One of Canada’s most celebrated rock bands is marking three decades of releasing music.
Our Lady Peace first hit the Canadian music scene with the release of their debut album Naveed in 1994, featuring singles like “The Birdman” and “Starseed.”
Thirty years later, the band is celebrating their career and their fans with the OLP 30 Tour.
“It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been a month going across the country at a time where I feel Canada is so united, so it’s brought an extra energy to the show. It’s just been a truly beautiful thing,” frontman Raine Maida told CTV Atlantic’s Katie Kelly.
The band is finishing up the first leg of their tour Thursday night in Halifax, which was the fastest selling show of the tour.
“I think it’s going to be chills the whole night for us, the band, because when you see tickets sell that quickly there’s something in the air,” he said.
“Obviously people are excited to be here tonight and that exchange of energy every night has been phenomenal and I just think we’ll go out on a high tonight in Halifax.”
Maida says there are some memories that really stand out when he looks back at his 30-year career.
“We tell some stories on stage and I think there are these few profound moments throughout our career that I share with the crowd which is pretty fun,” he said.
Video from the band’s Wednesday night show at Moncton’s Avenir Centre is circulating social media, showing the entire crowd singing “O Canada.”
“It’s a very spontaneous thing. There’s a section of the show where I go to the other end of the arena… the intimacy and being that close to people, it just brings something up,” said Maida.
“I was literally going to start a song and this guy in front of me just started singing the national anthem and so I stopped and just turned the mic around and the whole crowd erupts into it and it’s just like, I had chills and I was literally choked up it.”
The band recorded in Nashville last year and Maida confirms there will be a new album in 2025.
“We were literally talking yesterday about getting back into the studio and finishing a proper album in the next couple of months before we go out in the summer in the U.S.,” said Maida.
Also on the calendar for 2025, Our Lady Peace will be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
“This tour has taken so much bandwidth and time with the production and getting the songs together and getting the fans engaged and involved. Finally, when this is over, I’ll get to think about that a bit. It is definitely cool.”
