News

Rick Mercer came out and jammed with The Trews in Fredericton in November. We’ll be in his Sabian cymbal segment on the Mercer report this Tuesday, January 15th!!

Here’s the video for the Power of Positive Drinking. It’s an animated piece done by Davin Black, he did a stellar job. Check it out!

Hey folks remember when I told you about that video we shot with Michael Buie and BrotherLoose Films back in June for “If You Wanna Start Again”? Well if you were watching ET Canada last night then you’ll know it’s done and ready to be seen!!! So here it is enjoy and have a great weekend:)

Colin!

Fall is here and we’re gearing up for some more trewsing. I have a bunch of exciting news to announce.

After a very busy and exciting summer we headed back into the studio to record a seven song ep with our old friend and long time collaborator Gordie Johnson. Most of the tunes were written in Austin Texas back in 2010, they run the gamut from tongue and cheek songs to heart felt country tinged rock. We even included a cover from our favorite Australian song writer Paul Kelly, we do his classic “Leaps and Bounds”. We recorded the whole thing in a marathon four day session at Revolution Studios in Toronto. The results are rocking, rough and ready! We had the honor of being joined by two of the members of the Black Crowes on a few of the tunes. Eddie Harsch lent his piano playing genius to our song “Not Yours To Love” and Rich Robinson played some paint peeling leads on “Oblivion”, “Not Yours to Love” and “Lord Keep me in Mind”. It was an incredible musical experience. The name of the ep is “Thank you and I’m Sorry”. The first single is a souped up studio version of fan favorite “The Power of Positive Drinking”, it goes to radio October 1st. My personal favorite song is “We are the Trews”, make sure you listen to the marathon Canadian band tribute at the end;). The album will be released on November 6th.

We will be announcing a contest for “The Power of Positive Drinking” in the next few days which will require fans to create their own ecards with a line or two from the lyrics of the song. We will provide links to sites where you can create your own cards, lyrics for the song and instructions on where to post the finished ecard. The winner will have their ecard posted on our Facebook page and will get an MP3 of “The Power of Positive Drinking” before street date.

And with new music comes more touring!!! Starting October 11 and running through december we will be doing acoustic gigs in Ontario and Eastern Canada. On October 21st we will be returning to Australia for our fourth time, looking forward to seeing all of our old friends down under. Also, on November 8th we will be participating in “WHISKY ROCKS: A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND WHISKY” taking place at 46 West in Barrie. Bands have until October 9th to upload a video to http://www.whiskyrocks.com/ and win a chance to open for us and win a prize pack from Gibson and Yamaha. Good luck to everyone on their submissions!

On behalf of the band I sincerely hope you enjoy the new music as much as we enjoyed making it. I’m really looking forward to seeing all you friends and total strangers at the gigs this fall! Thank you for the continued support.

Colin

‘The rock gods have again answered the prayers of rock fans Australia wide by blessing us with another tour from multi-award winning Canadian rockers, The Trews’
- Troy Culpan, May The Rock Be With You

This October THE TREWS will be gracing our shores for a national tour in support of their highly anticipated new extended EP, “…thank you and I’m sorry”. Released on 22 October 2012, the eight track extended EP features the lead single, an incredible re-imagining of Paul Kelly’s ‘Leaps & Bounds’ and a kick-ass version of their track ‘Poor Ol’ Broken Hearted Me’ featuring a gritty vocal contribution from their good mate Shannon Noll.

The tour commences in Cronulla at legendary venue The Brass Monkey, where The Trews have played many a smokin’ gig, traverses parts of NSW, into Victoria, across to Adelaide and then winding up with a Melbourne Cup Eve gig, 5th November at Melbourne’s Hallam Hotel, with the aforementioned Noll.

Having performed 900+ shows, THE TREWS have proven their dedication to rock ‘n’ roll, supporting the likes of The Rolling Stones, Kid Rock, Guns ‘n’ Roses, KISS, Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant. If that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, critics have described the band as “… without a doubt, the greatest rock band of their generation” – Performer Magazine (USA).

