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You sang a song on the cruise called "Monster's Anonymous." Where can I get this song? It was wonderful.
Asked by Deanna and answered by Kevin on Saturday, March 29
ha .. thanks.. it will be on the my new thinbuckle record.. in the works..kev



Hey Kevin--thanks for playing Tomorrow Never Knows on the cruise. That was cool. I'm curious why you changed the key? Steve
Asked by Steve in NC and answered by Kevin on Saturday, March 29
thanks.. did i change it? We just played it where it felt right for my voice.. what a great song..



Kevin- I am so looking forward to Thinbuckle concerts on the cruise-- I LOVe your version of WarPigs my favorite of all remains Vanishing. it speaks to me. Was there a catalyst for your writing the song? See you soon! Will be missing the scrabble.
Asked by Cynthia and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, January 8
thankyou.. see you on the cruise



Hey Kevin, hope you're well. Not long now 'til the cruise! Am flying over from the UK on the 24th - Can't wait! Is it possible to put in an early request for 'Anna, Anastacia'? :) Many thanks, -Hen
Asked by Henry and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, January 8
Hi hen.. thanks for the request will rehearse it.. safe journeys..



Hey Tyler, I just got the "Talk to the Hand" DVD (It's great, by the way). So, what's up with the capri pants? Comfort? Drummer's secret? Or getting in touch with your feminine side?
Asked by Christina H. from Pa and answered by Tyler on Wednesday, November 28
My calves are so HOT!!!!!!



quick question - your site says you'll be at the drake oct 18, but the drake's website has no info about this. are you still playing there then? i was trying to get info about the show but can't find anything. thanks!
Asked by thin buckle fan and answered by Kevin on Saturday, October 13
yes I am oct 18th at the drake....we'll go on at 10 hope you can make it ! kev



Two weeks from tonight, you just might have a handful of Jazz Odysseyans in the crowd, celebrating our belated third anniversary. We'll try not to get beligerent. :D We're looking forward to the shows!
Asked by Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Saturday, October 6
right on!! kev



Hey Kev... I was at the show in Hamilton on the 12th. It was awesome. And thanks for signing the CD for me after the show. I hope to see you playing again soon. :)
Asked by Kyle and answered by Kevin on Thursday, August 16
thanks very much.. glad you came out and had a good time. k



Hi Kevin - This is not a question, but I just wanted to tell you that I saw you at Festival of Friends and thought the show was great! It was my first Thin Buckle experience and it definitely wont be my last. I also caught your workshop set and, despite the rain, thoroughly enjoyed it. I really admire and respect you as a musician and songwriter, and you are a source of inspiration to me (being a singer/songwriter myself). Gonna try to catch your gig at the Drake in October. I'd love to have you to sign a CD for me sometime...maybe there?? Anyways, thanks for the music, and sorry for the novel... Robin
Asked by Robin Peacocke and answered by Kevin on Thursday, August 16
thakyou. glad you enjoyed it... the drake will be fun..



See you Sunday :D
Asked by Jazz Odyssey, Ohio and Michigan Chapters and answered by Kevin on Saturday, August 11
glad you are making the journey .. see you there. any requests...I can't promise as we/v e no more rehearsals...



Hey Kevin! I tried finding H-Wing on the Nettwerk store (where I got the BLA* albums) and I didn't have much luck. I searched for 'Hearn' in a search box, but when I clicked on the result it said it couldn't find the page. I found it on itunes, but I'd prefer to to get it from nettwerk. What's the go?
Asked by Royce and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, July 25
you can get it straight from me as well at kevinhearn.com. thanks ,kev



"Another Sprin" is one of my favorite tracks from Are Men. How much of the lyrics are actually true events? "Wandering in Alaska" etc..
Asked by Peter and answered by Kevin on Friday, June 22
it was actually nebraska! Ha. thanks.. the rest is true!



Does anyone answers questions besides you in the band?!?
Asked by Rose and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, May 15
why don't you ask them? kev



Hey Kev, other than music, how did you cope with everything with your treatments. Music definitely heals, but right now I'm craving variety and I don't know what to do to keep my mind off of everything. Can you give me some ideas?
Asked by Lindz and answered by Kevin on Sunday, May 6
art galleries, watch a funny movie with a friend, try a new recipe, take a nature hike ir sit in the shade in a park? draw, write, meditate? read a book? there are quite a few books written by cancer survivors that might give you some ideas or food for thought.. best wishes, kevin.



Hi Kevin, I miss you. Have you ever replaced me?
Asked by Hugo and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, April 24
ha ha.. where are you hugo?



Asked by Mike and answered by Kevin on Friday, April 20 boothbys' set is on the recording of all of our UK shows . .. kev Actually, I'm very sad to say... It isn't... At least not on any regular bnl audio site...
Asked by Gerard van der Waal and answered by Kevin on Saturday, April 21
sorry.. i guess i was wrong on that one.. it is only on the usb sticks of the live shows...



Hey Kev, during your tour of the UK did you record Boothby Graffoe's support set? I bought his CD after your last tour as I thought he was great but some of the songs he (and yourself, Jim & Ed) performed aren't on the album and I'd love to get hold of them somehow (Dr Jeckyl & Mr Hyde etc). Any ideas? I was secretly hoping for his set to appear on your recording of the shows but I realise that was a long shot. Cheers, can't wait til you come back. Mike
Asked by Mike and answered by Kevin on Friday, April 20
boothbys' set is on the recording of all of our UK shows . .. kev



Hey Kevin, how was Bob Dylan?
Asked by Anna and answered by Kevin on Monday, April 16
i didn't go.. i decided to go see the david lynch retrospective exhibition instead...(paris) and it was fantastic!



Steve, did you invent the internet? I'm asking cause that's what it sounds like you're saying and I just wanted to make sure you knew Al Gore invented the internet.
Asked by Connie and answered by Steve on Sunday, April 8
I didn't invent it. I am it.



Who is the president of Britain? No one. Tony Blair is the Prime Minister...NOW who has egg on their face?
Asked by Jackie and answered by Steve on Wednesday, March 28
Um... I think that's the joke, Jackie. Thanks for coming out.



Hi Kev, do you know if your show in Montreal was taped? That was the best sounding version of Million Dollars I've ever heard! Your Dad's awesome.
Asked by L. Lime and answered by Kevin on Monday, March 19
ha ha ... he cranked the accordion! k



Hi Kevin! Any chance Thin Buckle will be touring soon? Like say the last 2 weeks of July and the first week of August? I have holidays then and the Jazz Odyssey gang is desperate to take in a show together!
Asked by Jessica@Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Sunday, March 18
I am working on it! k



Hi Kevin :) We just wanted to thank you for the lovely note. We're very glad to know you received the card - hopefully in time for taxes! We are looking forward to seeing you with BNL in Detroit this June. Five JO members will be in the audience, albeit quite far from the stage! You may still hear us screaming. :D Have a great Spring!
Asked by Triena @ Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Sunday, March 18
you too, and thanks again. k



The idea that the Rheostatics' Massey Hall show will be their "farewell" show is pretty bittersweet... there will be even more bitter than sweet without you sitting in... so, is there any chance that BNL will furlough you from a couple of UK shows so you can come back to Toronto? ;-P
Asked by joann and answered by Kevin on Sunday, March 18
I wish...very unfortunate timing... I'll be there in spirit.. " furlough" .. nice one.. k



After the lucky charms comment earlier today I thought of you when I saw this... Hope it brings a chuckle... http://www.comics.com/comics/cowandboy/archive/cowandboy-20070316.html
Asked by Deleva and answered by Kevin on Sunday, March 18
ha thanks



Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! You're Irish, so you don't have to wear green today. But it is a good color on you, so why not? :D
Asked by An Irish Lass and answered by Kevin on Saturday, March 17
all i need is me lucky charms!



hello, kevin. I'm a big fan of you. You're like one of my role models on the piano. I'm really good at the piano (I can play what I hear). do you play the piano by ear, too?
Asked by chase and answered by Kevin on Saturday, March 17
Thanks for the nice letter... yes I do.. k



Hi Kevin. I'm a piano student of about 5 years now, and just about to take grade 4. Is it worth continuing drudging through dreary practice exercises and national qualifications to be a decent pianist? Or can you wing it, if you have a good ear and know a lot of music theory (Like I do, as I play 3 other instruments as well). Chazz.
Asked by Chazz and answered by Kevin on Monday, March 12
i think it is worth continuing. it will help build up your technical ability. When you are improvising etc, your hands will be able to follow your head (and heart). i know they can be boring,but i still do scales to warm up before shows . It is a great way to just focus on timing and feel,like stretching before a race.. Around grade four is when I started to really find the music becoming more interesting, and inspiring. good luck..



"Donder maar op. Consider yourself told in Dutch". I love that you threw that into "Maybe Not", but could you shed some light on what was actually "told"? Or why you told it?
Asked by Jeff and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
Well, I had the last part of the line "Consider yourself told... In Dutch". So I called a pal who spoke the language, and asked how to say "Go F$%^ Yourself" or something similar using 4 syllables.



Guitar Hero has been announced for the Wii. Will you buy the XBox 360 or the Wii version? Or both?
Asked by Mark Brady and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
I hadn't heard that... cool! Perhaps both.



