for his new home, but both agree that Montreal was the obvious choice in order to expand their audio empire.
While the band is now a trio with the addition of Christian Simmons on drums, Lahead and Wright don't necessarily mind being described as a partnership. Lahead notes that Wright's superiority at chess and Lahead's ping-pong supremacy keep their relationship "delicately balanced."
Perhaps the lure of better ping-pong tables drew them to Montreal, but the chance to play Gus' during the holidays lured them back. "It was loud and raucous and the energy in the room was so warm and positive," says Lahead of Long Long Long's New Year's Eve 2010 show. "Christmastime is always the best for shows in Halifax."