Since October 2011 they have managed to build a solid fan base with 150 shows across the U.S, the U.K and Australia. THE TREWS have achieved a staggering 13 top ten singles in the Canadian charts including two number 1′s, with a massive 12 weeks inside the TOP 10 on the Canadian ACTIVE ROCK chart for “Misery Loves Company”. THE TREWS won an Independent Music Award (US) for “Hold Me In Your Arms”(released April 2011) and took out first prize in AAA/ALTERNATIVE Best Hard/Rock/Metal Song at IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) 2010 for “Sing Your Heart Out”.

They secured #1 Album of the Year 2011 on Metal Odyssey for “Hope and Ruin” and Classic Rock Magazine’s Top Songs 2011 (UK) for “The World I Know”. Their most notable nominations to date include Best New Band by Classic Rock Magazine (UK), Best New Band by SPIN.com (U.S) and Juno Award nomination for the highly successful live acoustic CD/DVD Friends & Total Strangers.

Whether you’ve seen the THE TREWS before or you have been hanging out to see an all-round great rock gig, make sure you don’t miss these shows! Tickets for “…thank you and I’m sorry ” tour are on sale now.

THE TREWS “…thank you and I’m sorry ” extended EP released 22nd October via itunes, and 2nd November in physical format, on Bumstead/Code One/MGM.

tickets on sale now via www.thetrews.oztix.com.au

Don’t miss out on THE TREWS Pre-Sale Bundle Tickets which include:

“…thank you and I’m sorry” 8 track extended EP – Save $5.00 on retail price

2 Track Download Card for THE TREWS unreleased material – exclusive to Pre-Sale Bundle

THE TREWS Australian Tour sticker

THE TREWS badge

To book your Pre Sale Bundle for “…thank you and I’m sorry” Tour (Add $10.00 to Ticket Price)
Visit www.thetrews.oztix.com.au

THE TREWS AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2012

Wednesday 24th October 2012: The Brass Monkey – Cronulla (NSW)
Tickets: Ph: (02) 9544 3844 www.oztix.com.au or www.brassmonkey.com.au

Thursday 25th October 2012: Upstairs Beresford – Sydney (NSW)
www.oztix.com.au or www.moshtix.com.au – Ph: (02) 9486 3343

Friday 26th October 2012: Terrey Hills Tavern (NSW)
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au – www.terreyhillstavern.com.au – Ph: (02) 9486 3343

Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th October 2012: Sydney Blues And Roots Festival
www.sydneybluesfestival.com.au or www.oztix.com.au

Sunday 28th October 2012: Beaches – Thirroul (NSW)
Ph: (02) 4267 2288 – www.beacheshotel.com.au

Thursday 1st November 2012: Ding Dong – Melbourne (VIC)
Tickets: www.dingdonglounge.com.au – Ph: (03) 9521 7447

Friday 2nd November 2012: The Loft – Warrnambool (VIC)
www.oztix.com.au – Ph: (03) 5561 0995

Saturday 3rd November 2012: Jive – Adelaide (SA)
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au or www.jivevenue.com – Ph: (08) 8211 6683

Monday 5th November 2012: Hallam Hotel – Melbourne (VIC) with SHANNON NOLL
www.hallamhotel.com.au – Ph: (03) 8786 0200

Revered Canadian rockers The Trews are returning to the road in support of their upcoming EP, …Thank You and I’m Sorry. But while the band has built its reputation belting their high-energy, arena-ready rock anthems from stages across the globe, this time out, audiences will get a glimpse of a different side of this multi-faceted foursome.

As they did to great acclaim for 2009’s Friends & Total Strangers tour, The Trews – lead vocalist/guitarist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, drummer Sean Dalton, and bassist Jack Syperek – are performing a string of unplugged acoustic shows across the continent. “We’ve always had this other side of us, which is three acoustic guitars and a hand drum,” says Colin MacDonald. “Changing things up helps keep us inspired and gives us a chance to showcase some of the intricacies of our music.”

