Whip cream, whips and chains, plum sauce. We all have our vices, but for Hey Rosetta! they are a tad strange, especially when they head on tour.
“Attaching images to music, I kind of get off on that,” admits Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker. “I think it’s really awesome.”
It could be the many months of travelling that gets to a guy’s head, making him come up with crazy thoughts. With all different sights to see, parties to attend and lots of music, touring doesn’t seem too bad, except for the rigorous schedule.
“You don’t get to sleep that much, you don’t get to eat that well,” laments Baker.
The group is part of the wave of eastern bands that are invading the west. Hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland, these guys don’t fall short on patriotism. With all the government money and programs to support artists, who would choose to live anywhere else?
“Canada is definitely a way better place to be in a band, start a band, grow a band,” Baker says. “Newfoundland is probably the best place of all.”
Instead of seeing different pockets or scenes in cities or territories they just see themselves as east-coasters travelling the country playing music.
“We’re definitely not part of any sort of scene,” Baker says. “[The band] evolved in a basement and started playing.”
After they finish their Canadian tour in December, the band’s off to Australia and when they return they get some downtime. Their idea of downtime is different than most.
“[We plan to] move towards the next record, maybe some yoga or something and baking,” Baker says.
Even while being on the road, the band has stayed up on their current events and voted. They are big fans of U.S. president-elect Barack Obama, but aren’t about to jump on the bandwagon of actors and musicians endorsing politics.
“If you’re sure enough of the issues, it’s okay to endorse politics,” Baker says. “I never really felt sure enough of all the issues and the goings on. . . although I actually think I did publicly endorse anyone but the Conservative Party.”
The politics of music has changed over the decades with the introduction of the Internet, illegal downloading, MySpace and Facebook. There are benefits and drawbacks of these, but Baker likes to look at the glass as half full.
“In a lot of ways, it’s harder to make a living, certainly,” he says. “[To] reach more people sort of instantly, worldwide, is a cool thing and a benefit ultimately for the touring musician. . . The focus on live music is ultimately a good thing too for music.”