ABOVE: Watch Jacob Hoggard and Dave Rosin of Hedley on Global’s The Morning Show.
TORONTO — When they’re not performing somewhere or lending their names to a charitable cause, the members of Canadian pop-rock band Hedley are writing and recording new music.
Few would disagree the B.C.-based group is this country’s hardest working band.
“You’ve got to do it because you love it,” said lead singer Jacob Hoggard during an appearance on Global’s The Morning Show. “That has to be your motivation deep down or else it will wear you down.
“I feel, at this point, we were sort of made to do this.”
Hedley has just released Wild Life, its fifth studio album since 2005, and is embarking early next year on a cross-Canada tour called Wild Live.
“For a job, we get to show up in a different town every morning and entertain people,” said guitarist Dave Rosin.
The tour kicks off Valentine’s Day in Prince George, B.C. and hits 34 cities before wrapping up in Victoria on April 10. In addition to concerts in major markets like Toronto and Calgary, the band is bringing its act to smaller communities across the country — from Cranbrook, B.C. to Cornerbrook, Newfoundland.
Hoggard, whose marriage ended in 2010, admitted being on the road so much takes its toll on relationships.
“It’s hard to love somebody because you end up missing them more,” he said. “That can be really difficult sometimes but at the same time our lives are blessed by so many relationships and so many awesome people we come across.”
The band’s four members also spent a lot of time with each other.
Rosin explained: “We’ve learned to play on each other’s strengths. We can also be the most honest with each other, not without conflict, but those conflicts are healthy sometimes.”
Hoggard said this honesty enables the group to make music that is sincere and genuine.
“I feel like music fans can smell a rat,” he said. “They know when you’re just up on stage and not believing what you’re up to.”
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