Should the Besnard Lakes take the cake?

kristin.kent - September 6th, 2010

Artist: The Besnard Lakes

Album: The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

From: Montréal, QC

Should the Montreal-based The Besnard Lakes take the prize for best Canadian album this year? I caught up with band member Jace Lasek to talk Polaris Music Prize:

Kristin Kent: Congrats on being nominated, how does it feel?

Jace Lasek: Oh it feels awesome, twice now I can’t believe it. People like us, I thought they would have completely forgotten about us, but I guess not.

JL:  What do you think of the short list this year?

BL: I actually haven’t heard much of it, I’m really stoked that The Sadies made it on, they’ve been making consistently awesome records for many years now so it’s great. We also just went up to the North West Territories for the National Parks Project with Shad so I got to meet him. I haven’t heard his record yet but he’s a rad dude, so I want him to win too. Ha-ha.

KK: Very Canadian of you! Ha-ha.

JL:  Thank you.

KK: Other than yourself you’d root for the Sadies or Shad?

JL: I guess so, I mean the thing is I haven’t really heard any of the stuff cause I’m just like always in the studio working or on the road so I don’t get the chance to hear anything. It’s hard for me to say.

KK: What do you think of the critics’ complaints that artists who’ve won in previous years shouldn’t be able to win again?

JL:  Ha-ha. Well I would think they were full of shit! I don’t know, if the Polaris Prize is what I think it is, it’s a recognition of a great record that was made in Canada or that specific year and if that’s the criteria for it then I don’t think people should be excluded from it. You know people think a band has made a really great record but they’ve already one so their not allowed again, I don’t know if that really fits what the Polaris Prize is all about. I think if you make a good record, you make a good record and if you keep making good records then good on you. Then you deserve the money I guess, I don’t know.

KK: How does being on the short list benefit your career?

JL:  I think it does, even now what’s happening when people mention the record  they’ll say, nominated for the Polaris Prize and it happened last time with Dark Horse as well. Once it starts getting mentioned in articles, it starts to sort of become this catch phrase and people kind of perk up when they hear that. I really think it helps a lot

KK: Was anyone left out?

JL:  Yes! Silver Mt Zion. I think my wife Oggie would probably say the same as well

KK: Speaking of the money what would you do with the 20,000 prize?

JL:  Well we’d split it up with the band four ways and maybe Oggie and I would go to Greece where her parents are from. She keeps harping on me to go on a vacation with so maybe we’d finally go up there. Go on a vacation, like winning wheel of fortune!

KK: Don’t be modest, why should The Besnard Lakes take the prize for the best Canadian album?

JL:  Uh, cause we’ve never won it before, Ha-ha.