A Podcast Conversation With .. The Tea Party's Jeff Burrows

By Bill King

The Tea Party releases a new EP, Sunshower, on November 26th via Coalition Music / Warner Music Canada and all streaming platforms. The 5-track collection of songs will showcase the trio's mastery of light and shade, and why they continue to occupy a unique place within the ever-changing musical landscape.

I spoke with drummer Jeff Burrows in Australia about the coming release,  downtime, and the effects separation and time away had on him and the band. Burrows began playing drums at age eleven and professionally in 1990. It was his dad’s collection of LPs that introduced him to a world of possibilities. Jazz greats Buddy Rich, Max Roach and Gene Krupa mixed in with rock pioneers Stuart Copeland and Neil Peart gave him the kind of inspiration and blueprint for what was to be a universal approach to drumming – that signature Tea Party sound.

A label press release notes that "Sunshower serves as a companion piece to the 2019 EP Black River. Together, the EPs will comprise the eventual full-length album Blood Moon Rising, officially marking the latest chapter in The Tea Party’s ongoing saga, which will be available only in Europe on November 26th. The Tea Party will also be releasing a brand-new CD Deluxe Edition and Remastered Vinyl Edition of their iconic first album The Tea Party on December 10th through Universal Music Canada, 30 years since its initial “indie” release.

Since releasing their major-label debut album Splendor Solis in 1993, The Tea Party, composed of Jeff Martin (singer/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist), Jeff Burrows (drummer/percussionist), and Stuart Chatwood (bassist and multi-instrumentalist), have come to be regarded as one of the world’s most innovative rock bands, with a sound that incorporates everything from traditional instrumentation from around the world to cutting-edge digital technology.

Over the past three decades, the trio has gained the attention of fans on a worldwide level, with record sales approaching 3 million units, receiving 14 Juno Award nominations and 22 MuchMusic Award nominations, and touring around the globe. Now, after more than 30 years as a band, The Tea Party is ready to open a new chapter in its saga, a story that remains rooted in the goal to create new, ambitious, and thought-provoking music.”

Learn more in this podcast interview with Jeff Burrows.