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Nowhere with You: The East Coast Anthems of Joel Plaskett, The Emergency and Thrush Hermit
Joel Plaskett has earned an awful lot of honourifics in his career so far, counting folk hero, indie darling, and national treasure among them. And that’s just since the Halifax musician started making records of his own in 1999. For a decade before that, he was one-quarter of Thrush Hermit, a band of scrappy Superchunk mimics who became hard-rock revivalists and one of the last survivors of the ’90s pop “explosion” of major-label interest in Halifax.Canada’s east coast has never been much of a pop-culture mecca. Most musicians from the region who’ve ever made it big moved away. But armed with a stubborn streak and a knack for great songwriting, Plaskett has kept Halifax as his home, building both a career and a music community there. Along the way, he’s earned great when he plays shows in Alberta, east-coast expats literally thank him for staying home.Nowhere With You is the study of how he pulled this off, from the origins of Canada’s east-coast exodus to Plaskett’s anointment as “Halifax’s Rick Rubin.” It’s a story about what happens when you call a city “the new Seattle,” about the lessons you learn playing to empty rooms in Oklahoma, and about defying radio-single expectations with rock operas and triple records. It’s about doing what you want, where you want, no matter how much work it takes.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2016
3 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Josh O'Kane
3 books23 followersJosh O'Kane has been a reporter with The Globe and Mail since 2011, and has covered the technology sector for much of the past five years. His coverage focuses on the relationships between tech companies and human beings, governments, economies, and each other.
His latest book, Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy, investigates the failed effort by Google sister company Sidewalk Labs to build a future-focused neighbourhood in Toronto, the many institutions that company won over, and the consequences of Big Tech’s push into the physical world.
O’Kane won the 2019 Arthur F. Burns Award for transatlantic political and cultural reporting from Germany’s Internationale Journalisten-Programme for his coverage of that country’s broad pushback against Big Tech. His reporting has also won numerous Best in Business Canada awards from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
He has written widely on music, entrepreneurship, and Atlantic Canadian culture; his first book, Nowhere with You, examined all three subjects, and was a Canadian bestseller. O’Kane has extensively reported from Berlin, Halifax, Fredericton and Saint John, and is based in Toronto.
His latest book, Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy, investigates the failed effort by Google sister company Sidewalk Labs to build a future-focused neighbourhood in Toronto, the many institutions that company won over, and the consequences of Big Tech’s push into the physical world.
O’Kane won the 2019 Arthur F. Burns Award for transatlantic political and cultural reporting from Germany’s Internationale Journalisten-Programme for his coverage of that country’s broad pushback against Big Tech. His reporting has also won numerous Best in Business Canada awards from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
He has written widely on music, entrepreneurship, and Atlantic Canadian culture; his first book, Nowhere with You, examined all three subjects, and was a Canadian bestseller. O’Kane has extensively reported from Berlin, Halifax, Fredericton and Saint John, and is based in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 9, 2016
I remember listening to Joel Plaskett’s Ashtray Rock in high school. In the days before we could get into bars, my friends and I would put the album on before we took our illegally acquired booze and foraged into the wilderness for a party. It was as if Plaskett had crafted music specifically for me at that time: music about parties in the woods, high school romance, and everyone leaving Atlantic Canada for greener pastures. Even better, Plaskett wrote songs that were undeniably cool for a boy from Halifax.
So, when I found out that my cousin was writing a book about Plaskett, I was worried. The intersection of a) an artist I love and b) a family member necessitated that I read the book. But, I have a tendency to stick a written review on Goodreads of everything I read. One question worried me when I picked up the book: what if I didn’t like it?
After much consideration I decided I would do the honest thing: I would review the book as I would any other…unless I didn’t end up liking it. In that case, I’d silently file it under “read” without finishing it. Okay, maybe not honest, but at least politely Canadian.
Luckily, Nowhere With You is an engrossing and painstakingly well-researched book about a Canadian icon.
You know how some nonfiction reads come off as rote accounting of events as they transpired, but lack a thematic thread to tie the book together? Not so with O’Kane’s book on Plaskett. Like many of us from the Maritimes, O’Kane has escaped to the greener pastures of western Canada, and appropriately frames Plaskett’s story as one of an Atlantic Canadian who made it big without having to sacrifice the place he loves.
