By Jim Barber
Drew Arnott is on a quest. Not for fame or fortune, or the Golden Fleece – but for fans. Co-founder, songwriter and current frontman for Canadian 1980s synth-pop sensations, Strange Advance, Arnott has a deep and compelling desire to reunite with the fans who loved, partied and danced to the band’s roster of hit songs ‘back in the day.’
To this end, over the last few years, once the gloomy pall had lifted on the COVID pandemic and the music world and society in general got back to some sense of normalcy, he has assembled a stellar lineup of top-notch, multi-talented musicians, taking them out on the road from their home base in British Columbia to reconnect with those fans, reignite their shared passion for Strange Advance and reinvigorate a sense of community between Arnott, the band and those who never stopped loving the music.
Each tour brings more folks back into the fold, each show is a sharing of energy and love between those on stage and those in the audience, all singing together to songs such as ‘World’s Away,’ ‘Love Becomes Electric,’ ‘The Second That I Saw You,’ and ‘We Run,’ which were staples on MuchMusic and pop radio from coast to coast.
Next week, Strange Advance returns to Toronto, headlining a show on Friday, June 13 at The Phoenix Concert Hall, with fellow 1980s stalwarts Images in Vogue and The Box opening the show. The following evening, they head west on Highway 401 for an engagement on Saturday, June 14, at The London Music Hall in London, Ontario, also with The Box as well as FourOneSix.
The tour marks 43 years since the release of the band’s debut album, World’s Away, which was a smash hit out of the blocks in 1982, thanks to the dreamy, ethereal, simple elegance of the title track.
Arnott found that he missed performing songs from the band’s first three albums, the aforementioned Worlds Away, 1985’s 2WO and The Distance Between, released in 1988. He also came to realize that there was a concomitant resurgence in interest in Strange Advance thanks, in no small part, to their record label re-mastering and re-releasing The Distance Between in 2016 and World’s Away in 2018. Besides hitting the road again, he reentered the studio, releasing the album 4 in the midst of the pandemic in 2021.
‘It’s a building process, I suppose, finding old fans again. And it’s basically the main thing I’ve been working on for the last few years. Obviously, if you’re a band and you’ve sold a couple hundred thousand records, there’s people out there who know the band. Every time we’ve gone out to play I get messages from people saying, ‘oh, you just played in such and such a place, I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know. If I would have known I would have been there,’” Arnott said, admitting that he may not be as proficient with social media as he could be.
“I’m just the worst with socials. We had someone set up a Facebook fan page and I didn’t look at it for years. I was sort of cloistered away and blocked off from socials and all that kind of stuff and then finally when I saw it and I read a few of the comments I wasn’t sure how to comment back. Because back in the day, bands were kind of put on pedestals; there wasn’t any direct communication with the audience or your fans on a personal level. You would go and see the show but never think there was a chance of actually meeting the band. Now, after every show we do we go out to the lobby and shake hands and meet the fans and hear all their great stories. And I am getting better at being interactive on the socials. Both of these things have made everyone more human and more approachable. And even with promoting the band, I am still not the best guy to do that. I don’t like having my picture taken and I don’t like having to shoot little videos for social media. Occasionally I have to do it, and I know I’ve got to get over myself if I want to reach as many people as possible, because this is how it’s done these days.”
That the music industry has undergone seismic shifts in terms of the way the remaining record labels operate, how music is recorded and promoted and most significantly how music is consumed by the public, is a given. But it’s also a challenge for Arnott, who is essentially back, not quite to square one, but certainly at square two or three when it comes to developing a strategy for getting Strange Advance back on the road, back in the public eye and back to a level of relevance that offers hope for more music, more touring and more fun. He is honest about the challenges he’s faced over the last few years, and how he’s working to overcome them.