Ok, so Guitar Hero II seems to be the coolest video game I've ever seen. I've never had the chance to try it, but I've been lusting after it for months now. I figured I'd wait until the PS3 came out, so that I could get a good deal on the PS2. Well, in the meantime, out comes the Wii, and now I'm torn. I really love the user movement on the Wii, and I think there's a lot more games that I'd want to play. But there are no concrete plans for GH2 to be released for the Wii, just rumors. Getting both systems isn't really an option, at least not if I plan on cruising again. So which one should I get?
Asked by DaWezl and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
Tough call. There are LOADS of amazing PS2 games to choose from... But the Wii is tons of fun too. It depends what you're looking for. The Wii may be a bit more of a commitment to videogames. The PS2 is a solid choice, but it's old tech now. COUGH get both COUGH and come on the cruise COUGH COUGH



Ed, Being the gamer you are, if you could buy ONE system out now, Wii, xbox 360, or PS3, which system would it be? Thanks
Asked by Doug in NH and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
XBOX 360. That said, I'm playing more Wii right now. I love all videogames, so it would be sad for me to have to choose. Sony will have a killer app for PS3, but it's not here yet. If I HAD to choose it would be the 360. XBOX LIVE, achievements, Halo... it's all there!



I know you dig the Guitar Hero series... I was wondering if you ever considered approaching the RedOctane guys about including a BNL track. It wouldn't be the first time you guys have been in a video game. I'd love to rock out to some BNL guitar hero!
Asked by Brad and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
I've been bugging them for ages... my fingers are crossed for the XBOX 360 version. We'll see.



Hi Ed, I am a big fan of Half a Heart and have been listening to it a lot since it was mentioned at the Songwriting Panel on the cruise. You mentioned that you now enjoy playing it and don't mind talking about it, so I was wondering if you would mind telling a bit about how it came to be and why it has a special meaning to you. Many thanks.
Asked by D and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
Sometimes it's liberating to own our failures. I wasn't there yet when I wrote this song. I was still in the middle of it all. On the other side now, I can appreciate where I was then. Good times London... Good Times!



Just listening to the live version of 'Aluminum' in the car and wondering how you could possibly have left out that extra verse on E2E? It's the best one of the bunch!
Asked by Mary and answered by Ed on Tuesday, March 6
I think we may have missed that track altogether. There are a good number of people who believe the demo is better than the final version... I might agree.



Hey Kevin, Any chance? :P Can't wait for the uk tour!
Asked by Sean from Coventry and answered by Kevin on Monday, February 26
looks like it might be happening !!!!!! hooray !!!! not a done deal yet but it is very possible! kev fingers crossed etc.



Is this just serendipity? CAKE is releasing an exclusive "War Pigs" live bonus track with special guest Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips. You played War Pigs during the Lido Deck Jam Incident with Ed on drums and you also played Flaming Lips during the night. Bizarre coincidence? I think not!
Asked by Mark Brady and answered by Kevin on Friday, February 23
Flaming lips started playing war pigs after i gave wayne coyne a copy of our version.. bizarre coincedence? I winder..



After your Thursday night, er, Friday morning Lido Deck performance, I'll be shouting War Pigs instead of Freebird except I'll be meaning it!
Asked by Mark Brady and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, February 21
ok its a deal! k



Yelling 'Free bird!' during concerts: Funny or annoying?
Asked by Gerard van der Waal and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, February 21
funny the first time.... the 800th time? not so much



Well, what kind of sandwich did you have?? All that, and no payoff for us readers!
Asked by Lacey and answered by Steve on Monday, February 19
I told you - smoked meat. That's what they call it here in Montreal. Not dissimilar to pastrami.



Hi Steve, fantastic review! "Snowed-in Deli" was a nice double meaning; both the snow storm and the Snowdon Deli. Very subtle. I'm really looking forward to the concert in Montreal tonight. My brother and I are huge, huge fans (since 1992) and really regret not going on the cruise. I've met Tyler, Jim, Kevin, and Andy at their solo shows but have yet to meet you, the Big Machar. I really hope to, one day. Josh p.s: you'll appreciate this celebrity siting. Last week I went to the post office across from Schwartz's (a block from where I work)and an old man came up behind me to mail a letter. I noticed the beautiful purple calligraphy on the man's letter and then the return address caught my eye: Leonard Cohen. I turned around and he was standing right next to me. If I could have both you and Leonard Cohen over for a shabbas dinner at my Bubbie's house I'd be a very happy boy.
Asked by Josh and answered by Steve on Monday, February 19
On the Main, that's as good as it gets!! Enjoy the show tonight.



Is that a melodica you're using on Angry People, or a regular accordion?
Asked by BNLfan3 and answered by Kevin on Monday, February 19
melodica



Hi Kevin I am 13, and my family was on the Ships 'N' Dip. My dad and I are having a bit of an argument over the keyboard you play in Bank Job, and whether or not it is the same one you play in Easy. Can you please tell me what it is called (the keyboard), and what song you play it in? Thanx alot Tori
Asked by Tori and answered by Kevin on Monday, February 12
hi there , for bank job I play an access virus synthesizer. for Easy i play a clavinet. cheers, kev



"...the setlist was god...." Young Mr. Page, you have indeed reached the summit of band nirvana, your music is exalted, nay, divine and you must proclaim it to all the land. Shout, Mr. Page, from your diaphragm, shout, "THE SETLIST...WAS..GOD!" Oh. You meant gold? My bad.
Asked by Bean that is coming to see BNL in Glasgow! and answered by Steve on Monday, February 12
No, I meant god. Although designed by us, it became all-knowing and all-powerful and has caused us to wage war on other bands in its name. See you in Glasgow.



Hi, Just wondering if Barenaked Ladies are Men is going to be avaliable to purchase as a CD. Thanks!
Asked by Claire and answered by Steve on Monday, February 12
In fact, it just came out last week! Enjoy!



I see that Ty got songwriting credit on "Why Say Anything Nice", yet he constantly jokes about not being a songwriter. What part of the songwriting did he take part in for this song?
Asked by intrigued and answered by Steve on Friday, February 9
The title!



Where's my 5.1? I thought there was going to be a 5.1 mix of BLAM(en). I got really excited when you mentioned this was the first time you were actually preferred the 5.1 mixes to the stereo mixes.
Asked by Dan and answered by Steve on Tuesday, February 6
It came out in the US in December, and in Canada this week. Check Amazon.



Hey Steven-- Just watched the new video. Funny stuff! Since you guys haven't appeared in a video for a while, I was just wondering how you feel about making them. Might I suggest you use this guy in the next one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ3oHpup-pk Patiently awaiting news of the spring tour...except not so much the patient part, Courtnee
Asked by Courtnee with 2 "E"s and answered by Steve on Tuesday, February 6
amazing. It truly is just like a mini-mall.



Hey Kev, my friend tells me that there's this band called Bananarama. Do you think that's true?
Asked by Milt and answered by Kevin on Sunday, February 4
ha ha



Hey Kev, Was messing around with Garageband and recorded a cover of your 'Map of the Human Genome' - I hope you don't mind. If you'd like to take a listen
CLICK HERE
-James
Asked by jmusic_man@hotmail.com and answered by Kevin on Monday, January 29
james, wow. i love it! great voice on you. thanks for sharing..., kevin



Kevin, I just want to thank you again for coaxing "the guys" to play Careless Whisper, and Crazy/Fox on the Run the next day. it so totally rocked! I loved your sets, but the one on the Lido Deck when you sang War Pigs, was sensational. Thanks for all you do, and all you did and for being the wonderful person you are. I wish I could have been in the challenge round of scrabble, but second highest score in semi-finals is something to be proud of! Thanks again, Kevin. Cynthia
Asked by You ROCKED THE BOAT and answered by Kevin on Monday, January 22
thanks very much, glad you could make it.. k



Hey, Kevin. I just got home from Ships'N'Dip and I don't think I could've had a better time if I tried! One quick question for you: I've been playing guitar for a while now and I think I'd like to pick up a mandolin for the first time. Do you have any suggestions?
Asked by Casey G. and answered by Kevin on Monday, January 22
use both hands, don't drop it.. good luck. have fun.



Was Thin Buckle recorded for bootlegs from the cruise?
Asked by Anna and answered by Kevin on Monday, January 22
yes , both shows were recorded.. kev



Was TVP recorded for bootlegs from the cruise?
Asked by Anna and answered by Steve on Sunday, January 21
The second one, where I did my Lemmy impression, was. I haven't listened to it yet, but it will likely surface soon.



Hi Kevin :) There is a cover song on your MySpace site of Back Street Girl. Since I have dial up, I can't actually hear the song, but a friend says that it's not you singing. I asked Brian and he doesn't know either. Is it one of the songs you did with Boothby Graffoe? Thanks :) btw, we hope you received our email regarding Christmas. I mailed the printout just in case it didn't come through.
Asked by Trie @ Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Thursday, January 4
hi there Trie.. it is a song off of fernando saunders new solo album. You may know fenando as Lou Reed's long time bassist. The duet is between him and Marrianne Faithful. I am playing piano on it... hope this clears up any confusuin... cheers, kev



PSA: This is not a good luck for you, dawg:
Asked by Suzanne and answered by Steve on Wednesday, January 3
And best of luck to you, too, Daniel Webster!



