This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive.
By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, November 2004
During the 1990s, Peter Elkas was the guitarist and one of the songwriters for Canadian indie band The Local Rabbits. With the support of other Canadian acts, such as Thrush Hermit, Sloan and The Flashing Lights, the Local Rabbits toured extensively across Canada, playing their infectious pop-rock to what would become a cult following of fans. The Rabbits were even asked to back Neko Case as her “boyfriends” during some of the tour stops for the first round of Lilith Fair. A party band with roots in ‘70s rock, the Local Rabbits always put on a great show, whether for an audience of ten (a poorly advertised show at the foot of the CN Tower), or rocking to a sold out crowd at Toronto’s Opera House.
Now Elkas has decided to show himself in a different light, as a solo artist, having just released his debut album, Party Of One. Originally from Montreal, Elkas has been a busy man lately. He’s been constantly on the road, recently playing in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and then back to Toronto—all in the space of four days. He is currently touring with k-os and playing with Al Tuck in between shows. Lucky for me, he was able to meet me in downtown Toronto before his opening gig with k-os (with a lot more driving and shows to come). He was kind enough to take some time to sit down with us and talk about his record, touring, kazoos, The Local Rabbits and much more.
Being There: First off, let’s get to something I’m sure most fans want to know. Where do The Local Rabbits now stand?
Peter Elkas: I’d say indefinite hiatus. We still talk about doing something, but it’s a bit hard to plan. Not only am I doing my thing, but Ben Gunning is engrossed in his own project. And he should be; it’s brilliant. The other guys (King Johnny Starr aka Ryan Myshrall and Jason Tustin) are also involved in music. They’re playing with other people in Montreal. It’s also living in two cities makes it difficult to get organized. I’m sure we’ll play again, just not soon.
BT: Proudest Local Rabbits moment?
PE: Maybe the last time we played at Lee’s Palace. It was a headlining show after the fact and people still came out. I was really proud of the whole project. We did everything on our own terms and we kept going. We were either oblivious or just didn’t care what other people thought. We were good at sticking to our guns and I was better at doing that in the group than on my own. You get nervous when you’re by yourself. There’s no one to give you a high five after the show. Especially if you’re really solo, you come off the stage and might think it’s a good show. But who do you go to to know?
BT: Party Of One was originally released as an EP. Why did you expand it rather than recording new material?
PE: I was really attached to those songs and I wanted as many people as possible to hear them. [The EP] was a really limited release; it wasn’t really released. I was excited by that recording. I really liked the production that Don Kerr did with it, so we went back to match some stuff and make it sound cohesive
BT: Were the extra four songs already recorded or were they produced specifically for the full length album?
PE: They were recorded specifically to add on to the CD, to flesh it out.
BT: Now that it’s been about two years since the recording of Party Of One, do you have plans for the next album?
PE: I’m going to have to hold off on it. I’ll be promoting this record for (I’m sure) into this summer and probably into next fall. The way our release is going, it’s really slow; there’s no radio push yet. We’re going to make a video soon and then we’re going to go from there. I’m going to have to get used to playing these songs for a while. I will be recording at home some demos and working on material for the next one so it’s really solid. I like the idea of having a lot of time for the next album to prepare.
BT: As for the video, which song are you planning to release?
PE: We’re hoping to do a video for “Party Of One.” I’d prefer to do a video for something I feel would have room for visual interpretation. People were suggesting “In My Den.” I don’t have a strong idea of what it would look like, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable making a video for a song I can’t imagine visually.
BT: How did (producer) Don Kerr get involved in the album?
PE: Don invited me to move to Toronto. A couple of the Local Rabbit guys had already moved here. I was also kind of unhappy in Montreal; I couldn’t really find a scene that I could fit in to. My family was there and I had a job, but I wasn’t really happy in it. It was tough to leave my family, but I felt like I came to welcoming arms.
I had known Don for a while, and he said, “bring some material, we’ll map some stuff out and record some stuff at the studio.” The idea was to make a demo that we could get some real interest with. However we really liked the recording and expanded on what we had.
BT: You worked with Don on the previous Local Rabbits album, This Is It Here We Go. What differences were there between recording solo and with The Local Rabbits with Don?
PE: The Rabbits’ record is a bit more slick. We spent a lot more time getting the drum sound. There were also more people so we had to make sure that everyone was satisfied. We had rented more gear; we went a little more high tech. [With Party Of One however], we just used what was in the studio, recording over old tape. We were excited because we realized that the studio could produce a really good sound.
BT: The title track seems to be a bit of a cross between having a new love and being on your own. Does it relate to your solo experience as opposed to the rabbits?
PE: No, I wrote it as a song about a post-break up. I wrote it about a night on the town by myself searching for friends I couldn’t meet and the night going into the day and giving up on the weekend of sowing wild oats. Having a pleasant surprise of running into the woman who would be my girlfriend. A song of solitude.