“So much has changed. Back in the 1980s promoters wanted to know about your sales figures. But today when they say they want to know your numbers, they don’t care if you’re Juno nominated and sold a million records, blah blah blah, they want to know what your current socials are. When we came back and I first started trying to get back on the road, I thought I’d just reach out to our old agents and they’ll find the promoters and whatever. Well, our old agents were actually very old and very retired and I was told to talk to one of the new young guys. It’s pretty demoralizing to talk to the agents at this well-known agency and they have no idea who you are. It’s like, ‘I’m 25 years old and I’m not aware of Strange Advance.’ And because they have to make a commission on the gigs they book, they don’t want to take a risk with us or put the work into learning about us and building up our profile,” Arnott explained, adding that it’s meant that the task of the bookings has pretty much now fallen into his lap.
“Back in the day, Strange Advance had never played a live gig before we got signed. We got signed on the strength of our songs and the label invested time in promoting it to radio and stuff. And we still didn’t play live for a couple of years. Now, labels are only signing bands that already have an audience, and already have the record done, so they’re guaranteed to not lose money.”
One thing that Arnott is firmly set on is the fact that he doesn’t want Strange Advance to become part of the packaged 1980s music tours that are currently winding their way across North America. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, nor is there any negative judgement towards the bands and artists who choose to participate, it’s just Arnott wants those seeing his band to have the full live experience, which includes production and a decent length set list.
“I don’t want to take anything away from anyone who gets out there and performs. Good for you! But I’ve been to see a couple of them and I think it’s bad for a lot of the groups because the first couple of acts only got to play two or three songs. At one of them Wang Chung, I think they only got four songs and they were second from the top after the headliner. It’s like, ‘okay you’ve had your 20 minutes, now get off the stage.’ That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun to me. And it’s also not doing the fans any favours. If Wang Chung was your favourite band of all time, and they’re coming to your town, but they only play four songs, man that doesn’t sound like a very good experience to me,” he said.
“And often if there’s three or four acts on the bill it’s because those three or four acts would have trouble filling those bigger venues on their own. And so it makes a kind of sense if you want to play bigger places. But I would rather play for 500 people in a small theatre and do our full show, than 5,000 people on one of those package things. I want to give people the full deal. You’re getting at least a 90-minute show from us, and you’re getting all our production and lights and projections and lasers. We’ve got, you know, a lot of shit going on. We want to present an actual big concert event experience.”
Besides the happiness and satisfaction engendered from these reconnections with the older fan base is the similarly rewarding and enervating experience of realizing there is a growing base of support for Strange Advance from those born around the turn of the 21st century.
“At the end of our shows these days we go out to say hi to people and I see all these young people. I ask them if their mom or dad dragged them to the show. And many say, ‘no, I love you guys, I love 1980s music.’ That’s so cool to see young people who are discovering on their own. And even the ones who come with their parents say our music is something they’ve listened to their whole lives, since they were born. They’ll tell us we’re their parents’ favourite band,” said Arnott as he tried to suss out why 1980s music is popular with younger music lovers. Part of the logic is that the best music is what made it onto the radio and video channels in those days, before the internet took over.
“First of all, there was a lot of schlock that came out in the 1980s, as there is in every decade of music. But there were also all these bright sparks and I think part of the reason for that is it was the days when record labels ruled the world. You did not get on radio if you didn’t have a record deal. So the labels dictated who had entry into the game and it was a steep entrance fee because if you wanted to make a record back then you’re talking about $1,000 or $2,000 a day in the studio. That was a lot of money. But then in the 1980s technology took a great leap forward; sequencers, synthesizers, samplers came about and all of a sudden you’ve got some kid in his bedroom with a Linn Drum machine and singing ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby?’ They discover a great hook and know they can finish the song of themselves. That was the beginning of the indie movement. And so much of that came from the UK because the UK was this magical island where there were so many people crammed into such a small space that any band could play a 20 to 30 date tour around the island and drive home after practically every show.”
Another aspect of the technological change that upset the proverbial music business applecart in the 1980s was the development of video technology which, as with the relative affordability of the aforementioned synths and sequencers, came a similar affordability of VHS, Beta and later digital cameras and editing techniques.
“The music went along with the look and soon the look went with commercials, went with TV shows and movies. People were getting tired of the old corporate rock thing and all of sudden there were all these young people with fresh energy and new ideas who had something to say and ways of saying it that were radically different from anything. That marriage of audio and video was incredible. It was revolutionary for sure,” he said.
