Listen to a Song from Sonic Avenues' New Album, 'Mistakes'

Change is a nightmare for anyone. Particularly when you’ve got a good thing going. Montreal, Quebec’s razor-sharp pop darlings Sonic Avenues set standards impossibly high with 2009’s near-flawless self-titled debut: a set of glittery, sprawling nuggets hearkening a Celibate Rifles-era Australian proto-punk heyday, the crème of the 90s Lookout crop, and a clear nod to the recent power-pop resurgence. The well-received follow-up Television Youth, the band’s first for Portland’s Dirtnap Records, continued in a very similar vein, showcasing a remarkable knack for pop composition, yet rarely veering from the path laid out three years prior.

Shortly after Television Youth’s completion, bassist Jamie Desjardins amicably left the group to fulfill career aspirations, leaving the door open for perfect fit Chance Hutchison, a natural musician and performer whose influence shines throughout Sonic Avenues’ vital, mature third long-player, Mistakes.

“Automatic,” one of the album’s many highlights, and the logical choice for a debut single, is a succinct summation of Mistakes’ lyrical and sonic content: a quick, hook-laden refusal to rest on one’s laurels; a flagrant fist-in-the-face of the “if it ain’t broke…” mentality. The result is Sonic Avenues’ most fully-realized and accomplished work to date—proof that a willingness to evolve, and knowing when it’s time to, is crucial to any artist’s maintained relevance and longevity.

We talked to Chance and guitarist Max Desharnais. Check out the interview and listen to "Automatic" below. (It's less than two minutes long though, so read fast!)

Noisey: To my ears, Mistakes sounds like the product of a rejuvenated band—a return to the energy of your debut, but with a songwriting cohesion and maturity that comes only with plenty of time together on the road.
Max Desharnais: I do agree that it sounds a little more like the first album. I think it’s a result of not putting too much thought into the songwriting aspect of the record. In fact, a lot like the first album, we didn't have a specific sound in mind. We just wanted to play what made us happy.

Longtime bassist Jamie Desjardins left the band after the writing of your second LP, 2012’s Television Youth, setting the scene for Chance’s entry. What's changed since Chance joined the fold?
Max: Chance brings a lot of fresh energy to the band—live, on the road, and in the jam room. He is always stoked and it’s contagious. No matter how shitty people feel, Chance is there to bring up the stoke levels again… which definitely helps because I'm moody as hell.

While the Sonic Avenues hallmarks are certainly still in place—the Jay Reatard/Exploding Hearts by-way-of 60s/70s pop with a hearty dose of 90s skate/pop punk—there are more departures on Mistakes than on your previous output. Was this an incorporation of a wider array of influences, or simply the combination of Chance's style—a jumpier, more energetic, rock 'n' roll feel—with your own?
Max: It's definitely a combination of that, ya. Chance's energy and rhythm on the record are undeniable. When I had doubts about certain songs on the new record because of a slightly different direction, Chance made me see them differently and convinced me to not give up on them. Now they're some of my favorite Sonic Avenues songs!

Was there a specific intent to branch out in terms of where you were looking for inspiration?
Max: As far as influences go, I’ve always been a die-hard Saints fan and I did have a bit of a Rikk Agnew phase about a year ago. Well, I still do. In fact, everyone should have an ongoing Rikk Agnew phase, as far as I’m concerned. I also listened to Arthur Lee’s Love and Dead Moon a lot. For some reason, their songs and lyrics really resonated with me around that time.

But there was never any meeting of the minds to discuss “moving forward” with your sound?
Max: As a whole, it was a very insular approach. A year ago, when we started to write the keepers for this record, despite those influences, I was extremely busy and didn’t listen to a lot of music. Luckily, it seemed every time I touched my guitar, a song would come out.

Chance Hutchison: Man, I just think we got in the jam room and started feeling it out. It seemed natural and I think it’s just an evolution of the Sonic Avenues sound.

Max: Structure-wise, a few of the songs on the record only took form a week or two before recording. There were a lot of on-the-spot decisions in the studio. I think it made for a very honest record.

Sonic Avenues is headlining an upcoming Dirtnap Records showcase in NYC with pals the Steve Adamyk Band and Voicemail (featuring White Wires' mainman Ian Manhire), as well as Something Fierce and Legendary Wings.
Max: Yeah, we're really excited about that showcase. The last ones on the west coast were absolutely nuts.

How has working with Ken and Dirtnap been to this point?
Max: We can't express enough how happy we are to be working with such dedicated person. Ken has his heart in the right place and works so hard for his bands, investing tons of time, effort and money. I think it's safe to say that Dirtnap bands couldn't ask for a better home in the genre of music we play.

Chance: It feels like home and really, as far as labels go, you can’t buy that shit. He has confidence in what we do and what he does, which is crucial.

You guys are heading back to Europe right after that showcase and then hitting Japan for the first time later this year with recurring tourmates The Steve Adamyk Band. What else do you have in store for the foreseeable future?
Max: We’re very excited to go to Europe again. We're gonna be playing a bunch of cities we haven't played before. We decided to postpone Japan until a bit later this year and to do a couple of shows in Israel instead. It just made more sense logistically. After that tour, we'll be back in Montreal to play our record release show, followed by a show at Ottawa Explosion and one in Toronto at NXNE. And summer will be dedicated to chilling, writing the new record and drinking beers in the park.

Mistakes is out on April 14. Catch them on tour:

Apr. 18 Québec City, QC - Le Cercle
Apr. 24 Ottawa, ON - House Of Targ
Apr. 25 London, ON - Call The Office
Apr. 26 Toronto, ON - Smiling Buddha
May 01 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
May 02 Brooklyn, NY - Shea Stadium
May 03 New York, NY - Cake Shop (Dirtnap showcase w/ Voicemail, Legendary Wings, Steve Adamyk Band)
Jun. 12 Montréal, QC - Casa Del Popolo
Jun. 14 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Explosion
Jun. 22 Toronto, ON - NXNE

*more dates TBA

Dave Williams is a writer living in Ottawa.