The Canadian Sam Robertsleading the band that bears his name, returns to our country to present his album from last year, the conceptual “The Ballad Of Ben Blank” (Secret Weapon, 23).
To begin, I would like to ask you something curious, and that is that you started in music as a violinist, before forming the Sam Roberts Band, how was it?
When I was four years old my parents wanted me to study music and choose an instrument. I don’t know why, but I chose the violin. It was a bit tragic because I think I was very good at it. I think my parents were grateful that I discovered the electric guitar. I was in high school, in Montreal, and at first I introduced myself with my name, until I changed it to Sam Roberts Band.
And you haven’t played the violin again?
Yes, I have dared in some of our recordings, but I don’t dare to do it in public, and even less so on stage. I guess it’s some kind of trauma or something (laughs).
Let’s now talk about your latest album, which you are coming to present in Spain. From its title it seems like a concept album, “The Ballad of Ben Blank”.
We could consider it to be so, because there is a central character that unites everything. Ben Blank is my attempt to keep my future as open and full of possibilities as possible. The idea is that character who leaves behind his identity, his past, so that it does not act as a shackle, and can walk towards the future. I think that’s where I am in my life right now. I am sure that you can rewrite your future and that your story is not something that is predefined and will happen.
“The problem with the word evolution is that we associate it with improvement, and that does not always happen”
In the themes of your albums there is a clear evolution. Can we call it maturity?
Oh, I don’t know (laughs). Can. When you are younger you consider what you want to show about yourself to the world. You hide your flaws and tend to act with more courage, or unconsciousness, depending on how you look at it. I like the idea of being able to reinvent yourself as time goes by.
In fact, it is something that you have always stated that you like to do with your albums, evolve and reinvent yourself! Is this album another reinvention of the Sam Roberts Band?
Definitely. Evolution and reinvention happen without you being very aware of them. And then, as a musician, you end up looking at things from a different angle. What would happen if I changed the instruments I usually play? What happens if we play the same notes with different instruments at the same time? You open your sound and emotional palette, and that is very healthy. It all depends, of course, on how daring and experimental you are.
I have already asked this question to several of your colleagues, but it usually comes up when we talk about the subject: is there no musician without evolution?
I don’t know if that’s the case, but, of course, if you do things one way for a long time you end up repeating yourself. Even if you are a little restless, as a musician, always walking the same path must drive you crazy. The problem with the word evolution is that we associate it with improvement, and that does not always happen. There are times when you evolve and you are not improving what was before, but it is your path. You should take it without thinking too much about it, if that is what your body asks for. You have to adapt to what you need as a musician. Adaptation I would say is the key word, rather than evolution.
And does Ben Blank have that ability to adapt?
I think so. He has the opportunity to reincarnate, or at least reinvent himself. He can look at the future as a blank canvas that only he will paint and that is a wonder. He doesn’t deny his past, that’s not it, but he looks forward.
A very thought of this society, asking us to look ahead.
Not always. Looking back is important to learn from mistakes, but continually beating yourself up for what you did is something that generates brutal anxiety, and I think we have all suffered from it at some point.
At first I thought it was just me and that I saw concept albums everywhere. Now, after talking to many musicians, they confirm that trend. What is happening to return to a type of record that seemed forgotten?
I think you’re right, but the explanation could be that we artists increasingly need to tell stories and tell them better. Sometimes a song feels short and you realize you’ve achieved a character like Ben Blank who deserves more development, and one thing leads to another. It is, as we said before, another type of evolution.
You maintain, however, your very autobiographical style, even though you put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Of course, as I told you, Ben Blank is an alter ego of mine, although in some things we are not so similar. I have this idea very clear: if you constantly rely on the past, the future becomes confusing and indefinite. I like to write about myself and what is happening around me and, therefore, how that affects me. How the world affects me, wars… Unfortunately, the world gives you a lot of material to talk about, although you have to combine things. Because sometimes you don’t have a very clear opinion about what is happening and that makes things difficult. But yeah, my music is definitely very autobiographical.
And that’s when you arrive in our country, although the album is already a few months old.
You know how that goes. Designing a tour requires finding the exact moment, dates, places… It’s not easy, but the time has finally come to get closer to Spain. (NdA: in Spanish). We really want to play there and meet people who we know love us.
Concert agenda
Thursday, April 25, 9:00 p.m. €20
Friday, April 26, 8:00 p.m. Free Admission
Saturday April 27 8:00 p.m. €20
Sunday, April 28, 8:30 p.m. €15