With 2007 fast approaching, do you have any New Years Resolutions?
Asked by Trish from Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, December 27
i think the beard is about to go! kev



Hey, My friend just lost someone special to her and she's takin it very hard, he was a little 5 year boy who had a cancerous brain tumor and he passed away and I was wondering what should I do?? She's my best friend and all but she can get a little annoyin cause she gets all depressed and sad and we try to cheer her up and it doesn't all ways work. Do you know anythin that me and my friends can do to help her??
Asked by Danielle and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, December 27
hi danielle, If she is sad, let her be sad and work through this. Don't be annoyed if she doesn't "cheer up" right away. show her you care by just being there for her, perhaps offering to help out with things she needs to get done,or picking something up for her. maybe bring her a favorite treat or some flowers. Also, when I was in dark moments i always liked being around peaceful natural beauty. Take her for a walk by the water ,or through a nice park, or spend an afternoon in an art gallery. good luck and happy new year , kev



"check out more photo's from the BLAM Tour" photos. please change it because it bothers me. and while we're at it, how about a period after the sentence preceeding that one and capitalizing "check"? thanks. "Look, it drives me nuts, too. However, Tyler did that entry himself, and he's fond of adding apostrophes where they are unwarranted. And he doesn't take well to my critiques of his grammar. So, I figured it was best to just leave it be. Besides, he posts so rarely, I thought that any criticism might keep him away for good, and we don't want that to happen, do we?"
Asked by valerie and answered by Tyler on Thursday, December 7
thanks' S'teve. i really s'hould s'top bothering Valree. She's the reason I post to the blog in the first place. I know she love's me, deeply - but she cant get over how many mistake's i Make ev'ry day. i Keep tryin' and damn'nit she keeps shootin' me down n' stuff. don't hate a playah fo' his grammah. Valery Ill always. Love You xox Ty'



Have you heard the "new" album "Love" by some old British Group called The Beatles? What do you think? Do you think they have a future? I am STILL waiting for Amazon to deliver mine....
Asked by Rob and answered by Steve on Wednesday, December 6
Damned Amazon - I thought we had the market cornered on delivering pre-orders late!!



Steve, I was excited to read about your selection for CBC's Canada Reads (I'll be ordering the book online). I was just wondering if you and the guys have similar tastes in books. Do you ever read any "guilty pleasure" books?
Asked by Sue and answered by Steve on Wednesday, December 6
Sometimes we share books around the band. Ed just finished Jose Saramago's Blindness, which blew him away, so it's on my list. Unfortunately, my list is big. Guilty pleasures? Sure, anything about food or wine (cookbooks, MFK Fisher, biographies), and I do have Stephen King's latest sitting in my "guilty pleasures" pile - he's irresistible sometimes.



Hi Kevin. Looking forward to seeing you at Hammersmith. Lot of discussion on who the opening act will be. Votes are now in and of the entire UK population 79.3% want Boothby Graffoe. The remainder of which are busy ingesting polonium 210 in sushi bars won't make the gig and are decidedly indifferent. Cheers
Asked by thommo and answered by Kevin on Friday, December 1
i would love for Boothby to be on the bill.... please start a petition ...kev



How old were you when you began playing bass? Which did you start out on, the typical electric bass or the stand-up bass? You rock! I just began playing the electric bass. I was at the SLC show. You were playing so fast I thought your fingers where going to fall off. stewmac101@hotmail.com
Asked by Stewart McRae and answered by Jim on Saturday, November 25
I started playing the Stand-Up Bass when I was in Grade 5. I wanted to be like my older brother who was in the school orchestra program 2 years ahead of me. Being a tall kid, the Teacher figured I was a good candidate. I'll always be grateful to her for letting me try it out. The idea of being a bass player gave me a lot of confidence, and made me feel unique in my class. I used to carry my bass home after school a lot. I don't remember practicing it that much, but I remember feeling proud to be carrying my big instrument, and have people say " Are you sure you can handle that big guitar". I would confidently reassure them that I was in full control, and that it was in fact a bass. Remembering how finding my own identity was such a huge struggle at that age, and how the school music program gave me a boost, it makes me wonder how anyone can cut funding for school music programs. Thanks for the compliment Stewart. It's true, my fingers get away on me sometimes.



i am your doppelganger doing a fused spine dance in Cincinnati and you guessed my age correctly - 46. great show last night, please feel free to incorporate any of my moves in your next show. see your future Danny.
Asked by doppelganger bob and answered by Steve on Tuesday, November 21
Thanks, Danny. You are a doppelganger, I, a soothsayer. Nice to see you out there, in a freakishly 2001: A Space Odyssey kind of way.



Hi Kevin. Great show in Philly last night....loved Hidden Sun! The shirt you were wearing for the show looked like Tony Danza....I know it wasn't, but I was wondering who was this guy?
Asked by Marianne and answered by Kevin on Friday, November 3
one of my musical heroes.. lou reed. Glad you enjoyed Hidden sun...k



Hi Steve. My sister and I never miss you guys in Columbus and you put on a great show Sunday. I noticed you were playing a Variax guitar on "Aluminum," I assume for the sitar sound. Do you like it? Do you use it for any other song/reason? I was curious if you played it right out of the box or if you had it specially set up or tweaked with different tuners or anything? I have the 700 model, but I feel a bit self conscious about taking it to a shop for professional set-up because it's kinda "gimmicky." ...almost not like a "real" guitar.
Asked by Tom and answered by Steve on Thursday, November 2
It does feel a bit like a toy, doesn't it? But it does the trick for some things, notably the sitar sound on aluminum, which I can also swich to a Les Paul-ish sound fairly easily. I haven't used any of the computer-tweaking programs, which look very cool. As far as a set-up goes, my guitar tech, Keith does a great job of setting up all of my guitars for me so they are well-intonated and with the action I like.



Hey Jim, how's it goin? I bought an electric bass not too long ago. I've got the basics now, but I was wondering if you had any fancy little tricks up your sleeve you wouldn't mind sharing? Possibly even some good recommendations for books or cds to check out to help me improve. By the way, I love that bass line in "Wrap Your Arms Around Me". You guys rock!
Asked by John and answered by Jim on Wednesday, October 25
John Check out the book " Standing In The Shadows Of Motown". It goes through the bass lines of James Jamerson. He was the primary bassist for Motown. His bass lines are often the hooks for a lot of those great tunes. There are some really simple ones that you start off with. Sometimes the simpler they are the more memorable they are. I would also check out Bob Marley's bass player Aston "Family Man" Barret. Again, his bass lines were the hooks for those songs. Enjoy your new bass. jim



Where did the bootlegs page go? It used to be at www.barenakedladies.com and now that just re-directs me to the official site. Am I missing something?
Asked by Marc and answered by Steve on Tuesday, October 24
At the top of the main site, go to Music, and then click Download and it'll take you there. We'll make it easier soon.



Steve, do you think your voice has gotten weaker now that you are in your mid-thirties? I'm not saying it has, but your singing on BLAM seems to be a bit gentler/softerthan on the other records.
Asked by Spence and answered by Steve on Tuesday, October 24
Duuuuuude...Do you think your manners have somehow gotten weaker, or were you always this rude?



Hi Kevin!! Some of us will be dans la maison for the shows this weekend (the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan Oct 27, and Cleveland, Ohio Oct 28). Any chance you'll be singing one of your songs both of those nights? Maybe Vanishing Friday, and Serendipity Saturday? Or any song you wish, we'd just love if you sang while we were there. :-D
Asked by Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, October 24
Hi Jazz Odyssey, perhaps if you put in a request to the other band members,that might help... cheers, kev



HEY STEVE! Important question - I'm going to NY in a couple weeks - what's the name of that deli where you got that really LLLOOONNNGGG hot dog and your friend got the pot pie - I wanna go there and get that or some really good pastrami...
Asked by Sue P. and answered by Steve on Tuesday, October 17
For the long hot dog, go to the Brooklyn Diner on 57th, but for pastrami, you MUST go to Katz's, down on Houston. Actually, the hot dogs there are pretty spectacular, too. Have fun.



Are you planning on recording all your shows like the previous tours?
Asked by Carmen and answered by Steve on Tuesday, October 17
Yes, indeed, we will be recording and selling all of the shows on the upcoming tour.



On Conan 10/6 - towards the end of the song, you turned to the keyboard and counted the beats, marking the beats with your lower arm/hand, kind of like my beloved lower school music teacher. Are you the official conductor of the band or is that just something that comes naturally to you? CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL IN HOTLANTA (Duluth)!!!!!!
Asked by Bean and answered by Steve on Tuesday, October 17
Actually, I was imitating the way Kevin often counts the beats. Could Kevin be your old music teacher?



Ed, Your solo on Conan Kicked Ass! You did Kim Mitchell Proud!! (Who was the blonde on your shirt?)
Asked by Kick Ass Solo and answered by Ed on Monday, October 16
That was none other than Can-Rock sensation Avril Lavigne.



