Natasha Pasternak and Kevin Black - Photo by Amanda Macchia

You’ve definitely heard the words “hands” and “teeth” before, but have you heard them in that order? If you’ve been paying any attention to Toronto’s indie music forecast, it’s plain to see that those two simple words are now the name of one of the city’s most promising young bands. And it all started out somewhat unintentionally.

Natasha Pasternak, who is the only female fifth of the band, said Hands & Teeth came together as a result of the frustration of each individual member with the other bands they were in, and that the material they were coming up with on their off-time from those projects turned out to be better sounding.

“It was pretty organic,” said Pasternak, who is a singer, guitarist, and keyboardist for Hands & Teeth. “And it all came together without us saying ‘let’s be a band.’”

Their unique experimental pop sound can be found on their first EP and only record to date Enjoy Your Lifestyle, released in 2010. Since then, Hands & Teeth have been developing their sound and plan to have a new album out later on in the year, tentatively titled How To Make Your Children Love You. According to keyboardist and guitarist Jeff Pinto, listeners can expect a more driven and animated sound on the upcoming release.

“The first release sounds like it was written and recorded in the studio.” Pinto said. “This one we’ve been playing live. Because they’ve been tested live, you need a certain drive.”

And after listening to a few of Hands & Teeth’s intricate tracks, it can be undoubtedly concluded that the band draws on what seems to be an unlimited number of influences. Their inspirations span from The Beatles to the Talking Heads to classical music, and many artists and genres in between.

“I’ve never been a part of a project where people have such different influences,” said Pasternak.

But their interests and inspirations appear to work harmoniously together, rather than clashing and contrasting. Hands & Teeth have already come up with countless unique and defining sounds in their short amount of time together, from the mystic and earthy patterns featured on “Until the Night” to the driving cheeky rock of “Race to the End.” When it comes to writing songs, it is evident that Hands & Teeth are not afraid of being a little unconventional and not relying solely on generic song structures.

“You should have knowledge and education of what it is, bet let it go,” said Pinto of formulaic songwriting. “But still have that awareness.”

And with five diverse and open-minded musicians working at their craft simultaneously, it’s no wonder how such interesting and experimental tracks materialize.

“Somebody brings a kernel,” said Pinto, “and then we work it out together.”

And with hopes of one day playing the great Massey Hall and touring across Canada, it seems the members of Hands & Teeth are in it to win it, but the music will always be the determining factor of success.

“If you can earn a livable income practicing your craft, that’d be success,” said Pinto. “I don’t need multiple homes.”

You can catch Hands & Teeth as soon as April 23 at The Piston, playing alongside The Box Tiger and The Guest Bedroom. Next month, you can find them at the Toronto Underground Cinema with Parks & Rec, The Cautioneers, and the Formalists on May 19.

LifeStory:Monologue - Photo by Riley Taylor

An impressive appetite for fully-loaded nachos is one of the many attributes the boys of Lifestory:Monologue can boast about. Hometown heroes in their own right, the Guelph six-piece played a packed CMW performance at Sneaky Dee’s on Saturday March 12. As they prepare to drop their much anticipated debut LP sometime this year, the band will provide fans with the same unprecedented sound they are known for and that they believe is crucial in today’s day-and-age.

Although this will be the first full-length we’ve seen from them, Lifestory:Monologue has managed to stay on everyone’s radar through a number of eloquently composed EPs and powerful live performances. But as they approach their seventh year, like many bands, they describe their early years as an experimental period that helped guide them toward the direction in which they wanted to go musically.

“I’d like to call it our acid trip days but we weren’t even cool enough to do drugs,” says Zac Tenwesteneind. “But these past three years have been what the band is all about now so it’s like nothing even happened before that.”

The past couple years have also seen a few minor changes to the members of Lifestory:Monologue, which now includes Richard Nuttall (vocals), Jay Reid (bass/vocals), Jason Gormley (guitar), Zac Tenwesteneind (keys/vocals), Brett Banks (drums/vocals) and Mike Short (guitar). Together, these six talented individuals have created a loyal following by offering a sound that bridges the gap between popular genres.

