By
      MELISSA
      BUOTE
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “When
      I
      was
      about
     
     
      twelve
      or
      thirteen,
      I
      took
      up
     
     
      guitar.
      Rob
      started
      playing
     
     
      guitar
      before
      I
      did,
      but
      my
      dad
     
     
      played
      guitar
      for
      years,
      so
      I
     
     
      picked
      it
      up
      from
      my
      father
      --
     
     
      probably
      partly
      out
      of
      the
      de-
     
     
      sire
      because
      Rob
      played.
      Then
     
     
      we
      started
      playing
      together,”
     
     
      reminisced
      Halifax
      native
      Joel
     
     
      Plaskett.
     
    

    
     
      The
      year
      would
      have
     
     
      been
      around
      1989.
      The
      bad
     
     
      was
      Nabisco
      Fonzie
      featuring
     
     
      junior
      high
      rockers
      Rob
      Benvie
     
     
      _
      andlan
      McGettigan
      along
      with
     
     
      Plaskett.
      Playing
      sets
      consist-
     
     
      ing
      of
      covers
      of
      the
      Stones
      and
     
     
      Led
      Zepplin,
      the
      trio
      managed
     
     
      to
      forge
      some
      kind
      of
      neigh-
     
     
      bourhood
      star
      status.
     
    

    
     
      1997
      has
      ushered
      in
      a
     
     
      new
      era
      for
      those
      Nabisco
     
     
      Fonzie
      kids.
      Now
      they
      are
      all
     
     
      grown
      up
      and
      in
      a
      band
      called
     
     
      Thrush
      Hermit,
      and
      the
      band
     
     
      now
      has
      their
      first
      major
      label
     
     
      release
      on
      Elektra
      under
      their
     
     
      monogrammed
      belts.
     
    

    
     
      Sweet
      Homewrecker
      is
     
     
      the
      first
      full
      length
      album
      by
     
     
      the
      Hermit,
      but
      is
      not
      their
      first
     
     
      release
      by
      far.
      With
      a
      slew
      of
     
     
      independent
      cassettes,
      CD
     
     
      EPS
      on
      Murderecords
      and
      nu-
     
     
      merous
      vinyl
      singles
      on
      labels
     
     
      both
      in
      Canada
      and
      the
      US
      (ie
     
     
      Cinnamon
      Toast
      and
      Genius),
     
     
      these
      boys
      have
      definitely
      paid
     
     
      their
      dues.
     
    

    
     
      With
      their
      recently
     
     
      penned
      contract
      to
      the
      Warner
     
     
      affiliate,
      the
      bandislosingmuch
     
     
      of
      the
      do-it-yourself
      aspect
      of
     
     
      the
      recording
      process.
     
     
      Whether
      or
      not
      this
      is
      good
      or
     
     
      bad
      has
      yet
      to
      be
      seen.
     
    

    
     
      “With
      Murder,
      we
      had
     
     
      to
      do
      most
      of
      the
      art
      work
      and
     
     
      stuff
      --
      it
      was
      in
      our
      hands.
     
     
      We'd
      find
      people
      to
      do
      it
      with
     
     
      us,
      whereas
      with
      Elektra
      there
     
     
      are
      people
      who
      do
      all
      that
      stuff
     
     
      --
      they
      hire
      photographers
      and
     
     
      things
      like
      that.
     
    

    
     
      “We're
      pretty
      excited
     
     
      about
      Elektra,
      but
      we’re
      very
     
     
      excited
      that
      the
      record
      is
      out,
     
     
      too.
      Elektra
      have
      been
      good
      to
     
     
      us
      so
      far
      and
      I
      think
      it
      will
      work
     
     
      out
      all
      right.
      I
      think
      it’s
      just
      a
     
     
      matter
      of
      them
      supporting
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
      6
     
    
   
   
    
     
      theMighty
      Thrush
      Hermit
     
    
   
   
    
     
      record
      and
      us
      supporting
      the
     
     
      record
      as
      well.
      A
      lot
      of
      itis
      on
     
     
      our
      shoulders
      to
      do
      the
      right
     
     
      thing.”
     
    

    
     
      Doing
      the
      “right
      thing”
     
     
      does
      not
      necessarily
      mean
     
     
      doing
      what
      every
      other
      band
      is
     
     
      doing
      at
      present.
      At
      a
      time
     
     
      when
      the
      vast
      majority
      of
      their
     
     
      contemporaries
      are
      releasing
     
     
      pop
      gems,
      the
      Hermit
      has
      dug
     
     
      deep
      into
      their
      nitty
      gritty
      sen-
     
     
      sibilities,
      producing
      a
      record
      of
     
     
      pure
      rock
      and
      roll.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      were
      trying
      to
      go
     
     
      for
      something
      that
      wasn’t
      to-
     
     
      tally
      polished
      and
      anal
      interms
     
     
      of
      being
      so
      concerned
      about
      it
     
     
      being
      perfect.
      We
      wanted
      to
     
     
      keep
      the
      excitement...
      I
      like
     
     
      pop
      music,
      but.
      like
      rock
      mu-
     
     
      sic
      more
      and
      to
      maintain
      that
     
     
      and
      give
      the
      title
      of
      ‘Rock
     
     
      Band’
      to
      our
      band
      is
      what
      we
     
     
      are
      trying
      to
      achieve
      --
      not
      just
     
     
      catchy
      little
      songs,
      but
      heavy
     
     
      weight
      songs
      that
      mean
      some-
     
     
      thing
      --
      like
      Led
      Zepplin
      or
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THRUSH
      HERMIT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      something
      --
      we
      are
      a
      rock
     
     
      band.
     
