An interview with Pete Lesperance

With the release of new Harem Scarem opus ‘Overload’, the band have once again split their fan base in two with their attitude of constantly moving forward and never revisiting the past. Overload has been one of the most eagerly awaited releases of 2005 but it has not been as widely received as previous efforts such as ’Weight of the World’ or ’Higher’. Consequently, the ever cheery Pete Lesperance has all the answers. Kieran Dargan has the questions.

Well, you have done the left turn on 'Overload' again, didn’t you?

"Well, I suppose so, but really we just did what we did. When we finished the record we put on some of our older records just to see where we were at and we all went "Holy shit, this is really different!" You know when we write this stuff and produce it up in the manner we feel it deserves, it just turns out as it does, just really where your head space is. When I was writing the riffs for this album I said to myself 'This stuff sounds just like Mood Swings' and then when it was finished, it was heavier and I guess ... different."

I think it’s a solid record, but not your best. But once again, what do you determine as your best record?

"Well I love them all really. I mean otherwise we wouldn’t have made them, but in saying that I think we have a lot of fans with differing taste. If I can ask you, what is your favourite album?"

'Karma Cleansing'.

"Well that’s sort of what I mean. We hear it from fans all the time: Mood Swings, Voice of Reason, Weight of the World ... there doesn’t appear to be one in particular, and as much as we get slammed for the change of direction thing, I have heard every one of our records being quoted as the best or most favourite. It seems everybody has a different opinion as to what our best is."

When you hear the advance snippets of news from the HS camp, especially with this record, it was bandied about that it was going to be a heavier record, maybe even a return to the 'Mood Swings' sound.

"Well it’s an aggressive record - my playing is aggressive, Harry’s singing is aggressive and it’s a heavy record. It’s definitely a more modern record."

Of course, you do realise that you frustrate the living daylights out of your long standing fans?

"You know what, we are realising that more and more as time goes by, but my question to them is, well, what do you want us to do? Do you want us to put on 'Mood Swings' and figure out what we did on that? That was thirteen years ago. We’re not going to do that, and even if they wanted us to do that I’d quit first. I’m interested in making music, I’m interested in pleasing our fans. I wish this record was being a little bit more universally accepted, but it’s not. I still stand by it, as even with the Rubber records and if one of these records is a career ender for us, so be it."

That’s a very forthright outlook on Harem Scarem. You do get to talk to the fans though in person and via Email. Do you ever sit down after a record and say to yourselves that you threw them too much of a curve ball with this record or that record?

"Oh yeah, honestly and I’ll tell you what we thought this was going to be a more traditional Harem Scarem record. I don’t want this to sound as maybe the way it will come out, but I think we sometimes overestimate our fans acceptance of something new. If throwing them for a curve is the fact I picked up a baritone guitar and played some stuff on that, I mean should I not have done that? That would be fake. That would be as fake a Britney Spears."

I would assume there are people out there that would say, well Pete, if you want to play a baritone guitar, do it on your solo record.

"Well that’s nice, but it’s my life and my job. If I don’t have a job because people stop buying Harem Scarem records I’ll live and die by it, I really will. I don’t ever want to sound confrontational, I love this band, I love the way we are creative - it’s honest. If we ever went out of our way to do something contrived, well what the hell are we doing this for in the first place? If you talk to a 'Mood Swings' fan they will tell you we should have been making that record since then. If you talk to someone who likes 'Voice of Reason', well they will say the same thing about that album. Then we have newer fans who like the Rubber stuff, not Scarem. Why the fuck did you go back to that shitty eighties rock?"

Do you ever think you have suffered picking up new fans because, despite we all knowing Harem Scarem have never made the same record twice, you still get tarred and feathered as a hair band.

"Oh yes, that’s part of the reason we made the Rubber records, and why we changed the name. Unfortunately what happened there was political. Warner fucked us - we changed the band name, changed direction and the reality was Warner pulled out on us after our first single went top 40 in Canada and we were having massive airplay on the video stations. If they had stuck with us Rubber could have become something, but thy pulled out on us after the first single because we were nearing the end of our contract with them and they knew we fucking hated them as a label. Let’s not put any more money into this, why should we build them up for the next record and have these guys walk. We would have. In hindsight it looked as if we screwed ourselves because it didn’t work. In truth it was working but the downside was we fucked ourselves with our fans. I know we did. I know we did."

From the Harem Scarem perspective, you obviously picked up a lot of new fans in Canada with Rubber that may not have known that you were Harem Scarem in a previous life. Did any of those fans stay with you for subsequent releases such as 'Weight of the World' and 'Higher'?

"No, they are not fans of the same genre of music. They were into Rubber only. There is no Harem Scarem in Canada…nothing. Nobody cares. But we lost out in Europe and Japan, we definitely lost more fans than we gained, no question about it."

So more fans would be more interested in having you pick up the polka dot guitar, wear the Mickey Mouse t-shirt and cut off denim shorts again?

"Oh yeah, grow the hair back as well. I know lots would be really happy if that happened."

Even though the questioning may sound harsh, I think the fans really want to know why you are such a bunch of fuckers for doing what we LEAST expect with each new album.

"You’re such a bunch of fuckers ... haha, I love that."