For fans of Plaskett and his many musical endeavors, Nowhere With You is essential reading. Plaskett’s music is influenced by his environment, but it is also self-referential, evolving, and full of cute nods to past events. This book deftly navigates and explains tidbits which would have previously been accessible only to die-hard Plaskett fans. O’Kane is, effectively, the author of the Atlantic Canadian Rap Genius.
O’Kane also made a strong choice in his choice of subject: Plaskett is not only a Canadian icon, but also a compelling and likeable guy. I’ve always liked his music, but what kept me coming back to this book was Plaskett, who seems genuinely similar to the East Coast stereotype of a good dude out to work hard and do well unto others. Plaskett’s story is packed full of people whose names could have easily become confusing in the hands of a lesser writer. Fortunately, O’Kane has an eye for storytelling and serves it up with a heaping helping of seriously readable prose.
While I’m still located in Atlantic Canada, I’m not home. So I wasn’t expecting the book to bring about the sense of homesickness that it did. The book isn’t long but it is dense with little bits of writing that scream “Maritimes.” Much like Plaskett’s music, I felt like this book was written specifically for me, but I now know they both were crafted for people like me.
So, when I found out that my cousin was writing a book about Plaskett, I was worried. The intersection of a) an artist I love and b) a family member necessitated that I read the book. But, I have a tendency to stick a written review on Goodreads of everything I read. One question worried me when I picked up the book: what if I didn’t like it?
After much consideration I decided I would do the honest thing: I would review the book as I would any other…unless I didn’t end up liking it. In that case, I’d silently file it under “read” without finishing it. Okay, maybe not honest, but at least politely Canadian.
Luckily, Nowhere With You is an engrossing and painstakingly well-researched book about a Canadian icon.
You know how some nonfiction reads come off as rote accounting of events as they transpired, but lack a thematic thread to tie the book together? Not so with O’Kane’s book on Plaskett. Like many of us from the Maritimes, O’Kane has escaped to the greener pastures of western Canada, and appropriately frames Plaskett’s story as one of an Atlantic Canadian who made it big without having to sacrifice the place he loves.
For fans of Plaskett and his many musical endeavors, Nowhere With You is essential reading. Plaskett’s music is influenced by his environment, but it is also self-referential, evolving, and full of cute nods to past events. This book deftly navigates and explains tidbits which would have previously been accessible only to die-hard Plaskett fans. O’Kane is, effectively, the author of the Atlantic Canadian Rap Genius.
O’Kane also made a strong choice in his choice of subject: Plaskett is not only a Canadian icon, but also a compelling and likeable guy. I’ve always liked his music, but what kept me coming back to this book was Plaskett, who seems genuinely similar to the East Coast stereotype of a good dude out to work hard and do well unto others. Plaskett’s story is packed full of people whose names could have easily become confusing in the hands of a lesser writer. Fortunately, O’Kane has an eye for storytelling and serves it up with a heaping helping of seriously readable prose.
While I’m still located in Atlantic Canada, I’m not home. So I wasn’t expecting the book to bring about the sense of homesickness that it did. The book isn’t long but it is dense with little bits of writing that scream “Maritimes.” Much like Plaskett’s music, I felt like this book was written specifically for me, but I now know they both were crafted for people like me.
October 13, 2023
O'Kane is the perfect Plaskett profiler: Maritimer, music nerd, and a lovely writer.
The book itself is super inside-baseball, but that's the appeal. Lots of palace intrigue-type reporting on the early days of the Halifax music scene — featuring Sloan, Eric's Trip, Jale, and Thrush Hermit — and Plaskett's ascent from hesitant frontman of Nabisco Fonzie to one of Canada's best songwriters/performers.
As a Plaskett fan, I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stuff — Plaskett's abrupt trip down to Arizona to record La De Da (for free), the origins of "I Love this Town," and his musical influences.
I think he could have given some interviewees less space in the book (we get it, Dave Marsh, you're irascible) but other than that, a terrific book that's paced well and does JP justice.