The intimate, stripped-down nature of these performances will bring the band’s soaring, interwoven harmonies and sharp sense of dynamics and melody to the forefront of the experience. “It also appeals to a different audience and lets us play for people we wouldn’t usually get to,” MacDonald adds, noting the sets will contain re-imaginings of hits and fan favourites from the band’s extensive back catalogue along with selections from …Thank You and I’m Sorry.

“We love having something new for our fans each time we hit the road; something we’re excited to share,” the singer says about the upcoming 7-song EP. The release, co-produced by John–Angus MacDonald and previous collaborator Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Gov’t Mule, and The Trews’ House Of Ill Fame) and featuring The Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson, is comprised of a mix of softer acoustic songs along with traditional Trews bangers, including an amped-up take of Australian rock icon Paul Kelly’s “Leaps and Bounds.” Says MacDonald about the cover: “We thought it’d make a great Trews song and we’re really looking forward to getting it out there.”
While the tour-de-force that is The Trews’ rock show has earned them slots supporting the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, and KISS, they’ve amassed a fair share of accolades through their acoustic work. The band’s hugely successful live acoustic CD/DVD Friends & Total Strangers was nominated for a JUNO Award while the single “Sing Your Heart Out” earned the band an International Acoustic Music Award in the AAA/Alternative category.

Come the new year, The Trews will return to writing material for their next full-length, expected in 2013. But for now, the aim is to stun spectators from the stage with tight, retuned takes of well-known tracks. The ability to draw from four full-length studio albums – two certified Gold in Canada – and 13 Top 10 Canadian singles will only allure fans new and old, present and future, to explore this special side of the band Performer Magazine calls “without a doubt, the greatest rock band of their generation.”

As I write this I’m listening to a mix of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs, by now you probably know why…:)

A few weeks ago, when we got the call to open for the Boss at Magnetic Hill in Moncton, we were really excited. We’ve opened for many legendary acts over the years and we were stoked to add Bruce Springsteen and the E street band to this formidable list.

We’ve played all kinds of shows in our ten plus years on the road, from dives to stadiums and everything in between and one thing we’ve learned in those years is “manage our expectations”. Our motto has always been to treat every gig with the same amount of importance whether it be opening for the Stones or playing a small dive in nowheresville.

To be honest, sometimes the really big gigs aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be. Usually we’re on early in the day for a short set, we don’t get to sound check, so the monitors are crap, and its over before it feels like it’s started. Furthermore, the crowd is not necessarily there for you so they can be a bit cold and oftentimes we don’t even get to shake hands with the star of the show. In this case it seemed even farther fetched that we’d get to meet the Boss because he doesn’t usually have opening acts so there’s really no protocol for a “meet and greet”. So although we were excited about the opportunity, we tried our best not to get ahead of ourselves and “manage our expectations”.

WELL., our set, despite being a throw and go, went fantastic with the people of Moncton showing us just how hard they can rock at four o’clock in the afternoon – a true testament to the east coast spirit. Thanks for coming out early and singing along with us, you made our set thoroughly enjoyable and truly memorable.

After us was Tom Cochrane who did a great job. We decompressed backstage to his repertoire of Canadian classics. About half hour after Tom was finished we were summoned by Springsteen’s road manager to the side of the stage for a chance to say hi to the Boss as he made his way onstage. He informed us that Bruce likes to stay really focused before his gigs so we shouldn’t make small talk or take up too much of his time. We could totally relate to this and were just thankful for the opportunity to get a pic with the legend himself. Security was really tight, as we watched the E street band approach the stage on foot, behind them was a big procession of black SUV Escalades and behind that was a couple of racing golf carts. One golf cart in particular was zigging and zagging recklessly all over the road making its way to the stage. As I waited for the Escalades to reach us, eager to meet one of my childhood heroes, I couldn’t keep my eye of the reckless golf cart. I thought to myself “whoever is driving that golf cart is gonna run over one of these guys and get in heaps of s#*t!”. As the procession came to a stop right in front of us, I expected to see Bruce emerge from one of the back seats but still couldn’t take my eyes off of this crazy golf cart. As the cart got closer and skid to a stop in front of us, it dawned on me, the guy driving the golf cart was… BRUCE!.

He was giving Max Weinberg and Little Steven (i still think of him as Sil!) a ride to the stage in his own out of control way! – what a guy! He drove right up to where we were standing, hops out and in that raspy voice of his asked “how you guys doing? Where ya from? How was your set? You ready for a rock show!!”. HELL YEAH!! He was as awesome and down to earth in person as you imagine he would be. After doing a few pics I thought “awesome it can’t get better then this” ….THEN he turns around and says “hey do you guys know Twist and Shout?”

“umm yes,The Boss, we know Twist and Shout”,

“well, we’re doing it in the encore, why don’t you boys come up and sing it with us!” … Sure no problem Bruce…

Now the first thought that runs through ones mind when asked to play with Bruce Springsteen is “Holy S#*T!”

the second one is “we better stay sober enough for the next three hours to play good!”

and the third thought is “BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN JUST ASKED US TO SING IN HIS F#*King ENCORE, HOLY S#*T THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE I’M CALLING EVERYBODY I KNOW!”.

I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t believe it. But it happened. Then the show began, Bruce Springsteen and the band put on the BEST LIVE SHOW I’VE EVER SEEN. He played a bunch of new tunes from his latest album Wrecking Ball, a bunch of classics and even took requests from the rabid crowd. It goes without saying that he’s the most charismatic and energetic front man out there. He really knows how to make the crowd feel the spirit.

I monitored my post show libations to ensure that i would be fully lucid during our guest appearance. After a thrilling three hour set we were gathered to the side of the stage, then I hear the man himself yell to the crowd “let’s bring up the TREWS!”. The boys and I crowded onto the stage as Twist and Shout began.

I was stationed next to Nils Lofsgren and got to share a mic with him , how cool is that! Tambourine in hand, I shouted the back up vocals and looked out over the enormous crowd. The boss looked over at us all grinning ear to ear the whole time, it was unbelievable. He kept extending the song, he would do a faux ending “James Brown style” and then BAM! back into another verse. The whole rendition clocked in at 10 minutes which was fine by me, the more time onstage with this incredible band the better.

Then it was over, Bruce waved goodbye to the crowd and we followed him off stage. After hugs and high fives all round he and the band got into the black SUVs (that’s what they were there for!) and promptly “left the building”.

It still feels like a dream, its been three days since that epic night and I’m still pinching myself to see if I’ll wake up. But as facebook and youtube has shown me time and again, it was absolutely real and definitely the highlight of my career as a musician thus far…

Bruce has sat in with a lot of great bands over the years but we got to sit in with Bruce AND the E Street Band! Trewly honored and grateful for the experience. What a way to end the summer! Expectations met and FAR exceeded!!

Colin

It’s been a great summer so far and we’re only half way through!

From Canada Day in Kitchener to Artpark in Lewiston to club dates across the US from Chicago to Asbury Park, it’ been a pretty busy July – thanks to everyone who’s been coming out to check out the shows, it means a lot. Still plenty of shows on the horizon before we break out the toques and scarves again. August will see us hitting places as far spread as St.John’s and L.A. We are very excited to be heading back to LA and will be doing a Twitter contest for a chance to win tickets to our show! Keep an eye out as we will be starting the contest about a week before the show.

We’ve also been busy writing some new material which we hope to be testing out at some of these upcoming shows. Hopefully we’ll be ready to track a few new songs in the early fall, we’ll be sure an keep you posted on all of that as well.

I hope you’re all having an awesome summer full of rest ‘n’ relaxation and rock ‘n’ roll – the other r’n'r : )

See you out on the road,

JA

Upcoming dates:
18/08/2012 Mount Brydges, ON @Rockin Wheel
19/08/2012 Salmon Arm, BC @ Salmon Arm Fair
21/08/2012 Los Angeles, CA @ Viper Room
26/08/2012 Moncton, NB @ Magnetic Hill