When life gives Jeremy Fisher lemons, he makes a pop album.
Fisher will be playing at the Dream Cafe in Penticton on Oct. 31, the final stop on the tour of The Lemon Squeeze, an album that marks a genre shift for the singer/songwriter.
“It’s my sixth album and I just felt like I needed a change to have a reason to write another one,” Fisher said.
While it is a change up of sorts, Fisher said he has always walked the line between pop and folk music, and that keeping things fresh usually revolves around trying out different sounds. However, he’s not ready to leave his folk background behind just yet.
“I’ve changed a little bit on each record, each one is little different from the last. I kind of swing between folk and pop, this is my most poppy one, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the next one is a folk record,” Fisher said.
The two genres may sound wildly different, depending on who’s playing them, but for Fisher the similarities outweigh the differences.
“They’re different on the production end for sure,” said Fisher. “It’s all kind of the same to me. A song is a song.”
Musicians aren’t generally boastful about their lack of skill, but in this instance Fisher drew on it to shape the sound of the album.
“I think it was my limitations on the piano, which is not my main instrument, that kind of opened me up to making a more poppy record,” Fisher said.
He confesses that he isn’t able to do anything too elaborate or rhythmic on the piano, resulting in the simply structured songs on the album. This ended up leaving room for the drums and bass to become a bigger parts of the songs, instruments Fisher hasn’t had the chance to feature prominently on his past projects.
The release of the albums first single, Uh-Oh, featuring fellow Canadian songwriter Serena Ryder, has seen instant success, entering the top three of CBC Radio 2’s Top 20 Chart and debuting at number two on the iTunes Canada Singer/Songwriter chart.
The collaboration was an easy one to put together for Fisher, taking place mostly through emails from Los Angeles to New York.
“I’ve known her (Ryder) for years and I had that song almost done and I envisioned those big harmonies on the track,” Fisher said.
The two were never in a studio together, but through the magic of modern music making they were able to put together what turned out to be a hit song.
“She said she loved it and would love to collaborate. We never even spent time in the same room,” said Fisher. “It all happened quickly. It was great, she’s such a pro. Everything she touches is gold.”
The Western Canadian leg of the tour is wrapping up for Fisher, who will be performing a few solo shows including his performance at the Dream Cafe in Penticton.
He’s grateful to have a band that can roll with the punches, noting that playing a variety of venues is typical a typical part of touring Canada.
“It’s a very dynamic band. We’ve played some small rooms. I think last night we played to about 75 people in a cafe in Canmore,” Fisher said.
The band has stopped in on a variety of venues over the last few months from a club in Toronto to a 500-seat theatre in Edmonton.
Each show offers a different experience, for both himself and the audience, said Fisher. When playing intimate rooms, he finds he will open up more and engage with the audience as opposed to larger, stadium-type performances.
“If I’m playing in a bigger venue I just kind of hammer on a guitar and pretend I’m playing to 10,000 people,” Fisher said.
While changing up the act to fit every venue might sound exhausting, Fisher said it’s a trademark of the Canadian music scene.
“I really appreciate the variation in the venues. Canada is unique in that way where if you want to do an extensive tour you just have to go in to the smaller rooms,” Fisher said.
Tickets are $20, available through the Dream Café, either by phone at 250-490-9012 or contact by email at admin@thedreamcafe.ca
