As the Number One band in Canada, The Tragically Hip have become little more than a cultural phenomenon — selling out stadiums, releasing consecutive chart-topping albums, and creating a fury unmatched by many in the fifteen years they have been together. Still making their mark on the United States, The Tragically Hip play Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center on August 2 at 8 p.m.

Recently, MODE Weekly spoke with drummer Johnny Fay.

Johnny fay: That was cool. Back in those days, 1984, we were playing places when heavy metal bands or hair bands were really just kind of coming in … so it was quite difficult to actually go and play the kind of music we were playing, so … looking back on those days, it was fun. It built a lot of character.

MODE: You then became an absolute phenomenon. Was it something you were ready for?

fay: It’s kind of a funny thing, because people’s definition of success is different all over the place. We’re big at home and we could sell out soccer stadiums and then in certain places down here, we could go in and play bars … I think it’s happened in such a nice pace, and I think it was done completely on our own terms … We’ve been afforded a career [because] of the fact that we’ve been able to keep putting records out — and being a band for 15 years in this day and age is just huge … But I think as far as success, by the time you’ve reached playing Maple Leaf Gardens or The Skydome you’ve already set your sights on something else.

MODE: You’re known for reaching out to struggling and smaller bands in Canada, taking them on tour with you, etc. Beyond it being a gracious gesture on your part, is that something that needs to be done by bands on your level for smaller bands to get ahead, and is it something that happened to you?

fay: It was something that never really happened to us. Every time we turned around the corner there was a great gig that would have maybe taken us to the next level and maybe cut a corner … but it never happened. So we like it — it makes your skin a little thicker. And I think we always sort of looked at it and felt that there are some good opportunities out there if you can put a band in front of a couple thousand people and it gives them a start.

MODE: To a first time listener, how would you describe your sound?

fay: Hmm … we don’t pull any punches. It’s pretty straight ahead and I think that in this day and age it’s becoming harder and harder to have to guitars, bass, and drums.

MODE: It’s a credit to you that you’ve been together for 15 years. A lot of bands that formed in the late ’80s aren’t even together anymore, while you have successfully stayed loyal to your roots — quite a feat, especially considering today’s music trends.

fay: Yeah … I was talking to Robby [Baker, guitarist] about this the other day. That was maybe one of the most difficult periods for bands to have gone through. It’s very strange to walk through a record store now and see all of the artists who are — well, there aren’t too many actual bands who are selling CDs it seems anymore. There are these boy bands. Everyone says, ‘Oh, this is such a new thing’, but they’ve been around since the dawn of time … but guitar rock and roll, I think there was always be a place for it and I think that as long as we are true to ourselves we’ll be fine.

MODE: Have you ever felt any pressure to change things, musically?

fay: Not really, and none internally, either, and that’s a nice thing. You always want to keep it fresh. We started working with rhythm loops — we’ve done quite a bit of that on the new record, probably more than we ever have — but I think that as the technology changes you just kind of roll with it … actually, our crew got separated the other day and they were listening to one of our old records by choice they said, ‘We were listening to one of your older albums and it still stands up.’ And those are a bunch of guys who hear us all the time. So that’s a good thing to hear —now whether they are blowing smoke up our skirts…

MODE: One of the strong points of the band is your chemistry, your togetherness. Is that something that you are proud of?

fay: Definitely. I think it speaks more than anything about the kind of people we are. I think that’s why we’ve been together so long, because we’re on the level with each other.

MODE: You make an attempt to perform every show with different set lists. Is that something that is a challenge for the band?

fay: It keeps it interesting for us, and then it’s not stale. You always want to make every gig a memorable one … we’ve got probably 90 recorded songs that we’ve done over the years, so we like to just sort of shuffle it. It keeps you on your toes.

MODE: As a band, you are in a very unique situation: you play both stadiums and smaller theaters like the Whitaker Center. How do you prepare yourself differently, or do you?

fay: We don’t. Every show is different … you just see what kind of day you’re having … And if it’s an intimate stage, it gives you a little more room to really expand — so the smaller gigs might be better for people coming to see the shows.

MODE: On your new album, Music@Work, you worked with Phantom Power’s producer Steve Berlin…

fay: Steve Berlin, the musicologist — he’s incredible. He has very definite ideas about the way he hears things and I think we need that. I think you need another set of ears to help you or else you would have five different versions of a song … We kind of picked up just where we left off with him, it was nice … we took two weeks and we recorded our bed tracks, and laid stuff down, and I loved it. I think it was one of my favorite records to record.

