Also, I remember our recording process was based on having a good live band and seeing how the songs turned out so listening back kind of determined which songs to keep or just abandon. The song ‘If I Wanted To’ is one that several peers including Afie have suggested is a strong and unique composition for me but I’ve never felt natural about presenting it so I may have resisted that one a bit, but I’m glad it’s out there if only not to have to ruminate about it anymore. I value all of my songs just about equally so it really helps to have someone else’s input. I fought for a few choices on this album such as ‘I Wanted It Too Much’, but for most of the songs that Afie showed an interest in I was happy to oblige. Was the song selection purely down to Afie Jurvanen? It means something to me to sit with them privately for a while although I’ve never seen that it has any practical value. For one reason or another, all my recordings have ended up sitting around for fairly long stretches of time before being released and I believe in that ageing process. Then it was a perfectly normal thing to do but about a week later you wouldn’t have considered it. Most of the album was recorded in the last week that you would have considered being in a room with other people, early March 2020. ![]() ![]() How did you record the ‘Say What You Like’, was it post-pandemic? When it comes to being a professional musician he’s a lot more in the real world than me and I think he sensed that I was stalling, and wanted to help me along – he’s a true friend. ![]() We are old friends and were once roommates. How did get to work with Afie Jurvanen better known as Bahamas? It’s kept me obscure and humble but I’ve never lost the compulsion to make new songs. Outside of songwriting and playing, pretty much every other decision I’ve made with respect to my career has been a bad one. That led to the opportunity to make my first album and that led to 5 more recordings. We had a tour opening for Bonnie Prince Billy and I made a recording to sell on the tour. My first opportunity to make a recording was in 2006 for a show called Dark Hand and Lamplight with Canadian artist Shary Boyle. I never had an intended audience or specific career goals, I’ve just always enjoyed the process. I was already making songs and working on them 15 years ago. It is 15 years since your debut, what is the difference between that and your new record ‘Say What You Like’? ![]() I like the winter but lately, I’ve been spending a lot of the grocery money on potted tulips and daffodils which is usually a sign that you’ve had enough. I’ve been doing a lot of ice skating lately. I’m home in Toronto under about a foot of snow. He also shares his admiration for The Band’s Garth Hudson and how much their various collaborations over the years have meant to him. Paisley also explains that it was the Beatles, particularly John Lennon, who first registered on his songwriting antenna and how his dad pointed him in the direction of Bob Dylan. While it is clear that Paisley’s purist approach is still very much intact, there is a recognition that he maybe needs to bring a little of the real world to his recordings, which he did with the help of his long-time friend Bahamas. Americana UK’s Martin Johnson asked Doug Paisley about ‘Say What You Like’ and how middle age is changing his outlook on life, and why he became a singer-songwriter in the first place. What do you do as you approach middle age and it is fifteen years since you released your debut album? If you are Doug Paisley you will let your friend Afie Jurvanen aka Bahamas look through your cache of songs and then produce you when you record them just before the pandemic shutdown happened, and after living with the recordings for a while you will release them as your new album, ‘Say What You Like’. Songs selected and produced by Bahamas with a touch of the real world.
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