Are we as Canadians cursed? Or rather are Canadian artists cursed? In more recent years I can quickly think of a number of Canadian artists which have received only a modest reception within the confines of their homeland borders, yet have completely blown up and been nothing short of adored, far, far, away in Europe. It happened to Danko Jones, it happened to Hot Hot Heat, and now it's happening to Hawksley Workman.

Over the last half decade, Workman has released three full length albums. The approach of each album has explicitly and purposefully contrasted its predecessor. Workman's catalogue has gracefully moved from playful cabaret-rock, to braggadocio-laced cock-rock, and now to more anathematic pop-rock. Workman is a genuine talent, possessing not only the ability to pen inspired lyrics, but also possessing the chops to play every single instrument on all of his albums with expert precision. Critics have drawn parallels between Workman's boundary-pushing body of work and the likes of Prince or David Bowie. I'm not one to encourage such sweeping comparisons, but dammit, they might be right.

I sat down with Workman before his latest performance in Calgary, and as we conversed our discussion took on a rather fitting patriotic theme. I began by asking Workman about his thoughts on Canadian artists and the music they create. He instantly lit up…

"To be honest with you, Canadians have given the world the best in poetic, pop-music in the English language. We're the ones who brought Gordon Lightfoot to the world, Joni Mitchell to the world, brought Bruce Cockburn to the world. In some ways Canadians have a tradition in music that is richer than we let ourselves believe. We're naturally quiet, we're naturally observant; we're also respectful of people's space. We're connected intimately to the climate and to the seasons. The extremes in where we live naturally contributes to a slightly broader temperament.

"You often hear people saying 'Rah! Rah! Rah! We should be supporting Canadian music.' But in many ways, Canadians are doing just fine! In terms of talent, it's difficult to match what Canada has offered the world. (pauses) What's going on now is fantastic… I'm more patriotic than ever! I love Billy Talent, I've got to admit, though. Benjamin [Kowalewicz]… what a fucking voice that kid's got. I saw him perform at the Junos, and it was mind blowing!"

As our discussion continued, the cadence of Workman's words took on a passionate tone. Speaking from experience, he explained how a Canadian artist's performance can translate and captivate across language barriers around the world…

"It's funny, rock and roll is an English language art form. Just like opera should be sung in Italian, rock and roll sounds best in English. Europeans make rock and roll in their own languages, but they'll always come back to the greats, like Bob Dylan or The Beatles. So because of this they still assess pop on a very Anglo level. I get more pointed questions about my lyrical references in countries where they speak English as a second language. I think the thing is that they don't take it all for granted, and they really do search for what's going on in there. I'm always stunned by that, being in France and being asked pointed questions about this line or that line, and they don't even speak the language. But in some ways it's neat because they approach it almost more poetically, because to them the words are more like colours than they are literal figures."

Workman has a captivating way of presenting his thoughts. I could have listened to him carry on all night, however our discussions were required to come to a close. I left the green room and returned to the other side of the stage, realizing that Workman's performance would start momentarily. As I surveyed the capacity crowd, I noticed that its composition was exactly one half loyal Workman followers, and one half friends of the followers who were completely new to the Hawksley Workman experience. It seemed that every available moment before the show was spent by the followers assuring the newbies that "Duuuude, Hawksley's gonna kick ass!" (Or something to that extent.)

The funny thing is that I was one of the newbies too, and didn't really know what to expect. Yes, Workman's latest CD Lover / Fighter is a delight… but, I've seen countless bands perform live and only display a fraction of the talent captured on their glossy CD. Instead of getting worked up, I decided to try to enjoy my $5.95 can of domestic beer, and try to enjoy whatever Workman presented to us.

In reality, what Workman presented to us was nothing short of brilliance. The collective talent of Workman and his backing band, The Delicious Wolves, framed each song to soar. As the set list progressed from gentle introverted opening numbers like "Baby This Night" to roaring jammed out final pieces like "Smoke Baby", Workman demonstrated a stage presence which kept the entire room engaged for the full two hour duration. Perhaps the biggest treat of the night was when Workman returned to his cabaret-rock roots, dusting off older For Him and the Girls era songs. Workman transformed songs like "Papershoes" into fifteen minute masterpieces, laced with improvised banter, theatrics, and comedy. At times I didn't feel like I was at a rock concert, but rather at dinner theatre. And I mean that in only the absolute best of ways. As I took all of this in, it became evident why Workman is able to consistently pack concert halls all around the globe.

Maybe Canadian artists aren't cursed after all. Maybe Canadian artists are actually modest and slow to grow, as Workman alluded to. As the crowd mass-exited the building after a night of being courted by Workman and his charms, every single person - be it loyal follower or newbie - were clutching some form of merchandise, beautifully singing back his songs off key, or exclaiming silly but true statements like "Duuuuude, Hawksley kicked ass!".

You know, maybe we don't need saving after all.

Elsewhere

By Rob Anand
Photos : Andy Scheffler
Published : June 23, 2004.