The book itself is super inside-baseball, but that's the appeal. Lots of palace intrigue-type reporting on the early days of the Halifax music scene — featuring Sloan, Eric's Trip, Jale, and Thrush Hermit — and Plaskett's ascent from hesitant frontman of Nabisco Fonzie to one of Canada's best songwriters/performers.
As a Plaskett fan, I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stuff — Plaskett's abrupt trip down to Arizona to record La De Da (for free), the origins of "I Love this Town," and his musical influences.
I think he could have given some interviewees less space in the book (we get it, Dave Marsh, you're irascible) but other than that, a terrific book that's paced well and does JP justice.
September 18, 2023
I enjoyed this audiobook over the last few weeks while walking around Windsor, Ontario. This book is as much about moving away from the Maritimes for bigger cities as it is about Joel Plaskett, so the theme really resonated and made sense to me. I loved the background given to Maritime music by the author and found much of it interesting.
I’m a Plaskett fan, but hadn’t dived completely into his work, so this book provided a ton of interesting insight that made me want to turn his music on, whether it be his solo work, The Emergency albums, or even his early stuff with Thrush Hermit which I hadn’t heard before.
I would recommend this audiobook to other music fans in Canada (and especially with ties to the Maritimes) who are in the hunt for a good music story.
I’m a Plaskett fan, but hadn’t dived completely into his work, so this book provided a ton of interesting insight that made me want to turn his music on, whether it be his solo work, The Emergency albums, or even his early stuff with Thrush Hermit which I hadn’t heard before.
I would recommend this audiobook to other music fans in Canada (and especially with ties to the Maritimes) who are in the hunt for a good music story.
August 1, 2018
I'd love to give this a higher rating, because I was really happy to learn about Joel Plaskett's life...but this isn't very well-written. I noticed weird typos and poorly-constructed sentences.
May 6, 2020
This is a cool book on the humble and talented Joel Plaskett. There are lots of Thrush Hermit stories and the thread continues through Plaskett's solo career. Quick and enjoyable read.
June 12, 2021
Great biography of a great musician.
November 22, 2022
Great first half, a master class on Eastcoast music history… the rest is ok.
November 27, 2024
Reading this made me love Joel Plaskett all the more.
January 12, 2017
This was adorable
September 12, 2016
I love musical memoirs, biographies etc and this one is great. I have been a fan of Joel Plaskett's since the late 1990s. I loved this.
October 19, 2016
A loving and well-researched history of Joel Plaskett's musical life, from the formation of Thrush Hermit in his high school days, to the emergence of the Emergency, all the way up to the release of his latest solo record. Also delves a little into the history of the Halifax music scene.
I love Joel Plaskett - he's a wildly accomplished songwriter, a Canadian musical icon, he's smart & funny & sincere & he rocks. That's why I was drawn to this book. But in the end I was left wishing for more. The book is a fine record of his accomplishments. It's just more of a career play-by-play written by an avowed superfan, rather than, say, an insightful analysis by an appreciative critic.
A quick read, but for die-hard Plaskett fans (or followers of the East Coast music scene) only.
I love Joel Plaskett - he's a wildly accomplished songwriter, a Canadian musical icon, he's smart & funny & sincere & he rocks. That's why I was drawn to this book. But in the end I was left wishing for more. The book is a fine record of his accomplishments. It's just more of a career play-by-play written by an avowed superfan, rather than, say, an insightful analysis by an appreciative critic.
A quick read, but for die-hard Plaskett fans (or followers of the East Coast music scene) only.
June 21, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free print copy from ECW Press in exchange for an honest review, as part of their Shelf Monkey program.
I'm a longtime Plaskett fan who doesn't get to hear much about him in my native U.S., so I devoured this book happily! O'Kane deftly balances biographical information, entertaining anecdotes, analysis of Plaskett's songwriting and production processes, and the greater context of life in (and, frequently, out of) the Maritimes. While a love of East Coast Canadian bands will maximize reading enjoyment, NOWHERE WITH YOU (like Plaskett's own wide-ranging oeuvre) should appeal to anyone interested in great music.
