Artists pay tribute to rocker Joel Plaskett on surprise covers album

Aly Thomson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 13, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Some of the biggest names successful Canadian euphony are paying homage to Joel Plaskett connected a caller tribute medium that was made successful concealed — without the Halifax rocker's knowledge.

The treble medium titled Songs from the Gang — A Celebration of Joel Plaskett features covers from 22 artists including Sloan, the Sheepdogs, the Arkells, Mo Kenney, Alan Syliboy and Jenn Grant.

It was each kept confidential earlier being revealed to Plaskett earlier this week at Ditch Records and CDs successful Victoria, B.C., wherever helium and his household were visiting. 

"There was this poster connected the partition of this representation of maine … and I benignant of looked astatine it and I was like, I don't admit this poster, and past I saw this vinyl beside it," he told CBC's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

"Then we went to a workplace retired present to perceive to the full happening and conscionable listening to each these folks singing these songs, singing my tunes, a lot of friends, it's truly thing else. I was laughing and kinda crying astatine the aforesaid time."

The tribute was successful portion an aboriginal day contiguous for Plaskett, who turns 50 connected April 18.

He said the artists featured connected the medium are his friends and colleagues, and to perceive it for the archetypal clip and person it released wrong the span of a fewer days is somewhat mind-boggling.

"I can't afloat explicit what it means different than conscionable to accidental a immense convey you to everybody involved," helium said. "It's truly thing else."

Plaskett's vocation spans much than 3 decades, opening successful the 1990s with his band Thrush Hermit. He aboriginal embarked on an illustrious solo career, releasing 17 albums nether his sanction and with his set the Joel Plaskett Emergency.

Known successful the manufacture arsenic a bully feline with a lukewarm heart, Plaskett has successful more recent years worn a producer's hat, making records in his studio Fang Recording successful Dartmouth, N.S., adjacent moving with immoderate of the artists featured connected the tribute album.

From Alan Syliboy's Mi'kmaw-inspired and drum-driven mentation of Nowhere With You to the lively harmonies of Reeny Smith, Haliey Smith and Micah Smith connected Wishful Thinking, each creator puts their ain rotation connected the Plaskett classics.

Legendary rockers Sloan covered I Love This Town, a opus oozing with references to Halifax culture, landmarks and wrong jokes.

The band's Chris Murphy said they hearkened backmost to the aboriginal days of Sloan for their rendition to springiness it much of a grunge feel.

Murphy is simply a longtime person of Plaskett and recalls discussing euphony and beingness aft closing retired the bars successful Halifax successful the 1990s.

"He lived successful the aforesaid neighbourhood arsenic me, truthful erstwhile helium started going downtown, helium would thrust maine location and we would person these agelong conversations that would commencement astatine 2:30 successful the morning," Murphy told CBC's Q with Tom Power.

"Just similar a romanticist bent talking astir thing astatine a clip erstwhile we some had thing but time. I truly romanticize those talks."

Plaskett said it was Sloan that archetypal gave Thrush Hermit a boost by bringing them connected the road. 

There's adjacent a motion to Sloan successful the opus they chose to cover, Plaskett noted, erstwhile helium sings, "If you saw my band in the aboriginal days, past you'll recognize wherefore we moved away," referring to Sloan's determination to permission Halifax and determination to Toronto aboriginal successful their career.

"To perceive them singing it, I mean the full thing, I'm benignant of floored and my bosom is truly full," helium said. "It's an unthinkable day gift."