Joel Gibb, founder of Toronto’s The Hidden Cameras, talks on his cellphone while sipping a soy latte at a trendy Los Angeles coffee shop, seated just a few tables away from “the dude from Rage Against the Machine.”

Gibb is relaxing before the band’s gig that night at L.A.‘s Club Spaceland, just another stop on the Cameras’ North American tour following the release of their latest album Origin: Orphan this past September.

The album is a funky and folky approach to indie-pop, described by the band as “a laugh riot with some serious moments.”

“The way I work is I write a song and I hear it very clearly, so collaboration is not necessarily in the cards,” Gibb said of his songwriting style. “If I write a song, I’m inspired for it to come to life, to reveal itself in the way that I envisioned it.”

Though The Hidden Cameras is Gibb’s brainchild first and foremost, a long list of regular musicians and special guests also contribute, giving the band much of its characteristic edge.

For their upcoming Winnipeg show, the band’s regular lineup will be accompanied by fellow Torontonian Laura Barrett on keyboards, “the double Johns from St. Johns” on bass and drums (Jon Hynes and John Power, respectively) and Shawn Brodie on trumpet. The ever-evolving cast contributes to the experimental nature of the sound.

Gibb said their latest album, recorded at a number of studios over many months, has resulted in an eclectic mix of sounds.

“It was very much a long and drawn out process,” Gibb explained.

While several of the songs on Origin: Orphan hark back to the Cameras’ classic aesthetic, others explore new directions.

Gibb described his music as a sort of dialogue with his audience through which meaning is established, which he said helps him understand his own music better.

“Sometimes [feedback from fans] adds a whole new dimension to a song, which I guess I knew was there, but [the fans] help explicate it.”

Where his audience is concerned, Gibb is a constant inventor, though he takes a generous approach.

“Essentially in this day and age you’re giving music to people because nobody buys it anymore. You’re giving it up to people hopefully for [their] betterment.”

In anticipation of his upcoming Winnipeg performance, Gibb gave his thoughts on what he is expecting.

“Winnipeg’s got some soul. Every story I hear about Winnipeg is really out there,” mused Gibbs. “Be prepared to react. It’s always good when you have an audience that can react. I’m sure Winnipeg will be very reactory. Is that a word?”

Published in Volume 64, Number 13 of The Uniter (November 26, 2009)