god had curves profile

ACCESS PROFILE

Author: Kim Edwards
Source: ACCESS
URL: www.accessmag.com
Date: February 2005

New album: If God Had Curves
Label: MapleMusic
Current single: Love Will Save the Day
Official website: http://www.davidusher.com/

For an atheist, DAVID USHER sure seems interested in religion. His new album, If God Had Curves, deals with religion, faith and lack of faith. Usher says the album title ponders how life would be different if our ideas of God were less rigid.

"Religious folks are becoming less flexible, but somehow we've got to find a way to live together. That's what society is. Christianity, Judaism, they're all sorts of different religions. A belief in science I consider to be a religion. We all have to find some common faith to get along these days, which seems to be lacking."

Growing up in Kingston, Ont., Usher was influenced by his parents' dual religions: Buddhism and Judaism. "I think seeing both religions made me realize that there's a broad diversity of what people believe. To say one is right and one is wrong is something that's wrong in the world. So I'm essentially an atheist, and a part-time humanist. Even us atheists are constantly trying to define our own faith. That's where I find myself right now."

The 39-year-old singer/songwriter has changed his personal life somewhat over the last few years, having daughter Coco in 2003 with wife Sabrina, and moving them to New York City. "Having a daughter has made me less self obsessed and less obsessed about my work. Having someone that needs things so specific, your own needs become secondary in many ways. Although work is still important, and I love it, I've found there are other things that are more important."

He says that moving to the Big Apple was good for his writing. "Living where the politics are very intense is always good for a writer - you want to go where the heat is. New York, it's a very intense place right now, and you want to immerse yourself in those changes."

The first single, Love Will Save The Day, features a sample from feminist icon Gloria Steinhem. Usher says that the song, based on America's cultural divide, was influenced by a Frank Rich article in the New York Times and Jon Stewart's infamous appearance on CNN's Crossfire. "[Stewart] was begging Tucker Carlson to have real debate rather than fake debate, instead of ratings debate. If we had real debate, if we listened to each other, we could get a lot further. The last [US] election made me think that we have to open up dialogue a bit. We all have to listen to each other a bit more."

Usher came into the Canadian music scene in the mid-'90s as the brooding front man for Moist. He released his first solo album, Little Songs, in 1998, following it up with the platinum-selling Morning Orbit and his third album, Hallucinations. His latest disc marks Usher's move to MapleMusic, which he describes as being "such music lovers, they're very artist friendly."

As for a Moist reunion, although the band has not broken up, he says he doesn't see it happening "right now."

"With a band you have five distinct voices. Essentially, you write together, you play together. I write all the songs on my own record. There's a lot of freedom to bring different styles of music, there's room for experimentation. With a band, you have an expansive palette you can work with - the only thing that limits you is your negotiation. When you're a solo artist you just decide what you like and what you don't like."

Members from Moist figure prominently on the album, however, as bassist Jeff Pearce co-produced it, keyboard player Kevin Young played on most of the songs, and guitarist Mark Makowy helped mix a track.

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