    

    
     
      “With
      this
      record
      we
      at
     
     
      least
      came
      closer
      to
      a
      well
     
     
      rounded
      picture
      of
      what
      our
     
     
      band
      is
      about.
      I
      think
      The
     
     
      Great
      Pacific
      Ocean
      was
      neat
     
     
      just
      for
      the
      rawness
      of
      it,
      but
      I
     
     
      think
      this
      new
      record,
      Sweet
     
     
      Homewrecker,
      at
      least
      gives
     
     
      a
      clearer
      picture.
      The
      thing
      is,
     
     
      live
      shows
      are
      something
      a
     
     
      little
      more
      celebratory
      and
      light-
     
     
      hearted
      [and
      you
      can’t
      cap-
     
     
      ture
      that
      on
      recordings],
      espe-
     
     
      cially
      when
      you
      write
      sadder
     
     
      songs.
      You
      want
      to
      give
      them
     
     
      the
      right
      treatment
      in
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dio,
      whereas
      live
      there
      is
      a
     
     
      little
      bit
      more
      antics
      going
      on.”
     
     
      Thrush
      Hermit
      has
      al-
     
     
      ways
      been
      known
      by
      their
      fans
     
     
      to
      have
      an
      action
      packed,
      en-
     
     
      tertaining
      live
      show.
      Since
     
     
      they
      have
      played
      shows
      in
      bars
     
     
      since
      they
      were
      a
      mere
      six-
     
     
      teen
      years
      of
      age,
      they
      have
     
     
      also
      been
      tagged
      as
      being
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ELK
      Cee
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      young,
      cute,
      energetic
      band.
     
     
      All
      being
      in
      their
      early
      twen-
     
     
      ties
      now,
      it
      is
      still
      hardto
      shake
     
     
      that
      label.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      want
      to
      be
      an
      en-
     
     
      tertaining
      band
      because
      that’s
     
     
      an
      important
      aspect
      of
      being
      in
     
     
      a
      band
      --
      to
      go
      out
      and
      enter-
     
     
      tain
      people.
      Whether
      people
     
     
      perceive
      us
      as
      cute
      or
      not,
      we
     
     
      have
      no
      control
      over.
      The
      fact
     
     
      that
      we
      were
      young,
      I
      guess,
     
     
      was
      like
      ‘oh,
      they’re
      young
     
     
      and
      exciting
      and
      cute,’
      or
      what-
     
     
      ever,
      but
      just
      to
      go
      out
      and
      be
     
     
      entertaining
      is
      a
      really
      impor-
     
     
      tant
      aspect
      of
      it.
      You
      can
      be
     
     
      pegged
      that
      way
      --
      like
      kind
      of
     
     
      kitschy
      or
      tongue-in-cheek
     
     
      rock,
      but
      I
      think
      we’ve
      always
     
     
      strived
      for
      something
      more
     
     
      than
      that
      --
      a
      deeper
      level
      of
     
     
      what
      the
      songs
      mean.”
     
    

    
     
      When
      all
      is
      said
      and
     
     
      done,
      it
      isn’t
      going
      to
      be
      how
     
     
      cute
      or
      kitschy
      the
      band
      is
      that
     
     
      makes
      Sweet
      Homewrecker
     
     
      a
      success.
      It
      is
      the
      talent
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      counts,
      and
      Thrush
      Hermit
     
     
      delivers.
      j
     
    

    
     
      “Tf
      this
      record
      is
      suc-
     
     
      cessful
      I’d
      be
      really
      excited.
     
     
      We're
      going
      to
      go
      out
      and
      tour
     
     
      behind
      it,
      but
      if
      it
      did
      well,
      then
     
     
      it
      would
      set
      us
      up
      for
      what
      we
     
     
      want
      to
      do
      next
      and
      mean
      that
     
     
      people
      would
      buy
      it.
      Whereas,
     
     
      if
      this
      record
      fails
      miserably
     
     
      then
      what
      we
      do
      next
      won’t
     
     
      matter
      on
      a
      public
      level,
      it
      will
     
     
      matter
      just
      as
      much
      to
      us,
      but
     
     
      it
      may
      mean
      not
      as
      many
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      will
      hear
      it
     
    

    
     
      “I
      stand
      behind
      this
     
     
      record
      more
      than
      any
      other
     
     
      one
      we've
      done.
      I
      really
      think
     
     
      that
      it
      is
      a
      much
      more
      well
     
     
      rounded
      record
      and
      the
      songs
     
     
      are
      better.
      I
      think
      that
      the
     
     
      emotions
      expressed
      and
      the
     
     
      lyrics
      go
      to
      a
      new
      level
      and
     
     
      musically
      it
      goes
      to
      anew
      level.
     
     
      So,
      if
      people
      don’t
      like
      that,
     
     
      well,
      what
      can
      I
      do?
      We
      went
     
     
      the
      way
      we
      wanted
      to
      go
      and
     
     
      I’m
      pleased
      with
      it.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PHOTO
      CREDIT
      :
      LEGGO/CUT
      THE
      FAT
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      left:
      Joel
      Plaskett,
      Rob
      Benvie,
      Cliff
      Gibb
      and
      lan
      McGettigan
      of
      Thrush
      Hermit.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2S