Raine Maida, the lead singer of the rock group Our Lady Peace, chatted about his latest endeavors with the band and celebrating their 30th anniversary.
30th anniversary as a group
Throughout the past year to celebrate their 30th anniversary as a band, iconic Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace have been reissuing special EP collections of classic hits with new songs as a gift to their longtime fans.
They are also happy to announce that they are finally reclaiming “Whatever,” a song well-loved by fans for the past 22 years but not performed for the last 18 years.
On their 30th anniversary, Maida said, “It was good! I’m not usually one to look backwards and celebrate things because I feel like it starts to get nostalgic.”
“At this point, I think it was important for fans especially to just show them that we are super grateful for the career we’ve had, and kind of give them that experience in terms of playing a lot of the old hits and stuff,” Maida elaborated.
‘Whatever (Redux)’
On their song “Whatever (Redux), he remarked, “It has been a song that has been out there forever. I think it’s like always in our Top 3 most played in the United States on Spotify. We’ve just never played it because of the tragic events that happened early on around that song and Chris Benoit.
“We felt it was time to take ownership back, “he acknowledged. “There are a lot of mental health issues (and suicides) that spurred back in 2007, but I think we’ve come a long way since then.”
Raising awareness on mental health
“Everyone should tell their friends to talk about their mental health and remind them that they don’t need to suffer in silence,” he underscored.
“Talk to family members, talk to friends, talk to whoever. So, as we’re trying to end stigma and bring mental health out of the dark, we felt it was time to bring this song back out of the dark,” Maida elaborated.
“We are donating everything the song makes on streaming to suicide awareness and hotlines around the country,” he added.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, Maida said, “Things like that… Not always things that are as dark as that but real life. I always find when I’m writing that if I haven’t gone out on adventures and experiences, then I don’t really have a lot to stay.”
“So, it’s about being out there in the world, having experiences, and then, trying to dissect them and put them to music in a way,” he added.
‘Somewhere Out There’
“That one is a big song,” he admitted about “Somewhere Out There.” “We still play that song almost every night. I love that song even though we’ve taken a little bit of a different arrangement to it. I kind of start it off acoustically now, which is really nice.”
“I think the acoustic beginning shows kind of the way the song was written. I think fans get an insight into that, which is interesting,” he added.
‘Innocent’
He also described “Innocent” as yet another big song for them. “It was written around a time with the idea of me seeing people struggling on their own and realizing that you don’t have to just do it in your basement. You don’t have to be afraid if you have cancer.”
“We’re human beings, and we all have the same struggles. We just sometimes don’t understand that. So, once you realize there’s communities out there for you, it’s really important,” he acknowledged.
David Cook performing ‘Innocent’ on ‘American Idol’
Maida spoke about David Cook performing “Innocent” on “American Idol.” At the time, Cook described Our Lady Peace as his “favorite band.”
“David Cook is a friend. That was pretty humbling to see him do ‘Innocent’ on that show,” Maida said. “I got a chance to write with him and meet him. ‘American Idol’ is such a big show. David is a great guy!”
Future plans
On their future plans, Maida revealed, “We recorded three new songs. Once we are done with this Live and Collective Soul ‘Summer Unity’ Tour, we are going to get back in the studio.”
“We have a headlining tour through the U.S. this winter,” he added.
Origin of the band name
Regarding the origin of the band name (Our Lady Peace), he revealed, “It came from an old poem. I studied literature in college, and it was just this old war poem that had a weight to it.”
“I didn’t even think about the Catholic side of it but it had a real weight in terms of people surviving war,” he noted.
Dream collaboration choices in music
Regarding his dream collaboration choices in music, Maida said, “Unfortunately, I would have loved to collaborate with Jeff Buckley. He has always been one of my all-time favorite singers, songwriters, and guitar players but unfortunately, he is no longer with us.”
“I know there’s a new documentary coming out or film on him. It’s one of those things where Jeff was just this incredible talent and it would have been wild just to be in a room with him,” he elaborated.
