A L U M N OT ES
Sloan guitarist Jay Ferguson (BA ’89). Photo used with permission from the CBC.
Sloan’s Jay Ferguson on longevity and the Polaris Prize by Adria Young (BAH ’10)
It’s been 20 years since the indierock band Sloan first formed in Halifax, but King’s alumni Jay Ferguson (BA ’89), and Patrick Pentland (BA ’91) (along with bandmates Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott) have shown that they’re still relevant in all the right ways with their tenth studio album, The Double Cross. The album was placed on the longlist for a 2011 Polaris Prize. The Canadian music prize was established in 2006 and is modelled off the United Kingdom’s Mercury Prize as a celebration of artistic achievement. A collection of music journalists, broadcasters, and bloggers across Canada compile a longlist of outstanding Canadian albums (this year, 16), from which ten are selected for the shortlist. From the shortlist, one album wins the title and a $30,000 cash prize. The Polaris is awarded to an album based solely 30
Tidings | winter 2011/2012
on artistic merit, rather than record sales, chart recognition or live performances, and it’s also become an arbiter of high-quality independent and underground music. “I’m very happy for this album to be recognized by the people on the board of the Polaris,” Jay says. “We certainly don’t have the same following as [2011 Polaris winners] the Arcade Fire, so it’s all very flattering.” In 1991, Ferguson and Pentland formed Sloan with Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott. Although Sloan’s albums, singles, and videos have been nominated for nine Junos and over 20 East Coast Music Awards, Jay says that people often think of the group as a hit band.” We’ve never had a platinum record or anything like that,” he says. The Polaris holds special weight for the band because they’ve been around longer than most of the other artists on the long-
list. Ferguson is hoping the nomination will connect the band to a younger generation of music fans. “In the past, the [kids] might have written us off as their parents’ music,” he says. Jay sees it as an opportunity for people to rediscover Sloan, one of Canadian rock’s most understated influences. Sloan’s approach to writing music has always been collaborative and dynamic, and originated from the energy of the Halifax music scene. They eventually relocated to Toronto, “mainly for girls,“ says Jay, but he adds that he’s happy and proud that the band started in Halifax. He’s hoping the Polaris nomination will give the band another chance. “I’d like to keep going for as long as we can,” he says. And as for the prospects of a 40th anniversary album? “I’ll be, like, 60 years old,” Jay laughs, “but I’d be psyched.”