For their latest album, post-punk-power-pop three-piece Night Committee dig deep and go back to the basics.
And on March 22, Calgary gets a taste of Your Plans Mean Nothing: the third release from the Committee, a grungey collection of buzzsaw punk that explores the unpredictability of life as a middle-aged rocker.
“It’s more ‘about things’ than I’ve ever let myself write before,” says guitarist/vocalist Andrew Wedderburn. “It’s more personal… and the songs are more straightforward. There’s a lot less playing with language for the sake of seeing what it can do, and a lot more saying things to see what it’ll say.”
The importance of Calgary’s music scene flows through the record as well. “There’s a lot on here that’s about the place the music has in our life,” says bassist Nicola Cavanagh-Whitfield. “How it’s formed, how it’s formed us, and how we’ve been doing it. Some of it’s super overt, like the ‘Carpenter’s Union Hall’ song, which is literally about playing in that all-ages scene, growing up.”
Any seasoned local music nerd just perked their ears at the mention of that legendary, long-gone Kensington all-ages venue. It was a piece of Calgary history, just like Night Committee in its own way.
Formed in 2009 by Wedderburn and drummer Joel Nye after the dissolution of ‘00s indie darlings Hot Little Rocket, the three members’ resumé of other bands spans Calgary’s past and present: from The Neutral States to very-much-active acts like Self Cut Bangs and Vailhalen — and even more, if you count former keyboard player and Calgary music stalwart Lorrie Mattheson, who played with the band until 2021.
“When we were in our 20s and early 30s, the band we were in was a high priority,” says Nye. “You know, touring across [the world], on the road, going where we could try to see where bands went, right? And now it’s just about, ‘Let’s get together and write two songs, and share the love we have for the craft we do.’”
All three members of Night Committee have kids now, with grown-up careers and a sense of stability that feels out-of-reach for many artists. But the peace of mind of a day job activates the band in entirely new ways.
“We’ve got the luxury of [not] worrying about driving to Toronto and getting the right people to come out to the gig,” says Wedderburn. “If all we care about is doing it, then the challenge is to be as good as you can be … It’s very naked and a different kind of scary, but I think it’s more rewarding.”
Their new lean-and-mean three-piece punk sound pairs nicely with this nuanced perspective. The opening track “Mistakes” turns self-reflection into an anthemic rallying cry, while “I Left Early” summons a storm of post-punk moodiness. But it all comes together, both sonically and philosophically, on the fittingly titled final track: “The Healing Power of Rock & Roll.”
“It’s about how music makes you and what it’s done for us,” says Cavanagh-Whitfield. “Music is magic. We don’t do this because it’s making us tons of money and bringing all sorts of fame and accolades.”
Your Plans Mean Nothing is available for your listening pleasure on March 22.
Join Night Committee at BLOX Arts Centre the day of for an all-ages show to celebrate.
