Collett is carving out his own scene
Broken Social Scene's Jason Collett strikes out on his own
If you imagine the music industry as a giant wall, most of the bricks and mortar would be made up of four components: Sony/BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Music Group. These record labels, commonly referred to as the ‘majors,' provide North America with the majority of popular music we hear today, directly and through subsidiary companies.
In the cracks of the walls is where independent music was once kept, mostly to itself, fulfilling the needs of niche markets and music connoisseurs with specific tastes. Pretty much anything you would never hear on the radio during regular listening hours.
Recently, however, with the innovation of the Internet (amongst other technologies), the cracks have expanded, and more and more of the wall is becoming occupied by the independent market.
Leslie Feist, for example, is an ‘indie' artist who, after over a decade in the alternative market, broke through to the mainstream when Apple chose her song “1234” to be featured in an iPod Nano commercial. Ever since, sales have skyrocketed, propelling her into stardom. Despite her success, Feist's music is still released independently, through Arts & Crafts in Toronto.
Jason Collett, one of Feist's labelmates, may never reach such great heights, but with vast amounts of praise for his latest album Here's to Being Here, and an international tour lined-up, he has been making his own mark as an independent artist.
Despite Collett's better-known work playing and recording for acclaimed indie group, Broken Social Scene, Collett has always been a folkie at heart.
“The first time I heard Bob Dylan,” he told me over the phone, “I was 14-years-old. It blew the lid off my little bungalow in Suburbia, and it opened up the door to a whole other universe that I didn't know existed.”
Suburbia is a great descriptor for Collett's hometown of Bramalea, a small subset community of Brampton, Ontario. It also wasn't the ideal setting for a budding musician, and after troubles with his fiercely catholic family, Collett moved to Toronto at the age of 17.
He finished his remaining high school years in Toronto, and afterwards, Collett made ends meat as an apprentice cabinetmaker/carpenter. Art was on his mind, though.
“I always wanted to play music, but I wanted to do it on my terms,” Collett explained.
Well, he finally got the chance to, in 2000. A collaboration album of Hawksley Workman, Andrew Cash and Collett, called Chrome Reflection, was released, providing him with the funds and fan-base for a solo debut, which he titled Bitter Beauty. It quickly established him as a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian music scene.
Eight years and three albums later, Collett is still going strong with his latest effort, Here's to Being Here, a laid back folk album inspired by the rural side of Canadian life; The Band and Neil Young come to mind while listening to it. In fact, it is hardly the stuff one would associate with his Broken Social Scene work.
Through the album, Collett has been able to transfer his years of experience and artistry into a mature record, without sounding like an out-of-touch parent.
But actually, on the topic of parenthood, one could imagine how hard organizing the life of a touring musician like Collett would be, who is the father of three children. Still, he wouldn't trade it for anything.
“There's no better job or way of life in the world that I can think of,” Collett mentioned, gratefully, “You get to go on tour with your best friends. It's like getting to go to summer camp and you never have to stop.”
And it sure is refreshing hearing from someone who truly loves their job.
If you imagine the music industry as a giant wall, most of the bricks and mortar would be made up of four components: Sony/BMG, Universal, EMI and Warner Music Group. These record labels, commonly referred to as the ‘majors,' provide North America with the majority of popular music we hear today, directly and through subsidiary companies.
In the cracks of the walls is where independent music was once kept, mostly to itself, fulfilling the needs of niche markets and music connoisseurs with specific tastes. Pretty much anything you would never hear on the radio during regular listening hours.
Recently, however, with the innovation of the Internet (amongst other technologies), the cracks have expanded, and more and more of the wall is becoming occupied by the independent market.
Leslie Feist, for example, is an ‘indie' artist who, after over a decade in the alternative market, broke through to the mainstream when Apple chose her song “1234” to be featured in an iPod Nano commercial. Ever since, sales have skyrocketed, propelling her into stardom. Despite her success, Feist's music is still released independently, through Arts & Crafts in Toronto.
Jason Collett, one of Feist's labelmates, may never reach such great heights, but with vast amounts of praise for his latest album Here's to Being Here, and an international tour lined-up, he has been making his own mark as an independent artist.
Despite Collett's better-known work playing and recording for acclaimed indie group, Broken Social Scene, Collett has always been a folkie at heart.
“The first time I heard Bob Dylan,” he told me over the phone, “I was 14-years-old. It blew the lid off my little bungalow in Suburbia, and it opened up the door to a whole other universe that I didn't know existed.”
Suburbia is a great descriptor for Collett's hometown of Bramalea, a small subset community of Brampton, Ontario. It also wasn't the ideal setting for a budding musician, and after troubles with his fiercely catholic family, Collett moved to Toronto at the age of 17.
He finished his remaining high school years in Toronto, and afterwards, Collett made ends meat as an apprentice cabinetmaker/carpenter. Art was on his mind, though.
“I always wanted to play music, but I wanted to do it on my terms,” Collett explained.
Well, he finally got the chance to, in 2000. A collaboration album of Hawksley Workman, Andrew Cash and Collett, called Chrome Reflection, was released, providing him with the funds and fan-base for a solo debut, which he titled Bitter Beauty. It quickly established him as a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian music scene.
Eight years and three albums later, Collett is still going strong with his latest effort, Here's to Being Here, a laid back folk album inspired by the rural side of Canadian life; The Band and Neil Young come to mind while listening to it. In fact, it is hardly the stuff one would associate with his Broken Social Scene work.
Through the album, Collett has been able to transfer his years of experience and artistry into a mature record, without sounding like an out-of-touch parent.
But actually, on the topic of parenthood, one could imagine how hard organizing the life of a touring musician like Collett would be, who is the father of three children. Still, he wouldn't trade it for anything.
“There's no better job or way of life in the world that I can think of,” Collett mentioned, gratefully, “You get to go on tour with your best friends. It's like getting to go to summer camp and you never have to stop.”
And it sure is refreshing hearing from someone who truly loves their job.