BT: You sing a lot about the minor—but great—things in life. Skipping stones and playing in the sun are two good examples. What starts you down this path when you’re writing?
PE: These are the things that are taken for granted by most people in life including me. Earth is quite heavenly. People spend a lot of time working to get somewhere else, whether it’s retirement or working towards getting into heaven. We wake up everyday and we have the opportunity to just enjoy what’s in front of us and what’s basic. That happiness is easily obtained.
BT: Love seems to be a major theme on the album. It’s a theme that’s been heavy in rock and roll since the beginning. What do you think makes it such an easy topic to write about?
PE: For me, mainly because it’s something I can talk about truthfully and with sure footing. It’s very universal, and people relate to it. I try to sing about what I know. I know my life.
BT: You sing a lot about personal themes. Is this conscious, or does it just flow?
PE: At first it was just coming out, and now [it’s] more direct. I think that people can discover something about themselves by listening to something that’s introspective. I don’t think anyone needs me to speak for them or try to uncover some grand idea about life that they should follow. I can tell people about my own experiences and they might say, “Yeah, that’s true for me too”.
BT: There appears to be a continuing theme of stresses from work on the album. “Gone, It’s Gone” seems to be about wasted life in front of a computer screen while the sun is out and waiting for us. Now that you no longer have a day job, do you ever still experience this?
PE: There’s definitely a freedom in waking up and doing what you love. There’s only so much of this though. I’m definitely taking advantage of a small window to promote a record that’s got a limited promotional budget. I also find that I’m romanticizing this cubical existence in that song. It’s not something that I detest; I appreciate the balance between music and work. I think it keeps you plugged into real people. A lot of musicians are not real. The ones who keep real jobs I find are the most grounded and usually have the most interesting things to say.
BT: Do you find that you have time while promoting the album to enjoy any of the basics of life, or is it still just non-stop work?
PE: No, it’s really new for me so far. We released the record about two weeks ago. I’ve been touring and playing since then, but that’s what I enjoy most.
BT: Do you find you force yourself to write songs or do they come to you naturally?
PE: I’ve done both; mostly they come to me. Skipping Stone I forced myself to write. I’m happy with the way it developed but I needed a song. I didn’t have either 10 songs or 40 minutes. I went up to Toronto Island. Don [Kerr] let me stay at The Gas Station [his studio] for a few nights to write it. I went up to my waist in water with a notebook and started thinking about my relationship with my girlfriend. The way I met her originally was a one-night stand. I was looking for something to skip away but realizing that what I wanted to skip away was pretty nice.
BT: You’ve been touring the country back and forth with Joel Plaskett, Sloan and now k-os. How did opening for k-os come about?
PE: We’re friends through a mutual appreciation of each other’s music. He wanted to create a show with some guys he thinks should be more exposed. The other guy is Shawn Hewitt, a fantastic singer.
I have been nervous for these shows because it’s a different crowd. k-os trusts his audience. It’s been going okay. I’ve done two shows, and solo it’s hard to capture the audience. I think that some people will get it. I’m trying to find my audience. These guys from Sloan to k-os, from Sam Roberts to Joel Plaskett… I opened for Colin James a few weeks ago and people dug that. If I perform to all these audiences then perhaps there will be a cross section from all of them, which will form one audience that could be my ideal audience.
BT: What records have you been surrounding yourself with lately?
PE: I’ve got James Carr, an old soul singer who did “Dark End of the Street.” Otis Redding. I’m always listening to Otis, Sam Cooke, The Constantines. I think Shine Your Light is the toughest sounding record I’ve heard in a long time. I find myself listening to music that I can relate my music to. I can definitely use some recommendations; I don’t listen to enough music.
BT: Read our web site! (The enthusiastic plug)
PE: I will. It’s a great site by the way.
BT: Most of the album is instrumentally bare. “Build A Harmony” has a bit of a party attitude. Did the atmosphere change during the recording of this song?
PE: That tune was part of the first batch, so it was mostly just me and Don. I was on bass and Don was on drums. I was listening to “Crosstown Traffic” by Jimi Hendrix, and I don’t know if it’s kazoo, but it sounded like it. I thought that would be interesting to do and then added electric guitar. There were also a few more people involved, which I think might be why the energy is higher.
BT: You’re the second person we’ve interviewed who’s had kazoo on their album. Will the kazoo be the next big thing in rock?
PE: Yes it will be. 100%. What I wanted to do was have party kazoos and give them away at the door of shows so people could have it for that one song. I wanted to do that at the album launch but I didn’t. If people got to know the record then they could kazoo along with the song. It would get really annoying for the rest of the show. It’s gonna be bigger than the electric guitar.
You can see Peter Elkas touring with Ron Sexsmith in southern Ontario later this month.