They have been called “a Canadian gem.” Better known at home than internationally, the band called 54-40 clearly has fans on the Sunshine Coast. After their first gig at the Raven’s Cry Theatre on March 17 sold out, a second show added on March 18 has also sold out.
Brad Merritt, one of the founders of the band along with singer/guitarist Neil Osborne, spoke with Coast Reporter by phone while he was on the stands watching baseball spring training. He has been playing bass, singing and songwriting since the early 1980s. They changed their music over the years, and it is sometimes described as a post-punk band though elements of folk, punk and the new age music of the 1980s peek through.
“Pop rock combo, best describes us,” said Merritt. “We’ve evolved – we’re now two guitars, a bass and drums, so classic rock band, but we’re stylists. The way we arrange music is different – that’s the combo aspect.”
In 2016 they changed again, making a decision to go acoustic.
“We’ve been talking about it since 2014,” Merritt said. “We rearranged songs and recorded a show at White Rock. It was received very well.” The result is 54-40’s 2016 release La Difference: A History Unplugged, produced by Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, an intimate and unplugged reimagining of their greatest hits, some of which they will bring to Sechelt this weekend where Merritt and Osborne are joined by drummer Matt Johnson and guitarist Dave Genn. The audience listens intently at acoustic concerts, Merritt notes, and they like that Osborne shares intimate details about the band on stage. One of their hits, One Gun, translates well from the rock version to the acoustic version with no loss of meaning in the original lyrics. 54-40 is currently touring their 2017 release titled Keep On Walking.
The band had some big successes last year. They were inducted into the Hall of Fames at both The 17th Annual Independent Music Awards (The INDIES) and the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards and they gave performances at both award ceremonies.
At every concert they like to play their decades of hits – the audience expects it. Remember I Go Blind or Ocean Pearl? For sure they will be on the playlist. Some fans have compared them to the Tragically Hip.
“We used to be compared to R.E.M. back in the day,” said Merritt. Listeners of an older musical generation can hear Crosby, Stills and Nash in some of their tunes. For the Sechelt concert it will be a mixed bag, some album tracks, some older. They promise not to disappoint their many fans. See www.5440.com for more.