Raine Maida on Myles Kennedy
When asked if he would do anything with Myles Kennedy, he said, “I like Myles. I think Myles is great and I think Myles would agree that he is a Jeff Buckley fan too. Myles had a band called The Mayfield Four that we played with for a little while. They were amazing and I got the chance to get to know Myles; he is a great guy.”
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, Maida said, “I mean I like the digital age, but I also appreciate direct to fan communication. I think for artists, the idea of relying on a third-party platforms to connect with your fan base is fine. It’s huge and huge marketing. It’s a huge way to blow up.”
“At the end of the day, artists need to understand that it’s all about creating those direct connections at live events with the fans. I’m in tech as well and I created Fandrop,” he said.
Maida continued, “So, if I go to a show, we use Fandrop because I don’t want those fans to leave anonymous. It’s hard to reach them and find them on Instagram afterwards.”
“So, the idea that we’re creating our own network of fans that we can connect directly through Fandrop is really, really important for artists these days,” he underscored.
“If you don’t connect directly, it’s going to be tough. So, you’ve got to do that,” he added.
Advice for young and emerging artists
For young and aspiring artists, Maids said, “Whatever you’re doing with music, if you want a career in this business, you need to build that direct relationship with the fans. You need to nurture it, you need to respect it, honor it, and do all those things. You’ve got to build it; that way you’re not beholden to anybody.”
“If you want to go play a show and you’re in L.A. and over the course of the last three years, we use Fandrop and we’ve collected 4000 names. Those people are going to come to your show because they’re going to know,” he explained.
“The problem with modern social media is that there is a lot of noise. With Fandrop, you can talk to your fans directly, and this way, you control your future and your destiny,” he elaborated.
“I would never tell an artist to abandon TikTok or Instagram or any of their platforms, but they should do that while also getting in touch with those fans directly in their own community,” he added.
Raine Maida: Music is ‘food for the soul’
Maida praised music for making him feel youthful. “That’s what music does; it’s food for the soul,” he admitted.
Biggest musical influences
Regarding his greatest musical influences, he said, “I grew up in Canada so just by virtue of being Canadian, I grew up listening to people such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell were ever vested in my life.”
“I grew up listening to early R.E.M. and early U2 and Sinead O’Connor. “I was a Leonard Cohen fan too,” he admitted.
Maida on Sinead O’Connor
Speaking of the late but great Sinead O’Connor, he proclaimed her as “the epitome of courage in an artist.”
“Sinead shaped my musical journey from a young age,” he said. “She was a powerhouse that won’t soon be forgotten but discovered and reborn through her songs. Still one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.”
Maida on Gordon Lightfoot
When asked if Canadian pioneer Gordon Lightfoot was an influence, Maida responded, “I actually loved Gordon Lightfoot even though I am embarrassed to say that I’ve never owned any of his albums. Gordon was amazing and to be honest, I loved the tone of his voice as well.”
“Each time I sing the song ‘One Man Army, I feel like Gordon Light is transcending through me,” he said. “I met Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young when we played Live Aid, and they came in my dressing room, and I got to say hi to him.”
“Gordon was a nice guy. He was the Bob Dylan equivalent of Canada; he really was,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Egoless.”
“There’s a quote I read by Carl Young. I like philosophy. There’s a second phase in people’s life where they put their ego away. I feel like that’s kind of where I’m at, which is interesting,” he noted.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Maida said, “Success is being able to do music as my job, and that is such a gift. I’ve never worked a day in my life, so I’m pretty lucky.”
Message for the fans
For the fans and supporters of Our Lady Peace, he stated, “I have extreme gratitude for our fans that come out to shows. On this tour, we have so many fans coming out early, buying merch, and just showing the love and support. It’s pretty humbling.”
“Whatever (Redux)”—formerly released as “Whatever” in 2003—is out on all digital service providers.
To learn more about acclaimed rock group Our Lady Peace, visit their official homepage, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
