Meet The Band: Devon Sproule

Mixing jazz and pop with a slight aftertaste of classic country isn't an easy thing to do, but the wonderful Devon Sproule seems to do it with ease. Having released her new album, I Love You, Go Easy, a few weeks back she's coming to visit our fair city and is playing a show at The Tranzac on Nov. 27. More importantly she stopped by to talk to us for Meet The Band to help shed some light on who Devon Sproule really is.

How do you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard you before?
Still-lifey hot-wifey back-porch art pop

If you could open for one current band that you haven't played with before, who would it be?
Rickie Lee! 

If you could play one venue you've never played before, what would it be?
The Coventry Cathedral ruins.

What's the worst album you own?
Shut Yo' Mouth by Slam Stewart and Major Holley. But it's also the best. 

What was the craziest live show you've ever seen?
Gogol Bordello. I got slobbered on. 

What was the craziest live show you've ever played?
Crazy good, reenacting Dolly Parton at a Halloween show
Crazy bad, smoking pot and forgetting lyrics at Twin Oaks. Or the show in Myrtleville, Ireland when a guy wouldn't stop requesting Elvis but then my drummer did a backspin at the end and made everything better. 

What's your favourite song to play live? Why?
With the band, Doris's "Did You Give the World Some Love Today," though it never goes very good.
By myself, "The Evening Ghost Crab." 

What was the first record you ever bought? When was the last time you listened to it?
They Might be Giants - "Flood." Before that, I dubbed tapes off friends. The last time I listened to it was last year, the last time someone asked me this question, on Radio 2. 

If you could switch places with another musicians in some type of "Freaky Friday" type incident, who would you want it to be?
Is that where you switch with someone from another time? It seems like jazz musicians have the most fun, but if it was in the past, I would have to be careful, as many of them had pretty shitty lives. I don't know, maybe Gerry Mulligan? I haven't read very much about his life (and the internet on this train isn't working right now). So I guess I'm taking a chance. 

If you absolutely had to get a face tattoo of album art from one record, which record would you want to have on your face for the rest of your life?
What, you haven't seen my Cher-Take-Me-Home-Bat-Wing cheek art? 

If you could have one musical superpower, what would you want it to be?
Throat singing that actually sounded good.

Photo: Devon Sproule

Meet The Band is a regular feature where we introduce you to bands we like. You can find all of the rest of them here.