Taking a quick break to freshen up between coasts, indie post-rock collective The Most Serene Republic are about to paint Southern Ontario a shade of eclectic in support of their latest effort โฆAnd The Ever Expanding Universe.
After playing 30 shows in just as many days, singer and guitarist Emma Ditchburn explained to The Cord in a phone interview that the universe is in a state of evolution, although not necessarily in size.
โExpansion in this sentiment doesnโt refer to size, but rather to complexity and chaos,โ said Ditchburn.
โTo me it feels like humans opened this box โฆ and the ingredients havenโt run out yet so weโre still trying to put them together into as many possible combinations as we can.
โSome combinations are beautiful, some we could probably do without,โ she added.
Continuous creation is something showcased on their latest album, which combines lofty layers with instrumental precision.
In this revival era of musical experimentation, The Most Serene Republic ignores the demanding definitions of genre and creates a sound that is unique.
โIf you are creating music, you should not be limiting yourself in any sense, especially not in terms of what rack youโre on at the mallโs CD store,โ Ditchburn explained.
โI find it much more interesting to hear people explore as many areas as they feel are open to them.โ
โฆAnd The Ever Expanding Universe bursts open with the commanding โBubble Reputationโ, but works its way into the world of Baroque with โThe Old Forever New Thingsโ, a song that sounds like an inheritance from their Arts & Crafts godparents, Broken Social Scene.
While similarities between the bands exist, The Most Serene Republic stands as one of Canadaโs most emergent indie-rock outfits.
โDonโt Hold Back, Feel A Little Longerโ sneaks up as the most danceable tune on the album, nudging those genre borders once again and treading new- wave territory.
Waterlooโs indie crowd should be advised to bring their dancing shoes this Thursday then, when The Most Serene Republic take to the Starlight, well rested and ready to perform the songs that have garnered them so much attention.
โIโve been in total nesting mode since we got home, listening to classic nostalgic Sunday morning music, knitting, reading and lounging with my dogs,โ said Ditchburn.
โWe needed this rest… I donโt doubt that we will be back to our old antics as soon as we jump in the van together.โ
While road tripping across the country with seven people in a van may not sound like the most comfortable mode of travel, the band still manages to keep the love.
โWe all know each other so well now that itโs like a well-oiled machine. If someoneโs having a bad day or a moment, we all know how to react to it to make it smoother,โ said Ditchburn.
She added that getting along as a band is โall about patience, and Buddhist-like acceptance when youโre faced with a situation beyond your control.โ
Remembering whatโs good about the world in spite of the bad things that inevitably happen, the band and their ever-expanding universe have remained friends.
โWe have a bit of a love/hate relationship, but weโre pretty in tune.โ