We are the band, Barenaked Ladies, and we’re excited to celebrate our 25th anniversary tomorrow with our new album Grinning Streak -- AMA

Have you Seen this?

I'd love to hear what you think of it!

ER: That clip is SO Great. IS it a veiled shot at The Big Bang Theory?? Perhaps. It's a really funny clip. I was astounded by how many times they mentioned us. They went all they way with the joke.

Any chance of a reunion with Steven Page?

ER: OK OK... I KNOW THIS QUESTION (oops caps lock) is on a lot of peoples minds. I can't imagine that happening anytime in the near future. We worked together for 20 years, and did a lot of great things. I'm really proud of that work. That said, we're moving forward as a 4 piece. We're happy about that. VERY Happy. Caps on purpose.

Let me translate from the Canadian for you:

"Fuck no."

ER: Haha. It's not a "Fuck no"... it's a "Probably Not". Probably never. Highly Illogical.

Been a huge fan for years and years. I'd just like to say that while the band probably gets really sick of this question, and while it may seem to distract from the really great things the band has been doing since Page left, we as fans are genuinely interested in this. We love BNL as is, but many of us also fell in love with the band with Page and hope for a reunion at some point.

ER: I think part of what people fell in love with, was watching us having fun. We stopped having fun. The 4 of us are having fun again. Still, I totally understand why people yearn for this. All that material is still there, and we still play it. We've just moved on. The party has chaged rooms, but it's still a pretty killer party!

Oh so they're BNL now? we need a shorthand for the Barenaked ladies, that's how fundamental they are. EDIT: I'm sorry, its a joke from community, I love BNL!

JC-Thanks. We were once on the Weird Al show and the netwerk wouldn't let him say Barenaked Ladies. He tried his best to make BNL sound exciting in his introduction. It didn't have the same zing.

As a high school teacher (who actually teaches Grade 9) I often quote your lyrics to my struggling freshmen to make them feel better or just laugh ("If you think growing up is tough, then you're just not grown up enough" is proudly displayed on my bulletin board year-round). What lyrics (yours or others) inspire you the most? Which ones make you laugh the most?

Saw you guys in Tampa at Busch Gardens and you may have made that one of my favorite BNL shows to date (that may have been from being front row and actually getting to interact with you guys!). Hoping the one in Nashville this summer is just as fabulous! :)

ER: Hmmm... There are lots fo lyrics that I really like. It's sort of my thing. Every song has a few couplets that I'm really proud of, or it doesn't end up getting finished.

Like Kurosawa I make Mad Films... OK, I don't make films

It's the perfect time of year, somewhere far away from here

SOme of my favs from the new record...

Long Tooth Time is Marching on as I sing Just Cut me down the middle and count my rings

Anyone can walk on water, just before they drown.

Talk was cheap, til I started talking to professionals

Despite the pretty dress and curls, you don't throw like other girls You follow through.

Lyle Lovett has written about 483 amazing songs. Lots of lines that I admire. "And this old porch is like a steaming, greasy plate of enchiladas With lots of cheese and onions And a guacamole salad And you can get'em down at the lasalle hotel In old downtown"

Also "The Weakerthans" have a song called "Tournament of Hearts" that's full of Curling references... That's a pretty amazing feat.

why is a real green dress cruel?

ER: That song was done as a live take in the studio. Each day of the recording session we'd tackle a new song, and then do a new version of If I Had $1,000,000. We wanted the spontaneity of a live version combined with the sonics of a good studio. So there were actually about 15 complete takes of the song. The original line was "With a tastefully rounded neck", but Steve changed it once to make me laugh. It stuck. It making no sense, made us laugh more.

First off, thanks so much for your music. You manage to go from silly/lighthearted to deep/meaningful and back again without skipping a beat, and it's a damn good representation of how life actually works.

1) You're most known for a handful of songs (If I Had A Million Dollars, Pinch Me, One Week, etc). In your opinion, what song(s) actually best represent the band? Which songs do you wish had gotten more attention?

2) Specific question: What's the real story behind Old Apartment? Is the guy actually breaking into his ex-GFs apartment? Or is he still with the GF and living somewhere else? What was the inspiration? [EDIT: I know this has been answered a few times in the past, but the lyrics just don't seem to match up with the "official story" of a couple revisiting their first apartment.]