In the heady Vancouver music scene of the late 1970s, Arnott came together with fellow New Wave enthusiasts and talented songwriters Darryl Kromm (guitars/vocals) and bassist Paul Iverson to form a songwriting trio, bringing together each one’s personal influences and mutual desire to create something unique and otherworldly. It was the love of creation for creation’s sake that was the modus operandi for the embryonic entity, which even after coming up with the Strange Advance moniker took an unusual approach to their careers – they chose not to play live and often refused to do press.
“I remember thinking about the Pet Shop Boys and they were a favourite of Darryl’s. And he was saying, ‘well the Pet Shop Boys don’t tour, so why do we have to tour.’ And in the beginning they didn’t play live, so we shied away from it. We didn’t even want to do interviews which, looking back was a little dumb. What can I say? We played as little as we had to and the record company kept insisting that we go and out there and play, so we did, but only as much as we had to,” Arnott said.
“And I was originally a drummer, so I thought it would be a pretty fun gig, just kind of getting to sit back and play the songs, watch everything that’s going on behind the kit and enjoy the show. But now in Strange Advance, I’m playing keyboards and singing. It’s like, ‘oh crap, I’ve never done this in my life.’ So I thought I was going to hate it but it was actually a lot of fun. The third gig we ever played was at The Forum at Ontario Place in Toronto [a semi-outdoor venue with a rotating stage with a 360-degree view. The massive Budweiser Stage now occupies the site] and that was a wonderful way to be sort of introduced to the world of live performance when there’s about 12,000 people getting off on your music. It was fantastic. And since we’ve been back I’ve enjoyed the whole process but there’s so much more to it now, because I have to spend time talking to the promoter about whether we need to hire a local radio DJ to introduce us, did we advertise in the right media outlets, can we get interviews on the radio – there’s all those things now. And occasionally I am my own promoter, although fortunately more and more promoters are starting to know that we exist and are reaching out.”
The impressive, and to the band members themselves, somewhat unexpected success of first World’s Away and its immediate follow up 2WO combined with the increasing pressure from both fans and the business side of the music business meant Arnott, Kromm and the rest of Strange Advance (Iverson left in between World’s Away and 2WO) had to hit the road. This, of course, led to more attention, more success but ultimately most likely played a significant role in sowing the seeds of the band’s eventual break-up in the early 1990s, as Grunge began its takeover.
“After our third album, The Distance Between, well Darryl had decided … well, to be honest with you, Darryl and I have always had a love/hate kind of relationship. In the beginning we started as a cover band in Vancouver called Slam which we did until we detested each other and couldn’t stand to be in the same room. I left and got bought out of my share of the band. So I went out, bought a lighting package and became Sweeney Todd’s lighting guy. A year or two later I got a call from Darryl and he said, ‘do you want to get together sometime and maybe try doing some writing?’ I wasn’t expecting this but I thought, sure, why not? And then we ended up doing the Strange Advance thing from that,” he said.
“By the time we got to the end of the process for the third album it was like, well, here we go again. You are not my favourite person anymore and likewise. I was going to carry on Strange Advance and Darryl wanted to go off and do dance music. I thought, that’s fine, I’ve got nothing against that but because he wanted to go in a different direction, I decided I was going to carry on. But the years started to go by and it turns out I am the king of the procrastinators. I worked on different projects, produced a few things, guested on a few things. And by then Darryl and I were talking all the time and we’re best friends and stuff again, but then [David] Bowie passes away in 2016 and that was sort of the spark. I felt that time was short and if we ever wanted to do this again, this would be the time. But I think for Darryl the appeal to play live just isn’t there for him anymore. It was always a bit stressful and he’s sort of an anxiety ridden person,” he said.