So I was watching your appearance on Conan (loved it!) and noticed that you were practically laughing throughout. What was the joke?
Asked by Mary Anna :) and answered by Steve on Tuesday, October 10
No joke - I was just having a good time!



Steve, I can't wait for BLAM tomorrow, but as I'm looking at bnlmusic.com and bnlblog.com, I'm still seeing lots and lots of inspiration from E2E. Are you ever going to update the graphics to reflect newer work?
Asked by Kate Durango and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
Ta-Daaa!



I love reading Liner notes (I also read film credits) anyway there were not thank yous on Blam Howcome? (loving it by the way...)
Asked by Thank Yous and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
Sure there are. They're right on the foldout as soon as you open the cover.



Hi Mr. Page. I was wondering, out of all the different digital outlets to which BLAM was released, which one we fans could download from that would give the band the most compensation? Just trying to do right by my guys. :) Looking forward to the tour. Hope you're well. Thanks for reading!
Asked by FL Fan and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
Good question! I would say that ordering from our website (bnlmusic.com or barenakedladies.com) gets us the most - and downloads more than physical versions. But, really, we'd just like to to buy it in whatever way suits you. My children appreciate it!



Steve, are you ever going to be on the Daily Show? I think I remember you saying you love that show, and it seems like something you should do! I would absolutely love to see you and Jon in the same place :)
Asked by Kiku and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
We were on it in 2000, promoting Maroon, and it was a really fun interview (and I was wearing stretchy red pants). They haven't had us on since - not for lack of trying on our part.



Hi, first of all I just wanted to let you guys know that your new album is unbelievably awesome!! I heard you when you were on 999 MixFM the week before "BLAM" was released and, Steven, you mentioned while you were speaking to a fan from Burlington that you would be playing at Copps Colesium in Hamilton, but I have not seen this venue listed in your Canadian tour dates. Is this true? Thanks, keep up the awesome work and I'm looking forward to seeing you all in Toronto in Feb/07...and hopefully in Hamilton too....
Asked by Debbie and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
Yeah, I screwed up. We had a date in Hamilton on hold, but, in the end, we're playing Sault Ste Marie instead. Hopefully we'll get to the Hammer later in '07.



OK so I read a review of your album having bought it and listened to it. It kept putting it down and saying it was not as good as gordon. Well to this I thought of course it isn't gordon it would be boring if a band released the same style of stuff again and again. Also who cares what these big shot "reviewers" think its what us the fans fans think and I thought initially its no E2E ut then I got into it and now can't stop listenning. I love rule the world with love and maybe you're right. What is maybe you're right about? Come to the UK soon!!
Asked by Tom Bird and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
Maybe "Maybe You're Right" is about those big-shot reviewers? Or is that "Maybe Not"? Either way, it always smarts to see your work, your emotions, your soul dismissed in a single sentence. Thanks for bringing it up.



Hi Steve - I saw that you posted on the blog that the BNL website had no mention of the Los Angeles Borders appearance. I, thy humble fan, did find this on the Borders site and posted it to barenaked.net a week ago, so at least us local barenaked.net freaks will be there. But then again, we would have been there regardless, because we're freaks like that. Word up, see you guys soon!
Asked by Monica E. and answered by Steve on Monday, September 18
Nice work, Monica - thanks for the help!



Are any of your solo or thinbuckle cds available in the us. I work at a music store in montana and cannot seem to find them anywhere. I like what I've heard so far on myspace and would like buying them online to be my last resort. Just wondering. Love the new bnl album!!! Annie
Asked by Annie and answered by Kevin on Sunday, September 17
hi Annie, My previous two records were released in the US ,although they may be tough to find now. My new one has only been released in canada so far. i would be happy to send you one/some if you would like to buy them from my website. All the details are at kevinhearn.com i hope you check them out and enjoy them.. cheers, kevin



why havent you posted on your blog since 04??!!
Asked by sum dude and answered by Kevin on Thursday, August 31
wow..has it really been that long? sorry. kev



"I'd rather meet a Sasquatch than just watch one on tv" is the best lyric since Simon LeBon sang "don't say you're easy on me cause you're about as easy as a nuclear war." LOL... I am totally loving this album and also the Wax and Wayne figures...I haven't found quite the right spot for them yet, but I will. My kids are super excited to see you guys in concert, it'll be their first BNL show...so, see you in December. p.s. you Rock!!
Asked by Stacey and answered by Kevin on Thursday, August 31
Thankyou..see you soon.. take care of wax and wayne! kev



Hey Kev...I recently got Miracle Mile and I have fallen in love with every single song. My favourite song is definitly Hollow. I've spent this morning trying to transcribe the song. What is the third chord when the vocals start? Thanks a lot and keep making great music!
Asked by Mike and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, August 30
E- D- C- kev cheers.



so the fans remix the tracks, we design the t-shirt, we figure out the tour dates on our own, we film the video... where's my paycheck?
Asked by valerie and answered by Steve on Wednesday, August 30
We're not forcing you to do any of this stuff. Some fans like to interact on a deeper level with the music, and we're giving them the opportunity to do so. Some of them are actually having fun with it! And we are certainly grateful for their contibutions. Fans who like to have their music delivered in more traditional ways can also do so without any added stress. As for tour dates, deals were still being done until very recently. Although I understand your desire to know them even before the ink is dry, we have to follow agreements with promoters as to when we can actually announce the dates, and when they will actually put them on sale.



Hi Steve, I have a question that I hope you will answer. If you remember your post from Oct., 2005 (http://www.bnlblog.com/entry.asp?dDate=10/20/2005) in response to the question about increasing ticket prices, I was hoping you could give us similar insight on another aspect of the music business. I've been a fan (and an LR member) for a number of years and I have attended many concerts. However, over the years, it seems that we get less and less notice about tour dates. Looking back through my saved emails, I see that the last time we got significant advanced notice was for the Under Where? tour in 2001. The LR sent us an email with those tour dates in March, even though the tour did not start until July. With each subsequent tour, we get less notice than the last. For example, for the Barenaked for the Holidays 2005 tour, we got the announcement email at the end of Sept. There was only one week's notice for many of the on sale dates and the tour started 2 months later. With less advanced notice, it becomes more difficult to plan to see one of your shows because of other commitments: work, school, family, etc. I am sure that you are aware that the band has a dedicated fan base that often travels to multiple shows on a tour. So, I wonder - is there a reason for this change? I am curious if there has been some change in the business of booking a tour or if this is a change in your management's policy. I am sure there is quite a lot of work involved in organizing a tour, more than fans realize. But, I am curious as to why tours are announced with such little notice. Just a quick search on Ticketmaster.com shows that shows happening in Oct., Nov. and Dec. are going on sale now in late Aug. Since BLAM will be released in less than 3 weeks, I can only presume that the start of the tour will not coincide with the CD release date. I'd appreciate hearing the inside prospective on this. Thanks in advance for your time. I hope to see you on the next tour...hint, hint ;-)
Asked by Curious and answered by Steve on Wednesday, August 30
There are lots of factors that add up to the later announcement dates. I, too, prefer the earlier announcements, but a lot of this is in the hands of promoters and presenting radio stations. That said, the US tour goes from October 21st until December 20th, and the Canadian tour starts in February. The Canadian dates will be announced on Sept. 6th, and the US tour will be announced on Sept. 12th.



'My Sharona' Drummer Bruce Gary Dies at 55 AP Bruce Gary's beats helped the Knack's debut album go gold in 13 days and sell over 5 million copies. You Know His Drumming By Heart: 1979's Power Pop Classic 'My Sharona' Talk About It: Post Your Thoughts LOS ANGELES (Aug. 24) - Bruce Gary, the rock drummer who worked with George Harrison , Bob Dylan and Stephen Stills but is best known as The Knack's original drummer on "My Sharona," has died. He was 55. Gary died Tuesday at Tarzana Medical Center of lymphoma, said Helen Gary, the drummer's mother. Besides Harrison, Dylan and Stills, he recorded with Cream 's Jack Bruce, Rod Stewart , Sheryl Crow , Bette Midler , Yoko Ono , Harry Nilsson and The Doors ' guitarist Robby Krieger, according to the Web site http://www.brucegary.com. Gary also worked with blues masters Albert Collins, Albert King and John Lee Hooker and toured with former Eagles member Randy Meisner and Spencer Davis.
Asked by R.I.P. Bruce Gary (know you are a fan) and answered by Steve on Wednesday, August 30
Wow - I had no idea. What a shame. As I've said before, Get the Knack was the first album I ever bought with my own money, and it's still one of my favourites. In Bruce's memory, I urge you to take a listen to the drumming on Let Me Out, the opening track to Get the Knack.



You must really like Sarah. You're link for the cd goes to hers again ;)
Asked by Oops and answered by Steve on Wednesday, August 30
Weird. The link on my computer goes to our album. I'd call this a Nettwerk conspiracy if I didin't know better ;-) Fine, just go to bnlmusic.com and follow that link instead.



