Chris Murphy thinks he might flip the wrong person off one day.
Biking home from Sloan's second-last rehearsal before hitting the road, Murphy's cell phone is tucked under his helmet, piano books for his kids in tow, when he mutters the name of a man he doesn't even believe in over the phone.
"Jesus. Sorry. You hear that? Obviously," he says as a motorcycle roars past him.
"I'm going to get killed. I'm always giving them the finger."
A near-death experience five years ago after a car hit him has left him a little more sensitive to traffic. But unlike some other Torontonians, he didn't have a "come-to-Jesus" moment.
Instead, Murphy's contributions to Sloan's 11th album "Commonwealth" explore the idea that we're better off not believing in God at all.
"Basically that's all I write about," he laughs. "And that it's not something to be sad about. Just hard work will make you happy."
The world can be a pretty great place without needing a watchful eye to make you a good person. Murphy sums it up pretty well in "You Don't Need Excuses to be Good", a song he wrote after his son found out there was no Tooth fairy. Stories like that or Santa Claus just get people ready to believe in God from an early age.
"Does it take away from the magic of the world that there's no tooth fairy?," Murphy asked. "Or do you just say 'don't worry that there's no tooth fairy. It's just a dumb story. The world is actually really magical and the universe is giant and will blow your mind more than a stupid story about a man with a sack that rides reindeer," Murphy said.
Hearts, his quarter of the band's double-album in which he, Jay Ferguson, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott each wrote their own side, also has some advice and HBO references for good measure.
"Don't be surprised when we elect another liar," Murphy sings on 'So Far So Good'.
"Did you learn nothing from five seasons of 'The Wire"?"
While the band has always been known for all being songwriters, this time is different rather than just a collection of each other's songs like the past 23 years has seen.
"Partly to show off the fact that we can and we're proud of the fact," Murphy said.
Having four writers can take the pressure off. Murphy jokes that Sloan is like a mutual fund.
"If I write all shit songs at least the other guys are writing songs and maybe their stock is up," he said.
It's also partly the reason the band has been together so long. There's no pension or benefits, no rock retirement fund. Sloan has seen a lot of colleagues come and go from the scene over the years. But Murphy said they love their work and the band like a family.
"In the scheme of things I'm up there laughing my ass off because I'm with my friends and this is my job it's a pretty good deal," he said.
"You love them but you also want to punch them out a lot of the time."
Sloan plays The Outpost Oct. 8. Tickets are $25.