In the aftermath of the Toronto Blue Jays' heartbreaking Game 7 World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, musician Dallas Green found solace in the one thing that has always helped him process emotions: writing new music.
The Juno-winning artist, known for his work with Alexisonfire and his solo project City and Colour, spoke exclusively about how he's been coping with the baseball team's dramatic postseason run and what's next for his musical career.
Processing Blue Jays Disappointment Through Music
Days after watching the Blue Jays fall just short of a championship, Green revealed he's been channeling his sports frustration into creative energy. "Right now, I'm in the basement trying to write a song because I'm so upset about the Jays losing," Green said from his Toronto home. "It's going to help me get through it a little bit, and maybe someday somebody will hear what I'm working on."
The noted Toronto sports fan attended both Games 6 and 7 of the World Series, witnessing firsthand the dramatic moments that defined this year's Fall Classic. He specifically mentioned the controversial "lodged ball" incident in Game 6, when Addison Barger's line drive became stuck under the center field wall padding.
"I cannot believe that I watched the lodged ball, because I know now, for the rest of my life, I'm going to be talking to Jays fans about a lodged ball," Green remarked with a mix of amusement and resignation.
Brotherly Bonds: From Baseball Diamond to Band
This year's Blue Jays team, which finished atop the American League East with 94 wins and returned to the World Series for the first time in 32 years, reminded Green of the special chemistry he shares with his Alexisonfire bandmates.
"I spent my whole life on the road with a group of people who are my chosen family, and a lot of the days on the road are really tough. You have to lean on each other to get through those days," Green explained. "I think that this was my favourite team I've ever rooted for in Toronto sports."
The musician ranked George Springer's three-run homer that sent Toronto to the World Series as the second-greatest moment in Blue Jays history, right behind Joe Carter's legendary 1993 World Series-winning home run and ahead of Jose Bautista's iconic 2015 bat flip.
Alexisonfire's Canadian Tribute Project
Green and his Alexisonfire bandmates recently released Copies of Old Masters Volume 1, a 4-track EP featuring covers of Canadian bands including The Tragically Hip, Rusty, Shallow North Dakota and Doughboys.
"This idea has been around in our group for a very long time," Green said of the project. "We all really like lots of different stuff. It was one of those things where we could pay homage to a bunch of great bands and put our own flavour on some of the songs."
The decision to focus specifically on Canadian artists was intentional, with Green noting there's "this wealth of material from the '90s that we all grew up listening to that, apart from The Tragically Hip, didn't really get its due."
When discussing The Tragically Hip's influence, Green became particularly reflective. "Whether you liked them or not, they were sort of intrinsic to the country," he said. "They became the benchmark, and they had an unspeakable impact on musicians in this country. My friendship with Gord Downie is something I'll never let go of."
Looking Ahead: New Music and Anniversaries
As Alexisonfire approaches the 20th anniversary of their album Crisis next year, Green revealed the band has been writing new material that excites him.
"We just finished writing and demoing a whole batch of new songs, and I think we're going to try to go and record pretty soon," he shared. "I don't think we've ever felt better about being in this band. And I don't just mean creatively, I think, like emotionally, mentally, we're all in the best place that we've ever been."
While Green hasn't been working on new City and Colour material recently, he's focused on Alexisonfire's upcoming projects. The band plans to celebrate the Crisis anniversary with multiple shows and will release a new album.
As for his collaborative project You+Me with pop superstar Pink, Green described it as their "retirement project" and confirmed there are recorded songs that may see release someday, though his current focus remains on the strong friendship they maintain.
Reflecting on this second chapter with Alexisonfire since their 2022 reunion album Otherness, Green expressed profound gratitude. "We've been through a lot of life together and to find ourselves in this place all these years later, where we still want to be around each other, we still want to create together... it's a blessing."
Alexisonfire's Copies of Old Masters Volume 1 is now available on all major streaming platforms.
