The Stanfields are loud, proud
The Stanfields’ frontman Jon Landry had some thoughts to express on the band’s latest album, Modem Operandi. His lyrics touch on democratic rights, issues of privacy, freedom of speech and the current political climate.
The record has a political bent, but don’t expect the live show to feel like a protest concert. The Stanfields, first and foremost, come to perform. After all, the Halifax band received 2013 Entertainer of the Year awards from both Music Nova Scotia and the East Coast Music Association.
Landry took time out to chat during the band’s tour.
Q
The record has been out just a few days. How’s the response?
A
We’ve sold, like, four million. Taylor Swift is eating our dust. (Laughs.) It’s nice to have it out there. I’m proud of the record, but we’ve had it in the can for a while now so I’m kind of past it, which is how it works in this racket.
Q
What were some of the things you wanted to achieve with Modem Operandi?
A
The songs just come as they do. It’s usually a consolidation of collective experiences. This will be our fourth album. Our previous record was an acoustic album and we felt like we wanted to plug back in and make a loud, noisy rock ’n’ roll record. I think we succeeded, for better or for worse. We just wanted to make a record we were proud of and to improve on past mistakes and make some new ones.
Q
There are a lot of lyrics that speak to political and social issues. Why did you want to express that?
A
That’s usually my default button. I don’t really tap into too much on the personal side; it’s not really something I’m overly comfortable with. In this day and age, it feels like we can talk to anybody in the world with a push of a button, but with that it’s almost this juxtaposition where we’re communicating meaningfully less and less. We’re expressing our opinions with a share button. We’re mass texting. For me, writing music is about expressing my confusion. I’m terribly confused. (Laughs.) That’s the kind of stuff it touches on.
Q
The Stanfields make the kind of music that makes you think, but the live show is its own thing, right?
A
If we had an M.O., excuse the pun, it’s the live show. The lyrical themes are for when you’re at home with the record.