3) Sorry, a Steven question: He's a flawed person, however his music and work has positively affected the lives of millions of people. There are a number of people like this: Steve Jobs comes to mind. What are your thoughts on this correlation -- do the ends justify the means in situations like this?

Can't wait to see you guys at the Mountain Winery (6/25)!

ER and KH: Question One... I think One Week, and Pinch me are very good representations of what we do, as for some band favourites... For You, Ordinary, Some Fantastic, Sell Sell Sell, Celebrity, I Know.

Question Two... That is the correct interpretation. It's a song about places. How going back to your childhood home is strange when the new owners have changed things. The couple is still together.

"I Know"!!!! One of my all time favorites...start playing it again!

ER: One of my favourite bridges of all time!

Have been a fan since I first got a copy of Gordon from Columbia House Music Club in 1993 and first saw you play live on the Pirate Ship tour in '96.

My question, which I've been sitting on for 20 years now, is if the King of Bedside Manor is supposed to be about a real-life celebrity, and if so who?

ER: Not anybody in particular no. We were thinking about those leather-faced '70s TV stars like George Hamilton, or Mike Douglas. A guy struggling to hold on to something sexy that is slipping through his fingers. About himself, and everything.

In coming up with the Big Bang Theory theme song, how much direction were you given by the producers, and how much was completely your own?

ER: Chuck and Bill were fans of the band. We had a convo about what they wanted (The history of everything in about 30 seconds!), and I told them that I wasn't at all precious about making changes. I sent them a first stab, and it ended up being REALLY close to the final version. They asked if it could start kind of dreamy, and get really fast. They already had a mock up of the opening. Chuck is a songwriter too, so he knew what he was asking for. It was a really great experience. I love those guys.

Ed will you ever try to reprise your role as Captain Dynamic? That series was easily one of my favourite things Rooster Teeth ever did.

ER: That was SO MUCH FUN to do. I love the Rooster Teeth folks. I would jump at any chance to collaborate with them again. That whole shoot was a blast.

No question from me, just a HUGE thank you to the band for the experience you provided me.

In May 2005 you were playing a fundraiser for the WWF at the Orpheum in Vancouver. Not sure if you remember that one, but it was a really awkward show in that the audience was quite stiff and sat for most of it. They also complained about those of us who stood.

The obnoxious 17-year-old that I was at the time brought a big sign that said 'Will Woodblock Freely' and held it up throughout the show, much to the displeasure of the stuffy folks behind me.

Partway through IIHAMD, you guys acknowledged my sign and invited me up on stage to woodblock with you.

The five or six minutes I was up there with you has always felt like a complete blur to me. Afterwards my friends said Ed and Steve rapped about me, and commented on my drumming, but I don't remember any of that. I was in such a natural high. To this day I only remember that feeling of extreme elation and absolute awe being up on stage playing with my favourite band. I wish I could get the audio from that show or any cellphone video – I've searched and searched and contacted Nettwerk, and have had no luck. I would love to hear it again.

It remains the single coolest, most surreal experience I've ever had in my life, and I know it'll be next to impossible to top that concert. From the 17-year-old me, I want to thank you guys for giving me that experience on a whim, and truly making me the happiest kid in Vancouver that night. As 25-year-old me, it really solidified my appreciation for your music and your character, giving a fan such a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It meant the world to me, and still makes me grin whenever I listen to $1,000,000. Thank you for that reason to smile.

ER: I have the video. I watch it daily. For your own protection, you should never see it. The moment is much more special in your mind.

ER: Kidding. Thanks for this. It's pretty cool to be able to do this sort of thing for people. If memory serves, you were quite awesome!

I know that many bands learn to hate the song which gave them success, so what are your opinions on your songs like One Week?

ER: If we get tired of something, we change it, or take it out of the set. $1,000,000 is the only song we ALWAYS play. I actually don't get tired of it. It produces such a feeling of joy in the crowd. It's palpable. I think it's important to balance the band's creative needs with the audiences desire hear their favourites. You can't play everything that everybody wants to hear. I'd be disappointed if I went to see The Proclaimers, and they didn't play 500 Miles. One Week became a bluegrass song for a while. It's a balancing act. We're there to entertain you, but it has to be fun for us too.

