UPDATE: (Nov. 7) Repartee's show at Track's Pub has been rescheduled to Nov. 9. Repartee, a St. John’s, N.L. based pop band, is making its way west for the first time since forming in 2009. It will be stopping at Tracks Pub on Nov. 9.
UPDATE: (Nov. 7) Repartee's show at Track's Pub has been rescheduled to Nov. 9.
Repartee, a St. John’s, N.L. based pop band, is making its way west for the first time since forming in 2009. It will be stopping at Tracks Pub on Nov. 9.
After a few lineup changes in 2011 and 2012, frontwoman Meg Warren has put together a band she thinks can sustain itself going forward. Guitarist Robbie Brett joined in January 2011, drummer Nick Coultas-Clark joined in September 2011 while bassist Josh Banfield joined in September 2012.
Warren said the band is looking forward to touring the left side of the country.
"We’ve been touring Eastern Canada for two years now and we’re excited to finally break out and get out west. We like to keep our shows energetic and fun," she said.
The band has one full-length album under its belt and is touring in support of an extended play record called Hello, Hello, Hello. Its light, summer-inspired sound wasn’t something the band was conscious of, but it was recorded during the summer of 2012.
"I don’t know if the music was consciously inspired by that or not, but it seems to have that kind of summery feel. We like to classify ourselves as a kind of fun, pop band so I think that that song kind of captures that pretty accurately," Warren said.
Warren, who studied music at Memorial University in St. John’s, switched her performance style to pop after she realized commercial success wouldn’t likely be in her future if she stuck to her training as an opera singer. As a result, in her last semester in February 2009, she tried producing material for the RPM Challenge contest that invited people to write, record and produce a pop song. She never entered the contest, but Repartee was conceived shortly after.
"I realized in my last year at school that having a career as a classical musician wasn’t really something that was going to work out, so I wanted to have another outlet so I started trying to write for this RPM Challenge. Basically, the goal is to write, record, produce and create your own album all within the month of February. When the band happened, that was kind of a blessing in disguise, because I found that I liked that a lot more," Warren said, adding she still enjoys classical music.
Following the conclusion of the current tour on Nov. 28, Repartee will go back into the studio to record another album due out sometime in the spring of 2014. The album will continue with the same light, breezy sound that has become the band’s signature. The band then plans to come west again to promote that album.
"I think the sound is a little less all over the place. I think it has a bit more direction and we’re all really happy with it and we’re excited to get into the studio," Warren said.
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