It’s crazy to think that a band could have such major success for 27 years. That’s almost my whole life, when I break it down. Whether you love them for their countless hits, or you’re just jumping on the bandwagon now, Barenaked Ladies are a household name. Famous for tracks like “One Week,” you can’t sit here and say you haven’t sung one of their songs at some point in your life. Well, currently, they are still doing it harder than ever! With a brand new 14th studio album entitled Silverball, a killer tour with Violent Femmes and Colin Hay, and excitement in their veins, Barenaked Ladies are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Their new album is fresh and exciting, while still leaving you with the sense of comfort we all know and love.
I recently had the chance to chat with Tyler Stewart, drummer for Barenaked Ladies, about everything exciting that is happening with the band, including their new record, tour life, and so much more. To say he is grateful for his career is an understatement. Check it out below!
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. After 27 years together, you guys just released your 14th studio album, Silverball. That has to be a crazy feeling!
Thanks so much Maria, and yes, it is crazy hearing that, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe we’ve been at it for 25+ years, a quarter of a century. It’s almost like time becomes numbers. I swear, it feels like we were just starting out in our van playing small shows. And to hear the number 14 when asked how many albums you put out is crazy. We are so grateful! I think it’s safe to say we are having so much fun now, more fun than ever before. We really appreciate it more, that we’ve been able to do this for so long. It’s what we love!
That’s awesome to hear. How has the reaction been thus far to Silverball?
It’s been amazing. We’ve been getting so many positive compliments on it from our fans and media outlets. Believe it or not, we are getting so many requests for us to play these new songs live. We’ve been playing a lot of them live too, but when fans are sober yelling out that they want to hear more of the new stuff and less old stuff, you can’t help but feel good about it!
After over a quarter of a century, where do you all pull inspiration from on writing new music?
You know, it’s very easy when you work with a producer like Gavin Brown. He is always open to try new things, and isn’t afraid to take risks. He worked with us on previous records as well. We’re all really happy in our lives, and it all comes down to the music and songwriting. There are many exciting things for everyone on this record. It’s new, fresh, yet still has that Barenaked Ladies feel. It shows our growth as a band, but it’s still really fun.
You guys have recently embarked on the Last Summer On Earth tour with Violent Femmes and Colin Hay. How has the tour been thus far?
It has been amazing. One of the main reasons being the support on the show, Violent Femmes and Colin Hay. They are both such huge inspirations to our careers, I’d like to say they are musical heroes. The crowds have been awesome, and very receptive, as stated above, to all of the new music and such. It’s really quite the lineup, and being able to sit and chat with the Femmes and Colin is just a dream come true for us.
I was just about to say, this lineup is truly epic!
It really is.
Here in New Jersey, we are so stoked to have you at Mercer County Park Festival Grounds, and you will be headlining the first major concert there ever! Any pressure now? (laughs)
Ha-ha, wow! The first major concert, huh? Well, we will definitely bring it and set the bar high! What is the venue like?
Picture an amazing public park, with an even more remarkable stage. There is so much open space for people to dance, mingle, and chill! I love the show Parks And Recreation, so that is always what comes to my mind.
Parks And Recreation is an amazing show, so this makes me excited. I like that description. Seriously though, we always love playing New Jersey and New York. Whether it’s checking everything out in the cool big city, or taking a swim in the ocean, we always have a blast. Plus, the fans are always very receptive to us out there, so we can’t wait. And now that I know we are the first major concert of the season at Mercer County Park Festival Grounds, I promise you we won’t disappoint!
I’m sure you won’t! After all of these years of touring, are there still places of the world that you are excited to see?
You know, like I just said, we love coming around to New Jersey and such, and I am not just saying that, we truly do. We just got back from Chicago, which is another place I love. I actually got to see the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup, which was amazing, naturally. There was so much momentum in the city. Then we’re back to England in the fall, which is always amazing for us too. We are just grateful to be able to see the world while playing music.
Touche! I am jealous about the hockey game, must have been so cool! Now, my whole life I have always known Barenaked Ladies to be a fun band, and I continued to see you in concert as the years go on. Do you find that you still get different age groups in the crowd, or have your fans basically grown up with you?
We are very lucky we have both. We have our fans that have grown up with us that are now in their late 20s, early 30s, and then we have their parents, or their kids! Sometimes you can see a face in the crowd that you think, “Wow, I remember when you were 12 at our shows on someone’s shoulders, and now you’re all grown up here with your own kids!” It’s pretty surreal, but we’re lucky enough to have both.
Amazing! Just one more question for you, Tyler… Is there anything in the past 27 years in your careers that you have yet to accomplish that’s on your list?
Honestly Maria, I am pretty satisfied! I guess if I had to say, it would be fun to sing lead on a song again. I did it once on a track we have called “Allergies,” and it would be really cool to do that again. But other than that, I am so grateful to have played with these guys for so long and still be making music, I am overjoyed! I’ve learned so much more about music than I could have ever imagined along the way, too.
Well, you’re a lucky man! Best of luck on the tour, Tyler, and thanks for taking the time to chat with us. I will see you at Mercer County Park Festival Grounds July 2!
Thanks Maria, see you there!
Catch Barenaked Ladies with Violent Femmes and Colin Hay at JBL Live At Pier 97 on July 1, and the Mercer County Park Festival Grounds on July 2. Their new album, Silverball, is available now through Vanguard Records. For more information, go to barenakedladies.com.
