Barenaked Ladies move on, but not without one final jab

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This article was published 22/04/2010 (5621 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The song certainly isn’t as nasty as How Do You Sleep? — John Lennon’s infamously vituperative swipe at Paul McCartney following the Beatles’ breakup.

But with You Run Away, a pop-rock single from the Barenaked Ladies’ new album, All in Good Time, singer/guitarist Ed Robertson definitely prods former bandmate Steven Page.

Perhaps because he is Canadian, Robertson’s rebuke is fairly polite: "I tried to be your brother/You cried and ran for cover," he sings. Page, meanwhile, is said to be less than thrilled by the tune, reportedly tweeting to fans: "I wish them lots of success, but it sucks being a target."

Robertson, interviewed from Toronto, said You Run Away is intended to have universal meaning. But he acknowledges the song was inspired by Page’s departure in 2009, which followed a well-publicized drug bust the previous year.

"It’s not only about Steve, but it certainly draws hugely from that relationship," Robertson said. "It’s about accepting disappointment and trying to move forward from that. It was a very emotional and very cathartic thing to write."

The Barenaked Ladies now find themselves at a crossroads in their 22-year journey. The big question: Can the remaining Ladies continue the Barenaked legacy without Steven Page?

The Barenaked Ladies are one of Canada’s most successful pop acts. It was Robertson and Page who launched the endeavour as a jokey duo in 1988. In 1991, as a full band, they independently released Yellow Tape. The cheaply recorded cassette was an unexpected hit, selling 100,000 copies, thanks to quirky, clever songs such as If I Had $1,000,000 and Be My Yoko Ono. (Both songs also appeared on the band’s 1992 breakthrough album, Gordon.)

Subsequent albums such as Rock Spectacle, Stunt and Maroon enjoyed multi-platinum sales in the U.S.

Robertson and Page, two high school pals from Toronto, were unquestionably the creative force, writing the bulk of the songs and energetically fronting the band. Their onstage banter — often resembling an absurdist comedy routine — was a key element in the success of the live shows.

Robertson acknowledged the leftover Ladies (including bassist Jim Creeggan, keyboardist Kevin Hearn and drummer Tyler Stewart) were daunted initially by the prospect of continuing without Page. The transition was difficult, he said. The quartet even pondered, briefly, whether to continue.

"(Then) we said, yeah, we love this. We are proud of it. And we want to take the next step. We want to make another chapter," Robertson said. "We realized, ‘We’re a band. We’ve been playing together for 20 years. This is second nature for us.’ It was like, f , it’s good to be in a rock band!"

At the time of Page’s departure, official statements suggested the breakup was not acrimonious. Today, Robertson said he feels no ill will, but it doesn’t sound as if the pair will be exchanging Christmas cards any time soon.

"Steve and I barely communicate anymore," Robertson said. "I sent him a bunch of emails and we talked a few times on the phone. But it’s difficult, you know? We’re in really different places now."

In conversation, Robertson is forthright when fielding questions about Page’s departure, although he acknowledges it "would have been the elephant in the room" a year ago.

"It’s different now that Steve’s not here. But it’s great. It’s an energy shift. We have all kind of opened up and there’s more room to breathe. The show has taken on a different energy, entirely."

He added: "I think people are excited to see what the new configuration is like… I know they won’t be disappointed."

 

— Canwest News Service