Ambition looks good on Rich Aucoin. The Halifax pop singer-songwriter’s most recent album, Public Publication, is anything but your typical extended play record. The EP, which was recorded over a year, was designed to sync with the classic Christmas cartoon Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966). It features over 500 musicians and was recorded during a cross-Canada tour with multiple producers. Rich was kind enough to answer some questions recently via email about not only recording the new album, but also everything from the Nova Scotian music scene to his love of bicycling and roller-skating.

The Singing Lamb: Tell me about the path you chose when recording this album and what were some of the biggest challenges you faced?

Rich Aucoin: I always want to pick one thing from each previous record and do it completely opposite on the following record. The thing for these first two was that I did the first record by myself and this second one with many people. The biggest challenge was either physically crossing the country to record all these people in their native recording environments or the months of editing I spent listening to every one of those 500 people’s some 6-10 takes of a part to figure out what is the best possible thing I could use and taking whatever that part was and fitting it into the puzzle without jaming it in.

Are there any musicians on this EP that would surprise your listeners, or anyone that you never would have expected to have gotten on the record?

Rich: Yeah, there’s lots of musicians who play in one genre or another that you’d think might not fit with another so that a folk banjo player is playing on the same song as a punk drummer and/or a beat boxing MC on the same song as a classical marimba player. There are also some heroes of mine on the record who I was really surprised and happy to see interested in collaborating.

As a Nova Scotian, I know that you are very involved in the local Halifax music scene, whether it be playing with other artists or going out to shows. What do you make of the current Halifax music scene and what are some of the major changes you’ve seen it since you started making music?

Rich: We’re all really supportive and involved with each other out here so it’s not too unfamiliar to take on a project like this sense all of us are collaborating some much anyway. I play in Windom Earle out here too and have played with a handful of other people too. I haven’t seen much change; I’ve only been at this a couple years now.

In the past, you’ve played with a number of different bands and artists, including Girl Talk, The Weakerthans, and Nat Baldwin from the Dirty Projectors. Which artist or band is your favourite to play with and why?

Rich: Girl Talk was probably the most fun experience I’ve ever had at a show before but there’s been something about everyone I’ve played with that been the “best” at this or that… Greg, from Deerhoof, is by far the most captivating drummer I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. My favourite artists to play with have always been people that you tour with as you see them every day and hang during the nights.. kind of like camp.

I know you are an avid bicyclist. What kind of bike do you ride and where is the coolest place you’ve ever biked? Would you ever write a book like David Byrne’s Bicycle Diaries?

Rich: I ride the cheapest of touring bikes which I made them promise me would make it as far as Halifax from Victoria. It’s a Brodie Romulous. The coolest place I’ve ever biked was anywhere (maybe particularly Hope or Osoyoos) in the Rocky Mountains. I’d love to write something like Bicycle Diaries (which, coincidentally, I have just started reading).

What kind of reaction did you get from your Jay-Z remix? Why did you choose “Empire State Of Mind”?

Rich: That was interesting just to see how fast something that connect with people as it did really well on Hype Machine and has been getting a few hundred plays a day on YouTube. I choose “ESOM” because it was the theme of a little tour I did with Brent Randall and we all were quite enamoured with the song. I noticed it was the same chords/voicing as a new song of mine called “It” so I decided to mesh them together and just threw a couple other folks in there too as I really love MJ and Dan Deacon. I like making mash-ups but mostly use oldies as I’m on a big 50s/60s kick right now.

I saw that Picnicface video you appeared in with Rebekah Higgs from Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. On a scale from one to ten, how big of a roller disco fan are you?

Rich: Ooohhh man. If they only had a roller disco out here! We were all talking about doing a roller disco party show at that same bar but then we realized that the liability would be crazy and putting booze into the mix of roller skating would probably end in some inevitable falls.

Tell me about some of your upcoming shows, including your European tour in May. How did you end up getting a show at the Toronto Fashion Week this April?

Rich: I’m coming back to Toronto almost every month for the next while with CMW, TFW and more to come. Toronto’s like a home away from home so I want to play as much as a Toronto band would for the next few months to get myself out there to new folks before the album is released. Really looking forward to the U.K. I was fortunate to play for one of the heads of Glastonbury at this festival in November out here and got the nod to come over for my first tour in May.

What’s next for you?

Rich: Find someone to release the record and get everything in order for its release before focusing on some more unconventional and exciting touring plans in the U.S. and Europe.

And finally, if you were a singing animal what would you be?

Rich: I’d be a goat yelling like a man! (watch video below)

For more Rich Aucoin,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/richaucoin

Catch Rich Aucoin back in Toronto during CMW at The Whippersnapper Gallery (March 11th) and the Rivoli (March 13th)!