Nova Scotian celtic rockers The Stanfields have just released “Rules Have All The Fun” ahead of their upcoming album. Taking an experimental approach, the band are still brandishing their political axe, albeit with a kazoo solo in the middle.
“It’s amongst the peppiest of the tracks. Not quite the black sheep, but definitely the weirdest sibling in the family,” vocalist Jon Landry says as he describes how the track fits into the anticipated album.
The track is a musing on laws and the people who must follow them. Landry wanted to experiment lyrically by viewing and writing about rules from a different perspective.
“I guess I thought it kind of odd and funny to personify the concept of ‘rules’ – maybe a bunch of them are sitting around a smoky bar room table drinking and having a laugh at the expense of those who are beholden to them.“
While the 5 bandmates perform on the single as per usual, you might be surprised to see Calen Kinney trade his fiddle for the keys, as he sometimes does, and to hear Jon’s energetic kazoo solo.
“I survived 6 months of graft and training with famed Belorussian kazooist Dmitry Cheskerov. The occasional beatings were hard to endure, but totally manageable considering the end result. I’m now considered a Level 4 Magus in the Society of International Kazooists, Triangulaires and Contra-Bassonists (SIKTCB). Basically the equivalent of a blue belt in karate. A very exclusive group,” jokes Landry.
Much like the rest of the songs on the album, this single was written because the process of doing so offered the band members some strength and solidarity that they needed from each other during a difficult time.
“The whole process was born of necessity as much as typical creative desire, and happened really quickly. Truthfully, I think the process had FAR more meaning to us than the end result. Our drummer, Murph, had some personal health issues that basically shut him in his home for the first 4 months of this year (he’s totally ok now FYI!). Starting back in early March, I would go over to his place a couple times a week to hang out and write some tunes,” shared Landry.
And if you’ve ever wanted to be kissed by a Stanfield just pucker up near the end of the song as Landry delivers a giant smooch.
“When I draw my last breath
I will kiss the face of death
Tell a joke and dive head first into the fray”