Hi from Ottawa! Ed, can you talk about your experience working with Chris Hadfield on I.S.S? Were there unexpected technical challenges? any surprises working with CSA/NASA? My daughter sang it at music monday here at city hall, she was so thrilled!

That was a great experience. Chris is an incredible guy. I thought I was doing him a HUGE favour when I agreed to co-write the song with him. It's been a pleasure riding his extra-orbital coattails for this whole ride! The only technical challenge we faced was the (up to) 6 second delay for video transmissions. To deal with this, Chris played his part LIVE on the I.S.S., and sent us the entire take. Then, we played along LIVE to his take... On Earth.

Did you ever think of a good R word for your crazy ABC'S?

ER: I've had a bunch of people request that song recently. We only ever did it one time! The time it was recorded on the record. I would need a lyric sheet to do that one again! I got the idea from a friend of mine named John who used to spell his full name that way (using misleading phonetics).

Tell us the story of the craziest fan you've ever met.

Got a good one. We'll tell a story in video and post it shortly.

Here's the story. Enjoy!

Hey guys,

I just need you to know that you're my favorite band.

People always ask the question, "What type of music do you like?" or "What's your favorite band?" and things along those lines.

My music tastes have changed over 20 years, but the one sound that has always been consistent for my entire life is BNL. My dad introduced me to the "Gordon" album when I was 4 years old and I must have listened to it on repeat for years. It made me laugh and not be afraid to sing in public. I didn't even know who Yoko Ono was, but hearing the impression of how she sings will go down as one my favorite memories ever.

When "Stunt" came out, knowing the lyrics to "One Week" was like currency and I listened to it over and over again to get it right. I even still have the lyrics book somewhere with little marks I made in pen to point out the lyrics that are in the book, but NOT in the song. (something about Yoda). I went camping all summer and had that album playing out of my crappy portable discman until the batteries died, singing along with my friends all night.

As I've matured, I've been able to go back and listen to some of your more "mature" songs and rediscover music all over again. I gained an appreciation for your fantastic harmonies. and the way you all work together; this also shoes in the live concerts I've seen where you always do some kind of improv song on the spot that to this day I can't believe you make look so easy.

The point is, you're more than just a band to me. In a way, I grew up alongside you as you grew too (I'm 25 now). I appreciate everything you do and I'm just really happy I got the opportunity on Reddit or anywhere to tell you that.

You are all remarkable talents and I could not be happier that you're still making music and loving what you do.

So thanks for everything. I saw you last year at the Greek in Los Angeles where Ed so defiantly proclaimed that he rhymed the word "Orange" four times in the song "Four Seconds"; I don't know that I have the funds to go again this year, but I know you'll have an awesome show. I will most definitely be getting "Grinning Streak" and listening to that until it wears out.

After all that, I do actually have a question (thanks for reading this far.!):

When I was very young, I was watching Nickelodeon or some other kids channel, and a commercial came on. It was a music video about accepting others. The lyrics went something like, "It doesn't matter if you're white or black, or green or brown" and someone was playing the guitar. The song was really upbeat and fun and I loved it. I swear there was some kind of green space man in the video. I can't really remember because it was so long ago. Then, the "Gordon" album came out and my memory was jogged because I swear the same green space man was in the album art. I was never really able to confirm if BNL was the band that made that kids video. If you have any idea what I'm talking about and could confirm, I'd love to put this 20 years mystery to rest!

Thanks guys!

TS The Ballad of Gordon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtXoKOwTo2M

Hey guys. I credit 'One Week' with being one of the first songs to get me into 'bands', if that makes sense? Anyway, just wondering, why no UK tour?

cool, Closer to The Heart by Rush was what got me into bands. we're going to the UK in November.

