Mel: How do you feel about playing with a bunch of white people? Also, sort of on a larger scale, what do you think about the fact that there's no black people in indie rock?
Murray: It's funny. Our band is a bit of a mosaic anyways-George is a Chico, we've got Frenchie Martin, she's(Natalia) a Polack, and John's a Jew. So nobody really....he's(Martin) really the only resident "white" guy, but he's French so he doesn't really count. Nobody here is a single, straight-ahead white male. But, I know what you mean, being like at the forefront of an indie rock band and being a black guy. Yeah, it's different. It's funny because we're playing with Mean Red Spiders tonight and they have a black guitarist, so it's perfect! But you don't see that very often. I think that it's not something that I pay attention to, I don't think people really pay attention because people that have been getting into the band just get into the band, you know? I mean, my whole life I grew up in neighbourhood that was pretty much white or french or whatever, my whole life I have been surrounded by nothing but white folk. But that's okay, it doesn't really make a difference to me.

Mel: Why do you think it is that there are no black people in--
Murray: It's probably the same reason that there's no black people in hockey(laughs).
Mel: Which is?
Murray: It's a cultural thing. There's a lot of brainwashing going on. Cultural brainwashing, you know, black people are led to believe that they're African-American or African-Canadian, when that's just a hunk of bullshit. Really, I mean, ultimately, your soul has no colour. You're just trapped in this body, when really, it all comes down to the soul, right? That's really what it comes down to.
Mel: I was wondering if it has anything to do with opportunity, like white privilege?
Murray: No, well, there's that aspect of why there's no blacks in hockey, but I think it's cultural brainwashing that society goes through, so I mean, it's like I'm expected to be....people see me and people don't know anything about me, then they know I'm a musician and they'll assume that I'm a bass player!(laughs) That's how it goes, there's nothing we can do about it, except....destroy the world!

Mel: Okay, why do you sound so British when you sing?
Murray: I don't know! I don't think I sound British, I thought I sounded more New York.
Mel: really?
Murray: Yeah, 'cause I don't pronounce my R's, yeah.
Mel: First thing I thought of was British because I though of Pulp.
Murray: Yeah, we get that a lot, but I don't listen to Pulp. I know maybe a couple of tunes, the hits, but I don't know much about them. I'd know more about Blur, I was influenced by a lot of British bands, true, but I don't think they've had an influence on the linguistics of the band. I don't think...we don't sing about British culture because we know nothing about it, we sing about what we know about, about heartbreak and all. Do you think it's overtly British?
Mel: I don't know. I've listened to a lot of British music, so it's just something that I picked up on. Well, when you listen to Canadian indie rock, that(The Dears' sort of music) is not what you hear.
Murray: Yeah, that accent annoys me more than anything else sometimes. Just joking. No, but there's a certain kind of Canadian sound that hurts my ears.
Mel: Really?
Murray: Yeah, I'm not patriotic at all! I pledge allegiance to nothing.
Mel: When we were talking on the phone, you said that you don't like a lot of music, so I'm just curious--what do you think there is to like about the Dears?
Murray: That's a really good question. That's a hard question to answer because from the inside, I think that we work very hard to ensure that there are no loose nuts and bolts. So we try to build a universe that...it's sort of like going to an amusement park, and you don't want to go on a rollercoaster that's broken down. So I think that if we have a kick ass rollercoaster in our amusement park, then you know, I don't know. That's about it, really.
Mel: Okay, I didn't see your whole video, but I saw a part of it. But okay, you obviously know how to play guitar, and then at soundcheck I noticed you were playing guitar, but I get the impression that you just sing. I'm wondering why you would not play guitar during your live show?
Murray: Well, as a composer, it comes down to deciding...it depends on what the song calls for
and sometimes it calls for me to just sing. I do a lot of orchestration from...some of the parts that I'm playing are actually string parts or horn parts and we can't bring that on the road. At home, we can play with that if we want, but if we're on the road....so it all comes down to basically, I'm sort of the band's utility man. Everyone focuses on their instrument, but I play guitar, I play some synth, and I sing. Everybody's got their job, I'm the utility man.
Mel: Well, I don't know. Sometimes I've seen people who don't do anything, and they look really awkward on stage, sort of like, "What do I do with myself?" So what do you do when you're not playing anything?
Murray: (laughs) Umm, I think I'm really focusing on hitting the notes, that's my job, to sing as perfectly as I can. And it takes a lot. I try to not be a bad singer, even though the guy that reviewed our record in Mote said I was a shitty singer! I don't think I'm a shitty singer.
(the band's greasy food arrives, which includes poutine for Murray) Sweet, okay. I don't think I'm a bad singer, I work very hard to be a good singer and sometimes it takes a lot of focus.
Mel: Does everyone in Montreal eat this stuff?
Murray: Why, you've never had some? I'm very disappointed, they didn't use curds, they used grated cheese.
Mel: I don't think they sell this anywhere else outside of here and Quebec.
Murray: Yeah, it's Quebecquois.
Mel: What do have to say about Montreal?
Murray: It's economically depressed and a lot of it is going nowhere, but it's a great city to live. It's so dirt cheap, but there's a definite trashy element to Montreal, it's very trashy.
Mel: That makes me think of Mishima, they have a song that says "we love our trash town".
Murray: Yeah, that's totally it. Me and Rory(singer of Mishima) are pretty tight.
Mel: Does he do a hundred sit ups a day?
Jon: He does. And Nick is a wrestler.
Murray: Yeah but anyways, it's a totally trashy town, but it's also a disco town. Very live music friendly, tribute bands probably do the best there in all of North America. Yep.
Natalia: Martin's in a Beach Boys cover band.
Mel: What Beach Boys stuff do you do? There surf stuff or their cool stuff?
Martin: You mean Kokomo?(laughter)
Murray: It all comes back to cultural brainwashing.
Mel: I read that your dad is a preacher. Is he still a preacher?
Murray: Yep.
Mel: So how did that rub off on you?
Murray: I preach a lot, I do a lot of preaching. I just preach.
Mel: Would you consider yourself religious?
Murray: No. It(having a father who was a preacher) taught me what a lot of bullshit religion is, oh yeah. Like I said, it's brainwashing, don't you see? We're living in a brainwashed society. The trick is not to stay brainwashed. See, I'm preaching!
Mel: I have one last question for all of you. This food that your eating, will this make you sick on stage?
The Dear: Yes!

This article contributed by melanie ferris