Our Lady Peace frontman takes 2nd solo album out on the road

Raine Maida has become an icon fronting internationally acclaimed rock band Our Lady Peace.

After leading the collective for a decade and selling millions of albums worldwide, Raine momentarily stepped down to focus on a solo career.

A total departure from Our Lady Peace’s massive arena rock sound, Raine’s solo work is dark, intimate and built on the foundations of spoken word and poetry.

In 2006, Raine released his EP, Love Hope Hero, and his full-length debut, The Hunter’s Lullaby, one year later.

After spending the last year recording in Toronto and Los Angeles, Raine is finally ready to take his second solo album, We All Get Lighter out on the road and talk about life as a solo artist.

.

What made you abandon the distinct sound of Our Lady Peace and completely reinvent yourself when it came to your solo career?

I never want to step on Our Lady Peace’s toes. For me to make a record that sounds like OLP but just with a softer or more acoustic sound would have been a copout, so weak and just a disservice to OLP. I felt like this was the way to go.

Why wait a decade before launching your solo career?

Ultimately when a band has made it passed its 10 years point, which we have, you need to bring in fresh perspectives otherwise it can get stale. I’ve wanted to for a while, but I just didn’t want to do it under a major label. I know this is different and for me to give this to a label like Sony, they wouldn’t know what to do with it. This is so personal to me that I needed to own it.

Is it scary, baring yourself in this stripped down formate?

If you’re not scared of something you won’t propel yourself to do things. The only way you can be courageous is if you’re fearful.

You work closely with your wife, Chantal Kreviazuk. Does that make it easier?

It’s so easy. We don’t have any boundaries. It’s very freeing.

You have three sons. How have they changed you?

They’ve definitely taught me to look at things with a different view. If I walk outside in the backyard, I’ll see shit that needs to be cleaned up or I’ll see disasters out there. They walk outside and see clouds in the sky that look like puppy dogs. It’s just a whole different perspective on how you perceive life. I appreciate that and try to have some of that mentality.

How do you hope your children will perceive you when they’re old enough to really understand what daddy does for a living?

They’ll definitely get to know Our Lady Peace’s music, but I know they’re going to judge this. There’s nothing like knowing it was just your dad who created something. In a way they will get to know me a little deeper than they would have no matter how much I talk to them and try to explain things. When you listen to someone singing words you get a different perspective. This was a big responsibility that I took on and I like that pressure. I have to be careful because I know they will judge me by this.

How do your band mates in Our Lady Peace feel about you flying solo?

They’re cool with it. It’s not like Our Lady Peace has stopped. There is this raw energy again. I’m more energized now than I’ve been in five years. It feels like we just got a record deal and we’re rehearsing in a garage. Everything feels vibrant again.

How are Our Lady Peace fans reacting to your solo career?

I’m realistic about this. This music is not for the masses. Some people think this is crap. If they love Our Lady Peace, they won’t hear the same kind of songs. Some people who are into Our Lady Peace for the lyrics and the deeper stuff might connect to this. I’m the same person, I just have different ways of expressing myself and I want to keep them separate. You get to know me a little bit more.

Raine plays Montreal’s Osheaga festival on Saturday, August 3.

We All Get Lighter is available on iTunes now.

Find Raine on facebook and twitter.

Posted by Marc Andrew on Aug 2 2013. Filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.