Questions:

• Any crazy fan stories? The audience usually seemed pretty low-key to me, but I'm sure there are some.
• Did you plan out a lot of your jumps and dances (not counting "Shopping") or did they just evolve over time? (Thinking of "Brian Wilson," etc.)
• To each of you: which is your favorite song, which is your least favorite? Were there any songs you regret making?
• Are there any subjects you won't sing about? Do you regret your decision to express your political opinions ("Maybe You're Right," "Rule the World with Love," and "Take It Back" stand out)? I loved these songs, but I remember someone complaining to you at a Q&A session at a concert in Chicago.
• How did you decide which "Steve" songs to keep playing live after he left, and who would sing his part? I know many of them are classics that fans love, so are you embracing the shift, or are you trying to skew toward "Ed" songs and new stuff?

Sorry, I know that's more than one question, I've been waiting for this for more than half my life ;)

I'd also like to say thank you. Thank you so much. I went through some pretty terrible things when I was younger (until recently actually), had/have many friends who were depressed and suicidal, and your songs have led me through it all in the last 15 or so years since I was first given one of your CDs by a classmate. The fact that so many of your songs touched on such issues of mental health was so important to me. I have been to more concerts than I can count, and my pictures with all of you are treasures to me, even now.

ER: Wow, thanks for the very thoughtful questions. I'll try to touch on a couple. I don't think there are any subjects we wouldn't sing about. There is nothing we'd avoid for political reasons, or being worried about controversy. I love "Take it Back". It's an emotional response to a very complicated problem. I think it's strange that people seem to care what celebs use in their hair, and carry their stuff in, etc etc... but don't want to hear their politics. If I like somebody (actor, musician, politician etc), I'm curious about what they're in to. I hate the "Shut up and sing" mentality.

We're just playing the songs we want to play. I think we'll go deeper in to the back catalogue as we become more comfortable with everything.

Glad we've been a source of strength for you. Look after yourself!

What's the state of your relationship with Steven Page these days? Do you miss that voice? Do you foresee him ever coming back?

What was it like behind the scenes back in the dark days of the cocaine scandal, the children's album and Steven leaving the band?

JC-I haven't had any correspondence with Steve since I saw him leave the studio the day he left the band. I have sent some emails about solar panels etc (anything that wasn't band related). He hasn't replied. I am not against him coming back, but I am enjoying the vibe the band has right now. Music always seems to reflect the nature of our group, so in the days when the band was fraying, the music was becoming very compartmentalized. Everyone was holding their cards close to the vest and reluctant to take a chance at something. I don't miss that time. There's a greater level of trust these days. When Steve was exposed as having struggles in the last days of being in the band, he actually started soul searching more and sharing more thoughts with me. I am sad that I didn't get to hear more. The 2 decades working with Steve were very trying at times. I would like to know for my own development how I contributed to crumbling of a group.

Thanks everybody!

What are each of your favorite songs to perform live?

JC-When I Fall is a fav of mine

What's the most embarrassing thing you can tell us about your band-mates?

Video response to this coming soon! EDIT: Here's our response!

In The Car is one of the most vivid snapshots of life I've ever heard in a song. I'm still surprised every time I listen to it at how true it is to early attempts at intimacy. Every part of that song works together really well in setting up that scene for me. Is this based on one specific broad or a just the broad spectrum?

And if it is one specific girl, do you know if she ever heard this on a tape inside her car with her new husband and she turned to him and said "I think that's me?"

TS I'll answer this on behalf of the guy who wrote it if y'all don't mind. Steve wrote this with someone really specific in mind. I won't name her, but she was an ex of his. I'm willing to bet the girl in question knows it's exactly about her. I always loved this song too. A love song filled with lust and longing, satisfaction and regret. Also Kev's guitar solo is awesome, and confirmed his place as the soloist in the band.

[deleted]

Kh I agree completely

This is a question about how clearly you remember certain shows. My first BNL show was in '92 when you opened for Stephen Stills at a salmon enhancement benefit overlooking Avila Beach, California. Bob Marley's "Jammin'" became "Salmon", etc. I've never seen a band win over a crowd like you guys did that day. It was a beautiful day. I also remember that Stephen (Stills) seemed a bit, uh, preoccupied.....Anyone?

