PODCAST: Tom Hooper of B.C.’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’

Host Peter McCully chats with Tom Hooper, with Kevin Kane and brother Chris played their first gig in junior high school, in Kelowna.

‘I think it was 1978. My grade seven dance, my elementary school. I was in grade seven and Chris and Kevin were in grade nine. We were playing some pretty cool music. Everything from Honky Tonk Woman from the Stones to ‘Just what I needed’ by the Cars, A Matt the Hoople song, an Iggy Pop song. I think the teachers didn't know what to expect of us.’

The band's breakthrough came with their critically acclaimed album "Treehouse" in 1987. The album featured the hit single "All the Things I Wasn't" and showcased their ability to craft catchy melodies and poignant lyrics. Grapes of Wrath's music often explored introspective themes and featured rich harmonies that set them apart from other bands.

Hooper, who is a self-admitted ‘Beatles nerd’, says it was a ‘Pinch me moment’, when they were at Abbey Studios in London to mix their album ‘These Days’.

‘We basically were put up the flat, which is attached to Abbey Road (Studios). In fact, I was just playing a gig last night and I was telling the story of my bedroom in this flat. There's a picture of the Beatles hanging out in this bedroom and Ringo standing on top of the fireplace mantle. And that was my room. And my courtyard window opened up to the Abbey Road Studios. It was pretty incredible,’ says Hooper.

One of the more successful Canadian bands of the eighties and nineties, ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ are back out playing gigs in 2023.

If you have suggestions or comments, send a voice message to [email protected] you may be part of our audio podcast mailbag segment.