“I was talking to one of my friends at Arts & Crafts and she said that we sound like we are the band that people who like hardcore like and then for half of the people that don’t like hardcore, we might be one of those bands they listen to,” says Reid.

Their ability to cross genres has provided them with opportunities to play with several different bands which has become an experience in itself.

“It’s funny cause no matter what bill we’re on, we are always the ‘something’ band on that bill. We’re either the heavy band on an indie bill or the softer band on a metal bill or the weird band on a normal bill,” explains Gormley. “And sometimes we’re the normal band on a weird bill. That’s happened before,” Zac adds jokingly.

While they often still struggle to explain their complex composition of juxtaposing vocals and instruments, they seem to leave it to others to create their own description.

“There was a drama teacher whose son opened for us one night and he was like, ‘You guys are like a rock band with someone up front tellin’ ya about his life. But you care about his life.’” jokes Reid. “He was wearing a tam and drinking Courvoisier.”

Mostly all stemming from the small town of Guelph, a lot of their inspiration and motivation comes from fellow musicians they knew growing up in their thriving local music scene.

“Growing up in Guelph was more or less the reason we started a band in the first place. Back when we were younger there were friends of ours and friends of friends who were in bands that we all looked up to. We saw them doing their thing and we were like, ‘Oh we want to do that too so we can hang out and play on a Friday night,’” explains Gormley.

The networking amongst fellow local bands has proven to be very beneficial for them as well.

“The relationships that we’ve made in Guelph are something we still appreciate now. The new album that we just finished recording is being mixed by our good friend Jordan, who has been in one of the bands that we looked up to growing up. And then production is being done by Kenny Bridges of Moneen,” explains Gormley.

Still in the production stages, a date is yet to be set for the release of the album. Thirteen songs have been recorded, 12 of which are new, and with the help of Kenny they hope to have a finished product that portrays a musical re-birth for the band.

“This album is going to be the one that we all love and feel like it’s the start of our band even though it’s been awhile for us,” says Reid.

Rest assured the LP will contain the same artistic symmetry that many associate with Lifestory:Monologue. Taking a page from their own book, they have and will continue to create music that has proven themselves different from other bands.

“It’s like painting a picture. A picture can’t be the same as the one right beside it. You can use some of the same colours, perhaps even the same paint brush for part of it, but other than that you have to be different,” says Zac. “Good analogy,” jokes Short.

Listener - Photo by Riley Taylor

Most commonly described as ‘talk music’ or spoken word, Listener’s unique style of music consists of a poetic interpretation of Smith’s thoughts and experiences accompanied by a varied mixture of instruments.

“When I write I try to be faithful to the moments that I have and experience that are inspirational. When things come to my heart that I need to learn from in life, I try to just write those things down,” says Smith.

Once he finishes a poem there is another process of piecing his heartfelt words to music. That’s where Christin Nelson comes in.

“Chris makes all the music for Listener. So him and I just sit and hash it out by asking each other ‘Okay, what is this song about, what are these words, what are these movements in the music and how are we going to make them?’” he explains.

But this was not always the case. For years Smith had pursued his passion of hip-hop, which continued on the first couple Listener albums, but eventually his creative ideas and personal changes led him in another direction.

“I was writing all kinds of things from my heart. Writing things about this world, my thoughts and feelings and life lessons but I think it was being lost in that genre. I sometimes felt at shows that some people just didn’t really want to hear it,” he explains.

After awhile the decision to take on a different style was something that he needed to do in order to stay true to himself.

“I would rather say the things that come to my heart and are in my mind and try say the things I’m suppose to say to just people in general,” says Smith. “I don’t just want to focus on being as hip-hop or as punk as possible and attach our ideas to that pipeline.”

