As they tend to do, Toronto's F--ked Up laid waste to another stage when they descended upon Sappyfest 7 this past August. Minutes later, singer Damian Abraham and guitarist Josh Zucker stood somewhat still for a chat about their prospects to break the rules and become the first ever repeat Polaris Music Prize winners.
Having won the prize in 2009 for The Chemistry of Common Life, Zucker is a modestly forlorn about being nominated again in 2012 for David Comes to Life.
“We have a perfect record," he said, referring to their wins-losses Polaris ratio. "I’m sad that it’s not gonna be a perfect record.”
“You don’t win," Abraham chimed in. "You don’t win the second time. It’s fine.”
“There’s a lot of good competition this year too," Zucker countered. "A lot of amazing records.”
“This is a list that I look at and there’s not one record where I’m like, ‘How the f--k did this get on?’” Abraham admitted.
But for a prize that prides itself on awarding the finest record of the year, did F--ked Up make a better record in David Comes to Life than they did with past winner The Chemistry of Common Life?
“Absolutely!" Abraham exclaimed. "I’m not just saying that. The last record was one of the first times where I’m like ‘There’s nothing here I woulda changed,’ whereas some stuff on Chemistry, I would’ve liked to change slightly.”
Still, even with the odds of winning again stacked against them, the band has a foolproof strategy.
“F--ked Up has hired Adele’s lobbyist from the Grammys," Abraham joked. "Beggars [Group] has spared no expense.”
Watch this NSFW (for casual swearing and a weird Twin Peaks-esque dance sequence) interview with F--ked Up, which, for you history buffs, contains references to my old Radio 3 show the Breakfast Club:
The Polaris Music Prize will be awarded on Monday, Sept. 24, at a gala event broadcast on CBC Radio 3.
Related:
YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN talk Polaris Music Prize, Pop Montreal
Polaris juror André Péloquin on why F--ked Up should win the prize (again)