Oh, he's a savvy one, that Turner. Sharp as a tour's-end guitar pick.
But there is a real story behind Toronto's OLP, and Turner -- despite his genuine modesty -- knows it.
He and his bandmates sold over half a million copies of their first album, 1994's Naveed. They've toured -- by invitation -- with Robert Plant and Alanis Morissette (not to mention having gigged with Bush, Elastica, The Ramones and Van Halen). They've performed more than 350 shows and clocked over 370,000 kilometres in four short years.
Conan O'Brien? Been there. The Jon Stewart Show? Done that. Much and MTV? Rotation sit-u-a-tion.
And now -- ta dah! -- for the second album. Will Clumsy (in stores today) survive the dreaded second-album scrutiny of fans and critics?
The industry buzz reads cake walk and Clumsy sounds anything but. It's a churning collection of architecturally crafted, chromey pop songs that elicit dream-like images of failure and redemption, isolation and humanity.
There are no radical stylistic departures in Clumsy, save some additional instrumentation.
"The first album was successful -- at least in our eyes -- because we stuck to our convictions about what we wanted to do in terms of the songs and the sound," explains Turner from his home in Toronto.
"Our fans liked what we liked. We liked what made us happy as musicians so we're going to have to stay with that because these people, to whom we owe our current situation, validated it the first time."
His fans may embrace the new album, but the tour plans are raising some eyebrows -- closed-campus shows, students only need apply.
"It's a large part of where we came from," explains Turner. "That's sort of our peer group, where we really started to identify with people. It's kind of fun to go back there right off, but there'll be more touring."
Clumsy, says Turner, is about a loss of innocence. Kids today are growing up too fast, trading in childhood for accelerated integration into a society few of us understand as adults.
"Kids today have a particular inability -- and it's not an inherent inability, it's an ability that's been taken away -- to form their own identity," he says.
"The optimist in me would like to think that it just means kids are more centred and organized today. The cynic in me says they have no idea who they are. They've been told who they are.
"The stuff that's said loudest and longest and most effectively to you is that which you'll adopt as your own identity. And that's a little depressing. I'm getting too philosophical now . . . (adopts hoser voice) We're a rock band, we party like crazy on the road, eh."
Our Lady Peace's first single, Superman's Dead, is undeniably philosophical. Turner wraps his dissertation on the loss of innocence with the song's metaphor.
"The original, pure, heroic picture of Superman -- this superhero who is utterly uncorruptible -- was an ideal that you could look up to. And now they've done a marketing work-over on him: 'Well, it seems your demographics are a little weak. We've brought in a stylist for the suit.' There's such a loss of that naive innocence and maybe that's what's being reflected on the album."
Perhaps the band's own loss of innocence is also reflected on the new album.
"We were in Oklahoma City about 10 days after the bombing. There was a palpable, tangible feeling of hurt and injury on an emotional level. There was an open wound to the American society right there. This was a real tragedy. That was the final death of the innocent American Dream, that dissent from within."
A few dreams came true for Mike Turner during the band's swoop through the States. He fondly remembers Robert Plant joining OLP during a chow break outside the catering tent.
"He walked over and said, 'Hi guys, I just wanted to say hi and say I really liked your record. I hear a conviction on it I haven't heard on many records in a long time . . .'
"'That's why I asked you guys to play. Hopefully we can have a good few shows together, sorry for interrupting your dinner.' I'm like, 'I beg your pardon, you're sorry for interrupting...you're Robert Plant!'"
If your car was broken down he'd be the first guy there with a screwdriver and a wrench.
"The same kind of thing with Eddie Van Halen, or Edward as he prefers. Edward is the sweetest guy you'd ever meet. He revolutionized rock guitar and he's just the guy next door."
The bigger the star, maintains Turner, the more real and down to earth. Kinda like the guitarist himself. Hmm.
Who does Turner see as the archetypical Our Lady Peace fan?
"It would probably be a person who is very similar to us," the guitarist muses. "We're pretty normal people. We're a little thoughtful but we're no Nobel Prize winners. I don't think we're any more thoughtful or spiritual than most people."
They may not be Nobel material, but most of OLP's songs slide across the philosophical plane, skidding to a halt somewhere inside the existential school.
"Everyone, in their own way, ponders their existence in some manner," says Turner. "'What the hell am I doing this week, I can't get my head together.' That sort of thing. As a musician, when you notice something, you tend to delve into it more."
In the Nashville area, for example, 52 tornadoes touched down on the day of the Our Lady Peace concert.
"We were listening to the radio," recalls Turner with a chuckle. "'Tonight's concert listings... at the Exit In, Our Lady Peace. And just a reminder, there's a weather warning: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOMES.'"
Eight inches of water flooded the venue that night -- but the show went on.
"On a much sobering note," reflects Turner.
Two years on the road is going to leave some rash.
Just seeing the devastation . . .
OLP LINKED TO THE WEB
Mike Turner -- OLP's "resident web-head" -- is the band's link to its new website (http//www.Ourladypeace.com). While the rest of the crew naps or plays cards on the tour bus, he taps away at his laptop.
Boot it up and this is what you'd find.
1. Sound Forge 4.0 (sampler/digital audio manipulator)
2. Cake Walk Pro-Audio (sequencing package/digital recorder)
3. Netscape (Internet cruiser)
4. Eudora (e-mail)
5. Trumpet News (music newsgroup)
6. Windows '95
7. Arnold Palmer's Links LS ("Which rocks!")
8. Doom ("Yeah, I play Doom a lot. Not that it's become an obsession like it has for some people.").
9. Tour Schedule
10. Time Manager