I'm a longtime Plaskett fan who doesn't get to hear much about him in my native U.S., so I devoured this book happily! O'Kane deftly balances biographical information, entertaining anecdotes, analysis of Plaskett's songwriting and production processes, and the greater context of life in (and, frequently, out of) the Maritimes. While a love of East Coast Canadian bands will maximize reading enjoyment, NOWHERE WITH YOU (like Plaskett's own wide-ranging oeuvre) should appeal to anyone interested in great music.
May 28, 2025
As a huge fan of Plaskett's, I'm aware of potential bias, but I found this to be a fantastic read. As a fan of the arts in Canada, it paints an intriguing and thoughtful painting of the Maritime music landscape in the 90's and 00's; as a Canadian, it shows how the music of our massive country is affected (negatively, but usually uniquely positively) by our geography; and as an existing Plaskett fan, it added so much more meaning and depth to songs I had already come to love. I think that most Canadian music fans, not just Plasketts specifically, will find something to enjoy here.
December 21, 2016
As a displaced Maritimer and long-time Joel Plaskett fan, I am the exact target audience for Nowhere With You - and it did not disappoint. Sure, the book could have gone deeper into biographical details of Plaskett, but that's not the point. Nowhere With You reads as an extended version of Plaskett's between song banter, giving the flavour and stories behind the songs. Recommended reading for Plaskett fans.
January 7, 2016
A look at the career of the Maritime musician and his collaborators, this book is more likely to please existing fans than create new ones. That said, $18.95 is a small price to pay for a rare look at a piece of the Canadian scene, and what we need to pony up if we want to support these stories being told. Written by a Globe & Mail staff reporter.
April 26, 2016
An enjoyable read. I was relieved to see this wasn't a typical fan-written biography, focusing on the minutiae of a musician's life. The author instead weaved the history of the east coast music scene to give context to Joel Plaskett's career.
Highly recommend this book for fans of the Canadian music scene.
Highly recommend this book for fans of the Canadian music scene.
April 9, 2016
I love Joel Plaskett, and am also from the East Coast, so I knew I would enjoy this read. The writing had me hooked after the first few paragraphs though, which meant I struggled to put the book down until I had finished it.
June 6, 2016
I loved this book (as a huge JP fan). It was a great journey through his musical journey - I only wished a bit more personal input (memories, jokes, thoughts) from the artist though.
Wonderfully worth the read for any fan of Plaskett or East Coast music!
Wonderfully worth the read for any fan of Plaskett or East Coast music!
June 15, 2016
I enjoyed this affectionate book about Joel's musical career. The author declares his bias as a fan in the earliest pages of the book, and I thought this choice gave warmth and enthusiasm to the narrative.
April 16, 2016
Wonderful recap of Joel's life and career. Lots of tidbits I either forgot or never knew. Quick, enjoyable read.
June 15, 2016
A good biography about one of my favourite musicians. A pretty straight-and-narrow biography. If you're looking for dirt, go read Dirt (Motley Crue) :).
July 29, 2016
Loved the subject matter (of course) and I found it very well written.. just the right amount of details, kept a fast pace
November 23, 2016
This was an interesting history of independent music in Nova Scotia, but I was disappointed there wasn't more about Joel Plaskett's personal life. Worth reading, though.
January 21, 2017
Great look into the life of one of Canada's great musical minds. From the beginning of Thrush Hermit to Park Avenue everything is covered.
May 17, 2019
Excellent history of the
Halifax music scene that backgrounds Plaskett's career. Well documented and easy to read writing style.
Halifax music scene that backgrounds Plaskett's career. Well documented and easy to read writing style.
August 26, 2018
Typically, I shy away from non-fiction and consider it to be a chore, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this read. Prior to reading this book I was familiar with Joel Plaskett’s radio hits and had attended one of his shows in St. John’s, NL. While reading this book I tried to listen to the his material referenced and found a new appreciation for the music and the stories behind it. This is a great book for anyone looking for a reminder of all they didn’t know they missed about the Maritimes and an encouraging story of perseverance and talent.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews