Seattlest Interview: Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene

So then in the Presents series, is Justin next?

Well, Justin’s been doing a lot of recording, and he’s been talking a lot about it. I can’t say whether that’s going to come to fruition this year, or whether what he does will be part of the next Broken Social Scene record instead. It’s good that everyone’s got the creative juices going; it keeps everyone on their toes. No one wants to get caught slacking.

You played a bunch of the big festivals last year. Which of those would you say is your favorite?

We started off the year in Australia and New Zealand. We played the Laneway Festival, which is kind of a travelling circus, with Feist, Stars—so a lot of our crew—and also Okkervil River and the Cool Kids. Lollapalooza was really fun, and we did a club show that night too, which turned into quite a long day, but a really fun long day.

We did a lot of folk festivals last year too, like a lot of Canadian folk festivals. Oh yeah, we did Bonnaroo as well. That was our first time down there, so after all the talk we’ve heard about Bonnaroo over the years, to go down there was great.... As long as you’re outside and the sun's shining, any festival is going to be fun. It’s a different mode you go into. It’s not like a club show, where you’re so dramatic about making everything go smoothly. You just sort of get up there and do your thing. It’s more of a party.

Outside Lands [in San Francisco] was maybe the highlight, that was really a good one. We were on right before Wilco, and they were great, as always. We got to hang out and watch music and eat good food. Food is always going to dictate if I’m going to have a good time. If I’m fed well, then I’m okay.

So how has this year been treating you so far, since we’re now a month into it?

It’s been a pretty quiet year. We threw a New Year’s Eve party at a nightclub in Toronto. We didn’t play, just dj'ed, which was interesting and different and kind of an adventure. And then, aside from that, I've been shoveling snow, hanging out with my gal and my pooch, watching lots of good movies. A couple nights ago, we watched a slightly morose tale: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days. It’s a little bleak, a heavy film for sure. Man on Wire was really good, and My Kid Could Paint That, and the New York PBS series. We rented that, it’s seven discs, and it felt like work, like, "Oh my god, more New York." Doing lots of that, a little playing. No real resolutions for 2009, just keeping the house tidier, having more fun, and continuing to do good in the new year.