TS I totally remember this gig. It was for a great little station called K-Otter from San Luis Obispo CA. The station was staffed by these enthusiastic hippy/stoner types and they all loved BNL early on. I think we made them, and the crowd at The Salmon Gig, laugh their high-heads off with "We're Salmon, We wanna Salmon with You". It was all part of those seemingly endless gigs between 1990 and 1995 when we were virtually unknown in the U.S. but huge in Canada. We literally went house to house, station to station and gig to gig winning Americans over with crazy energy, tight rhythms, courtesy of Andy and Jimmy C, and ridiculous improv's like We Wanna Salmon with You. It's a bit of a blur now, but I feel like the ethic of the band was forged at gigs like that -Keep everyone laughing and singing and dancing - the band included, at all times. You could probably argue that most BNL improv's centre around food, or at least the food supply chain.

Have you ever gotten in touch with Paul McCartney's people about putting a session together?

ER: That's a story that we've never actually verified. I'd be really excited to find out if PM ever actually said such a thing. Once, I got super excited about hearing that Prince had listed Stunt as one of the top records of the year. When I tracked down the source of the original quote... It was ME talking shit on some radio show. When you make up everything you say simply to make your bandmates laugh, it's hard to remember all the smack you've talked!!! I don't think this PM quote came from us though!!

What album was the most fun for you to make and why?

JC-The BLAM albums were the most fun to make for me. We worked with Susan Rogers for the Bed Tracks. Her experience working with Prince shone through. She is a genius. For the overdubs I had the fortune of producing and editing a lot of the overdubs. I edited the lead vocals and worked closely with Kev with his keyboard takes. I had the chance to score the horns and chart the 3 part harmonies. I layered the strings in my kitchen. It's the closest I've ever come to being intricately involved in every step of a BnL record. It was an amazing experience to hear how Bob Clearmountain mixed the songs. He took it up several notches. Nice guy as well.

I'll avoid the obvious "is Steven ever coming back?" question and ask something I really want an answer to:

Why doesn't "Great Provider" get played more often live? I'm really hoping it'll be in the set list when you guys come through Lansing, MI this summer (hint hint) but everyone should get a chance to hear that song live, because it's a powerful tune.

(Second question: how did it feel playing "Break Your Heart" and "Call And Answer" with someone else singing on the last Ships and Dip? Those songs haven't been played in a while.)

KH : well, we are about to start putting our summer setlist together and need to reinvent another batch of songs. Great Provider is a great idea. Thanks for the request and the tip.. Jason Plumb did an amazing job on Break Your Heart , which is definitely one of Steve's signature vocals. Who sang Call and answer with us? Was it Adam from Guster? anyways... our old pal Boothby is joining us on our upcoming tour so I imagine he will come up and sing something with us. Did you see him perform Yoko Ono with us on Ships and Dip ? THAT was great. It's nice to get to play some of those songs . there a few i miss playing. hello city, call and answer come to mind.

I am legitimately excite to have kids just so I can play Snacktime! for them. Thank you for that. Which brings me to my question, how hard was it writing children's songs as a full time legitimate band? Was it harder than you thought it would be, or twice as easy?

KH: speaking for myself, I found it came very naturally to me to write songs for children . I had an amazing amount of fun making that record, and doing the drawings for it. it is one of my favorites.

Any chance of bringing back the style you use in One Week, Pinch Me and Another Postcard?

KH; I think if you like those songs, there will be a few you will enjoy on this new record. Try " Odds Are " .

Kevin, who was your piano teacher at St. Michael's Choir School? Do you remember Jerzy Chichocki (Doc) at a younger age? Was he hotheaded? Was Bob Berringer called CNB? What was the best tour you went on? What was your best memory or your time there?

Sincerely, an SMCS student :)

Hi there :) my piano teacher was Mr Pengelly. i remember he often had a bag of sunflower seeds and would eat them while i was trying to concentrate. ha ha . He was the first teacher to encourage me to improvise and write original songs.. which was probably a big deal in hindsight. I do vaguely remember jerzy.he was never my teacher though. i remember a few teachers who had , shall we say .. tantrums. a mischievous choirboy could drive anyone to madness. There were some really great teachers at that school, and Bob B was one of them.
The first time I ever visited New York was with the choir . i remember Miss Mann insisted we all hold hands as we walked through Times square. We all stayed with families that would host two of us while we were in their city. i remember the family that hosted me and my friend colin. Their son had to be taken to the hospital because he ate silly putty. he was okay though.
One of my favorite memories was performing Mahler's 8th symphony with the TSO at Roy Thompson Hall. Father Armstrong was conducting ( another great teacher) . Experiencing the power and spirit of the music during those performances really opened my mind to the beauty and emotional power of classical music . I took my piano lessons more seriously after that. thanks for the questions. I hope you are having a good life!

