THE VEER UNION

Concert Photos and Interview with Crispin Earl

The Middle East
Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 14, 2019

Photos, Interview & Article by Michael LaFleche

I had the opportunity to have dinner with the Vancouver band The Veer Union before their show at the vaunted Middle East in Cambridge Massachusetts on a Tuesday night. By the way the band put on a great set for the tightly packed upstairs room in the club. It was an action packed night with several bands including the hip and rockstar upstarts Gold Star Blvd., Cross The Divide, Saved By Skarlet and Never Wake.

Here is the transcript of the interview with “The Veer Union” headed by Crispin Earl.

Michael: Welcome to freezing Boston. So what’s it like back home in Vancouver right now, is it warmer?

Crispin: I’m actually really nice right now. Yeah, probably like, ninety degrees in Vancouver right now.

Michael:No way, Really?

Crispin: Yeah, I know what I was crazy for away from home at the wrong time clearly. But we’re happy to be here.

Michael: You’ve been doing this for a decade now. So what’s changed since you first started?

Crispin: The industry has completely changed since we first started, and that’s probably like a whole novel. So I’ll try and just to sum it up by what’s changed for us. So when we first started we were on an independent label and after that we signed a deal with Universal records about a decade ago, and that was a was a great experience, but it wasn’t until actually until this year back on our new label that we really, really kind of found our niche, and that’s been the missing key. So now we are much happier doing what we want and how we want with more freedom.But we tried a couple of deals with a couple of indies. We found very, very soon. I’m, it’s a each deal that there’s only one side of the financials. You know, of any kind of money whatsoever was basically for the bottom line. The labels, they kind of got all the money, they invested the money and or which I can’t really blame them for. But at the same time, there’s never anything left over for us. So, it was really hard to build, but now, we own all masters and that made a big difference.

Michael: Yeah, I really like your album artwork.

Crispin: For the latest album, it’s technology versus humanity… you know, it’s just crazy. We live in a time where we’re becoming more and more machine all the time, which is cool and so many ways. I mean, technology has really changed our lives for the better in many ways but we’re also losing something. And that’s kind of I feel like it’s going to be interesting to see where we are ten years from now, and I think that that’s kind of it’s kind of a tip of the hat “Where are we going? Is this good? Or is it bad”. I guess we will find out in ten years, maybe sooner.

Michael: Where do you think your music is going to be in another ten years?

Crispin: Hopefully still being made. Yeah! That’s that’s really the only after every I mean, every year that goes by really feel lucky to still be making music.

Michael: Shorter term, what’s in store, what are you thinking is in the next couple years?

Crispin: We’re kind of finishing up the run for our newest album and then we’re going to get off the road and take a bit of a break we’ll start writing again and, you know, we have a couple of other things planned. But I can’t really tell you about it just yet….

Michael: I love the cover music that you guys make . I was listening to the cover you made of the Faith No More song Epic, which I thought was really, really cool. What goes into making a great cover song for you guys?

Crispin: It got to be a song you like, and not only that, but a band you admire, which is sometimes the hardest part too, because sometimes people think when they hear that song, why’d you ruin that song? I just wanted to do as a way we would have done it and not the way that they would have done it. It’s like, I hear somebody covers exactly the same, that is karaoke. We only have so we want to do or own version of that song, we didn’t it was actually probably the most typical cover took two or three months actually record. It was it was really though.We’re proud of how it turned out. It was an interesting one, because I feel like fifty percent of the people loved it. Fifty percent of people hate it, but the most important thing is one hundred percent of the people we’re talking about that that’d be important for that.

Michael: It was great. So, I really enjoyed it. Has anybody covered any of your songs that you know of?

Crispin: oh yeah, go on YouTube and there’s been some really, really great covers and there’s been really “How are you serious? Yeah, it was just leave it at that.” Hahaha.

Michael: For The incoming bands, like, you know, the younger generation, think of yourselves ten years ago, what would you some of the some upcoming bands like the ones opening for you?

Crispin: That’s a good question. And, you know, and actually, there’s a lot, but I would say that first and foremost, if you want to do this, because we want to be rich and famous quick right away immediately because it, it used to be like, we are like, .01 chance of that happening.. We’re taking on Justin Bieber and Metallica, and you will not make, you know, but now it’s more like . 0000000001 percent of how big they got.. But on the flip side from earlier, before you could not be a working musician you couldn’t be because of the major labels control everything, but now the major labels I’ve lost a lot of the control, and Indie labels now have helped, So now, if you want to actually make a living and do the job, if you’re willing to bust your ass and work hard every single day, this can be your day job. And, you know, that’s what I would say to somebody that’s starting out. Really wants to do it. You can do a job that you hate and work many hours doing it where you can do a job. You love working way more hours.

Michael: Hey, guys, I’ll let you guys enjoy you’re looking forward to the show tonight!