Charles Spearin is, in every sense of the word, an artist. An industry veteran in both producing and playing music, Spearin is one of the original members of Canadian indie-rock darlings Broken Social Scene, a founding member of the rock group Do Make Say Think, and a Juno Award-winning soloist for his experimental album, The Happiness Project. We chatted about the joy of making people cry, the rising music middle class, and how I remind him of a saxophone. SH: With The Happiness Project, you took snippets of conversations with your friends and put melodies and instruments to their voices. Hearing my voice, what instrument would you use for me? CS: [laughs] Maybe the Alto saxophone. You do have a melodic voice. I didn’t notice it until you brought it up. SH: What’s your favourite part about being a musician? CS: Everything has its merit. I really enjoy being in the studio and watching songs get put together, and the
whole dance of creating when you suddenly hear an idea or somebody adds something to it ... But also I like touring and I like working with different people. I think it’s a really healthy thing. Music and touring and that whole aspect can be exhausting and can be unhealthy if you don’t watch yourself, but I think just being forced to work with people or be stuck together in a touring situation is really kind of nice. Everybody in the tour bus or the van becomes a mirror so you get to know yourself a little bit better. So I enjoy that as well. I enjoy playing in front of audiences. You get a little bit of a rush. It’s kind of the same thing as when you’re a kid and your mom tells you that the scribble drawing that you did is really great, and you get this little endorphin rush ... Being on stage in front of people that like your music, you get the same endorphin rush.
charlesofSPEARIN broken social scene words by Sara Harowitz / photos by Alex Browne by Sara Harowitz