P.E.I.’s East Pointers to honour memory of bandmate Koady Chaisson with new music

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Tim Chaisson takes a deep breath and slowly exhales when he talks about what the previous 4 months have been like.

In January, his first cousin and East Pointers bandmate, Koady Chaisson, died all of a sudden.

On March 8, Tim Chaisson and his spouse, Jane, had their second youngster, Indi.

In an interview with SaltWire Community on Might 20, Chaisson mentioned having a brand new youngster helped him deal with Koady’s loss of life,

“Some days are good, some days issues actually hit you and … it doesn’t appear actual,” Chaisson mentioned about dropping his buddy, relative and key member of the band that additionally contains musician Jake Charron.

“However, I’m busy with a brand new child at dwelling. The distraction is nice.”

Shortly after Indi’s start, Chaisson and Charron began speaking about music once more — extra particularly, the music the band had recorded with Koady however hadn’t launched.

“When Jake and I linked … we talked about how excited Koady was in regards to the (unreleased) songs. It began a dialog. We thought we must always put this music out. It will be a disgrace if it wasn’t launched.”

Streaming single

Chaisson and Charron talked to their file label, Nettwerk, and determined to launch six songs the band had recorded with Koady.

The primary single, Stronger Than You Know, debuts Might 27 on all music streaming platforms.

Charron declined to do an interview. A music consultant with Nettwerk mentioned Charron nonetheless finds it too laborious to speak publicly about Koady.

However, Chaisson mentioned when he lastly discovered the energy to hearken to the songs he was overwhelmed by emotion.

“The music, his writing, it simply flowed out of him. It was fully pure. I all the time knew it however after somebody is gone, it hits you more durable.’’ — Tim Chaisson

“I feel I all the time knew it since we have been children how amazingly proficient Koady was,” Chaisson mentioned, his voice cracking. “After he handed, it hit me extra. The quantity of stuff that man wrote and the way admired he was, actually all around the world for his tenor banjo … and simply how humble he was, too.

“The music, his writing, it simply flowed out of him. It was fully pure. I all the time knew it however after somebody is gone, it hits you more durable.”

Celebrating recollections

Colin MacDonald, lead singer of The Trews, heard the brand new songs and shared them together with his buddy and collaborator, Derek Hoffman, a producer in Toronto.

“I actually beloved what they’d put collectively and I used to be excited on the prospect of manufacturing a band with its personal distinctive palette of devices,” Hoffman instructed SaltWire Community in an e-mail.

“They’re so good at spitting out a fantastic, dwell association of their songs, filled with melody and rhythm and coronary heart.”

Concerning the producer

Following is a few details about Toronto-based producer Derek Hoffman:

• Started his manufacturing profession in punk and rock.
• Minimize his tooth working with native and worldwide artists corresponding to Silverstein, Boys Night time Out, The Flatliners and Stick To Your Weapons.
• He later branched into the pop and various music scene, working with The Trews, Ralph, The Elwins, Caveboy.

Hoffman mentioned it was an emotional undertaking to work on with Chaisson and Charron, realizing the songs have been meant to honour Koady’s reminiscence.

“I’ve by no means been part of something like this earlier than,” Hoffman mentioned.

“For them to undergo one thing like this nonetheless shakes me up. We’re so fortunate to have had extra of Koady’s performances and concepts to maintain fuelling the rest of the gathering. It’s nearly surreal realizing we stored pushing ahead.”

Rob Oakie, govt director of Music P.E.I., mentioned he’s blissful Chaisson and Charron have the brand new songs to carry onto as recollections.

“And I feel East Pointers’ followers might actually use one thing like this to assist have a good time Koady’s reminiscence, together with their very own recollections of Koady,” Oakie mentioned.

“I feel the reception might be overwhelming.”

Unsure future

Chaisson mentioned the opposite 5 songs might be launched individually, one after the other.

Nevertheless, Chaisson mentioned he and Charron gained’t be touring to advertise the brand new music.

“As a musician, as laborious as it’s to image your self not enjoying, I couldn’t think about trying over and never having Koady on stage with us,” Chaisson mentioned. “Proper now, the main focus is on getting the music out.”

“I do know that Koady’s music, and the band’s music, will dwell on in some form or kind. As for our future, I don’t know what the reply is … however I do know Koad is with us in spirit … and that makes it simpler.” – Tim Chaisson

Chaisson added that it’s too early to say what the long run holds for the East Pointers. The ache of dropping Koady remains to be too contemporary.

“It’s a little bit of a tough query to reply,” he mentioned. “I do know that Koady’s music, and the band’s music, will dwell on in some form or kind. As for our future, I don’t know what the reply is … however I do know Koad is with us in spirit … and that makes it simpler.”

Band background

• 2014 — Pop/folks band East Pointers was fashioned by Koady Chaisson, banjo, Tim Chaisson, fiddle, and Jake Charron, guitar.
• 2017 — The East Pointers gained the Juno Award for conventional roots album of the 12 months for his or her album, Secret Victory.
• 2019 — The band releases a video with Emma Watkins of The Wiggles for his or her track Wintergreen.

Dave Stewart is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. @DveStewart