Hey Steve, I'm chomping at the bit waiting for the new album to arrive but it's not available at the UK iTunes music store. Will it become available (and if so which versions?) or can I change stores and buy it from the US? I'm not sure if that works or not and you being an Apple expert (well, compared to me anyways) I thought you'd have a pretty good idea if that's possible. Looking forward to seeing you guys sometime next Srping. Mike
Asked by Mike and answered by Steve on Wednesday, August 30
The changing stores bit is tough (basically, you need a US credit card, or get someone in the US to buy you some US gift certificates), but worry not!! The new album should be in all iTunes stores around the world, and, I believe the UK gets it a day earlier than North America; Sept. 11th. Hope you enjoy it!



Hi, I was intrigued by your solo work and wanted to explore it more, so I went on your site. However I can't seem to get the website up, just a message saying server error. I'm not the most technically minded person and infact would much rather go back to good old fashioned pen and paper, it's amazing I've managed to find my way onto this? So is it me or is there a problem? Also when will the band be coming to the UK next and any plans for you to tour with your own solo venture? Thank you for reading this. :)
Asked by Tashi and answered by Kevin on Monday, August 28
hi there tashi....i think it is back up now.. sorry for the inconvenience. we also have a myspace site.... check out the new cd.. folks seem to be really liking it... bye , kev



Hey Kevin! Not really a question, and i don't need a reply to this, but i just wanted to tell you what an inspiration you are to me. after everything you've been through, you've been strong and i look up to you for that. with love, rowena
Asked by Rowena and answered by Kevin on Wednesday, August 23
thank you very much k



This isn't a question, I just didn't know how else to contact you. Yesterday I went to the BLAM listening party in London and had such a good time. I totally LOVE all the new music and I am so excited for the release of the album. The quiz was fun too (we were told you guys wrote it). Thank you so much!! Keep rocking!!!
Asked by Catherine and answered by the band on Sunday, August 13
Glad you had a good time and enjoyed the record.. hope to see all of our UK fans soon!! kev



Kev, Your CD release event last night was amazing - although I didn't get a chance to talk to you, I wanted to thank you for an awesome time. -James
Asked by James from Niagara and answered by Kevin on Sunday, August 13
You are welcome...thankyou very much for coming... check in to my website for future dates or sign on to the mailing list and we will let you know... cheers, kev



I've heard Harland on Loveline two times in the last month or so, and while I've seen a couple of his movies and enjoyed them, I can't believe how hilarious he is! Any chance you guys have thought to ask him aboard Ships and Dips to do some standup? I'd love to see him and thought it would be cool if he came along. Thanks!
Asked by Kristen and answered by Kevin on Sunday, August 13
we have in fact invited him...just figuring out whether he can make it or not... will keep you posted... kev



Hey Kevin, my brother was just diagnosed with cancer, again. This time, they'll have to take out the entirety of his voicebox, as well as do chemo and radiation. I know he's in a lot of pain right now -- what can I do to help him? Thanks so much.
Asked by Jared and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, August 8
Be there for him as as a friend ,through all of his moods.. don't talk to him when he needs quiet,and be there for him when he needs company.. don't forget to try and be light. laughter,or even a moment of smiles can be wonderful for someone going through this....maybe watch a comedy together ,or just spend some quiet time together.... research what he is dealing with,ask questions to his doctors so you are well informed and can help coach yourself and others through this... my thoughts are with you....kevin . take care,.. kevin



Hey Kev! Am loving the new album!!!! I'm after a pretty new & pretty decent acoustic guitar, & just wondered what acoustic you use on 'Lancaster Bomber'? - Absolutely love the sound of it, just curious as to what guitar it actually is? Thanks very much
Asked by Henry, BNLFanOfEngland and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, August 8
it is a taylor acoustic guitar... hard to go wrong with a taylor! good luck kev ps.. glad you are enjoying the new record! k



Kyle is not an idiot... the flashing green is different in BC than here in Ontario.
Asked by Why can't we all just get along? and answered by Ed on Saturday, July 29
Kyle may have been right, but that doesn't make him NOT an idiot!! Kidding... who knew? Not me. That might be because I'm an idiot.



While he may be an idiot... I don't know him very well, He's actually right. BC and a few US places (Boston uses it I think, maybe all of MA), use flashing green different than we Torontonians (and most of Canada)... Maybe the idiot is the person who asked a Torontonian the question assuming that all of Canada is the same. Hey Ed, Do you know 'Tony' from Canada?
Asked by Allan and answered by Ed on Saturday, July 29
I knew Allan would sort everything out!



Hey Kev, Love the new album! This is definitely one of those "Must listen as an entire album" discs- they just fit together so well- such a great vibe. I know you and BNL have a lot on your plate for the next few months, but do you and TB have any plans on visiting New York City anytime soon? I had to miss you guys last time (about two years ago, now, I think?) and I hate to have that happen again.
Asked by Paul and answered by Kevin on Friday, July 28
then come to toronto for our big show august 9th! kev hopefully will be down that way next year sometime.. kev



Hey Kevin Did anyone tell you that you look a lot like Colin Firth? He's very good looking, so take it as a compliment!
Asked by cathy and answered by Kevin on Thursday, July 27
no and i don't know who he is....but thanks. kev who is he?



Hey Kevin, I'm really digging the new album...you've out done yourself again! I hope you and Mr. Page continue writing together as The Good Times Virus is probably my favourite song....it seems a perfect marriage of your whimsy and Steve's irony. On a side note, do you and the Buckle have any plans to play in Montreal any time soon? Hope so!
Asked by Dan and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, July 25
Not in montreal, but we will be in mount tremblant Quebec on aug 12th... hope you can make it.. then we will have 1 fan there! kev



Hey kevin, Solange's friend brian here. sorry about my dvd, it must have a cold or something and doesn't feel like working on your dvd player. it's funny, i've made about 50 copies of that movie and only 3 of them have had problems. 2 of them being you and solange. so i've got to get you a vhs copy asap cause i think my style would really fit for you guys. email me back at: b2dunn@ryerson.ca and either solange can get it to you or you could meet me somewhere downtown (such as city hall...workin' there for the summer) hopefully i'll talk to you soon. BD
Asked by Brian Dunn and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, July 25
hey brian... i don't have VHS, but if you could get a new copy to solange and then she can pass it on to me... cool man, looking forward to seeing it.. kev



So I was listening to your new album and someting about The Good Times Virus struck me as familiar. I finally realized that it has the same melody as the live intro you played to Celebrity on the E4E tour. I'm curious as to which came first. Did the intro later become a song, or was the song just a suitable intro to Celebrity? On a sidenote, I'm really enjoying Lancaster Bomber. The melody is gorgeous and the lyrics are quite moving. And speaking of lyrics, is there a chance you could post them on your site? I digress, this post has gone on too long!
Asked by sun and answered by Kevin on Sunday, July 23
hi Sun, Yes, i seem to remember playing this melody somewhere along the road... the song celebrity was definitely there first. I think what happened was we needed a bit of time before the song stated so the crew could set up the large television and chair for steve to sit in and sing from.. so i played that as an intro, it later turned into the song Good times Virus. top points for you!!! as a prize i will soon put the lyrics up on my site, isn't that fabulous? Glad you are enjpying the cd... thanks for the note, kev



Hey Kevin, I'm listening to your new album. Is "Statue of Los Angeles" the same song someone refers to as "Statue" that you guys discuss not mixing in a video clip from Everything to Everyone? or is that a different song entirely? Thanks Kev
Asked by Willy and answered by Kevin on Thursday, July 20
Yes, it is that song.....k



hey kevin! i don't need a reply to this! i jsut wanted to say that i found your nightlight cd in one of my local town's stores and it is AMAZING. I am not kidding. night light, born human, ball of twine. war pigs. it's all great!. excpt for like two of them i didn't care for, lol. well I'm ordering your new cd from your site when i get the money. i know i'll like it!
Asked by beebles and answered by Kevin on Thursday, July 20
Thankyou very much.... k



Hey Kev, I just wanted to let you know that I ordered your new CD today... I actually didn't want to order a physical copy... cause I'm one of those geeks that just downloads all his music from itunes... but unfortunately your newest CD isn't available in the US iTms, only in the canadian one (and belive me, Apple is really strict on not letting you create an account in a country other than the one in which you live... and I tried) so now I have to wait (which sucks) for it to get here... But judging from what I've previewed on your site it looks to be an amazing record... Thanks for the great music... Wasson
Asked by Wasson and answered by Kevin on Thursday, July 20
thank you , sorry for the inconvenience.... i hope you like it..look forward to your review! kev



Ed... I will have to, dare I say, correct you in regards to the flashing green light. It's actually a pedestrian controlled crosswalk, that remains flashing green until a pedestrian pushes the button to cross, after which it becomes a solid green, yellow and red.
Asked by Kyle and answered by Ed on Thursday, July 20
Kyle... You are an idiot.



Hey Ed, what is your favorite DS game? Or more importantly, what's your brain age?
Asked by holly and answered by Ed on Wednesday, July 19
Same answer. Currently 21.



Hello. On Wind it Up, how can I tell which guitar is you and which is Kim Mitchell? BTW, this song ROCKS!
Asked by Lisa and answered by Ed on Wednesday, July 19
Kim plays a few noodles in the second verse (I'm on the acoustic at this point), and the solo. He also rocks out over the last chorus, and outro. He's the Angus to my Malcolm.



