To say Jay Malinowski is a busy fellow is an understatement. The Bedouin Soundclash frontman released his first solo album, Bright Lights and Bruises, in February and toured Canada in the spring. He then immediately reunited with bassist Eon Sinclair and new drummer Sekou Lumumba (who has drummed for Edwin & The Pressure, Kardinal Offishall) and others to record Light The Horizon, released on September 28th. I caught Jay over the phone, at home in Toronto for a brief stopover.

“I’m just here for the day. Got back home late last night from the UK and am running around today getting some stuff done. We leave for New York tonight.”

The schedule has also resulted in another record to be released next year, and a world tour, which comes to the Starlite Room in Edmonton on November 27th, and The Whisky in Calgary on November 28th.

“I haven’t had a break this year. I went directly from the Bright Lights and Bruises tour to recording Light the Horizon, and then recorded another record that is coming out next year. I recorded with Beatrice Martin - Coeur de pirate - a French singer. We did a Mariachi record which will come out in France and Canada in February. It has meant I have been working non-stop.”

If that isn’t enough, they have also started their own label, Pirates Blend Records.

“We looked at our past catalogue and we were at a juncture with a lot of things in life. One of the things we were frustrated with in the past was the ability to represent ourselves properly. The opportunity arose to start a label and we found some great people at Sony who really believed in us and believed in building something beyond just Bedouin - to my solo work, and other artists we want to support. The idea was to find other people who were into music and create a platform for artists that we love that may not have a home. That was a challenge we had as a band for so long, we were always kind of outsiders. So we decided to create a label and have great music. We are really busy, all of us. It is a lot of work and you want to do it well. We are releasing Michael Rault’s record and want to make sure we do it well. It is pretty busy but when you are doing it out of love, it makes it easier to do.”

It is uncommon for an artist to release a solo album and a band record in less than a year. Malonowski’s Bright Lights and Bruises was a beautiful acoustic album, while Light The Horizon has a fuller sound. Both are identifiable as Malinowski’s songwriting, but there is a definite difference.

“I guess I look at every record as speaking to whatever situation I am in. I was in a certain place when I wrote Bright Lights and went through that catharsis. I went into Bedouin a bit better prepared and repaired for this. We have a new drummer, I was excited to try and play with the band again. There was a carry-over in subject matter and there is more of an introspective aspect on Light The Horizon. I am working with two other people so I do have to wear kind of a different hat from the solo album. We were ready to make the record, the songs came out within a month, about 20 songs. It was an easy record to write.”

This tour has taken Bedouin to the world expo in Shanghai, and to India, Australia, and the UK. The difference in audiences between the countries was surprising, Malinowski said.

“They are all extremely different. We spent a week in each country which was quite a culture shock. Shanghai was interesting because people don’t go to see live music there. Here, if you have kids watching a show, the kids will get it and their parents won’t. There, everyone had a blank face and wasn’t receptive. ... India was really cool. We had a couple of days in Mumbai. Most of us got sick, though we felt pretty lucky to be able to go there and tour. We played some cool festivals and saw some Bollywood performers which was cool. We were definitely the odd ones out there.”

This tour returns to smaller venues after playing sold out arenas in 2009, opening for No Doubt. It was an unforgettable experience that gave the band a taste of fame.

“They asked us on the tour and we had never seen something that size before. They were really gracious to us, they brought us out for a song during the encore. That is a totally different world when you are getting to that level. You choose a certain point to do that and you have to really own it. I know it sounds weird but a lot of bands probably get to a certain point and go, I don’t know if I really want that level of success because there is a lot that comes along with it. But it was really great to be able to see something like that. Once you are onstage you just go into a different zone, and it could be any room in the world. We just played our show. We don’t have a lot - choreography or anything like that; we just play our show and try and fill the room with sound.”

Bedouin, and Jay have developed a very passionate fan base. At his solo show in March, one fan in attendance had flown from the Eastern US to Calgary just to see them play. Malinowski made a point of coming out after to sign autographs and give one-on-one time with anybody that wanted to approach him. With how personal Malinowski’s lyrics are, they resonate with their fans in a way that many artists’ don’t.

“The last two records, they were very personal. Bright Lights and Bruises dealt with the breakup of a band, and in my personal life as well. Light The Horizon is about a band coming back together and reclaiming something. We are really giving something of ourselves in that, and it translates. The really great thing about being in Bedouin is, we do have people that come from all over. We have some really great fans. We feel really lucky to have that connection to someone’s life. That is why you start making music, you have something you feel and maybe someone else can relate to it, and it helps them get through things. I feel really honoured and blessed to get to talk to those people. The solo record was deeply personal to me, and I was playing personal settings and I could go out and talk to people and they could actually talk to you.”

The Bedouin Soundclash that will be playing Alberta later this month is one that is refreshed, renewed, raw, and ready to give those in attendance an unforgettable evening.

“We are back down to a three piece - last time we toured we had a horn section. We really wanted to strip it down and take it back to where we were before. With Sekou drumming, it really is the best line-up we have ever had - he plays amazingly well. It is how we envisioned Bedouin when Eon and I first started it back in 2000. We are more comfortable and laid back. It is a great show.”