It is hard to define Nine Mile. Blending gritty country, anthemic rock, with inflections of soul and a reggae sensibility it’s a unique musical experience. Nine Mile plays The Gateway at SAIT on September 24th, and GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine caught up with frontman D’Ari Pouyat over the phone in Thunder Bay to discuss the Canadian music industry, international success, and their new album Country Porno Electric Fireplace.
GC: Let’s start with an easy one. Describe Nine Mile in your own words.
D'Ari: That is a tricky one for first question of the day! Nine Mile has been my life for a decade. Musically it seems to be more of a collection of material and a bunch of songs that we present in a variety of different ways. We can tour it as a duo, I do solo shows, we have an up to seven-piece band. Nine Mile is an excuse to make music with all my best friends and make a living at it at the same time.
GC: Country Porno Electric Fireplace certainly jumps out and catches your attention. How did you come up with that name for the new album.
D'Ari: Surprisingly you are the first person to ask me that in an interview, I think everybody too shy. The Country Porno Electric Fireplace is a thing. I bought a farmhouse out in the country last year and we stumbled upon what we call a country porno electric fireplace in some little used furniture and antique shop. It is literally the gaudiest thing. It's not even an electric fireplace that has a purpose; it doesn't warm the room or anything. It is this crazy fireplace mantel that has a hidden trap door with a mini bar, record player and eight track player. It is in the loft of the farmhouse that we call the porn loft because it just looks like that is what it is. On a slightly deeper level I have always had this fascination with electric fireplaces because I feel like they are redundant. Humanity is trying to make something better with technology that is already perfect. Creating an electric fire to me is a strange thing. That was something that I held close to me throughout the making of record, I didn't want to reinvent the wheel musically but I did want to stand out. It was a reminder in the back of my mind to not try to use technology to make the musical easier or more disposable.
GC: You have a very unique sound that isn't very mainstream but very catchy. How difficult is it to promote your music in Canada without being mainstream.
D'Ari: The music would be mainstream if it weren't as eclectic as it is. The issue is that unfortunately in the music business, the industry loves categorizing what gets put out there and they try and streamline you. What radio station are we going to send your music to, what team are we going to get to work with you, who are we going to put you on the road with? I don't know of any music fan that listens that way, that only listens to alternative rock or country or reggae. Most people who love music love real, gritty honest music, the music that takes them to a different place. When I make music I have the same approach, I love everything and from song to song certain energy works. One of the reviewers of the record described it as "Jamericana" and that is a catchy little buzzword I suppose. But it is honest music and our truth. If you look at the band members iPods we go from
System of a Down to
Cat Stevens back to back. That comes out in the music a bit. Who knows if that will help us or hurt us? I think here it will make things difficult but it also might be the edge that allows us to stand up and break through if we are so fortunate. It might be what makes it cross over between different groups of music fans.
GC: Looking at your tour dates you are playing cities like Grande Prairie and Whitecourt as well as cities like Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto. Why do you travel to these out of the way places?
D'Ari: It started by accident. We had a friend move out to Fort St. John, BC to run a restaurant bar. He is a music fanatic and it was during a boom time so there was money. He started bringing in his friends and bands from Kitchener-Waterloo that he wanted up there. So the first time we ended up there randomly in the middle of a tour and fell in love with the energy there. When you walk into an environment you can feel like something is starting. We go into places like that now after playing them for five years, and it is crazy. Those communities are typically ignored. Through the global economic crisis we kept going out there and the money goes up and down but there is a spirit to those people. Maybe it is because people pass them by or because they need a release besides just drinking. We have made a lot of friends in those towns, there are a lot of fantastic musicians in those towns and the shows are great. Who knew that a Jamaican kid and his band of misfits would have a career in a place like that? We roll through there and it is always fantastic. We love it, out of all the dates on the tour those are the ones where the shows feel most like family. It is just a habit for us now.
GC: Generation Gap features Xavier Rudd (who was interviewed for the July 2009 issue). How has he influenced you?
D'Ari: Xav's influenced me in being a close friend. We have been playing music together for six years. He borrowed my van; his manager called me out of the blue and asked if I could drive my van to Philadelphia to lend to him. I was like, dude I am not driving to Philadelphia unless you give me a set or something, make the drive worthwhile. The manager threw us on the show and myself and Dave Tolley, our drummer, the two of us jumped on the road. It was a serious connection musically and friend wise and I ended up staying on the road with them as they drove my van, and the tour ended at Bonnaroo. By the time we got there it wasn't a case of if we were going to tour but when. We booked a 6-week North American tour, which lead to an Australian tour, and Xav asked Dave to go on the road with him. We took a Nine Mile break and Tolley went on the road with Xavier for three years. The whole time we have remained good friends. The reason that he ended up on the record is we ended up in Banff playing the same town on the same night. They came to the show after theirs. I remember watching Xavier Rudd dancing around in the crowd like a crazy six year old. That tune he connected with, and when it was time to put it together, it felt like something was missing. He got the call and I think made it better.
GC: There are a number of Canadian artists that have had a great deal of success at home and overseas. How do you find international fans react to you compared to North America.
D'Ari: We spent more time focusing on our international fan base initially because that is what came together, it was effortless. I got a present about seven years ago from my Mom, she gave me a bunch of air miles to go to Australia and take some time off. She thought I was touring too much and going too crazy. So of course the first thing I did was call around and try to get some shows. If I am getting a free trip to Australia whether Mom likes it or not I am going to play some shows. I made a call right time, right place and landed a 28 date tour with
The Beautiful Girls because their opener had backed out. Jack Johnson recommended I call this band and I called them the day their spot opened up. My vacation turned into a 28-day tour, which turned into meeting Xavier and a bigger tour, which lead to being signed in Australia and Japan and the international market was the focal point. We haven't put a record out in Canada since 2004, everything has been international. Now I feel like I am starting over a bit here as we have tour and venue relationships but we have spent time focusing on overseas and now have to go back to square one and build things up here. We have a much bigger team than we would have seven years ago. The fans in Australia have less distraction and shittier TV so at night they are more into going out and seeking out culture. I have found more enthusiasm for music at the shows there. Our relationship with music in North America has changed so much and I think there will be a renaissance. Right now there is so much media and distraction and new technology that music has dropped down a few rungs. Kids aren't lining up for three days to get their hands on a record anymore. But night in and night out we still have amazing shows with really positive audiences. With Australia, there seemed to be more energy at the shows.
GC: You are playing the Gateway on September 24th. What can we expect from Nine Mile?
D'Ari: If last night was any indication you can expect the dirtiest, most musical and honest set that we have ever played. We have only been on the road for five days and this is the best band I have ever been on the road with, every night is getting better. I imagine by the time we get to Calgary we will have a pretty good van stink on, because it is a big drive that day. There may be an odor coming from the stage but that will be overshadowed by the intensity on stage.
