by Chris Bryson
When Winnipeg punk duo Mobina Galore went into Private Ear Recording to lay down their 2019 release, Don’t Worry, they came out of there with more than an album. Mobina Galore’s Jenna Priestner and Marcia Hanson worked with Marty LaFreniere of Looksmart Video and John Paul Peters of Private Ear Recording to compile 40-50 hours of video, which has since been pared down to turn into band content and a documentary called Sorry, I’m a Mess – The Making of ‘Don’t Worry’.
Priestner says that initially when the band went into the studio with LaFreniere and his film gear they didn’t know exactly what they were going to do with the material they came out with. “It wasn’t even a preconceived notion to create a full-length documentary, it just ended up that way,” explains Priestner. “We just wanted to get some good footage in the studio and show what the process is like. And representing Winnipeg. Because we had recorded in Winnipeg and used a local filmmaker as well. So we just wanted to collaborate and create something that was very Winnipeg, but also can be accessible to our fans.”
As time went on they came to a clearer idea of what they were going to do with the footage. So in addition to fan accessibility, Priestner says they wanted to create a documentary that could appeal to different kinds of fans; those of their music, and those who like music documentaries who may come across it on YouTube.
“We’re kind of coming across it from two sides. In terms of our fans I think that people just enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes footage of anything that an artist is doing,” says Priestner. “So I think fans will find the process in which we record interesting. Some of the gear that we use interesting. Our weird language that we speak to each other in the studio interesting. Whereas some other people might not care so much about the specifics of the songs and specifics of the gear that we’re using, but more just what it’s like to be in a situation that they would never find themselves in. Like if people aren’t musicians or have never been into a studio or are never going into a studio, they might just find the process interesting because it’s something totally out of their element.”
Priestner says the documentary starts out by helping clarify the band’s backstory; noting that depending what year’s bio you read about them, they could be from Vancouver, Fernie, or Winnipeg. “Then from there it goes into featuring four tracks from the record,” she explains. “And within those four songs we’ve tried to create a narrative around each of the instrumentations. So there’s the guitar part, a vocal part, a drum part, a bass part. Just sort of every element that was in the studio. And then within all that there’s just kind of the ebbs and flows the ups and downs of what the recording process is and how frustrating it can be, and the time crunch and everything. So it’s a storyline from day one to the last day, and sort of the stresses that come along with that.”
Turning 40-50 hours of material into a documentary is no easy task, and Priestner pays credit to all of the hard work LaFreniere has put into the project, noting that it’s his “first time doing a documentary like this on his own. So it’s also as much for us as it is for him to kind of get this out there. So we’re kind of co-releasing it in a sense.”
The band will be premiering the documentary through their YouTube channel at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11. Originally, they were going to host a coinciding event at Sookram’s Brewing Company, but that has since changed.
People are invited to chat and hang out with the band through their Instagram live and Youtube channel before the premiere. The YouTube screening is interactive so people can leave comments and ask questions as they watch. After the screening the band will be heading over to Instagram and Facebook live for an acoustic performance and to chat with people and answer questions.
Click the link to see a trailer for the documentary: http://www.smarturl.it/siamTRAILER
Instagram: @mobinagalore
Facebook: @mobinagaloremusic