So Dirty the Flamingos on Satire, Sincerity, and Songs Built for Dusk: An Interview –

Canadian folk rock outfit So Dirty the Flamingos make satire feel singable. In this chat, they unpack the spark behind Moving Your Lips to Hallelujah, a cheeky radio earworm that side-eyes conveyor-belt pop while still chasing the rush of a chorus. They talk about walking the line between humour and honesty, the storytelling instincts that colour their dusk-leaning sound, and the odd influences that sneak into rehearsal when the drummer slips into big band swing. There are scenes from Toronto stages, from reggae bills to death metal nights, plus a frank take on streaming giants and why Bandcamp feels fairer. If you want wit, candour, and a few left turns that reveal the heart under the hook, this interview sets the tone.

1.     Your new track Moving Your Lips to Hallelujah takes aim at the sea of bland songs clogging up the radio. What sparked the idea for writing a critique disguised as a sing-along anthem?

A:  I think there’s a sincerity in both – it’s the running dialogue of a response to hearing the same song over and over again, but also the need to sing a song about hooking up, falling in love in an earnest way.  There’s some defence mechanisms on display here – trying to have the upper hand by being snotty about songs on the radio, meanwhile singing a song with the hope it someday becomes a song people complain about hearing too much!

2.     There’s some juicy irony in the fact you’ve written a radio-ready earworm while calling out radio filler. How do you feel about walking that tightrope between satire and sincerity?

A: As a proud Canadian, I can say we do satire extremely well.  It’s in our DNA. I can’t write a straight forward, commercial sounding song without at least a second layer of meaning, or a second look at its construction.  I’m an art school kid, after all, and for years I was surrounded by people whose deepest fear was being completely sincere.  It’s difficult.

3.     If you were stuck in a dentist’s chair with no escape, what’s the single worst track that could come blaring through the speakers on the radio?

A: Off the top of my head, I can’t think of one song – but for the most part, if it’s a song that sounds like it was written by 20 different people by committee, and produced by 10 people to sound derivative – that’s the kind of music I hate the most. Years and years ago my friend used to drive an old Wagoneer with the bumper sticker that read “Corporate music still sucks!” It still does.  

4.     Your music sounds like it was made for long drives at dusk. Do you find yourselves writing with specific spaces or scenes in mind?

A: I can’t say that’s a conscious aim – but I think it’s music mostly rooted in story – and with that comes a certain feeling – that demands a certain setting, like, “sit down, I want to tell you a story.” That influences the instrumentation, the arrangement, and so the vibe is what you describe.  We’re an Americana, folk rock, roots-rock band.  That necessarily conjures up the highway at dusk, I guess.

5.     The band is rooted in a mix of backgrounds from country to indie to pop. What’s the strangest influence any of you has ever tried to sneak into rehearsal?

A: Devin, our drummer, routinely between songs will break into big band swing. Which is so awesome, except we can’t follow it up!  The best I can do is quote the talking bits of Sinatra at the Sands – because I have it memorized.  But we all have eclectic tastes – we’ve covered eighties pop to Brian Eno, to British punk  at certain shows.  It’s good to look around and find influences from everywhere.

6.     Troubling the Pines leans into resilience and longing, but also wide open atmospheres. Was there a conscious decision to create something cinematic, or did it happen naturally through the instrumentation?

A: This record was a big step forward for me as a songwriter. Some songs are the result of being better at the craft but others came from a very powerful and new understanding of my place in the universe – probably through recent travel – and deepening relationships with the world and my friends and family – I feel I tapped into a universal and powerful sense of love that moves through us all – and that fuelled my purpose. Life has taught me to be more sincere, more direct and purposeful.  As for cinematic, we’re trying to let the music breathe more and exist as an entity on its own terms.

7.     You’ve played some legendary Canadian venues, from Lee’s Palace to the Opera House. What’s been your most surreal on-stage moment so far?

A: There’s not one crazy story that stands out more than others, but as I reflect on our trajectory I can’t help but think of the diversity of music we’ve come across in this city – Toronto. As a small band taking gigs as they come, we’re sometimes surprised at who opens or follows us.  We’ve played with hip hop performers, reggae, death metal bands – one time loading in the front door guy asked us, “Are you guys Stinkfist?” I’ll never forget Adam’s face.  We’re clean cut guys, wearing denim – fairly buttoned down. “No, we’re not Stinkfist.”

8.     If you had the power to change one thing about the music industry tomorrow, what would you rewrite or throw away entirely?

A: I think it would be nice if the top streaming companies didn’t get so rich by not paying artists – that seems pretty obvious.  There’s a movement among artists to get away from Spotify – whose policies and recent corporate moves is antithetical to the spirit of art and creation and I applaud those artists and hope it grows to those who have real influence so as to move in a direction of evening the scales a bit. I recommend to our followers and fans to pursue music on streaming platforms like bandcamp, who have a more just payment system.

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Stream & purchase the Beyond the Pines LP on Bandcamp from September 12th.

Connect with So Dirty the Flamingos via Instagram,

Interview by Amelia Vandergast