But his last hip-hop tour did help inspire Listener’s sort of ‘grassroots’ touring style. Travelling with various bands playing mostly “potluck dinner house shows,” people started to catch word and invited Smith to play house shows all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

“It was a beautiful time. It really changed me musically as far as just being in a room of people that I didn’t know for the most part,” he says. “Some people were stoked on what I was doing and they were telling their friends, ‘Hey you have to check this guy out, oh, and bring a casserole.’”

While house shows are still a large part of their touring routine, April 1 ^{will mark the start of their upcoming European tour. Coincidentally, their tour will overlap with that of good friends The Chariot where Smith will be opening for a few of their shows.}

Despite touring and performing on a regular basis, it is still hard to imagine how he deals with the vulnerability of his thoughts and emotions as he opens himself up to an audience.

“It’s very worshipful for me, kind of like an out of mind and out of body experience. I just go to that place and I don’t think about the words or about the heart or emotion,” he admits.

And while the spiritual journey is satisfying to Smith, the desire to share his words really comes down to the hope of a positive impact on others.

“I hope that every now and then there’s a line or a truth or something that someone can latch onto,” says Smith. “I know we are all trying to figure out our own lives but if we can parallel each other as I say these words, then maybe light bulbs can go off in the same way that light bulbs went off when I learned some things about my life.”

Rob Moir - Photo by Victoria Fernandez-Gabica

While the transition from punk front-man to folk-alternative artist seemed somewhat surprising for some, Rob Moir has reassured us that very little has changed. Judging from his performance at The Boat on January 20, kicking off his seven-week North American tour to promote his album This Is The Lie, everything from Moir’s stage presence to his mode of travel has maintained its edge.

As former vocalist/guitarist of Toronto punk outfit Dead Letter Dept., Rob Moir is no stranger to the music scene. Following the band’s decision to diverge on separate paths, he decided to pursue his current solo project with the help of his new band The Great Lates. Although some adjustment was necessary, it seems as if the change was just a matter of time.

“I always wrote those songs,” said Moir. “Finally I had good enough songs to put out. The timing was right and I had a batch I could release.”

An extended trip to Europe this past year further solidified the decision. He describes the experience as one in which he learned about himself and what he wanted to do in the future.

“I had a bike, a tent, and rode around Europe by myself,” said Moir. Playing music in the street with fellow musicians he came across, he explains, “I realized I wanted to move beyond just a rock band.”

Regardless of how the shift into the folk genre took place, he confirms that the struggles still remain the same.

“It’s still the same challenge. It’s like, how can I get 40 people that see dudes all the time to just shut up?” he said. “If you can’t make them shut up, it’s your problem.”

But it’s a challenge he’s excited to take on. As he gets ready to embark on an ambitious 40 days on the road, Moir considers the rewards that will come of the journey.

“I love playing every night, having a new chance every night to get better,” he said.

The tour will undoubtedly be a learning experience for Moir. His first tour as a solo artist will take him coast to coast between Canada and the U.S. However, it’s not as typical as it sounds.

“We’re doing the tour via Greyhound and VIA Rail,” said Moir. “VIA has this thing where you can even play on the train.”

Excited to meet new people and make some friends along the way, he’s prepared for whatever adventures take place in the weeks to come.

“It’s cool cause there’s no doubt in my mind I’m going to have to hitchhike at some point,” he said with a giggle. “That will be the exciting part of touring.”

His enthusiasm about everything is honest and refreshing. While changing his sound it is clear Moir did not lose his ambition. Softer melodies and romantic ballads can still go along with the rock and roll mentality.

“I want to think there’s still a bit of an edge too,” he jokes.

Dan Reardon and Rob Janson - Photo by Amanda Macchia

There was a bright side to a recent tour bus transmission failure for local show-goers as Sandman Viper Command were amongst the line-up of bands that performed at the Horseshoe Tavern last week, helping raise money to get friends The Meligrove Band back on the road. While doing a fair amount of their own touring after the release of their debut album Everybody See This in 2009, Sandman Viper Command now seem adamant on setting their sights on the future; embracing personal growth and perfecting their sound.

