Shawn “The Harpoonist” Hall is excited to bring his new project Satellite and the Harpoonist to the Lethbridge Jazz and Blues Festival in Civic Field, Aug. 28.
“Hall, who is best known as one half of Vancouver based blues project Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer with Matthew Rogers, formed the new project right before the pandemic, but got shut down like everything else, but not before spending a frantic three days in Mushroom Studios recording their new EP “Satellite Man.”
“I guess Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer will always be around, but Matthew is busy composing music for TV and films. So he’s busy with that and I’ve got this new project,” Hall said, chasing his dog through the forest on Vancouver Island.
“We’re sure excited to be playing Lethbridge. So we’ve got to drive through the fires. These are difficult times and it takes optimism,” he said.
“It’s the first time we’ve seen people,” he continued.
Satellite and the Harpoonist include Hall on harp and vocals, keyboardist Geoff Hilhorst from the Deep Dark Woods, The Boom Booms’ percussionist Theo Vincent and Brooklyn musician Bradford Reed.
Hall started the project after meeting Brooklyn musician and King Missile III member, Bradford Reed at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts.
“He plays this instrument he invented called the pencilina which sounds like slide guitar played with drumsticks. He’s multi-talented and a multi-instrumentalist, which fits right in with what the Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer do,” he said, adding as soon as he saw him at the Banff Centre in Fall 2018, he knew he had to work with him.
“We all met at Mushroom Studios and had never played together before then then. I’m really glad we did it. Then Covid shut everything down and we’ve never played together since,” Hall said.
“So we’re really excited to play together on this tour. I’ve missed touring tremendously. I’ll never take it for granted again,” he said.
“We’ll be playing the EP and some Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer music,” he said, adding adding not all of the group will make it. Hall and Bradford Reed will be part of the tour.
“And Geoff lives in Banff, so we might be able to talk him into coming with us,” he said.
Hall is proud of the music, which he said reflects a broad ’70s influence.
‘We‘ve been getting radio play on NPR in the United States, so that’s fantastic,” he said adding CBC and CKUA are also playing the ‘Satellite Man, ’Justine’ and ‘Ballet in a Phone Booth.”
He isn’t sure why they are starting to make waves in the U.S., but doubts it is due to Bradford Reed being a Brooklyn resident.
“He comes from a more improvisational background, not a pop radio background. And he was a member of the Blue Man Group fro 20 years,” he said.
“Come and hear some west coast, laid back dirty rock and blues,”he said.
They play Golden, B.C. on Aug., 25, the Blind Bay Music Series, Aug. 26 and come to Lethbridge, Aug. 28.
Satellite and the Harpoonist are playing the Coulee Blues Festival in Civic Park at 4:45 p.m.
— By Richard Amery, L.A.Beat Editor