Hey, Ed! On a recent trip to the Pacific Nortwest, my friends and I took a lovely little side trip to Vancouver, BC. None of us had ever driven in Canada before, and wondered what a blinking green light indicated... Is it something specific to the Province- or a nationwide thing? We racked our brains, but couldn't figure it out. Help us out?
Asked by Kate and answered by Ed on Wednesday, July 19
It's an advance green for making left turns. The opposing traffic still have a red for 5 secs or so.



Hey Ed, I'm writing in response to the question of intelligent Design. I know you guys get a lot of flack for your "controversial" songs that criticise our "glorious and wise" political leaders here in the US, but I just want to thank you for bring other opinions to the people in any way you can. It seems that too many people here are afraid to think for themselves and just go with the flow while the President pushes his hate agenda. You have a opinion and you have a forum, thank god you use it. I love the new songs so far (thank you for making them available for download!!!) and my favorite ones are the songs that let me know a little more about you, songs like Fun and Games, Maybe You're Right and War On Drugs move me in a way that only music can. So keep up the good work and I look forward to the new album.
Asked by Justin OH-IO and answered by Ed on Wednesday, July 19
OK... This just isn't fair. I get to decide what responses I post, and I'm totally just posting the supportive ones. What a loser I am.



Hi Ed. I just wanted to thank you for your defense of "Fun and Games" one of my very favorite new songs. I am a nice Episcopalian 'church lady' but I agree with you, creationism, intelligent design and whatever else they choose to call it is not something to be taught in public schools. As you mentioned, if public schools are going to teach religious beliefs then they should be obligated to teach them ALL. Woody Guthrie before he died was asked by a nurse what religion to write down on his record and Woody replied "All." The nurse laughed and told him to stop playing around and tell her what to put down. Woody simply said "All or none." Our schools and government need to make the same commitment - all or none.
Asked by Fudge Lady and answered by Ed on Wednesday, July 19
Thank you Fudge Lady. Woody will be greatly missed. Who doesn't like Cheers??



Hey Ed! Seen any good movies lately?
Asked by Trevor C. and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
No, but I just watched the first 2 seasons of "Rescue Me"... in about 2 1/2 weeks!



I've got to know . . . was that really you passing through the Flin Flon Airport the other day, and were you really going tree planting? I think it's amazing that with your busy lives/schedules that all of you guys can still keep it real and keep doing things that mean a lot to you! Awesome, looking forward to the new album! Hope to see you again some time in Flin Flon, MB, and no, tree planting really isn't enjoyable, no matter where you go!
Asked by Melanie and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
Yup, that was me.



Are you working on a video for Easy?
Asked by Jenny and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
Yes. Well, not me... but somebody is. It's almost done.



Hey Ed, I have a question that's been pondering me a long time. When you guys were on Jay Leno and David Duchovoney was also a guest, you guys let him play the egg shaker with you guys while you performed. Throughout the song he was parading around you guys with the egg shaker and at one point it looks like you got pretty mad and you physically moved him to a spot and it looked like you told him to stay there. I was just curious what happened?
Asked by Kyle and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
I was "acting". The Double D was in effect mode!



Hey Ed, are you excited about the new Wii from Nintendo?
Asked by Jared and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
Very. My fav gaming device right now is my DS. What can I say? Nintendo just gets it right.



Ed, what were you thinking when you wrote "I Know"? The lyrics are all over the place, and I can't come up with any vague idea as to what it's about. Clarify that?
Asked by Joey and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
If I was a Pot Smoker I could say that I was totally high when I wrote that song... Unfortunately, I was just totally out to lunch. It's kind of a stream of consciousness thing. I could attribute meaning to snippits of it, but it would be via hindsight. I just kind of let that one happen. I love the bridge.



HEY! How come you guys aren't making VIDEO podcasts like Guster???
Asked by Mary and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
Because we don't have a "Dave" like Guster!!!



I was just reading the lyrics for "Fun and Games." I have no problem with your anti-war viewpoints, but why did you include the line "Intelligent design is resurrected" in a negative connotation amidst "the poor will be neglected" and the forests unprotected? I do not belive you should insult intelligent design in such a way. I do not see how by any means intelligent design is a negative force in society. It is a matter of opinion, but in no way harmful to people, as is letting the poor go hungry and hurting our forests. Please don't include intelligent design in your portrayal of a negative society. You have plenty of fans, such as I, who respect your political views even if they oppose our own. Religious beliefs are a different story. I belive in many aspects of evolution, but in no way is it nonprogressive to also take a look at intelligent design. Thanks for your time. I'd REALLY appreciate a response. I may be misinterpreting the lyrics, so I'd like to get your viewpoint on the issue.
Asked by J.A. and answered by Ed on Tuesday, July 18
Hey J.A. "Intelligent Design" is just re-branded creationism. I think public schools shouldn't teach religious beliefs unless they're going to teach all of them. That's simply my opinion, and it's part of my song. It's that "Separation of Church and State" thing. If I left out anything that I thought might be offensive to somebody, there would be very few BNL Songs! I don't think "Intelligent Design" is a negative force in our society, but I think religion instructing politics, and influencing educational policy is. My songs are my outlet for my thoughts, emotions, and opinions. I'm happy to discuss/defend them, but in the end they are my songs. Steve and I debated this line a lot actually, the lyric I wrote first was "Creationism is resurrected", and then it changed to "Creation Myth..." for rhythm, and we finally settled on "Intelligent Design" to include the new catch phrase. It's my opinion that religious beliefs should be taught in Churches, not public school classrooms.



kevin!!!!!!! i heard your music samples on itunes but you need to release them into the american store!! i can't find your cD at borders or anywhere!
Asked by beebles and answered by Kevin on Saturday, July 15
hi there beebles if you go to kevinhearn.com you can order it, either from me or warner bros. and we will send it to you... thanks, and hop eyou like it!!



Happy Birthday!!!
Asked by Jazz Odyssey and answered by Kevin on Thursday, July 6
thanks jazz Odyssey.. Did i ever thankyou for the lovely custom made journal? thankyou for thinking of me .. have a fun summer! k



Kevin, on my uncle's 37th birthday he got pretty wasted and then decided it was a good idea to continue to work on his shed. I'd advise against that, Kev. It just results in broken fingers.
Asked by Caragh and answered by Kevin on Thursday, July 6
ha ha .. thank you k



Is Kevin afraid to update the blog on his site?
Asked by Lori and Dave and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, July 4
yes.



oh my, happy 37th birthday kev!!! you look much younger than 37, i had you at 25.
Asked by Sarah and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, July 4
thankyou very much. kev



Dear Steve, Is there any way to have the cover from the Easy EP album up for download somewhere. I really like it, and would like a print of it for my CD. Thanks for answering my previous question. It made my day. Cheers. Estelle
Asked by Estelle and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 25
If you download it from iTunes, the artwork comes with it - just go to "print" in your file menu, and it'll make a nice little CD cover for you.



You know, I think you guys are great, but I have a beef: I don't think it's fair that a guy like me who buys cds only gets 13 songs, but the guy who can afford an ipod and a computer gets 15, or even 29. At the very least, I should be getting a 15 song cd. What do you think?
Asked by Tobey and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 25
You'll be able to get it all, eventually, no matter how you listen to music, it just will come out in a slightly different timeline. Is there an echo in here?



Hi Steve, Being a Geordie AND a massive BNL fan I am super impressed at your knowledge of North East England! Next time you guys are touring you should go for a night out in Newcastle - it’s recently been placed as the number 1 thing to do in the UK by the rough guide to Britain (bizarrely!). When will you guys be in the UK next?
Asked by John and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 25
I think we're aiming to be in the UK next March - I wish it was sooner, I love playing over there!



Okay, I was just wondering, seeing as I have very little money, In your professional opinion would it be wiser to see the Lynyrd Skynyrd/3 doors down concert or the Journey/Def Leppard one when they come into town...oh the choices...
Asked by T. and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
How about a nice picnic instead?



http://bancomicsans.com/home.html some of us designer types have very strong feelings on font choices....
Asked by Colleen McCord and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Okay, you do have a point there.



For any tracks that do NOT make it onto the store-bought CD - or the whole acoustic Glen Gould show - etc. Can you please make liner notes (and any art) available as a downloadable PDF - or some such thing - from your website, to satiate those of us who love cracking open a CD and poring over the album art, and reading liner notes to find out who wrote what, and who played what weird instruments, etc.? Looking forward to all the new tunes!
Asked by Brian and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Yes - all that stuff should be a part of the package no matter how you buy it. We're just working out the logistics of that stuff now.



