Steven Page talks about Greenway Jam, pandemic crowds and performing live from the kitchen

Steven Page has had a decades-long career in Canadian music and is known for his witty and humorous songwriting.

Page was a founding member and lead vocalist of the multi-award winning Barenaked Ladies, which was formed over three decades ago. He left the band in 2009 to pursue other opportunities.

Saturday night he will perform at Greenway Jam in Kingsville, Ontario. The event is presented by the Kingsville Music Society, organizers of the popular Kingsville Folk Music Festival. Greenway Jam headliners will also feature East Coast fiddler-vocalist Ashley MacIsaac and Ottawa-born musician Kathleen Edwards.

Page was born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough and is inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame with the Barenaked Ladies. His official website lists his tour dates, beginning Saturday in Kingsville and continuing through March, across North America and parts of Europe.

On Thursday, Page spoke to CBC Windsor Morning‘s Nav Nanwa on his performance at Greenway Jam, his new album and what he thinks is a good song.

• LISTEN | Steven Page talks about his plans to perform in Kingsville, Ontario:

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length:

Q: You are coming to Kingsville. How do you feel about this?

A: I can not wait to be there. I love summer festivals. Yes, I know it’s officially not a folk festival anymore. But for me, something like that is a folk festival. They are the best. It’s an important part of a Canadian summer.

Q: It definitely is. And this particular festival feels like the community they’ve created.

A: Yeah, and there are some great artists playing too, so it’s going to be a really fun time. One of the fun aspects of these types of events is also that you can take part in workshops in the afternoon. So it’s not just about showing up and doing your gig. You kind of have to engage with other artists and with the audience. And I love this stuff. So it’s a really fun and unique part of the experience.

Q: What do you like about playing in this field?

A: I think people are still some of the best audiences in that part of the province. I’ve done some pretty wild and memorable outdoor shows in the Southwest, and I’ve done intense and fun intimate shows as well. Then some people who want to cross the border are also swinging. So it’s a nice combination of people.

Q: This sounds like one of the most normal – if that’s even a word – summers we’ve had in live music. How does it feel to be in front of crowds again?

A: It’s incredible. Everyone in the world is on the road right now. It’s a weird time to play because people are spoiled for choice, but it’s also a mix of excitement. People are excited to get out and see shows again that have a mix of caution and a bit of paranoia. So it’s one of the weirdest experiences, at least for me. I have seen it everywhere I go.

I can’t tell what tonight is [Greenway Jam] the show is going to be whether it’s packed like some shows or empty like other shows. It’s really unpredictable right now.

Q: How do you balance these emotions?

A: I played at someone’s birthday party last week. It was actually almost their 43rd as it was postponed multiple times due to the pandemic. And it’s one of those things where you might walk in there and think, “Oh, I’m playing birthday parties,” and you might walk in and just think, “This is hell.” But I looked around at my friends I was playing with and thought, “This is the best thing. I can do this for a job. Still.”

It’s been my job for 30 years. And it’s great because people come and they want to sing and dance and see their friends and do shows. And what you do is how they’re going to spend their evening. And I think that’s just the best, whether it’s five people or 5,000. And I’m at a place now where I enjoy every show equally.

Q: We also understand that you have a new album coming out soon. What can you tell us?

A: I have an album coming out in September called Excellency. I think you’ll see it with most artists releasing records now or in the near future – the experience of making a record in lockdown, or in a way that they’re not used to.

I wrote all the songs myself. I probably play 90% of the instruments on the record. That way it’s scary to put it out into the world, I can’t hide behind someone else’s stuff. But I’m really proud of what it is.

Being a pandemic record, it’s not really a pandemic record. It certainly reflects some of the experiences that I’ve had and that a lot of people have had. Whether it’s being too online or seeking sustenance from things like spirituality or science, I think of how we’ve all watched these amazing images from deep space and walked out of ourselves- same that way too. So the disc explores all that.

Q: I feel like we’re now seeing a lot of the fruits of the labors of the last two years of the pandemic when it comes to a lot of the music coming out. And Steven, I’m curious, how did you stay inspired during that time?

A: The best thing for me was that I had done so many live streams. It all started and people were doing things like “live from my kitchen” on Instagram. I thought, “Oh, great. Now the last thing we get paid for is free too.” So I thought, “That sucks, and I’m not going to do that.” But then, at the end of April 2020, I thought, “Oh, I’ll give it a try.”

And then that summer, there were concerts on Zoom and artists charging eight bucks or something to come see it. So I thought, “I’ll try that too.” I tried it, and it was awesome. Not only could they see me in my space, but I could see them and they could see each other. And you’d have a thousand people from all over the world in their kitchens, or backyards, or basements, or whatever they’re doing or driving in their car. And that created this incredible sense of community.

I do, so far, 91 of these shows live from my home. I always do them when I’m home, and that’s been the biggest lifesaver for me, and I think for a lot of people in this community. It inspired me because it gave me something, I would do it every Saturday. It gave me something to mark my calendar. So I didn’t end up drowning in timelessness. It was a great help to me. But it didn’t help me finish my record. I was so focused on those shows that I just finished this album after all this time.

Q: You are recognized as one of the great songwriters in Canadian music. In your opinion, Steven, what makes a good song?

A: To me, a good song, like any work of art, whether it’s a movie, a book, or whatever, makes you see something a way you hadn’t seen it, or made you think, where you’re going, “Oh, that’s how I always felt about it, but I never thought to phrase it that way or to use those words to describe it.”

There has to be that element of surprise in how it’s presented to the listener, because that’s what I think has an emotional impact. This is the most important thing. An emotional impact doesn’t have to be tears. It can be the laughter or the sense of that connection to the song itself. What I like about songs is that usually the ones I write are three to four minutes long. In my mind, I’m trying to pack an entire novel, or at least a chapter of it, into those three and a half minutes.

Q: You obviously have a fairly comprehensive catalog. We want to end this interview by playing one of your songs. Is there one in particular that you prefer?

A: I would say… well, do you want to play an oldie or something to play at the Greenway Jam? Why don’t you stop”Brian Wilson“?

Q: Oh, amazing. Yes, it’s a classic. And, hey, if you’re going to play it on Saturday at the Greenway Jam, what better way to promote the show itself?

A: So.