For a lot of folks,Sloan's1994 albumTwice Removedis a watershed moment in the Toronto-via-Halifax band's history. For a group who would become beloved for their jaunty, infectious take on Beatles-esque pop, their career had begun a few years prior with a debut LP,Smeared, that took the best elements of the soundsdu jour- namely shoegaze andSonic Youth为noise-rock——透过先天pop sensibilities of four distinct songwriters.

Seeing the potential of the band at the forefront of the Halifax scene, at the time deemed the "new Seattle" following that city's grunge boom of the early '90s,Geffen Recordshad signed the band on an international deal for the follow-up toSmeared, as well as giving their debut it's first American release.

Twice Removedwas released in August 1994, less than six months after the death ofKurt Cobain. Unfortunately, in a period marked by an explosion of derivative proto-grungeNirvanaknockoffs tailor-made for radio play, the brilliantly direct songcraft of the mostly fuzz-freeTwice Removedwas perceived as a disappointment by the label, who famously dropped Sloan after all but sweeping the album under the rug of the international market.

Rather than opting to throw in the towel, the band reconvened with 1996's wildly acclaimedOne Chord to Another, going on to great success over seven more LPs at the helm of their own label,murderecords.

Having delivered one of the best records of a long and storied career with last year'sThe Double Cross- the title a reference to the band's two decades in the business - Sloan have taken the last few months to pay respect to their sophomore classic witha crazily comprehensive box set, augmented by a series of shows featuring a performance ofTwice Removedin full at a sold out show atthe Phoenixtonight. Guitarist and songwriter Jay Ferguson took the time to answer some questions about the various anniversaries being commemorated by the band, the initial reception to what has become one of their most beloved albums, and what's on the horizon for Sloan.

After spending the last year promoting Sloan's 10th album and celebrating your 20th anniversary as a band, why pick now to look to the past for this series of shows?

Jay Ferguson (JF:)我们中的一些人一直在说过去几个years about reissuing older LPs (on vinyl or other formats) and perhaps touring one of these older LPs; playing it as a show from top to bottom. Those kinds of shows have obviously become a bit of a trend over the past few years. We thought it might be a fun idea and perhaps lure out some long lost fans who haven't kept up with us since the 1990s. After touringThe Double Crossthrough 2011, we didn't really have a plan for this year, so it seemed like a good time to try to combine a reissue and tour for 2012.

Although it's not a particular anniversary forTwice Removed(happy 18th!), it seemed like the best place to start - it appears to be one of the records that many of our fans have a particular fondness for, and we also had a plenty of demos to choose from to really expand a reissue. As well, it was a fairly well documented time that enabled us to assemble a large, thorough book to accompany the vinyl box set.

Was there any talk of running throughSmearedin its entirety prior to these performances ofTwice Removed?

JF:Well, I guess it would have made sense to work chronologically, but I think we agreed thatTwice Removedwould be the best foot forward. We'll get to aSmearedbox set, too. The version of Andrew [Scott, drummer] singing "Median Strip" has to see the light of day.

How has the reception to the tour been so far? What can be expected from the show aside from airing out the record?

JF:It's been super; good sing-a-longs. We play two sets - first up isTwice Removedin it's entirety, then a short break, after which we come back and play an all-sorts set of songs from the rest of our catalogue.

How hasTwice Removedheld up for the band? It's been said that there were a fair share of label issues with Geffen upon its original release, but did the band ever put any stock into these? Have your opinions of the record changed over time?

JF:I guess you might get a different answer from each of us. I've always liked the LP and while at the time the response from Geffen in the US was frustrating, it didn't mar the music for me. We've also been playing a handful of the songs ("Penpals," "Coax Me," "People Of the Sky") fairly regularly over the years, so it's not like we're unearthing something completely unfamiliar, but it's satisfying playing the LP as a united piece.

Is it true that the lyrics of "Penpals" are taken from fan letters to Kurt Cobain?

JF:Quite true. There is a recreation of the letter included with the new box set.

Twice Removedis a world away from the washed-out fuzz ofSmearedand the earlierPeppermintEP, and is the first indication of the refined pop milieu Sloan has worked in since. What brought on such a sonic change from your first album? How do you seeTwice Removedin relation to what followed?

JF:Personally, touringSmearedfor the better part of two years was taking a toll on my eardrums. I was happy to play a little quieter at the time. I also felt that the musical climate was getting overstuffed with-half baked noisy guitar bands and wanted to take a turn away from that sound. Perhaps it was not the right thing to do commercially?

I think that was Geffen's frustration withTwice Removed, in that it didn't follow logically from the sonic template ofSmeared. I/we were happy to pull from different references likeFleetwood Mac, orPlastic Ono Band, or the thirdVelvet Undergroundalbum, and to try to chart a different musical course that would set us apart (hopefully) from the glut of noisy indie groups that followed in the wake of (the great)My Bloody Valentineand Nirvana. It does seem thatTwice Removedperhaps set the template for what followed, with every member singing and writing, and no particular set style or format of the songs contributed.

This time last year saw you giveOne Chord to Anothera similar treatment at one of one ofFucked Up'sholiday benefit showsat the Great Hall. Are there any plans to revisit that or the other LPs for a proper tour?

JF:Since it appears thisTwice Removedtour and box set have done well, I think we'll continue in the future with the box set reissue/tours for as long as fans will allow it. I thinkOne Chord To Anotherwould make a logical next choice.

Lastly, is there anything currently on the books in the way of new material? Has revisiting material from the band's formative years had an effect on the current songwriting process?

JF:We've yet to make a concrete plan for 2013, but hopefully we'll have a new Sloan LP out for next autumn, and then perhaps try another reissue/tour after that campaign is over. We also have a brand new 7" due out in a couple months that sounds absolutely nothing likeTwice Removed.

First and third photo by Michael Halsband; second photo by Lisa Mark