Sébastien Lefebvre, disarmingly friendly.
Nice Guy On A Mission
Wanna know something? That pretty-looking poster boy from the band you just can’t stand is probably the nicest guy in the world. Heartbreaking, I know. I’m sure it’s not 100% true, and I’m sure there are a whole bunch of ego-driven exceptions to the rule. Maybe it’s even all just well-rehearsed interview-technique. But so far, every time I’ve spoken to someone in a big international band, whose music I just don’t understand or care for, they’ve always been so disarmingly friendly, polite, humble, and just so passionate and into the music they’re making. And Sébastien Lefebvre, rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist for bratty Canadian pop-punk-turned-emo-fringed-power-pop band, Simple Plan, was the nicest of the bunch.
Waiting for his call I felt nervous. The interview had been arranged at the last minute, and I had no idea what to ask him. I’d decided to wing it, and just chat to him like a normal dude. But, by the time he was fifteen minutes late, I was beginning to doubt myself. What was I doing?
The phone rang. “Hello, I’m going to put you through to Seb. Are you ready?” a pretty-sounding, female Canadian asked me. “Er, I guess so…” *click*. “Hi, this is Seb. How’re you doing?” Here we go.
I started with the usual, “Where in the world are you? What are you up to right now?” line of questioning, and Seb told me that the band was at home in Montreal, preparing to play a live show on Canadian TV. He was about to go and do soundcheck, then play the show, and then do a whole bunch of other interviews. Afterwards, the band is leaving for a “small tour of the States”, Australia for five weeks, and then Europe.
“Shit, your schedule sounds pretty intense. Did you get any time off before the album came out?”
“No, actually we’ve just come back from Europe, Japan, Mexico (the list went on). We were promoting the album, and just letting people know that it’s coming out. It’s been a whirlwind”.
The scenes Seb described, from fans in Brazil camping outside the band’s hotel room, for three days, just to catch a glimpse of them, to crazy fans in Mexico, reaching out like “zombies”, just to touch them, it sounded like that old New Kids on the Block cartoon, or a modern form of Beatlemania.
“Jeez, so what do you guys do on the road to stay sane? Do you have a huge collection of Xboxes and PlayStations?”
“No. We used to. But they became too much to carry around everywhere. So now we just watch movies, or DVDS. Lost, Heroes…”
“Heroes? What did you think of season two?”
“Hmm. I think everything just happened so fast. Then it got good. Then it was over. Like a nervous sexual encounter”.
“What do you mean?”
“Like, at first you’re nervous. Then you start to get into it. Then she leaves. Season two was okay, but I think season three’s gonna be a lot better”.
From the sound of things, Simple Plan have been on one long tour for the past six years, making three albums in-between, and touring everywhere from Japan to Mexico, England to Australia, Brazil to South Africa. This year, they accomplished their collective childhood dream, and sold out the Montreal Arena.
“That South African tour was pretty life-changing.”
“How so?”
“Well, just to come to South Africa. And to tour with this massive, legendary band (Metallica), that you never even imagined you’d play with. It was pretty amazing. I also really enjoyed partying in Cape Town. And all the people we met”.
Listening to Seb talk about the new album with such pride, I felt guilty for not enjoying it. He described epic string sections, new experimentations, and how it’s a lot more personal this time around. He talked about it with such passion, that I even gave it a re-listen. Hmm… I don’t think I’m ever going to like Simple Plan the album. But I do like Seb, or at least his interview technique.
Simple Plan is out now, on Gallo and Atlantic.
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