I think you are misunderstanding the rights you get under Fairplay DRM. Take a look at the terms of service again at this link: http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/legal/terms.html It doesn't say you can only put the music on five devices EVER. It says you can put the music on up to five devices AT ANY ONE TIME. If your old iPod kicks the bucket, you can move the music to a new iPod without any worries. This is true of computers as well. As for burning the music to CDs, you are allowed to burn the music to as many CDs as you like, but you can burn a playlist in iTunes only seven times before it won't allow you to burn that playlist again. Simply delete the playlist and create a new one and you can start burning again. Believe me -- Apple isn't out to screw you on this. The Fairplay rules are the way they are because that's what was required to get the record labels to agree to license the music. It has actually gotten better since the iTunes Music store came into existence. It used to allow only three devices. Keep being an Apple fan -- you help keep me employed!
Asked by The Apple Guy and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Thanks for the clarification (and the same to others). I still think FairPlay is a pain in the ass - I'm a dedicated music-obsessed consumer. Imagine what this process is like for someone who a) doesn't live-and-breathe music or b) is not technically inclined. It's all enough to make people give up. I understand about the five devices at a time, and have, in fact, deauthorised old computers as I've upgraded, but I still find I'm counting my authorizations, whereas I can take a CD and play it on any player I like. In the end, buying CDs is still the best way to manage your library. And I still love my iPod and iTunes.



I have owned The Vanity Project for almost a year now... and I love "Wilted Rose". I recently did a project in history about Pierre Trudeau and I think I have the song figured out. Trudeau wore the rose to represent a just society... and you refer to the rose as being 'wilted'. I think that you are saying that a soceity that was once seen as being just is beginning to wilt and you are questioning if we should just 'cast it out', baisically give it up; like Trudeau decied to give up on politics when he took his 'long walk in the snow'. Please answer this... I really want to know if I'm close with my analysis or if I'm way off... thanks...
Asked by Kirstin W. and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
You're pretty bang on. I wrote the song after seeing so many of Canada's core values fall by the wayside in the pursuit of a balanced budget. I was making records and traveling around the world, and for me being Canadian was no longer a default position; it was a decision I had to make. Wilted Rose was about that process of deciding to stay and fight for what I believe in.



Hi Steve, Thank you so much for taking precious time to respond to so many of our questions. I wanted to thank you too for the wonderful Easy EP album that you just released and that I love. I was wondering about the artwork. What kind of guidelines did you give to the artist to create such art?
Asked by Estelle and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
We saw Team Macho's art, and loved it (Kev saw a show of theirs and brought the idea of working with them to the band), and we simply told them we wanted them to be themselves and do what they do. We're really happy with the work they've done - hopefully you'll see the album cover in the next few weeks, too.



The sound quality for the Glen Gould concert recording is amazing. Great decision to work with Michael Phillip Wojewoda again!
Asked by Alex and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Thanks - it's a lovely studio, and it was a great night, too, and, above all, a wonderful reminder of what a talent MPW is. A great guy, too.



Steve, I just read the Press Release for BLAM and thought it was great. A really well written biography of the band and I like the format as well, very clever. Except for one itty bitty little thing. There's a typo. In this line: “I can’t believe the shear volume of songs we had,” Stewart recalls. "shear" should be "sheer." I know it's a little thing, but I want the band to put its absolute best foot forward with the new release, so I wanted to mention it. Can't wait for the new releases!
Asked by Gud Spellr and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Yeah, I saw this too. Worst part is that the guy who wrote will be kicking himself, as I know this kind of thing drives him crazy too! Maybe Tyler was making a pun about how many songs we "cut"??



Any plans to allow people to purchase the Easy EP through werkshop instead of itunes? I have run into some many problems with copy protection and refuse to purchase anything from itunes if I don't have to.
Asked by CJ and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Yep, it's up on werkshop as we speak - DRM-free.



If your poor beleaguered iPod dies, Steve, you should be able to copy the songs to a new one. iPods don't need to be authorized, just computers. And there is a once-per-year "deauthorize all computers" option in your iTMS account settings for emergencies. Token question (I could think of no useful way to write in after your last blog post, so I posted here instead): some time ago, during the Napster kerfuffle, the BNL seeded P2P networks with ringer files which supposedly were worth obtaining in their own right. Were those ever released officially anywhere? I went straight out to track down the ringers, and tried for years to find them, but only ever turned up naughty copies of released music. Ah, life.
Asked by Violet and answered by Steve on Saturday, June 24
Hey, Violet, thanks for the tips (and thanks also to the many others who have written in with tips, anti-Apple rants, suggestions and similar complaints) - I will use them as I need them. As for your other question, no, those "trojans" we released pre-Maroon were just for Napster, back when we believed the claptrap that "downloading was killing music". Well, as you can see, music is now dead... But maybe we should find those jokes and put them up on our site for you all to trade!!



Steve, you say that you plan to release a second physical disc with the stuff that didn't make the cut of the first disc? I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I am going to want to purchase all of the songs as soon as they're available, but at the same time, I really prefer to have physical CDs and liner notes and whatnot for the bands that I really care about (e.g., your band). So I feel like I'd buy the 29 songs online as soon as they're available, and then also buy both physical CDs. Though I love supporting you guys and I wouldn't hesitate to do it if it went down that way, I can't help but feel like I'd be getting charged twice for the same music. I don't mean to whine about it, but I write because I know that you guys are one of the most, if not THE most, fan-oriented bands around, and I feel like you wouldn't want your die-hard fans to feel like they're paying for this music twice. In the spirit of trying not to merely complain, but to offer constructive criticism, here is my suggestion for a solution to this problem: if you can't have a physical CD package of the B side songs ready for the regular album release, which would be perfectly understandable (but possibly not the issue in question at all, forgive me if I'm being incorrectly presumptuous), then just wait to release those songs until you are able to release them on a physical disc at the same time as the digital downloads. Again, I love you guys and know that you really care about the fans, and it's amazing that you're putting out such a volume of songs in the first place, so thanks for all your hard work! :)
Asked by Scottish and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 18
We realized that no matter what we chose to do, someone would find something to complain about, so we chose this way: In the end, it will be possible for every fan to own every song without buying something twice (I hate that, too), but we understand that at retail, it's very very expensive to sell a double CD, and would turn off fans who wanted to buy our new album. 29 songs is also a lot to wade through for many music listeners. Then, there are uber-fans like you who we thought would enjoy the sneak peek at the whole shebang before the rest of the world. Hopefully you find the combination that suits you best without you having to buy anything twice.



What's this? Making your fans WORK for their music? We have to mix it ourselves? PSH!
Asked by Lizzzzzz and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 18
No you don't have to. It's your choice. You can get the studio-mixed one in the next couple of weeks if you'd like.



I've got the Easy multi-track download - such a cool idea! I understand Muse did something similar a while back. Anyway, question: What is 'clav' exactly. It sounds like a guitar through effects, but I can't be sure. There's a keyboard-kinda quality to it. It sounds quite lo-res as well. Can you enlighten me?!
Asked by David Rickard and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 18
Thanks, hope you have fun with it. Clav is short for Clavinet - it's an electric keyboard made by Hohner, and made most popular by Stevie Wonder in the 70s on songs like Superstition. Kev also used one on One Week, I believe. It's like an electric piano, except that the strings are plucked, rather than struck.



You're nine albums in, and already you're reusing the cover font from Stunt? Pfff. Now I don't think I can buy BLAM. *scoffs*
Asked by El Sen~or and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 18
What are you talking about? It's called a typewriter. We used them in the 80s. This is the first typeface-based boycott I've ever heard of. I wish you the best of luck.



What was the name of the studio you recorded the Yellow Tape at?
Asked by Reid and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 18
Except for Be My Yoko Ono, which was recorded at a studio called Number 9 , the Yellow Tape was recorded at Wellesley Sound in Toronto in 1991.



Hey there, how come you haven't had a podcast in over a month? I'm dyin' over here!
Asked by Amy and answered by Steve on Sunday, June 18
Ed's busy filming his tv show, Ed's Up, for the Outdoor Life Network, and I think the days are longer than he'd anticipated. I'm going to try to pick up some of the slack over the next couple of weeks, but I'll admit that I'm sloooow.



Did you do any of the art on the Easy single? By the way, I'm still hoping that you will drop by Saskatoon with Thin Buckle! If not, I'm in aggreeance with another fan that suggested you open for BNL.
Asked by Sun and answered by Kevin on Friday, June 16
Looks like Thinbuckle will be on the cruise with BNL. also we have some shows this summer,dates on on the website....sorry no saskatoon yet... the Easy artwork was done by Toronto art collective Team Macho...kindred spirits....kev



last call -- What can those of us @ Telluride expect from the BNL set... ?
Asked by Telluride Set? and answered by Kevin on Friday, June 16
a set focusing more on our stripped down acoustic approach.....hope you enjoy kev



Gosh it is just so cool you guys answer these questions! Really wonderful of you. You're such a great band - I wish continued success for you guys. Here's my question Kevin - this is sort of silly but I play in a fairly decent cover band and while I 98% of the time play keyboards, I get to play guitar and sing when we cover 'the old apartment'(I actually don't do too bad). So...because we all switch instruments, I am a little unsure of what to have our bass player play on keyboards during that tune. I've heard you use piano live, but you've also played (b3-sounding)organ. So what do ya think? BTW, what do you think of others covering your songs in general? nice? weird? creepy? thanks so much
Asked by Bill and answered by Kevin on Friday, June 16
I like hearing covers..it's cool..it means the song made some impact ..I like when people interpret songs in their own way, who needs an exact replica? If you want to hear some cool covers, check out Mojo magazine this month. it comes with a free cd of different bands covering the REVOLVER cd..by the Beatles. it is really really good....back to your question..... i use piano and organ...if i had to pick one it would be piano.. just back up those chords man, nice and simple...... kev



http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp This is cool, the moon the night you were born.
Asked by The Moon and answered by Kevin on Friday, June 16
That is cool, bark at it! kev



Will Telluride be recorded? or should i wear a wire? Hoping its the former. C.
Asked by Will telluride Be recorded and answered by Kevin on Friday, June 16
i don't think it will be recorded.....not by us anyways.... perhaps the festival has a recording rig,but i doubt it.... we did record our acoustic show at the Glen Gould theatre. it sounds really good and should be available soon.....kev



HI Steve! I admire your participation in all things political, and your views on environmental issues. I want to donate to WWF...(but I want one of their great panda shirts too!) Can you give their info. I look forward to your next Vancouver visit!!
Asked by Kat and answered by Steve on Wednesday, June 7
Hey, thank you! Go to www.wwf.ca and you can donate there (and ask them what kind of donation might merit a shirt).