MODE: The new album is filled with great, eclectic tracks. Do you have a favorite?

fay: Live, there are some great ones. I like "Lake Fever," it’s great to play live. "Music@Work" is a great tune. But I’m sure it will change. They kind of take on a life of their own once you record them — it’s like you’ve got to know when to stop building the ship, you can keep adding parts and adding parts. We sort of look at CDs as a representation of where we are at that particular time. Those songs will take on a life six months from now — it’s an exciting process.

MODE: You’ve got some great tracks that have somewhat of a sound similar to the rest of the catalogue, but it’s also obvious that you’re also taking a different stylistic approach on some of them — like "Tiger The Lion." It has almost a creepy sound.

fay: It is creepy. It’s a cello loop. I have a guitar synthesizer at home … and I just sort of routed this synthesizer into another synthesizer and then into a tape machine and then when we plugged it in it started to play itself … so I recorded it. And Paul [Langlois, guitarist/vocals] had a song that had a similar tempo and we kind of melded the two of them together. I have people come up and say, ‘I absolutely love that song,’ and there are people who come up and say, ‘I absolutely hate that song’ … To me it sounds like French circus music.

MODE: Was taking such a different angle intentional?

fay: No, not really. It was just something I had on tape and I had no idea if the band would even go for it and we were just throwing ideas around and I said, ‘I have this bizarre thing, I don’t know if we can do anything with it, but I’ll play it for you,’ and that’s kind of how it went down when we were in New Orleans.

MODE: Let’s talk about your songwriting. Sometimes its obscure, sometimes its very obvious wordplay, somewhat pointed at times — is that the musical strength of the band?

fay: Well, Gordon [Downie, lead vocals] writes all the lyrics … In New Orleans, we just kind of had this shredding situation where we sort of went around in a circle … and that’s how Music@Work came about … It’s amazing how the pieces kind of just came together. It’s nice. We’ve always been different … I think we play well as a band, so it’s really great and when the five of us are just sitting in a room and we know that something is going to click — when you can hear the initial grain of an idea and you know there’s something there, it’s really great.

MODE: It’s got to be an awesome feeling of relief when an album is finally done…

fay: Oh, it is. Although on this record it was kind of weird because there is this two-month period before a record comes out that you just have it and you can listen to it … and you’re just sort of accessing it. And then it was downloaded onto Napster. It was kind of shocking to us … and whether someone stole a copy — we still have no idea how it happened.

MODE: Didn’t one of your fans, or some of your fans, stop it from being sold on the Internet?

fay: Yes, and that’s a testament to just how great our fans are. It went up on the web and some guy bought it and then took it off and sent it up to our management company or something … it’s truly incredible … our fans have stuck with us through that whole thing.

MODE: As a recording artist, do you think there are both positive and negative sides to the whole Napster ordeal?

fay: Oh, definitely. This whole Metallica thing is just ridiculous. There is a band that had the greatest fan base of anyone — who would travel anywhere to go see them … and it’s just really strange because those are the people who put them in their cars and their houses in the first place. I just look at is somebody who wants an alternative version. I remember the bands that I was into — I remember lining up at the record stores and waiting and waiting … if I had a way of getting an early copy, I would’ve. And I would still go out and buy another couple of copies. I look at it as those people just want material right away and they’re still going to go see the band 15 times live so they’re going to buy into it one way or another.

MODE: What are your feelings on the Canadian Content (CanCon) regulations — laws which require that 35% of the broadcasted music on Canadian airwaves be Canadian. Do you feel that some Americans in the industry think that Canadian bands aren’t taken seriously?

fay: Well, in the early days it helped us out immensely. There are people who say it breeds mediocrity and that there are a whole bunch of bands who are heard on the radio that shouldn’t because they’re terrible but who are people to say that? … I think that’s ridiculous. It’s a great outlet and it helped Bryan Adams out in the very early days and his manager said when we were getting played that it was ridiculous and we wouldn’t be big, and the reason we’re not big in the States is purely because of CanCon … and I think we’re doing fine down here — it’s at a level that we have complete control over.

MODE: Is expanding your popularity in the U.S. something that you’re actively pursuing or are you happy with the way things are now?