This January, Chris Murphy was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. Later that month, the Sloan bassist posted a photo on Instagram, stating, in part,  "It’s a drag but it could be worse. I have a great doctor who is on top of my treatment. Of course, I hope I get better. If I had to sum up my feelings in a facial expression, it’s the one I have." It summed up the musician’s general approach to things — self-deprecated, a little jokey and mostly positive in dealing a genuinely scary situation. It wasn’t long before Murphy was performing again for an online audience, as the pandemic continued to make live performance impossible. Above all, Murphy possesses a devotion to a devoted fanbase that has stayed devoted to the Canadian rock band through 30 years and a dozen albums. The musician joined us to discuss Sloan’s journey, his side project Tuns and dealing with facial paralysis during an already horrible year.