Take a bow, Vancouverites: Caribou’s last show at Richard’s on Richards was one of Dan Snaith’s best ever.
The London, England-based electronic composer explained that despite a globetrotting schedule, that gig stands out.
“It’s not so much the venue, but the crowds — there was such an amazing response to the show,” he said. “People from Vancouver are really enthusiastic, and that’s exhilarating for us as a group, and feeds back to us when playing.”
Snaith’s connection to Canada goes beyond his warm West Coast reception. The man formerly known as Manitoba studied advanced Math theory at the University of Toronto and grew up in rural Canada. That said, his music lacks any inherent Canadian sensibility — its national influence comes through in Snaith’s development as a musician.
“Nothing about the music itself (is Canadian). I don’t like listening to music with national parameters (in mind),” he said. “(But) so much of my personality was determined when I was growing up in Canada … As a teenager, I was living in smaller towns, and was kind of isolated … so I turned inwards.”
Snaith took about a year to craft 2007’s Andorra, working by himself. However, despite crafting songs in isolation, Caribou’s tours are collaborative: he’s joined by a band. But while that group energy is great when on tour, it hasn’t looped back into Snaith’s songwriting. Though The Milk Of Human Kindness was inspired by playing live with a band, it remained a solo project.
“I enjoy (touring) a lot, since it fits both sides of my personality — the social side and introverted side,” said Snaith. “I get the best of both worlds. I work on demos alone for a long time, but also enjoy interacting with people, and get that kind of visceral experience (on tour by) playing drums, making music, meeting people, travelling.”
