Queen’s Park

They say to write what you know: sage advice for green and seasoned writers alike. Naturally, such advice can be applied to the other disciplines, the composition of music being no exception. Be it for an article, interview, or song, Will Chernoff writes what he knows.

For example, Queen's Park, this project's namesake, is a prominent neighbourhood and park in Chernoff's hometown of New Westminster, BC, where he spent countless formative hours walking around and playing soccer. More poignantly, the Bernie Legge Theatre, located in the park itself, is the stage where this particular group of musicians first performed in May of 2023: Chernoff on electric bass, Madeleine Elkins on guitar, Thad Bailey-Mai on trumpet, Nebyu Yohannes on trombone, and Miles Wong on drums. Will tells me he booked the recording session immediately after the gig as there was something special in this group that that needed to be recorded. The band would get together in October that year at Monarch Studios in East Vancouver.

Certainly to my ears, Will and his quintet are often conjuring the feeling of being in an open space, among nature, earthly, human, while still close enough to home. "22 or Never" sets this tone most precisely: a lyrical melody and counter-melody set to a loose latin-inspired time feel. There's something welcoming about how the band plays here, almost like a theme song for friendship. The song maintains this attitude until the head out, where Thad, Nebyu, and Miles briefly share an euphoric refrain, like old friends erupting into a roar of laughter while reminiscing.

"Floatplane" is a dreamy waltz that reminds me of taking a long, long walk with friends on a clear if brisk day, not unlike that of the recording session. This track features some of Nebyu Yohannes' most gripping improvisation on the EP. His command of the upper register of the trombone really shines when pitted against Thad's warm and fuzzy but occasionally explosive trumpet playing. "Floatplane" also gives us more of Madeleine Elkins' tasteful telecaster stylings, using a twangy voice and subtle volume-knob swells with some swirly reverse-delay effects thrown in near the end.

As you may recognize, the final track of the EP, "Aim To Stay" is a composition that Will has recorded before. In fact, it's the title of his first record. In my opinion, this rendition is almost indistinguishable from the original. This time it's played as a guitar trio odyssey with a sensitive and thoughtful touch, akin to Bill Frisell's "Shenandoah" or Julian Lage's "Tributary", with some possible influence from modern psych-funk outfit Khruangbin. Rather than a typical jazz arrangement, this take feels more like an exploration on theme, groove and texture. Being devoid of horns, the track is a sonic departure from the other tracks on the record, which I think is entirely on purpose.

As is often a theme in Will's music, I think "Aim To Stay", and the decision to re-record it, is a reflection on one's coming-of-age. All members of this group were either 28 or 29 years old at the time of recording, so that specific feeling of an impending decade glaring onto one's face, hardening the skin but softening the heart, is present throughout the record.

With this in mind, it makes sense that this record serves as a rumination on the past. And while Will, Madeleine, and Nebyu are all from New Westminster, where they met as teenagers, for one reason or another they've all moved out of the city limits. This record also functions as a capsule of their shared connection to that place, be it intentional or subliminal. Maybe that's the "something special" that Will had sensed months before, following their first performance together, that he was compelled to capture.