Multi-platinum band Barenaked Ladies release their 16th studio album Detour de Force. The eagerly awaited album was produced by JUNO and Grammy award winner Eric Ratz and Mark Howard, and features 14 newly minted tracks including the hopeful and infectious new single “Good Life”. Detour de Force is available on CD and digital formats, along with a limited edition blue double vinyl featuring a bonus track. Stream / purchase Detour de Force HERE.
The music video for “Good Life” also premieres today. Directed by Edward Pond, the video features the band playfully navigating their beloved hometown of Toronto. “This song is the story of the band and how I feel about the band,” says Ed Robertson. “I’m not living the dream, I’m re-living the dream. I lived the dream twenty years ago; the real dream is that I’m still doing this.”
A special live performance of “Good Life” airs on The Marilyn Denis Show today at 10:00am ET on CTV. Ed Robertson will be featured on an episode of STROMBO today at 5:00pm ET on Apple Music. The four ‘Ladies’ will also be featured in a special interview with CBC News The National on July 23.
Detour de Force is BNL’s most broad-reaching and diverse album to date — fusing the distinct writing voices of Robertson, Hearn and Creeggan into a cohesive work. “Our band is very diverse in what we do,” says Robertson, “and on this record I really enjoyed the exploration. This record is a journey. Taking off one song would tip it in a way we didn’t feel was representative of the record we made. We wanted everything that’s here to be part of the record.”
Adds Tyler Stewart, “This is some of our strongest material in 30 years, easily. I think it stands up there with our best albums. It hangs with ‘Gordon,’ or it hangs with ‘Maroon.’”
BNL wasn’t dormant as the world shut down but the pause brought a fresh perspective to where the band wanted Detour de Force to go. “The pandemic really affected the album in an interesting way,” recalls Jim Creeggan, who penned a pair of the Detour de Force songs. “I was getting calls from friends to do remote-based stuff, people asking each other to add something to those projects. So we started reaching out and bringing other things into what we were doing.”
“We took several detours de force,” acknowledges Kevin Hearn, “but I think what you get is a beautiful hybrid of a live off-the-floor band, all the way to full-on production numbers.’ It’s kind of reminiscent of ‘Stunt’”.
“There was a lot that was amazing about recording at the cottage,” recalls Robertson, who wrote songs on his own and with friends Kevin Griffin, Craig Wiseman, Danny Michel and Donovan Woods. “The focus was great. The vibe was great. The hang was great. It was super positive for the band dynamic.” “It’s a surreal experience to write with someone whose songs you’ve known and admired for what feels like your whole life,” says Donovan Woods about writing with Robertson. “(Ed) and I sat for hours talking about ideas. We ended up with two songs I love so much (“Man Made Lake” and “God Forbid”) that I had to record them, too. Hearing BNL’s versions was another surreal moment. It’s an honour to have a small credit in such an amazing catalogue.”
