Saskadelphia Explained

Saskadelphia
Type:EP
Artist:The Tragically Hip
Cover:The Tragically Hip - Saskadelphia.png
Released:May 21, 2021
Genre:Rock
Length:19:16
Label:Universal
Prev Title:Man Machine Poem
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Live at the Roxy
Next Year:2022

Saskadelphia is an EP by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released on May 21, 2021.[1]

The band's first release since the death of lead singer Gord Downie in 2017, the EP consists of six previously unreleased tracks connected to the recording sessions for their 1991 album Road Apples.[2]

Its first single, "Ouch", reached #3 on the Canadian Rock song chart.[2]

Saskadelphia had been the original working title of Road Apples during the recording sessions, but was rejected by the band's record label.[1] Five of the six songs on the album are the original studio recordings, while one song is included in a later live performance as the original studio version could not be found.[1] All six recordings were among those the band rediscovered only in 2019 after a New York Times Magazine article listed the band as being among those artists whose master tapes had been lost in the 2008 Universal Studios fire, leading to the discovery that their tapes were actually safe as they had been transferred back to Canada many years earlier.[3] The title is a portmanteau of Saskatchewan and Philadelphia.

The lead single "Ouch" was promoted with a music video starring Rick Mercer and Jay Baruchel.[4] A subsequent video for "Not Necessary" starred Emily Hampshire.[5] An animated video for "Montreal" paid tribute to the victims of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, and was released on December 6, 2021 to commemorate the anniversary of the event.[6]

The EP was also included as part of the Road Apples 30th anniversary reissue package in October 2021.[7]

Charts

Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Peak
position
US Top Current Albums (Billboard)[8] 66

Notes and References

  1. Jane Stevenson, "The Tragically Hip's new album, Saskadelphia, 'feels like it's honouring' Gord Downie". Calgary Herald, May 20, 2021.
  2. Gil Kaufman, "The Tragically Hip Dropping Surprise 'Saskadelphia' Album". Billboard, May 20, 2021.
  3. Jonathan Dekel, "The inside story of The Tragically Hip’s Saskadelphia, the band’s first new album since the death of Gord Downie". The Globe and Mail, May 20, 2021.
  4. Daniel Kreps, "See the Tragically Hip’s ‘Twin Peaks’-Inspired Video for ‘Ouch’". Rolling Stone, June 3, 2021.
  5. Calum Slingerland, "The Tragically Hip's 'Not Necessary' Video Expands the 'Saskadelphia' Cinematic Universe". Exclaim!, November 4, 2021.
  6. Lorraine Carpenter, "WATCH: Tragically Hip honour Polytechnique victims with “Montreal” music video". Cult MTL, December 6, 2021.
  7. Tim Peacock, "The Tragically Hip Announce Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Road Apples’". UDiscoverMusic, September 16, 2021.
  8. Web site: The Tragically Hip Chart History (Top Current Albums). Billboard. May 18, 2021.