It has been three years since The Tea Party reunited – initially, a tentative testing of the waters to see if they could successfully reform after a bitter break-up in 2005. The band – singer/guitarist Jeff Martin, bassist/keyboardist Stuart Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows – have shown that time heals old wounds. Releasing The Ocean At The End on September 8^th, The Tea Party has returned with a vengeance that has both long-time and new fans rejoicing. Following a critically acclaimed tour in Australia, the band has returned to Canada, playing at Flames Central December 5^th in Calgary and Union Hall in Edmonton December 6th.

In seeing videos of the band performing, as well as in interviews, it is clear that three years into reuniting the band’s chemistry on stage is strong.

"We are playing better than ever; friendships are being patched, and we approach things a little differently than we did in our prime – in a good way," Stuart Chatwood told GayCalgary.com days before the tour kicked off in Peterborough. "We care less about what the audience thinks about us, and that gives us a freedom to do what we do best.

"We aren’t concerned about do you like this song? It’s we are going to play some great rock and roll for you and we hope you enjoy it. It is a great liberty that comes with that, and is a product from [playing music] for as long as we have, and the wisdom that comes with that. I value that in artists that I see. I don’t expect a David Bowie or Nick Cave to pander to the audience. I expect them to be artists."

This reanaissance was a long time coming where fans were concerned. Taking their time on The Ocean at the End was important to the band, Chatwood explained.

"I’d like to say you can’t rush quality... Jeff Martin lives in Perth, Australia, so part of it was just hard to facilitate the recording time. We did work hard and strenously, but it does take awhile for songs like these to come together. One or two came together quite quickly but others are little labours of love that take a little time. We started writing in Byron Bay, Australia, and then relocated to Windsor, our original hometown where we went to school together. We tried to write in a similar way to our first record, locking ourselves away in a hot, sweaty jam space and working out the ideas there. It gives you a great opportunity to try new ideas on the spot, as opposed to writing in the studio or sending files to each other. Quite often you write a song and record it, but it only takes shape after you’ve performed it 100 times on the road. It’s trying to cut that journey shorter by doing it at rehearsal. If problems pop up in songs like, perhaps, the verse is too long, get to the chorus sooner. Things like that. After we finished up in Windsor we went to Toronto and had three or four sessions at Revolution Studios. We cut it to tape and it sounds like a big classic rock record from the ’70s. We made sure, with the mastering, that it didn’t sound too modern, so you could turn it up and it sounds good loud. A lot of new recordings sound great on the radio, in your car, but when you get home and turn it up, it sounds distorted. There are little details we try to pay attention to that makes the project take a little longer, but we think it’s worth it."

The album heavily features Martin’s guitar work, something his bandmates really pushed during the process.

"Jeff is such an amazing guitar player. When we lived together in Toronto, in an apartment, six hours a day he was jamming out on his Marshall stack. He knew every riff inside and out from all classic rock bands. He has a unique education, because he was exposed to blues music at an early age, and there are cute photos of him with a giant guitar playing blues at age 10. It is playing on our strengths, more than anything. Jeff adds keyboard parts, and they are good parts, but we just think his strength is in his guitar playing. It seperates him from a lot of other people out there."

The live shows have featured four to five songs off the new album which, amongst Australian audiences, proved to be some of the most popular songs of the night.

"It is amazing to have new material that is the highlight of the show now. So often we are relying on material from our first three records. The Ocean at the End is amazing. "The Black Sea", which is our current single in Canada, has found a place in the set and I look forward to playing it. Each night you try a different way of doing things and, a year from now, we may play it a little differently. There is a great song called "Black Roses" on the record that we will have quite a challenge pulling off live because of the different instrumentation. I’ve heard from Jeff Martin that he wants to try and do that in the set. There is another song called "The Eleventh Hour", off the new record, that we call the great one because we felt the riff was so powerful. I think we are going to learn that one for the Canadian tour."

The challenge becomes balancing their catalogue with new music.

"From the old stuff, I think we have a pretty good idea which ones react with our fans. If it is a new audience, we might choose a different setlist. Most of the people coming out to these shows have heard of the band before, so the old ones rise to the top. With the new ones, you know in the studio as soon as you add too many tracks to a song, you are like this is going to be tough to pull off live. If it is an amazing song, and a highlight of the record, we will figure out a way to simplify it to cover all the points sonically. It is a tough decision. I think if the fans overwhelmingly said they need to hear a song, it may swing our influence somewhat. Bands that have been around for awhile, with eight or nine records, the fans want to hear the older songs. Bands like Soundgarden; it is a challenge to get a new song to stand up to their classics. For us, to be able to do that with new songs is great. We can’t wait to get back into the studio and get something out – maybe in 2016 – and continue this process."

