david usher is back

METRO TORONTO FEATURE

Author: Sandy Garcia
Source: Metro Toronto (url)
Date: September 2003

David Usher is back with Hallucinations, his third solo album.

Having written most of the songs himself, the former Moist frontman and singer of such hits as Black Black Heart and Alone In The Universe chats about how he makes the songs happen.

"The actual capturing of a song is a process all on its own," Usher said. "You get to the end of it and sometimes you’re there and sometimes you’re not. It’s an instinctual thing. Some songs came right away, but others I kept pushing on."

The new album does include a cover of The Manic Street Preacher’s If Tolerate This and the first single is Time Of Our Lives. The platinum success of his last album, Morning Orbit, not only set his reputation as one of Canada’s most unique songwriters, it brought his lifetime album sales to well over 1.2 million records.

After Moist released its multi-platinum 1996 hit Creature, Usher took some time during the band’s break to record his debut solo album, Little Songs, released in 1998.

"I’ve remained very good friends with the guys from Moist, but I’m more focused on my solo career now," he said. "It’s so hard for me to have a perspective on my music. So much has changed over the years, so I hope it’s gotten better."

Even though he’s been a poster boy of sorts, with his good looks and heartthrob status, Usher confesses getting into acting is something that has never crossed his mind.

"I’m terrible at it. I did some acting in university, and I was just terrible. Maybe if it were a small part," Usher said. "I think acting is a skill some people have, and others don’t."

But Usher does love the thrill of performing on stage and singing his music in front of live audiences.

"There’s much more extension, the music takes centre stage, and everything I do and feel comes from the energy of the song. It’s a thrill for me and it means more since I wrote the lyrics," he said. Coldplay’s latest is a disc Usher says he just can’t take out of his CD player. He says he’s a huge fan of Leonard Cohen and The Beatles.

"It’s so hard to define... I can ramble on and on about anything. I guess there’s too much to choose from. But those are my two favourites."

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