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Living in Nova Scotia means it’s pretty common to miss out on good shows. Time after time I say I’m going to fly or drive somewhere far away to catch a band I like. But for whatever reason, I usually end up not going.

Last week I finally made an exception and I flew to Toronto to see I Mother Earth. You may not know this, but I Mother Earth had been on a hiatus for the past eight plus years. Then this winter/spring rumors started surfacing that they were getting back together. Eventually the band confirmed the news and announced they would be playing a single show (which ended up being two shows), with no master plan or immediate promise of what was to come next.

Right away I knew I had to go. Not so much because I thought I would miss my chance to see them again. But mainly because I knew if there were to be more shows, more music – more IME, that anyone who ever gave a shit about this amazing band needed to be there and show their support. So myself and many others ended up traveling from all over Canada to attend the shows.

I don’t think I can do any justice in describing the show. I have a very limited vocabulary when it comes to new and creative ways to say something kicked ass. But it was hands down the best I Mother Earth show I have ever seen. Which says a lot, considering I’ve seen them around a dozen times. Everything from the selection of songs played, tightness of the band, enthusiasm of the audience – was damn near perfect. I knew I experienced something great as I left the venue that night. But it actually wasn’t until a day or two later that I realized just how great. The best shows I have seen in my life have been the ones where you can’t stop smiling the next day and thinking to yourself, “That was fucking awesome!” I’ve been smiling and swearing to myself a lot this past week.

From all accounts I’m not the only one who feels this way. Go talk to anyone else who was there, check out some videos from the show or read what guitarist Jagori Tanna had to say a few days later. To put it simple – it went well. Very well.

We Got the Love

When the band announced they were returning from their hiatus, they also let the world know new music would be coming as well. The first of that new music is a new song titled “We Got the Love” which was posted online days before the Toronto shows.

I was a little surprised when I first heard the track. I immediately liked it, but wasn’t expecting it to be so, well… infectious. Their last album, The Quicksilver Meat Dream was one of the most ambitious things they recorded and as much as I love it, I wouldn’t call it an overly commercial or infectious album (not a bad thing). But aside from being almost six minutes long, “We Got the Love” sounded very “radio friendly” for lack of a better term. However, things aren’t always what they seem.

“We Got the Love” is not AFS (another fucking single). “We Got the Love” is the sound of a band that is comfortable with who they are, what they have done and what they are capable of. It’s the sound of a band that has the confidence of doing something because they want to and for no other reason. All of which goes a long way in explaining how the first new music from the band in nearly ten years is not some nine minute, multi-part, prog-rock opus. But rather it’s something simple on the surface, with many subtle layers that after repeat listens expose themselves and remind everyone just what made I Mother Earth stand high above their peers in the first place. Simply put, it’s a damn good song.

Download “We Got the Love” by I Mother Earth
(MP3 320 KBPS & WAV 24 BIT/48 KHZ)

“We Got the Love” is available now for download in high quality MP3 and WAV formats on I Mother Earth’s website. If you like the track, support the band so we get to hear more and spread the word. Good music deserves to be heard.

7 Comments

  • Nancy says:

    As usual, Ryan Grant, we speak the same language. I feel totally the same way.

  • Ryan Grant says:

    Damn right we do. I think I actually managed to express our language in a semi-intelligent way too. Which I’m really happy about. Like I told you on the way home, it’s sometimes hard to find the time/inspiration to write something like this. I’m really glad things aligned for me last night, because I do have things to say when it comes to music I love and this is my spot to do it. It would be an injustice to not include I Mother Earth here.

  • Steph says:

    Just got around to reading this now and it made me re-experience everything all over again. Great post, Ryan!

  • Nancy says:

    I tend to foam at the mouth a little too much when it comes to IME. I need a filter. But I keep telling myself I’m catching up on 8 years of nothing.

  • Ryan Grant says:

    Thanks Steph! Hopefully, they’ll give us lots more to post about.

  • Jason Teller says:

    Nice review and I can only imagine what it was like to see them live. I haven’t see them as many times as you, but each time was an experience in and of itself and I too thought seriously about getting on a plane from Denver to see them – for much the same reasons you stated. Unfortunately I couldn’t swing it with work commitments, but I will travel to see them assuming they play some fall shows. Please no Nickelback, LOL!

    I thought you might like my recent blog post as well:
    http://jetvision.blogspot.com/2012/05/top-10-reasons-i-love-i-mother-earth.html

  • Ryan Grant says:

    Thanks! It really was an awesome experience. I’m crossing my fingers for some more headlining shows. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But at least they’re back in action. That’s a great post on your site. I couldn’t have said it better myself!

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