“So, when it came time for us to do this again he said to me, ‘there’s a good chance I’m not going to be able to do it, right?’ Yeah, I know Darryl but we’ll figure it out. We’ll figure out a way to get you out there. But in the end he couldn’t do it; he can’t fly, he can’t get on a plane. And this is about six or eight years ago. So, unfortunately it just couldn’t work for him, so we’ve got Sean Dillon singing. And then, of course, COVID hits and we kind of had to start from scratch, and that’s what we’ve been doing over the last three years or so. I was actually over at Darryl’s a couple of years ago and he was trying to remember a song and he pulled out his guitar, because he’s a guitar player and said, ‘I haven’t lifted this guitar for 10 years.’ He has no interest in music anymore and he’s entitled to that. Do what you want, live the life you want to live and be happy. And he doesn’t have anything against us going out there and doing Strange Advance whatsoever. So no problem there.”
Arnott now fulfills most of the lead vocal work for the band, as well as playing keyboards and, as mentioned in the introduction to this piece, has surrounded himself with a versatile, veteran lineup of musicians whose combined pedigree is pretty damn impressive.
It includes Ian Cameron (guitar/violin) who has worked with Jimi Jamieson (Survivor) and Shania Twain and drummer Ross Friesen, who has appeared on CBC’s “Rock Wars’ as well as being an in-demand live and session drummer on the west coast. Rob Bailey joins Arnott on keys and his background includes stints with a wide array of artists including Alice Cooper and Gino Vanelli. He is also a composer and software engineer for video game giants Electronic Arts, Activision and Rockstar Games. Sean Dillon is Arnott’s closest collaboration in the current incarnation of Strange Advance, and besides his musical background, he worked closely with legendary Canadian producer, the late Bruce Fairbairn (who produced Strange Advance’s first album). The Winnipeg native coincidentally played in a cover band in his youth … and covered Strange Advance songs as part of the band’s repertoire. Bassist Pete Trotzuk is the most recent addition to the band, coming on just last year.
As stated a couple of times already, Arnott is first and foremost a songwriter and has never really stopped writing. Strange Advance’s fourth album, simply entitled 4 was released in 2021. He admits that his current creative output has taken him down some interesting artistic rabbit holes, to the point where the songs he is composing now may or may not be consistent with, to use a gauche marketing term, Strange Advance’s ‘brand.’
“It wasn’t the record label that wanted to do a new album. As a matter of fact, I had to try to convince them. They just wanted to do another compilation. We’ve done a number of compilations so this was starting to seem like a money grab. I was dead set against doing yet another compilation. They did do the reissues and fortunately I write all the time and record the stuff. We had material ready to go. I was actually just going to put out a single and then I realized I had a lot of material sitting here. I just needed to polish a few things up and put them together. A lot of people have said 4 is our best album ever, music wise,” he said.
“But I have been around enough to know that the songs that people really love are the songs that they grew up with and have heard a million times and that they want to keep hearing. Fortunately, we’ve got a few of those. But as far as new material, I love the newer songs as much as I love the old songs but that’s because I have been living with them all the time while writing and recording them. The only way anyone else would have the same level of attachment to the song is if it were on the radio and you’re hearing it a few times a day, so that by the end of a couple of weeks you love it and think it’s a great song. That’s not going to happen anymore. There will be some die hards that will love the new stuff, but it’s never going to be like it was.
“This next stage is going to be the most interesting one because, musically, I’ve kind of moved away from a lot of the earlier sound of Strange Advance. Now I’m thinking if I put out another record could I really call it Strange Advance? Stylistically it’s moved that far away. I don’t know because maybe I’m too close to it. I just don’t really have a good handle on it, but we’ll see how it goes. I am chipping away at it. I am in no rush – that’s the story of my life, I’m a chipper.”
Regardless of whether the new music comes out under the Strange Advance banner, as a solo project for Arnott or under some as yet to be discovered entity, the push to play more and more shows across a wider scope of the Great White North continues.
Fans are encouraged to reach out to their local venues and promoters to see if there’s a chance to bring the band to a town near them next year, the year after, and hopefully many years to come.
For more information, including how to get tickets to the two Ontario shows, visit Strange Advance’s socials or https://www.strangeadvance.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for more than 30 years. Besides his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and marketing specialist and is an avid volunteer in his community. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
