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Calgary post-punkers Port Juvee in a New York state of mind for Motion Control

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There is something appropriate about Port Juvee recording in New York City.

The Calgary act’s stylistic connection to the Big Apple — described in its bio and by a number of music scribes over the years as “New York post-punk” — is only one strain of many that can be found coursing through the band’s output. But it’s safe to say the act has maintained a thoroughly urban sound for the past half-dozen years despite being groomed in the heart of Wild Rose Country.

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When it came time to record its first full-length record, Port Juvee decided to venture outside of its basement and travel to the Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn where their friend Justin Gerrish has a new studio. The producer and engineer has worked with the band before, mixing some of the songs that ended up on earlier EPs. But his impressive resume also includes work with Vampire Weekend, the Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, bands that have come to represent New York post-punk in the past two decades. Gerrish convinced the five-piece Calgary band to stay at the facility, which lies inside a sprawling old building that also houses Joan Jett’s studio. By 5 p.m., the building tended to empty out quick. So, tuning into the “city-that-never-sleeps” vibe, Port Juvee would put in all-nighters and refuel by taking beer breaks on a rooftop that offered a view of the Manhattan skyline.

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“Being in New York, it’s almost impossible not to be inspired,” says frontman Brett Sandford. “If you’re ever stuck, you just walk down the street, or you just escape to a rooftop. I think if you’re around a whole lot of people you can find inspiration and if you find a way to escape everything, that’s also another inspiration.”

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While the resulting album, Motion Control, explores a number of guitar-based sounds, it’s not hard to detect a defiant NYC post-punk attitude on certain songs. The galloping, Ramones-meets-Strokes chaos of Drugstore or Velvet Underground discord of Late to See often sound as if Sandford and lead guitarist Lauchlin Toms somehow plugged their guitars directly into NYC’s electricity. But while the energy of the city clearly informs the record, Sandford says the band was also determined to take advantage of Gerrish, his studio and his ears by putting in far more time and studio craft than with previous outings. Not that their old approach hasn’t served them well. The band’s sophomore EP, 2016’s Crimewave, built on Port Juvee’s reputation as an exciting live act, charging more-or-less fully formed from the basement via a fast-and-dirty live-off-the-floor recordings process. Sandford admits there were some jittery nerves when it came to adjusting to a new approach, which found the band entering the studio without finished songs for the first time and allowing an outside co-producer to “get his hands dirty” when guiding the sounds. Gerrish also provided the band with some unusual equipment, including a vintage Fender Champ that came courtesy of former Vampire Weekend guitarist Rostam and proved handy in producing a suitably “bad but good” fuzzy guitar sound.

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“Usually, when we would record something it was like ‘OK, it’s done. Let’s just play it, record it, and get it done and get out of here on time,'” Sandford says. “This time, we’d say ‘Justin, what do you think?’ He’d put on his producer hat and that was very valuable. So his fingerprints are on this, too.”

While the band doesn’t completely stray into alien territory on Motion Control, some of the songs boast a studio shine. Bedroom is a particular standout, recalling the melodicism and guitar-jangle of early REM. Tropics sounds like a chilly homage to Joy Division at its most haunting and claustrophobic, despite its sunny title.

None of which is likely to dampen the visceral impact of Port Juvee’s on-stage performances. On Thursday, Feb. 27, Port Juvee will hold a CD release party at The Ship & Anchor. The band will head back to New York in March for two shows, followed by an appearance at The Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho before heading to the U.K. in the spring.

The core of the band remains Sandford, Toms and bassist Logan Juke. Bad Animal drummer Trevor Stoddart moonlights with Port Juvee, while his bandmate Ben Painter played guitar on Motion Control but has since moved to Vancouver. Citysleep’s Jerrick Dela Rosa will play guitar for the band’s upcoming shows. While the band may tour and take jaunts to NYC, for now it plans to keep Calgary as its home. Sandford says the city’s friendly small-town vibe is matched by an openness and camaraderie in the local music scene.

“Our very first release, way back in 2014, was at the Ship,” Sandford says. “We thought ‘Why don’t we go back there?’ It’s a free show and all our friends will come. It will be a huge party that we will talk about.”

Port Juvee will hold a CD release party on Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Ship and Anchor with Good Grief and Vanity Pope. Show starts at 9 p.m.

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