Just curious about the 29-track version - will that be an actual production cd with cover art, etc., that we order online and have shipped to us? Or will it be a download-only version for now? Personally, I plan to get the 13-track version as soon as it hits stores, then whatever else becomes available! But I'd just like to know what type of release the full one is. :-)
Asked by Not too bright tonight and answered by Steve on Wednesday, June 7
The 29-song version will be download-only. The physical version will be 13 songs, but we're looking to release a 2nd physical CD with the rest of the songs early next year. Hope that clears up some of the confusion.



Album, schmalbum, where's the BNL Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor, just like Dave Matthews Band? You must have lots of leftover album titles that are just begging to be paired with hot fudge sauce.
Asked by Judi and answered by Steve on Wednesday, June 7
Mmm.. weiners and beans!



Are the new shirts for BLAM going to be camouflage? please? Awesome title!
Asked by BNLfan and answered by Steve on Tuesday, June 6
Thanks - good idea! We'll see what we can do. But then, how will be see your torsos? We'll look into the audience from the stage and see a sea of floating heads. Creepy.



Is the artwork on myspace the album cover for Barenaked Ladies Are Me?
Asked by Sallie B and answered by Steve on Tuesday, June 6
No, that's the artwork for the Easy single, but the album artwork is being done by the same group of artists, Team Macho.



Is this true? "Rock Spectacle (pronounced Rock-Spek-Tak)" If so, I've been going around looking like a damned idiot.
Asked by Suzanne and answered by Steve on Tuesday, June 6
Now you know how I feel!!



the album cover is Great but where is Tyler?
Asked by The Album Cover and answered by Steve on Friday, June 2
He forgot we were doing the photo shoot that day.



What's the best new artist/band, in your opinion, out there today?
Asked by Korkchop and answered by Steve on Wednesday, May 31
Hard to say who's the best, but I just bought the album "He Poos Clouds" by Final Fantasy, and am loving it.



Are you doing more scores at Stratford? I don't remember being consulted on this decision....
Asked by sandra and answered by Steve on Wednesday, May 31
Yes, I wrote the score for Coriolanus, which premiered on Monday night. Sorry, I didn't realize you had a say. But go see it if you can!



Steve! Is it true theres no naked track this CD? Say it ain't so! I don't need to know which one it is, just so long as I know there is one!
Asked by Kiku and answered by Steve on Wednesday, May 31
Yep. It's track 11.



Sounds like we might have the next generation of Page entertainment in the works! Have your kids ever expressed the interest in being part of the entertainment industry? And would you try to talk them out of it? My 11-year-old wants to be an actor/director/writer/etc., (he's been writing "screenplays" and storyboards for his movie ideas for about 4 years now. lol) but he doesn't have the fortune of a relative to tell him of the evils of the business. Just curious how you would deal with it with your kids.
Asked by WC and answered by Steve on Wednesday, May 31
Are the evils of the movie biz any worse than the evils of banking or dentistry? Likely not. I think it's great to encourage kids with their dreams. Luckily my kids want to be accountants. Actually, my oldest wants to be a video game designer, and for us, it gives us an opportunity to keep him engaged in math, science, art and music.



Hey Steve; Before some desperate people start disputing what the band would want, can you give an official band position regarding releasing bootleggery of the acoustic show online, such as a) please don't release any of it b) feel free to release the old songs/requests/banters c) feel free to release the entire thing; or any other permutation you might have in mind? Thanks
Asked by Allan and answered by Steve on Wednesday, May 31
Well, it's a tough one to answer, but in essence, our gut (see Stephen Colbert for the value of using one's gut) tells us that the show was for fans, and who shares music? Fans. Yes, we'll be releasing it for sale later, but the mixed version will sound different than the audience recording you or someone else may have made. I suspect the kinds of people who would trade or dowload these audience recordingsd are the same people who will buy the album when it comes out. I have no real problem with fans sharing that stuff, and frankly, if it gets people more excited for the new record (I hope!) then all the better!



Hey Steve, Is it true you guys are gonna be on the Apprentice? Also do you have any Idea what Canadian cities you will go to the next time you tour? Thx
Asked by P.J. Bird and answered by Steve on Thursday, May 25
Yep, we're on the Apprentice this coming Monday - can't tell you much about it though. However, I suspect you'll see more of us than you did when we were on last season. I know we'll do a pretty extensive Canadian tour early in 2007, but for now, our only Canadian date we have booked is in Charlottetown, PEI on August 6th.



Do you get to keep any panties thrown on stage? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bnlomf1.jpg
Asked by Panties? and answered by Steve on Thursday, May 25
How do you think I can afford to buy wine? I save on underwear.



Do u guys have a naked track for this session yet????? What was the naked track for Barenaked For the Holidays?
Asked by MR. UGG and answered by Steve on Thursday, May 25
During the recording of Jingle Bells, someone said "this should be the naked track!" We all looked around at each other and slowly said "naaah". And that was the end of that. Naked men were really funny when we were 21. At 35, it's just kind of sad.



Speaking of releases... I remember hearing rumors (most likely fan-fueled) that some sort of audio release would come from the Peepshow-"Play everything we ever recorded" collection. Any truth? Or, have those of us who have waited for a couple years wasted our time:)? If so, I'm glad I did other stuff in the mean time! Thanks!
Asked by Erik and answered by Steve on Thursday, May 25
One day, I will crack open those hard drives and mix the "everything we've ever done" live set, but it's so hard to look backward when there's so much ahead of us! These shows were recorded before we had a real system for mixing and selling them, but I know we'll get to them. In the meantime, I'll try to put a taster up for you.



Hey Steve!! I don't remember you telling us that!!! I think I told YOU that!
Asked by Sue P. and answered by Steve on Thursday, May 25
Good point - I think I was responding to the media and industry who tried to shake me like a rag doll over the last few weeks, but to little avail. Thanks for reminding me that the reason I feel so strongly about this issue (downloading etc.) is because we have such a supportive fanbase!



Hey Steve... this question might be a bit out-dated but, i just watched the jim's vid called "in the studio" and all the songs you were working on seemed real mellow and... for the record i love a lot of you more mellow songs like "war on drugs" and "break your heart" but... i was wondering... will any of the songs on the new album have some more of that upbeat BNL flair that i love??? (a little more "one week"-"life in a nutshell" type stuff)
Asked by Kirstin W. and answered by Steve on Thursday, May 25
Hmmm... good question. Everytime I think this record is mellower than others (and it does start off mellower than any of our records since MYSD... okay, except for Jingle Bells), a shit-kicking rocker like Wind Me Up reminds me that this album rocks as well. At the end of the day, I'd just say that it's just as eclectic as any of our other records. Just with a bit of grey hair around the temples.



With the news of a uk tour next year sometime, i think it would be a great idea for the bands side projects to be the support acts for the gigs, it would be a great chance for the uk fans to see Thinbuckle, Tvp & bros creegan without having to travel. Any chance? :-)
Asked by Sean and answered by Kevin on Tuesday, May 23
I am in...convice my bandmates! kev



I'm very excited for the Acoustic show in Toronto. In the podcast you mentioned it was going to be recorded. Any chance this will make it to a DVD?
Asked by Deloni and answered by Steve on Monday, May 15
We're still trying to work out the logistics - it's a pretty small room, and we know we're recording it for an upcoming audio release, but video is still a little up in the air right now.



The Wikipedia entry for "Steven Page" claims that you currently live in "Toronto's Riverdale neighborhood". I am curious if that is true.
Asked by Steve Bersgon and answered by Steve on Monday, April 24
I think they were thinking of Archie.



Do you have an album title yet?
Asked by Deloni and answered by Steve on Monday, April 24
Nope.



Hi there. I'm not trying to paint myself as a super-interesting party guy, because I'm not. Let's get that perfectly clear. However, whenever I do have a party, I always put 'Get In Line' on and almost without exception, I get people coming over to me to ask me who it is by. I just wondered; why didn't you guys put this on one of your albums (other than the greatest hits one), or at the very least release it as a single? I'm sure it would have done very well. Ps... BNL ROCK!!!
Asked by Daryl and answered by Steve on Monday, April 24
It actually was a single - just not all that successful. Glad you like it, though.