Spotlight: Ian Blurton

C'Mon (l-r): Ian Blurton, Katie Lynn Campbell, and Randy Curnew

Formerly of Change Of Heart, Blurtonia, and then Bionic, singer/guitarist Ian Blurton now fronts the explosive Toronto-based rock trio C'Mon, whose new album – In The Heat Of The Moment (MapleMusic) – is causing a bit of a stir.

In over a decade of recording and performing, Blurton is also a respected producer, having recorded albums for The Lowest of the Low, The Weakerthans and Tricky Woo.

Now touring cross-Canada, the band’s latest CD is to be released in Europe (Delboy Records), with unpredictable plans to tour there in 2006.

S&H.ca: What is it about C’Mon that gives you that which was missing from your former groups?

Blurton: It’s really fun. That’s the main thing; the songwriting is easy and we all get along really well. We have our own modus operandi and we get to it.

S&H.ca: You’ve been on a major label with Change Of Heart. Now and ever since you seemingly revel in remaining on a grassroots-indie level. Why is that?

Blurton: Major labels don’t come calling everyday. If they did, who knows? Maybe it’d be the right deal for us. But we’re pretty fuckin’ happy where we’re at right now.

S&H.ca: Why was the new album recorded in two different sessions?

Blurton: We did one session with Al P (Death From Above 1979) but he got busy. Though he wasn’t really producing per se… then Daryl Smith (Sloan, Godspeed You Black Emperor) came in and he produced the record and made it an album. We did half the album with Al and the other half with Daryl.

S&H.ca: What is C’Mon’s plan for Europe and how did the deal with Belgian label Delboy Records come about?

Blurton: We’re having trouble getting the record released (in Europe), but it’s supposed to come out over there shortly. So for now we’re happy with what we’ve been building up in Canada with all the touring we’ve been doing.

The deal (with Delboy) was the result of mailing out our record to a number of hard rock labels to see if anyone wanted to put it out. And this one label loved it… it’s the kind of thing you dream about without any politics being involved.

S&H.ca: You’ve produced a number of bands in Toronto. How challenging is it for you to transform yourself from the singer/guitarist in C’Mon to a producer of another’s project altogether?

Blurton: I’m a completely different beast (as a producer). It’s a different mindset… I’ve worked with a lot of young bands and sometimes they know what they want but they’re not sure how to get it. Some of the best times though have come when you get a band that knows exactly what they want to do and it becomes more of a matter of just smoking pot with the band and mixing the record. And that’s what C’Mon’s record was like; it was an easy record to make and therefore an easy record to stand behind.

S&H.ca: You recently told Exclaim! “we’re further past our due date than would be expected for rock ’n rollers”. Do rock bands have an expiry date and is this comment a foreshadowing of what’s to come?

Blurton: Rock used to be about youth. I’ve been told to retire more than once by a number of different people and they can all go fuck themselves. When we play to 14-year-old kids and they’re like, ‘holy crap’, because they’ve never seen a rock band like us before… it’s awesome and it keeps us young.

S&H.ca: How much collaboration takes place between yourself, Katie Lynn Campbell (bass) and Randy Curnew (drums)?

Blurton: It’s totally a band. That’s the one thing that’s most important. I might write the skeletons of the songs but we work on all the songs together.

S&H.ca: What’s on the horizon for Ian Blurton the producer and also for C’Mon, post tour?

Blurton: I have nothing lined up as a producer after we’re done touring, which is great, because I’ll get a chance to relax. I had a pretty hectic summer with C’Mon touring and I also recorded five albums.

Once we get back (to Toronto) in late October we’ll be recording a seven-inch record with Whitey Houston (the band C’Mon has toured with of late). We’ll be writing two songs together and recording it with two drums, two bass, one guitar; I don’t know when it’ll get released.

Courtesy photograph