Submitted by Patricia Silver
They were 14 friends just out of university in 2010. They were dubbed “the fresh face of a cappella”. They started in a classroom, then sang in malls, then moved to small festival stages, co-founded an a cappella festival, and grew. They toured the world, produced five highly praised albums, and earned international accolades. “5 Stars but should be 12 stars! Extraordinary group, unmissable concert, made for our times, flexible, versatile, highly recommended, breathtaking talent, astoundingly good, world class.” Wandsworth Radio, UK
That’s Countermeasure, one of Canada’s foremost contemporary a cappella ensembles. And now, on the heels of the release of the fifth album, Guest Sessions Vol II, they are giving their final concert, One More Spin, on May 22 at Toronto’s Paradise Theatre as part of SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival. Tickets are available at https://singtoronto.tickit.ca/events/34562
This unique group has recorded with award-winning artists including Ron Sexsmith, Alan Doyle, The Barenaked Ladies, and the Burlington New Millennium Orchestra; and has performed alongside the likes of Corey Hart, Alan Frew, The Swingle Singers, and Naturally 7. Countermeasure’s albums have been recognized with awards and nominations by the international CARA Awards (Best Album, Best Song), the John Lennon Songwriting Competition (Best Jazz Song), and the Independent Music Awards (Best A Cappella Song). Countermeasure’s original song “Takin’ it Home” was covered by the Jazzagals on the EMMY award-winning television series, Schitt’s Creek. Countermeasure also provided the soundtrack for the short film “Long Road to Freedom” which has been featured at festivals across Canada.
I sat down with the General Manager/bass singer/vocal percussionist J-M Erlendson and Artistic Director Aaron Jensen to reflect on their experiences in both the artistic and business sides.
Pat: What prompted you to start the group?
J-M: Originally, it was conceived as a home for talented and passionate singers who found themselves musically homeless after university. But as we like to say – it’s a hobby ‘gone rogue’.
Pat: How did you move that forward?
J-M: Every success spurred the next big swing, from local shows to international tours, from recording in a closet to full orchestral productions. And along the way, it’s been hard work, but a parade of surprises and delights. We’ve constantly renegotiated our vision and how we pursue it. The first big shift was moving away from a university model – seeing the group as perpetual rather than seasonal. That opened up all sorts of opportunities, from summer performances to real investments in members with whom we could form true long-term relationships. The next was to define the group by our original music, finding an under-served niche in the a cappella community and leaning on our Artistic Director’s strengths, helping us secure grant new grant funding, particularly for recordings. And since then, we’ve only grown the dreams – bigger shows, longer tours, far-flung locations, exceptional media, amazing friendships.
Pat: Aaron, you’ve written five albums for the group. What has influenced your songs?
Aaron: Countermeasure has been defined by exploration, playfulness and an open-arms approach to music-making. At this point, we’re more like a family than a band. Our music has been the lens through which we share our stories, our grief, and our joys.
Pat: How does the new album depart from the traditional a cappella recordings?
Aaron: Guest Sessions Vol II is a concept album made up of my original works. Each track features one solo instrumentalist, supporting Countermeasure’s vocals. Each new piece is tailor-made to compliment the sound and aesthetic of the guest artist.
Pat: Why is this project important to you?
Aaron: This project is a love letter to my bandmates. We’ve shared a lot over the past sixteen years of touring, performing, and recording together. Our music has acted as the soundtrack to our lives. We’ve performed at each other’s weddings, baby announcements, and family funerals. Our kids grew up being dragged around the world on tour with us. I composed these songs, inspired by our shared experiences. It’s a role I’ve been honoured to hold. Even in choosing our guest artists, I’ve been led by the passions of the group members.
Pat: Artistry is one component, but management is key. How did you structure the leadership?