Still a fairly young band, the four Burlington natives have taken significant strides this past year that can undoubtedly be attributed to their dynamic and fun-loving garage-rock-meets-60’s-pop sound fusion. Like all things though, it did not come without hard work.

“There was no pressure when we were writing our songs. We wrote the first album when we were 18 or 19 and everyone was just doing what they can do,” said guitarist Dan Reardon.

But with a little help from a Canadian musician and producer Dave King (Kori Pop, Steve Strongman), Sandman Viper Command were pushed on their way to success.

“Dave King whipped us into shape,” lead vocalist and guitarist Rob Janson said. “Before that we were just trying to be a band.”

Beyond the recording process, Reardon and Janson, along with other members Aaron Harvey (bass) and Matt Meyer (drums), attribute a lot of their growth to the realization that they mesh well as individuals. While describing what they’ve learned since the release of their debut, they come to the conclusion that they “just really like each other,” which they admit with a few giggles.

And it seems to be working in their favour; their chemistry on stage and in the studio appears to be anything but lacking.

“I thought I’d run out of song ideas way before now,” said Janson. “And I’m starting to run out of song ideas,” he continues jokingly.

They also recognize the importance of networking and the impact it can have on a band’s success.

“You can be the greatest band in the world, but if no one knows you, it doesn’t mean anything,” said Meyer.

Opening for well-known local bands like the Arkells, Huron and The Rural Alberta Advantage amongst others, Sandman Viper Command have combined talent with networking to hook an increasing group of loyal followers while making friends along the way.

“Networking is the most important thing but camaraderie is the best part,” said Reardon.

However, it hasn’t been all play for the band as they’ve been working on some new material that they hope to release on a new 7-inch sometime this spring. The songs “Cold Wave” and “New Fast” will be the two tracks featured on the record.

“New Fast has a more stripped down, sexy sound,” said Reardon.

And their experimentation with various rock influences have resulted in songs that offer something a bit more edgy.

“Cold Wave is like a crazy acid trip,” he continues.

This psychedelic-inspired sound is likely to incorporate that same light-hearted feel that makes Sandman Viper Command unique, while providing a little variation to keep things interesting.

“If you don’t do acid it just has weird frequencies,” Reardon jokes.

Check out photos of Sandman Viper Command by clicking HERE.

Copeland

The Singing Lamb: After being with The Militia Group for a number of records, what was your experience like with a major label?

Our time on Columbia was very short. We never actually got to make a record with them before our team was downsized and we were eventually dropped, so our experience was pretty limited.

It seems that on your last two records (Eat, Sleep, Repeat and You Are My Sunshine), you began expanding your instrumentation to include a number of horn and string sections. Are these elements that you naturally became more familiar and comfortable with as the band progressed?

Yes, I would say so. Aaron has a great knack for orchestration and it felt like a pretty natural progression.

There have been several music videos released for your latest album, more so than with past albums. Was it a deliberate choice or something that just happened?

Very deliberate. We wanted to create a special edition of the record that was truly special. We contacted our director friends and lined up a music video for nearly every song on the album. We’re really proud of how the whole package turned out.

With this being the farewell tour, what’s in store next for you and the rest of the band?

I can’t imagine any of us not being involved in music, one way or another. Aaron will continue to produce artists at his new studio in Lakeland, FL. He will also be pursuing some new projects of his own. Bryan and Stephen have been writing songs for awhile now, and will be announcing a new project together at some point.

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

A wholphin. It’s a cross between a whale and a dolphin.

***

For more Copeland,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/copeland

Interview By Roman Melnik

Language-Arts

The Singing Lamb: Introduce yourselves!

Language-Arts: Kristen Cudmore (Classical Guitar and Vocals), Gregor Phillips (Drums), Marcus Abramzik (String Bass), Laura Smith (Keyboards and Vocals)

What is the story behind the band name?

