Bedouin Soundclash gears up for Windsor
By Lindsey Rivait
Arts Editor
November 28, 2007
 It has been two years since Bedouin Soundclash played Windsor and a lot has changed for the talented trio since then. They’ve enjoyed the success of their 2005 hit, “When the Night Feels My Song,” which went number one in both Canada and in the UK, from their second album, Sounding a Mosaic. Their songs have been featured on the Teton Gravity Research’s ski film Anomaly, Grey’s Anatomy, and in quite a few commercials worldwide. Besides all of that, the band has enjoyed experimenting with sounds even more, putting together something different to create a unique fusion of reggae, rock, soul, and ska in their music.
Vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bassist Eon Sinclair, and drummer Pat Pengelly, joined forces in 2001 as Bedouin Soundclash when they met while attending Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. The group was brought together through their shared love of reggae music.
Their newest release, Street Gospels, was produced by hardcore punk band Bad Brains’ bassist Darryl Jennifer, who also produced the band’s previous album as well. Jennifer and Bedouin Soundclash have developed a relationship resulting in a Bad Brains versus Bedouin Soundclash mash-up project, which is especially interesting considering the artists’ distinct differences in sound.
“We put our lyrics together,” explains Sinclair. “It’s a work in progress, so we try to do a couple whenever we have time off. One is released, ‘Jeb Rand is Sailin’ On,’ on iTunes. We’ve played it live once or twice. It’s something we do to show a little bit of our history and to show our appreciation for what Bad Brains does,” says Sinclair, who feels that Bad Brains is under-appreciated.
“The reason we make the music we do is because we’re all avid lovers of music. We like to see what new stuff is coming up all over the world,” says Sinclair, who cites the Clash, The Specials, and Massive Attack among his many influences. “Realistically, we try to take what we like and put it all together in new ways.”
The environmentally conscious Bedouin Soundclash includes diverse themes in their music, ranging from personal experiences to what’s going on in the world. “The stuff that we write is all based on experiences that we’ve had or that friends have had or issues that are going on in the environment,” Sinclair explains.
In September 2006, Bedouin Soundclash contributed their song, “Stand Alone” to the War Child Canada compilation album, Help: A Day in the Life, of which all of the proceeds from the album’s sales went toward War Child Canada’s humanitarian work in war zones all over the world. “It was good to be asked to be a part of it. War Child Canada is a good organization,” says Sinclair. When asked about what the next organization Bedouin Soundclash would be helping, Sinclair replied that “there’s nothing planned immediately, but every year we try to do something different to help where we can.”
Travelling has helped the band gain a better perspective on the world. “You get a better sense of what’s going on in a country by going there. You get to see what different societies are like. We all met in university so we’re all hyper conscious of issues anyway. It’s good to be in the position to be able to do something,” he says.
Travel has also exposed the band to some wonderful and understanding fans. One of the most amazing moments of the band’s career so far was during a festival they were playing in Leeds. Malinowski was sick so the band was forced to cut their set short. “He said we’d do one more song because his voice was so shot and that we’d owe them one. He started it and the whole crowd sang the entire song,” recalls Sinclair.
As for their current tour, “It’s been great so far,” says Sinclair. “We’ve only done two shows, and they’ve really been well received.”
Bedouin Soundclash’s second show in Windsor is sure to sell out fast, and the band is excited to put on an energetic show. “We’ve played a lot more shows to get better, and we have more songs to play. I feel like we have a better understanding of how to play to an audience and I think that comes across in our shows,” assures Sinclair.
What does the future hold for Bedouin Soundclash? “We want to keep innovating in terms of music. We want to feel like we’re doing something new and different all the time. We want to take our music to as many places as possible,” Sinclair says. “We really just want to keep making music that we find interesting. We want to challenge each other, express ourselves, and provide people with different perspectives.”
From the sounds of their music and the message behind it all, Bedouin Soundclash is on the right track.
Catch Bedouin Soundclash at The Basement on Friday, November 30 at 9pm. Tickets are $15 and are available from the UWSA. Their album, Street Gospels, is available in stores now. For more information, visit Bedouin Soundclash online at www.bedouinsoundclash.com.
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