Many classic Tea Party songs, such as "Certain Slant of Light", "Walking Wounded", and "Emerald" have not been played live in years, something Chatwood is open to exploring in future tours.

""Emerald", in particular, we have bothered Jeff Martin about that every single tour. I don’t know if he played it, or if the lyrical content perhaps reminds him of something in the past – I am not sure – but he doesn’t seem to want to do that one. Jeff Burrows and myself are on side for that one. We have some embarassing pictures of Jeff, so maybe we can blackmail him."

Part of the live Tea Party experience is the connection the band makes on stage. During songs, Martin will ask the audience to sing along, and they match his powerhouse voice each time. One such song is "Psychopomp", a song Chatwood is ecstatic to play again after their hiatus.

"Since it was written we have always included "Psychopomp" in the shows. It is the fourth song in and resets the show for me no matter what has happened in the first three songs. If you play a festival, or a show without a proper soundcheck, it can be a little chaotic on stage. We know whatever happens, come that song, we reset and it sets the mood too – lets people know we are a touch serious and a touch dark. No matter what you’ve thought of the band, up until that point in the set, that song changes it and defines us. That is a big one for me. Lately "The Ocean at the End" is this epic song right at the end of the record. We had Ian Anderson, from Jethro Tull, play on that song. It is an eight and a half minute blues epic. We just came back from Australia and it has become one of the fans’ favourite songs. It is just pulsating and hypnotic. That is some of the best music – when you can just close your eyes and go on a journey somewhere else."

In the past few years many bands that first broke through in the 1990s have resurged. For many, the music of today just doesn’t compare to that era.

"People are finding alternative things to listen to because radio is not delivering the quality of music they like. There was more songwriting then and less manipulation. I would rather listen to a song by an artist telling me something about themselves, or life in general, rather than an artist figuring out what I want to hear and pandering towards me. We never pandered to anyone and I think people appreciate that. We are still accessible, thanks to things like the Internet. All these bands from the ’70s were probably touring in the ’80s but you just didn’t know it. Nowadays it is easier for us to reach people, if our song isn’t getting as much airplay, because there are so many new bands getting airplay."

How they reach fans is through social media. The band interacts with fans both on individual Facebook accounts and the official Tea Party page. When fans, who had already bought tickets to the tour, found out about meet and greet packages, their comments on Facebook lead to the band organizing upgrades for those who already had tickets. Their The Reformation Tour: Live in Australia album was entirely funded through PledgeMusic. To interact with their audience, in a way that was not available to the band prior to their split, brings the band-fan connection to a new level.

"It is great for people to be involved so much. Quite often it is a challenge to get our songs on radio, because we don’t write songs like everybody else, and sound different. It is great to go straight to the listener, and I hope that continues in the future, and perhaps labels play more of a marketing side role. With the PledgeMusic thing, we weren’t sure if the support was out there for a new record. This thing got funded in 30 hours. Then we decided to add vinyl, so it took three days until we funded absolutely everything that we added. PledgeMusic actually talks about the Tea Party project when they go to music conventions and we are quite honoured to be mentioned in that light. We involved the fans along the way, and let them know what was going on with the mixing and mastering. The record is in stores now but the fans got it first, and have their names on the record even. It is a special thing."

VIP packages that include a soundcheck experience, autographed photo, and meet and greet with the Tea Party are another way for fans who want to meet a band they have watched for 20 years in person have an unique interactive experience.

"It is hard to meet fans. Normally you roll into soundcheck, do it, then back to the hotel. Amazingly – even though you are playing in front of thousands of people – you don’t actually get to chat with them. Earlier on in our career it is something we did. It is feedback on how the music has affected them, or what their favourite parts are. You can get tunnel vision with your career, so it is nice to get a different perspective. It is something special for people who have been our biggest supporters as well."

I can say, from experience, that The Tea Party in concert is unlike any other musical experience. Having seen the band 12 times at venues ranging from the Silver Dollar Casino to the Saddledome, the band always brings everything to the stage. Chatwood promises something special for fans in Calgary and Edmonton this weekend.

"We always try and make it a journey: it is rock music, but it is an experience. If you surrender to the music, and let it enter you, you will go on a trip. Close your eyes and let it take you away. We aren’t playing a bunch of two-minute songs; our music takes you to different places on a sonic journey. We try to construct a concert that we would have loved to have seen."