Mike Feuerstack’s list of collaborators is exceeded only by his
admirers, as evidenced by the recent Snailhouse tribute album, Do
You Want to Talk All Night? (Sappy Records). Feuerstack, the heart
of Snailhouse, got his start playing in the well-loved, but often
overlooked, Moncton hardcore band The Underdogs alongside Rick White
(Eric’s Trip/Elevator). The list of conspirators grew and includes
Julie Doiron, Angela Desveaux, Aaron Booth, as well as members of The
Promise Ring, Kepler, Islands, Bell Orchestre, The Dismemberment Plan
and Wintersleep. Mike Belyea of Ermine, Jon Epworth Band and Tongan
Death Grip joins that list.
“I was on tour with Julie Doiron around the
time The Silence Show (Snailhouse’s 2005 album) came out, and we
did a handful of shows with Epworth and Ermine,” says Feuerstack. “I
loved his (Belyea’s) drumming, plain and simple.”
With such a varied cast of musicians working
alongside Feuerstack, there might be the expectation that consistency
of vision is difficult to maintain, but Snailhouse’s output, including
his latest offering, Lies on the Prize, is unwaveringly and
radiantly simple and sublime.
“The songs comprise a body of work, written
and usually sung by me. It’s a fun and lucky thing to be blessed with
so many talented musicians that want to help me re-interpret and
re-invent the songs.
“All collaboration feels weird, and I like to
look on that as a good thing. If you feel like you’re making unique
music, it’s a pleasantly odd feeling.”
And what can the Seahorse audience expect
from Feuerstack and his current Snailhouse band? “A lot of material
from Lies on the Prize, some old Snailhouse favourites, a new
sketch or two and maybe even a cover. The band will be me, Kyle Cunjak,
Mike Belyea and Nick Cobham. Expect us to deliver with soul and style.”
This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2009.