So you mentioned in a video of your on youtube how Grinning Streak is different lyrically and thematically from All in Good Time, how would you say musically it's different?

TS&KH Musically - Grinning Streak is more electronics driven, more 'contemporary' sounding? We've flirted with this in the past with songs like OFF THE HOOK from Maroon, or WHEN YOU DREAM from Stunt, but this time we really went for it on some songs. Also, the process was different as Gavin Brown was really into creating sonic environments and just letting us Jam the song out, even if we hadn't come up with a final arrangement yet. He'd literally walk in to the control room and start shouting "YEAH!! ROLL IT, ROLL IT! THIS IS GREAT!!" and we'd just play the song a bunch of times, or once even. Later Kev and Ed would add extra keys or guitar with Gavin twiddling knobs on effects or standing and giving feedback, both verbal and electronic...

As somebody living in 'Peterborough and the Kawarthas', why would you choose this sleepy little section of middle Ontario to sing a song about?

JC-Peterborough and the Kawarthas Rocks! But that's not why I chose to write about it. It came from hearing it on the weather report on CBC regional radio. The announcer said Peterborough and the Kawarthas in such a casual way, yet it's such a romantic sounding place. I couldn't resist

I have a question for Kevin. :-D I absolutely adore the song "Vanishing". Any back story about its creation?

Thanks!

KH: Hi , I am glad you enjoy it. It is one of my favorite's as well.

i wrote the guitar part first , then the chorus . i think it started as a song about animals going extinct. I decided to cheer it up a little and make it about a lady who has a rendezvous with a magician in Las Vegas.I think I wrote the verses while we were in Vegas. I still think you could use that chorus efffectively in an add for world wildlife fund or something like that. I originally recorded that song with Thinbuckle , but it wasn't quite ready yet. i am happy that it ended up with BNL though as I love the harmonies. I really like the version from " live from the Glenn Gould theatre " . thanks for the question .

Does Barbara Hall get a percentage for putting you in the news way back then?

TS It was actually Toronto Mayor June Rowlands in 1991. Mayor Barbara Hall gave us the keys to the City in 1994. We loved Barb for her progressive politics. We loved June for making us a household name in Canada back in 1991!

Not a question, but Ed I love watching you on Ed's Up. It's a great show, but damn you suck at planting trees!

As for the rest of you guys, thank you for all the great songs throughout the years. As most Canadians, I was hooked after hearing Lovers in a Dangerous Time, and have been a fan ever since.

I don't suck at planting trees. Tree planting just sucks!

I love the new Kevin-lead song Day Dreamin, and I'm eagerly awaiting Jim's Who Knew. Ed's songwriting was in fine form for this album. I'm just wondering, on this album, why were there so few Kevin and Jim songs?

KH ha I'm wondering the same thing.

Kevin, approximately how many different instruments do you play on the new album? Does one stand out as the most fun or interesting to play?

KH approximately six hundred and seventy five thousand different instruments. My favorite was the swizzle stick harp.

I LOVE the new album, boys! What songs from the album do you plan to play live this tour? Obviously Boomerang and Odds Are are musts, but for the others, are you planning to rotate them out? Thanks!

KH Which songs do you guys want to hear?

Love you guys. Got to see you in Pittsburgh after my freshman year in college. Great show, but the best was how much you all talk to and engage the audience. I remember you telling a story about going to Primanti bro's and getting the kielbasa sandwich and imitating the pittsburghese of all the patrons. Had me laughing my ass off out on the lawn. Never had the courage to eat the kielbasa and cheese, so my question is, how is it? And should I try it the next time I'm in town?

Rock spectacle is one of the best live albums ever

TS Always try any sandwich that comes with Fries AND Coleslaw on it. Even a Shit Sandwich. Primanti Bros rules!