Information/Write-up
Released August 6, 2024
“This is a record of the human spirit. Of suffering and joy. Of heroes and everyday stories. And of addiction and redemption.”
Similar to like-minded songwriters as Jason Isbell and Steve Earle, both of whom he has toured and played with, Leeroy Stagger uses his long-term sobriety for muse, muscle, and music. Take the recovery song “These Days”, which still yearns for a greater meaning, even after 16 years of sobriety. Stagger is propelled by the drum engine of Rocknroll legend Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, Pearl jam) on the track which harkens back to stagger’s hero Steve Earle’s “El Corazon” album
“The song is a reminder to myself to find the humanity in my interactions. To meet my fears with more love. That I have to work very hard to transcend that world that lives inside of me”
Stagger easily shifts to raucous singalong singles that stick in your head like chewing gum. Tunes like “Count To Ten” (written by PEI’s Dennis Dllsworth), “Mediocrity Pill” (co-written and featuring Bedouin Soundclash’s Jay Malinowski), and “Watermelon Pink” are hooky-as-hell rockers to compliment his more contemplative offerings.
We were referencing lots of replacements and Lemonheads with this record, Joel Plaskett stopped in handful of times and... more
Leeroy Stagger: vocals, guitar, bass (3), piano (10), organ (1), mellotron (6)
Ryland Moranz: guitar (1, 2, 7, 8, 10), mandolin (4), vocals (10)
Tyler Lieb: guitar (2, 6, 7, 10), piano (10), bass (8)
Indio Saravanja: guitars (3, 4, 5), piano (9), organ (3), bass (4, 5)
Lucas Renshaw: bass (2, 10)
Pete Thomas: drums and percussion (3, 4, 5, 9)
Scott Smith: guitar (3, 4, 5)
Tyson Maiko: bass (5, 7, 9)
Marshall Wildman: drums (2, 6, 8, 10)
Austin Tufts: drums (1)
Bramwell Parks: drums (7)
Dustin Hawthorne: bass (1)
Jay Malinowski: vocals (1)
Dennis Ellsworth: vocals (2)
Rick May: bass (5)
Suzie Ungerleider: vocals (4, 5)
Evan Phillips: vocals (2, 7)
Tim Easton: vocals (7)
Paul Rigby: guitars (7)
Guthrie Starck: vocals (8)
Noah Becker: saxophone (8)
Produced by Leeroy Stagger
“Mediocrity Pill” co-produced with Jay Malinowski
“It’s Gonna Be Alright” co-produced with Tyler Lieb and Ryland Moranz
Mixed by Leeroy Stagger and Zak Cohen (4, 5, 8)
Mastered by Sensei
Recorded at Neighbourhood Recorders (Victoria, B.C.), Boulevard Recording (Los Angeles), and the Rebeltone Soundsystem (RIP)
All songs written by Leeroy Stagger except “It’s Gonna Be Alright” written by Dennis Ellsworth and Leeroy Stagger. “Count To Ten”, written by Dennis Ellsworth and “Mediocrity Pill” written by Leeroy Stagger and Jay Malinowski.
Photos by Erica Chan
Joel Plaskett printed the vocal for “Count To Ten” on his Tascam 4 Track tape recorder and lent an ear to the mix and offered some great existential advice. Thanks Joel!
Thank you: Coby, Guthrie and Ewan. Kate Wattie, Erica Chan, Mandy Wheelwright, Indio Saravanja, Tyson Maiko, John Raham, Tom Mrnka, Jared Klok, True North Records, Everyone at CKUA, Evan Phillips, Colin Stewart, Ryan Dahle, Zak Cohen and Tim Easton. Thank you to our friends and family for the love and support. Special thanks to everyone who played on this album and to the touring band, Luke, Ryland, Tyler, Geoff and Kyle and Thanks to Dennis Ellsworth for writing such beautiful songs.
Thanks to everyone at FACTOR, Canada Council, Creative BC and Alberta Music.
Watermelon Pink
One of the first, well really the first album I ever bought was “Loaded” By the Velvet Underground. I loved the way Lou Reed would spin these little 3 minute movies in front of a weaving mish mash of a Rocknroll painted skies. Watermelon Pink was born out of my love of Lou and the Velvets on a particularly creative week. The story is chock full of cigarette smoke filled basements, manic panic, warm sounding headphones of the seventies blasting out The Stones or whatever FM radio signal you could get from across the water where I grew up. Most importantly its fun which you don’t always get in my music. I built it with my friends Ryland and Tyler in my studio with a little help from Dennis Ellsworth and Austin Tufts.
Henriette was always smoking
Her teeth were stained, her hair was streaked in lightning blue
Every time that she would laugh, it reminded me of you
He was jilted stoner lover
But He always knew the key to love was to fun
When the sun went down
that’s when he’d get his doing done
Psychedelic noises
Autonomic voices
Its causing you to think
Its watermelon pink
Headphones were always ringing
The coast was close, her boy was always near
It wasn’t always pretty
But the signal chain was clear
Psychedelic noises
Autonomic voices
Its causing you to think
Its watermelon pink
Motorcycle maintenance
Living in a basement suite
Try to make the real rent
Listen to the radio
Leather jacket lets go
Bubble gum and dirty feet
Trying to make the rent real cheap
Loving life and living free
Retinas were always burning
Too much drink and staring at the sun
Watermelon pink
He always knew she was the one
Psychedelic noises
And a million choices
Its causing you to think
It watermelon pink
Like the lipstick traces
Written on their faces
Taking 40 paces
It’s causing you think
It’s watermelon pink
You found the missing link
It was hidden in the sink
You better call your shrink
It’s watermelon pink
It’s watermelon
Pink
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