Tofu, watermelon, peaches, plums, strawberries and
beans—just a few of the foods that nearly ended Sean MacGillivray’s
music career. Beginning in early 2008 and lasting six months, the top
end of MacGillivray’s vocal range started disappearing.
“Honestly, I was working on exit strategies,” says MacGillivray, en
route to Montreal with Jenn Grant. “I’ve been singing in front of
people since I was six years old. I still sing in the shower. The
thought that I couldn’t do it anymore, yeah, it was kind of
demoralizing.”
Losing MacGillivray would devastate the local music scene. Not only
is he the administrator of halifaxlocals.com and involved in
national-touring groups, MacGillivray is also a go-to soundperson.
Unsatisfied with his doctor’s advice to take baths and drink more
water, MacGillivray hit the internet and diagnosed himself with
Laryngeal Reflux. An allergy specialist confirmed about 25 different
foods were giving him voice box-burning indigestion. A longtime
vegetarian, he swapped tofu and beans for fish, took antacids and
immediately felt better.
Singing again, a rejuvenated MacGillivray returned to the project he
started in 2004—Great Plains. Busy earning a nice living playing with
Jenn Grant, Classified and Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees, Great
Plains had drifted apart. The original line-up moved on soon after the
release of its acclaimed debut album.
Replacing his Plainsmen, MacGillivray enlisted Jason Vautour (Jon
Epworth & the Improvements, Ruby Jean, Prospectors’ Union, Ryan
Cook and Sunny Acres and more), Andrew Wiseman and Arthur Doyle (In
This Style, Tupperware Remix Party). He changed the band’s name to
Alright Already.
There are a couple layers behind the name change. The original Great
Plains (from Ohio) re-released its back catalogue, and Alright
Already’s songs are more energetic and anthemic.
“It was also a kind of a personal note to myself to get on with
it—put some goddamn effort into your own project,” he says. “I was
joking to our guitarist that I should be kicked out of my own band for
lack of effort.”
Vautour inspired MacGillivray to take the project more seriously.
Dubbing him “the best guitarist in Halifax,” MacGillivray doesn’t want
to waste Vautour’s time. They have about a record’s worth of material,
some actually dating back to the Great Plains days. Showgoers can
expect a healthy dose of material at this weekend’s performance at Gus’
Pub.
Adding Alright Already to his overflowing plate, MacGillivray
remains invested in the local music scene. He jokes that stupidity that
keeps him going. But there’s more to MacGillivray’s dedication. “Bad
shows are no good for anybody. You can sit back and let it all go to
hell, and say, ‘It’s not my job. It’s not my problem.’ Or you can do
something to fix it. The more catastrophes I witness, the more I just
want to do whatever the hell I can to keep that from happening.”
This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2009.