Jason Collett: “I Wanna Rob A Bank”
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As indie rock fans can attest, the Toronto music scene is something of a family affair. Broken Social Scene rules the roost, featuring so many talented members and collaborators that the group could stock a dozen different bands on its own. Over the years, names like Feist, Metric, Stars, Kevin Drew, and others have put worldwide musical attention on the Queen City.
Add Jason Collett to that list. A former woodworker, Collett joined Broken Social Scene as a guitarist in 2002, but over the past decade he’s taken time off for his budding solo career. To date he’s released four albums with number five on the way, and he’s also planning Essential Cuts, a career retrospective that works as a primer on the eclectic songwriter’s lengthy career.
But first, that fifth solo record. Reckon comes out September 25, and it reflects Collett’s outspoken nature. While on the road for much of the last few years, Collett has seen economic devastation in many of his tour stops. He decided to write about it and–no surprise–received help from many of his Toronto peers. Kevin Drew, Basia Bulat, Afie Jurvanen of the band Bahamas, and the guys in the retro-rocking outfit Zeus all make appearances.
“This record is a personal reflection of the crisis we’ve all witnessed and read about every day in the paper,” says Collett, and that fact is reflected in the sardonic “I Wanna Rob A Bank.” Over a disco/reggae backbeat, he sings of frustration and wish-fulfillment. Regardless of your political affiliation, there’s no denying Collett’s ability to turn even the darkest thoughts into a catchy sing-along.
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