J-M: Leadership required a balance of skills – a magic formula, if you will. We assembled our executive out of four very different people, each of whom took indispensable specialist roles, and each of whom was the best at their particular task. I firmly believe that artistic endeavours need this kind of segmentation – a single person / skill set alone results in all sorts of struggle and can lead to burnout and project collapse. First, we needed an artistic visionary – one who would constantly push the boundaries of what’s possible, dreaming big and asking people to come along with them. Then we needed a person focused on the pure business elements – from bookings to bookkeeping, grants to partnerships – it’s a less-glamourous role, but it keeps the lights on and projects funded. We needed someone focused on the community, organizing and supporting operations, digital asset management, and ensuring the happiness and awareness of members. And lastly, someone who could handle logistics and decisions, the tiebreaker and the architect, helping act as a ‘gut check’ on things, and making sure that gigs and tours didn’t run into unsolvable challenges.
Pat: How did that work out?
J-M: We were able to establish a common mantra: this is everyone’s responsibility. Every project starts with a whole host of problems, and either folks were problem solvers or creators – no bystanders. The phrase ‘if you say “someone should…”, that someone is YOU’ was instrumental in making everything happen. And not to say there weren’t challenges – bad gigs, missed flights, budget shortfalls, unreliable suppliers, but that when everyone bands together, everyone wins.
Pat: With 16 years of touring, I’m sure there are some stand-out moments.
Aaron: Well, there was that time that we were asked to create and learn a vocal arrangement of a Japanese radio jingle five minutes before going live on air. And who could forget when I left my jacket (and by extension, my wallet and passport) on a bus in Japan two hours before our flight home and somehow through cooperation, the help of exceedingly helpful airport and transit customer service agents, and by sheer force of will, we recovered the passport in the nick of time and made the flight. There are too many moments to choose from: singing in the moat of a castle for an entire Italian village; experiencing the full-body rush of a symphony orchestra supporting us and our music; representing Canada at the largest celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life; dressing up as a legion of singing Voldemorts for a Harry Potter event; sharing the stage with a Japanese superstar, singing at the deathbed of a Countermeasure fan at their request; brute-force composing and performing a jingle for a Canadian reality cooking show. Take your pick!
Pat: Any final thoughts?
J-M: Countermeasure has been one of the greatest projects in which I’ve been involved. They say it takes a village, but I’d say it takes a family. And these folks are the best one.
The Countermeasure singers are Aaron Jensen, Gianna Antonacci, Daniel Boyle, Nina Brown, Elora Burns, Icarus Devdas, J-M Erlendson, Marla Kishimoto, Qwyn MacLachlan, Tara Park, Hayley Preziosi, Jeremy Voltz, with sound by Chris Poole.
As the title of the song from their Made to Measure album says, they are Takin’ it Home.
Guest Sessions Vol. II highlights collaborations with three multi-GRAMMY award-winning guests: bassist Braylon Lacy (Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin), Dylan Hart on horn (John Legend, John Williams, Barbara Streisand), and drummer, Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy, Yebba, Mark Ronson); with international heavyweights, such as guitarist, Kaki King (Timbaland, The Roots, Dave Grohl), Clyde Lawrence on keys (co-front person of the celebrated band, LAWRENCE), Leo P on sax (Beyoncé, Too Many Zoos, BBC Proms), and Görkem Şen on yaybahar (Turkish composer/performer featured in Hans Zimmer and Max Richter film scores); and Canadian treasures: Angela Schwarzkopf on harp (2020 JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year), Anh Phung on flute (Twisted Pine, Lydia Persaud, The Bombadils), and Saskia Tomkins (“All-Britain Champion Irish Fiddler”, and the Celtic consultant on ‘Come From Away’) on nyckelharpa – a 14th-century Swedish instrument. The album has been featured on radio stations and streaming playlists around the world, and has recently been added to the In-Flight Airplay of several international airlines.
Tickets for One More spin at SING! are available at https://singtoronto.tickit.ca/events/34562
Pat Silver (she/her) is an international journalist who is the Co-Founder and Co-Manager of SING! The Toronto International Arts Festival. She has been working with Countermeasure since its inception.
