No Sinner interview

I spoke to Colleen Rennison and the guys from No Sinner the morning after they played their debut UK gig at the Black Heart in Camden. The band were extremely tired thanks to jet-lag but still found the time to talk to Planetmosh.

How and when did the band first start?

Colleen: We started playing together in the summer of 2011. I’d played with Ian in a cover band – he filled in for our drummer in a gig. He was an old friend of Parker and told Parker about me as Parker was beginning his career as a songwriter. Parker and I ended up meeting at a friends Christmas party and started writing music together. I gave it to Eli who’s our manager and he got the ball rolling, and then I played with Eric Campbell at a jam night I was doing down in Gastown and I knew he was the guy we wanted to be in the band. We all got in the same room and the rest is history.

Did you start with a definite direction – that you wanted to do Blues-Rock?

Colleen: I felt really strongly about that and when Parker and I started writing together, I came to the table with some ideas and that was definitely part of it. I was into a lot of The Black Keys – that was before their album ‘Brothers’ came out and before they hit the mainstream, I’d been a fan for years and years and I thought “That’s music I can write – I can get into that”.

Have you always been a fan of Blues and Blues-rock?

Colleen: Yes for sure. Classic rock is what I’d say I’m into, but Motown and Soul music and Blues, I’m a huge Etta James fan, and of course Muddy Waters and Gospel music, Leadbelly, that was all I listened to for a long time before I started listening to Rock’n’Roll. That’s always what I’ve been drawn to from an early age. A lot of the bands that we get compared to, we don’t try and emulate but I think we all listened to the same kind of music. I didn’t have anybody that I grew up with that segued me into rock’n’roll but when I realised I knew the same songs that Led Zeppelin was covering, I knew the original versions, and Jimi Hendrix or The Stones, I kind of thought that here are these rock bands that listened to what I listen to, so that’s how the rock’n’roll aspect came about for me. Everyone in the band comes from their own school of music but we all meet in the middle with our shared tastes.

The name of the band, No Sinner, comes from your name I believe?

Colleen: Yes it’s my last name backwards. My full name backwards is No Sinner Neelloc which sounds like a chastity device which is pretty hilarious. That was a good discovery, so many good band names are taken, and we’re the first one that comes up if you google it.

That’s important. There are so many bands out there that as you say a lot of good names are taken, and you get loats of bands with the same name sometimes.

Colleen: If it wasn’t for the internet you’d never know. You go to set up a facebook page or bandcamp page and find the name is already taken. We’re lucky and it makes sense too.

The debut EP was released last year, and the six tracks have been included in the album which is being made more widely available. Which of the album tracks weren’t on the EP?

Colleen: September moon, Devil on my back, and Work song. We’ve been playing those songs almost as long as we’ve been playing the songs on the EP. We were really happy with the way it all worked out. I feel that this album with the additions really represent who we are and how we play live.

You played last night in London, your first ever UK date.

Colleen: What a first date ! We had such a blast. There’s always that point in the middle of the set when you look out and you just see the silhouettes of everyone and think “oh god am I blowing it, how is it going over?” It’s really hard to tell when you can only see a couple of feet in front of you. It was nice that they asked us back for a couple of songs.

How hard was it playing when you’re heavily jetlagged?

Colleen: It was fine. Once you get up there and the adrenaline flows it’s fine. It was the leading up to it that was difficult. Once you get on stage that’s the easy part. It’s everything before and after that drives you wild.
No sinner: The waiting around is the killer

There’s usually a lot of waiting around on tour isnt there?

Colleen: Not on this one no, we’ve been so busy I couldn’t even get my mascara on last night. I’m not complaining though.

After you leave the UK you’ve got a couple of dates in Holland then support Beth Hart for a few weeks in Germany, which is a great pairing.

Colleen: We’re really flattered that we were given that opportunity. She’s got an amazing following, and hopefully her fans will relate to us as well.

After your tour what’s the plan?

Colleen: Write new songs. Go home, for Christmas. Parker and I are going to L.A for a week to write in January, then I’m trying to convince our manager to let me take my camper van down to Mexico for a week after that. Then its South by South West (SXSW), then come back here to do the European festivals in the summer.

Coming from Canada, how difficult is it for touring with such huge distances to cover.

Parker: Lots of driving
Colleen: Oh my gosh it’s so crazy that we can hit all of these places in Europe. Our tour manager went through seven countries in a 12 hour drive to get to us in London. At home we can drive 5 days straight without stopping and not leave Canada. You don’t want to do it in winter that’s for sure. We actually rolled our van the last time we tried to drive across Canada and had to take a flight to get to the east coast.

That sounds expensive

Colleen: You’re not kidding – we’re still paying for it.

Your album, Boo Hoo Hoo is out already in Germany and gets released in the UK on 20th January.

Colleen: That’s right. We’re very excited.

It must be frustrating when you’ve recorded an album to then have to wait weeks or months for it to be released?

Colleen: It is but I’m learning as we go that’s just the way it is. We’ve been playing these songs for a couple of years now, and watching the Stones play the same songs they’ve been playing for 40 years is pretty wild, and I can just imagine what it takes to keep it fresh and continue to be inspired by yourself.

You all looked to be having a great time on stage last night.

Parker: We were
Colleen: We like to have fun.
Eric: We live to play

It’ll be nice on the Beth Hart tour as you’ll have a bigger stage and more space to move around.

Parker: I almost prefer those sweaty clubs, I can hear everything, I can look over and make direct eye contact with Eric, and I’m with Ian, and the sweat is hitting you as you play. The Theatres are beautiful and that’s great but I think there’s something to be said about a tiny stage.
I  have seen a few singers get hit by guitar or bass necks when the stage is really small though.
Colleen: The first time I met Eric he whacked me with his guitar neck like five times which was really annoying. It’s all part of the game though, dodging guitar necks. It’s rock and roll, no holding back. My mascara is running down my face as we play, there’s no room for vanity when you’re up there doing that. Eric split his finger open the first time we played. If there’s blood and sweat on the stage it means you had a good rock and roll show. If people turn up and pay money to see you then you better give them a show.

No Sinner’s excellent debut album Boo Hoo Hoo will be released on 20th January on Provogue records. Check out the review here

No Sinner’s debut mini album “Boo Hoo Hoo” is released by Provogue Records on January 20th.
Further info: www.facebook.com/NoSinner