DB: What do you think All At Once offers Barra MacNeils fans, both old and new?
SM: I think one of the big elements of this new album is the addition of Ryan and Boyd (the Barra MacNeil's younger siblings, also part of the popular group Slainte Mhath). This is the first album that they've joined us on, and we've been out touring and doing a lot of shows. They've been great! It's added a whole new energy to both our live performances and the recording process; I think All At Once is one of the best albums that we've ever made.
DB:… and what does this mean for Slainte Math? Are Ryan and Boyd just taking a break from that project?
SM: Some of the band members are back in school now; they're doing some select gigs (together) but no longer going fulltime. But it's great. Ryan and Boyd bring a lot to the band instrumentally… and they're very creative. It's….been really good.
DB: Have you noticed more of the Slainte Mhath fanbase at your concerts, now, or has it always been side-by-side (both being Celtic-themed bands)?
SM: We've definitely developed fans through Slainte Mhath, and I think vice versa. It's a very healthy relationship. It's good.
DB: Talk about the recording process for All At Once…
SM: We recorded this album at Lakewind Studio and also at Soundpark. We worked with a number of people, including Deccan O'Doherty, Jamie Foulds, and Mike Sheppard. We had some assistance in the song department with Gordie Sampson and Jamie Gatti (who usually plays with us). The album was delayed a few times… for various reasons (laughs); these things happen, but in their due course, things eventually get done.
DB: When recording, do each of the members make equal contributions, or are there certain roles that you fall into when you sit down in the studio?
SM: Everybody has their input, but we all definitely have our roles. It's a great pool of talent to tap into… just having the family vocals, alone. It's great! It's nice, because we can pick material that is interesting to play; something that everyone has fun with every night.
DB: Is it a democracy when it comes to band decisions?
SM: It's a democracy, I suppose… or at least we try for one (laughs).
DB: Do you ever run out of ideas, or inspiration?:
SM: I really don't think so. Just on the traditional music alone, and the Gaelic music… there's a whole wealth there which is really endless. There's still many more songs that we want to record.
DB: How does the band celebrate the completion of an album such as All For Once?
SM: Food. Food is usually in order (laughs). Seriously, with the release of this album, the band's been out doing a lot of functions; Celtic Colours (the annual festival in Cape Breton), and it's been a really busy time. Actually, we just got back from playing the Highlands of Scotland, where we played the Blas Festival. It's a similar type of festival to Celtic Colours. A lot of those tours are great because you draw on your experiences. Scotland really is quite a hotbed of music, and it's always great to get over there and experience some of that.
DB: Speaking of touring, the Barra MacNeils have always been a touring band. Does that aspect of this "job" ever get tiring, or is it something that you all really enjoy?
SM: Touring's what we do. There are times that I think everybody would like to just… stay home, but overall, everybody's still into it. We're doing it while we can, really.
DB: On the same page, being a "family band", do you really ever have any off time, where you can just sit and flake and not think about it?
SM: Definitely…you need that. We do see each other a lot while we're home, but I suppose that's quite normal. We don't take a lot of off time, but we keep a pretty steady calendar. We don't tour long tours - usually about two or three weeks at a time - which makes it easier to have down time.
DB: Stewart, how does it feel - being a band of so many traditional influences yourself - knowing that you, now, are such a strong influence to up-and-coming East Coast bands?
SM: It's very flattering, but I suppose we all learn somewhere. It's really great when people actually do give you a credit as being an influence.
DB: And you? What were some of your strongest influences as a kid?
SM: We had a lot of traditional music right in our house. The MacKenzies from Washabuck, and the Stubberts in Alder Point and Point Aconi, we just had a lot of great traditional music. Oh, and the Cape Breton Fiddler's Association… we were a part of that whole "thing"; they would have regular ceilidhs and concerts in Glendale and Iona. That, and everything else that we could, possibly, be exposed to… we were. Sheumas, Kyle, Lucy, and myself, we all went to Mount Allison University and studied music there.
DB: …and on that same note of influences, do you think that if - by some cosmic force of nature - your parents had settled in rural Saskatachewan, do you think that the Barra MacNeils would be a band?
SM: It wouldn't be the same! No. It would probably still be there, in some fashion, but most definitely varied. Cape Breton's a great place to live: there's a lot of creativity here, and we've recently seen a real rejuvenation to the economy. There's a lot of good things happening here. And music will always be a part of our lives. It's who we are.
By Dave Brosha, CanEHdian.com (October, 2005)
