Music

Interview: Mark Sultan Explores Scandinavia & Readies New Album

by Ciaran Thompson

Mark Sultan, also known as BBQ and sometimes, Needles, Krebs, Blortz and Celeb Prenup, is currently visiting some “uncharted territory” in Scandinavia in anticipation of his forthcoming album, $, his second under his own name. “I’ve been on tour now for the last few months,” Sultan said over the phone last week. “I was coming to Scandinavia after a recording session in Venice, Italy and I asked a friend of mine if he could book some shows.” He said the few shows originally intended turned into eight and for the most part the reception has been good. “I’d say 80 per cent of the time the shows have been great. There’s been a few moments of weirdness. Sometimes I’ll end up in places where they have no idea what’s going to happen or who I am.” The short trek has landed Sultan in Sweden, Norway and Finland.

This week the Montreal native returns home to play two shows in Calgary and Toronto. “I’m going to be coming in from Europe direct to the shows I’m playing,” Sultan said. “It’s going to be me doing my one man band thing. There’s no surprises, I’m not a very surprising person at all. I don’t really try to do things that are crazy unless I’m doing stuff with other people and there’s a different energy going on and it becomes something else. When I’m on my own it’s pretty straight up and either you get what I’m doing or you don’t.”

For his latest effort $, Sultan again offers very few surprises as the garage rock and doo-wop sound returns and is clearly evident on opening track “Icicles” and the heart warming “Ten of Hearts” and “Nobody But You.” “It’s for people familiar with what I do and it’s kind of an extension of that,” he said. This album follows The Sultanic Verses, released in 2007 and like the former, it is distinguishable from his other projects. “The Mark Sultan stuff is more instruments, more stuff going on just a different exploration of different things. The BBQ stuff is straight up, one man rock and roll stuff. I knew that when I was making this record it would be under Mark Sultan.”

Sultan has also recorded his first album with Bloodshot Bill as The Ding Dongs. “I’m definitely excited for that to come out,” Sultan said. “I hope we can tour and do stuff, but that’s sheerly us writing songs for fun on the spot and exploring the more rock and roll stuff.” The Ding Dongs’ self titled LP comes out March 29. Check out a preview of the album and watch Sultan and Bill let the people of Montreal decide on their new music.

Canadian Tour Dates

March 24 – Broken City – Calgary

March 26 – Double Double Land – Toronto