Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson On Playing The Hits, Making New Music, And ‘Lovin’ Life’

Canadian supergroup Barenaked Ladies has been busy crisscrossing the United States for this year’s summer tour. It wraps up this weekend with a show in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio tonight, and one in Clarkston, Michigan tomorrow.

Lead singer Ed Robertson says the shows have been fantastic with crowds turning out to hear classics like “One Week,” “Pinch Me,” “If I Had $1,000,000,” the “Big Bang Theory Theme” and many others. He says it’s been gratifying, too, to see the strong support for some of the new music they’ve been playing from their upcoming album.

“It works out well because we play all of the old stuff, the hits, and I think there’s kind of a give and take with the audience. If we play seven or eight songs they know and love, it gives us a lot of leeway to play some deeper cuts, and some new stuff. We’ve been doing a couple of songs from our new record that isn’t even out yet and they’ve been going over great.”

Barenaked Ladies is well-known for fun, quirky songs often filled with pop culture references. One of their new songs, just released this week in fact, does a little of that. It’s a song called “Too Old.”

“It’s a fun rumination on internet trends and cancel culture,” Robertson explains.

Robertson is a prolific songwriter who began writing songs as a teenager. In fact, he wrote “If I Had $1,000,000 Dollars” when he was just 18 years old, long before the band ever came together.

He originally formed Barenaked Ladies as a duo with his friend, Steven Page, later adding additional members. They became successful in their native Canada, then the U.S. and later globally. In 2009, Page left the band by mutual agreement and today is a solo artist.

In the years since, Barenaked Ladies has continued writing, recording, and touring. They’re known for a freestyle, go-where-the-music-takes-you approach in their live shows they tend to enjoy as much as the fans.

During this year’s summer tour, they’ve had three 90’s era groups as opening acts. Del Amitri, best known for “Roll to Me” came along for the entire tour, while Semisonic (whose hits include “Closing Time”) opened the first half of the tour, with Five for Fighting (”Superman” and “100 Years) joining them the second half.

As the tour draws to a close, Barenaked Ladies will focus on getting the new album set for release sometime this fall.

“The record is really adventurous; is how I’d describe it,” Robertson says. “There’s a lot of variety on it, sonically and stylistically. It’s a really wild ride and we’re super excited to get it out there.”

In addition to “Too Old,” they’ve released one other single. It’s a positive, upbeat song called “Lovin’ Life.” Robertson says it’s reflective of where he finds himself today.

“It’s a really fun rumination on just being grateful. I’m trying to be effusive about how happy and grateful I feel without being corny. It’s a tough line to walk, but I mean it.”

The song originally started focused more on his own life, but then he broadened it.

“I wanted it to be more inclusive and celebratory, not just, hey look, my life is awesome. I wanted to pivot that to say, ‘Hey, we’re all pretty lucky to be here, so let’s try and focus on the positives.”

Much of his own gratitude comes from a love of the music and the success that’s come from a dream that began many years ago. He remembers learning to play the guitar as a kid in the 4th grade and thinking about wanting to become a musician.

“I had no understanding what it meant or might require, but it’s what I wanted from the earliest time I can remember wanting to be anything, to be a musician and songwriter. And I am that today. And I still get to do it at a super high level. We haven’t had a hit in decades, but we sold out Red Rocks this summer. We’re playing to big crowds, I’m amazed I still get to do this, I love it and I have a lot to be grateful for. I’m lovin’ life.”