There is a fine line between creativity and commerce, is that something that the band are aware of. I mean it’s pretty much a given that a new Harem Scarem record will sell at least x amount of copies.

"No, I don’t think so. We never think like that, never. If we were to think like that we would make the same record over and over again because that would be the smart thing to do business wise. This album kind of blind sided us a little. When we were working on 'Overload' we thought the songs were good, it was heavy and we were having a lot of fun, and literally the day we finished it we listened to it and said 'Uh oh! I don’t think people will get this'. And in all honesty it was only at that point we realised we’re not even hearing it the way we thought. We didn’t have a plan for it, and believe me it’s not in our thoughts to fuck our fans around. We try put out quality music with each release."

I don’t think Harem Scarem have ever made a bad record, but you do on occasion stretch the boundaries a little too far for your hardcore fan base that has been with than band since back in ‘91.

"That’s right, we do. And we don’t feel good about it. It’s a constant battle. We feel we have got to a certain point where we couldn’t fake it even if we tried. We are not going to go out and put a bunch of dance loops on a song and likewise we won’t make Mood Swings again because that would be faking it. We really try to write the best songs we can and capture where we are at and make quality records and feel good about it."

Again, it’s the whole debate about artists and creativity.

"I bet Queen got hammered, and I am in no way comparing us with such a great band, but I bet they got hammered for the 'Hot Space' record. I remember saying 'What are these guys doing? Why don’t they make A night at the Opera again?' But they had already made that record and didn’t need to make it again. Make no mistake, we love every single record we have done but I suppose like Queen we don’t feel the need to retread old ground."

The writing format for Harem Scarem has always been Harry and yourself. Creighton and Barry don’t seems to contribute at all. Is it a case of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it or do the other guys bring stuff to the table at all?

"Well Creighton writes and has released a couple of solo albums, but he came into the band late in the game. Really he has never brought in anything. I think if he did, it would be great but it kind of always has been like that. Barry doesn’t write. It’s the way it has developed, but everybody is fine with that."

So 'Overload' is done and you have probably lived with it for about six months by now. Moving ahead, is there a plan for future Harem Scarem recordings at this point?

"Harry and I are always working together on things, constantly. Harry is my other wife, did you know that..haha!! We are just finishing up work on my 'Fairground' album right now (Pete’s other band) which will be keeping me busy for a while. As far as Harem Scarem goes, there will always be Harem Scarem records as long as there are fans, a label to put them out and as long as we enjoy making them. Isn’t it funny, despite the fact we make our living from Harem Scarem we still won’t sell ourselves down the river and do something contrived."

Here lie Pete and Harry, credibility to the last...

"Funny, in Canada and North America, Harem Scarem and credibility are two words that are never used in the same sentence. They are a hair band…hahaha!!!"

So 'Overload' is out and you have seen the reaction. What’s your reaction to the reaction?

"I’m disappointed. I am. I can’t say I’m surprised though. But yes, disappointed. You always are when you hear people don’t like your work. But we didn’t sell out. Making a record that somebody else wants you to make is just the same as being on stage lip-synching, it’s selling out."

Usually when a band has a new album out you can identify a number of songs that have to go into the live set. Apart from 'Afterglow', I’m at a loss. Any ideas?

"'Afterglow', 'Don’t Come Easy' ... they are pretty straight up Harem Scarem songs, aren’t they, hahaha. Just depends on what era Harem Scarem you listen to, haha."

So it comes around to picking a set list ... after ten albums it must get to be a complete pain in the ass to try and keep everybody happy?

"What do you do? One or two from each record, or three from one and none from another. It’s tough when you have that amount of records, it really is. Imagine trying to get a flow going when you do what we do..hahaha."

Do you personally have a favourite Harem Scarem track from over the years?

"That’s really hard. Maybe 'Weight of the World', the song. I really like that song. I think it’s a more modern version of what we were doing back in the day. Some of my others are on the Rubber album. So there you go, a bit like night and day."

How do you actually go about picking the set list?

"Well we get to play live on so few occasions, I don’t know really. Maybe we’ll ask the fans what they want to hear …"Oh look, all of 'Mood Swings' and nothing from 'Rubber' or 'Overload' ... that’s interesting', hahaha."

I think that’s a great idea, lets ask the fans what they want to hear at Firefest and they can submit their fantasy set lists? But then again, knowing you lot, you wouldn’t play them anyway. You’d go and do something different just to spite us."

"Hahahahaha ... no, it’s a good idea, that could work."

So is there anything you would like to add about 'Overload'?

"I think it’s a good album, and I feel like a broken record because we have been saying the same thing for about five releases. We’re all about songs, no matter what we are working on. When Harry and I are finished we don’t just throw anything on the record. We don’t write 15 songs and then pick the best ten, we write ten songs, the album. I guess what I would like to say to people is 'Overload' is an honest representation of what we wanted to do right now. We believe it has a lot of energy. If you are expecting 'Mood Swings', you’d better not buy this record because you are not going to like it. If you are expecting the next phase of Harem Scarem, and that’s not saying the next record will sound like this one, but again, it’s not 'Mood Swings', 'Voice of Reason', or 'Rubber', then that’s exactly what 'Overload' is. It’s honest, it’s aggressive and it’s a hard rock record."

Looking forward to FIREFEST on November 26th already!!