Kevin Hearn hearts the ’80s. But probably not the way you’d expect.
The Barenaked Ladies utility player’s latest extracurricular release Dreaming Of The ’80s — a collaborative effort with violinist Hugh Marsh — reimagines a diverse slate of Me Decade musical gems from artists like Tom Petty, Joy Division, Psychedelic Furs, Billy Idol, Tom Waits, Bob Marley, Sun Ra and more, including Hearn’s old boss and musical hero Lou Reed.
But instead of recreating the songs in all their pastel-coloured, shoulder-padded glory, the Canadian duo take a more nuanced and idiosyncratic approach, deconstructing and reassembling the songs into moody, ethereal and, yes, dreamy, synth-pop fare.
The day before the album was released, Hearn Zoomed in from his Toronto digs to talk about life with Lou, future dreams, his teenage basement tapes and tons more. Enjoy.