Kristen Cudmore: The reason we choose Language-Arts is because it was my favorite class in elementary school. Sometime we got to go to the fire hall and watch magicians and puppeteers, because our gym wasn’t big enough!

How did you all originally meet? When did you first start playing music together?

Gregor and I met in Vancouver BC and promptly realized that we grew up five minutes apart from each other in Nova Scotia. Gregor started playing drums with Language-Arts on our first tour of Western Canada in September of 2007. I’d like to say that we met at a naked opera, but it’s just not true.

Describe your first band rehearsal and the first time you wrote a song together.

I believe our first rehearsal was after our day-old tour van caught on fire for the second time. This is true. I was in a panic because we had to leave in a few days but Gregor learned the songs quickly, and gave me a good pep talk about mechanics.

I write the songs on my own and then introduce them to Gregor. He’s the arranger, so most of the string parts on our album were arranged by him but inspired by ideas I built up on my looping petal.

How do you think you’ve grown from your first EP to your first full length to ‘Where Were You In The Wild?’?

I think we have each embraced our strengths in a collaborative way. I come from a classical background, Gregor comes from a jazzical background, and we both listen to a wide variety of music.  “Where Were You in the Wild?” is our attempt at a perfect balance of each of our efforts, as far as the overall sound is concerned.

And finally, since our site’s called the Singing Lamb, we must ask everyone – if you were a singing animal what would you be and why?

I would be a singing hamster in pajamas because hamsters are speedy and pajamas are comfortable.

***

For more Language-Arts,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/languageartnet

Don’t forget to catch Language-Arts at the Garrison tomorrow night, alongside The Pinecones and Allie Hughes! Tickets will be available at the door for $6.00!

Allie Hughes

The Singing Lamb: Introduce yourself – how long have you been playing music, how would you describe the type of music you play, any previous or current musical projects, and are you musically tied to any other familiar musicians we know?

Allie Hughes: I guess I have been playing music since I was a little tyke. Is tyke the right word?  I had my own keyboard from when I was very small and I remember pressing the “DEMO” button and it was a Beethoven piece and you could change the tempo and speed it up and I used to pretend I was playing it.  Eventually I started taking lessons and actually learned how to play and I have been singing and wanted to be a singer for as long as I can remember back. It’s hard to describe your own music, but the genre I’ve come up to describe my music is alternative theatrical pop. And I sing in Steve McKay’s project and I briefly sang and played for Katie Stelmanis.

On your Facebook fan page, it says Thom Gill played guitar in your band – are you a fan of Owen Pallett’s latest album and musical partnership with Thom then? Also, it seems like everyone is always tied to someone else in the Toronto! What is it about the scene here in Toronto that lends to this close knit web of relationships?

Oh ya ha! The facebook fan page. I should take that down or update it, I have a facebook music group I use. Thom is a good friend and he played in my band from when it started (summer ’07) till this past summer ’09.  I cannot stress to you enough HOW MUCH I LOVE HEARTLAND.  I find it hard to listen to anything else right now.  It sounds like magic to me, and when Thom and Owen take the stage together it also looks like magic, MAGIQUE!  I totally feel like everyone who is an artist in Toronto is connected, and I really like it. For me, it’s the ESA connection. I went to Etobicoke School of the Arts for high school and it seems like everyone I meet is tied to that school somehow!

So I found this video of you on YouTube just now… a) what was that show and how did you get involved? b) have you covered any other songs before?

Oh man, most unflattering costume ever.  That is a song I performed on CBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria.  A reality show (they called it a talent competition) spearheaded by Andrew Lloyd Webber to cast a young Canadian girl in the part of Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.  I was in the top ten girls and then got kicked off.  haha.  We have a Regina Spektor song we are covering in our set at the Garrison.  I am not huge on covers, but I do have plans to do an awesome cover of Michael Bolton’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”. Oh ya and also I was singing in “The Best” the cover band that played Loving in the Name Of every month.  That was so much fun, I never knew my lyrics though..

Explain your background in theatre and how that plays into your music. Do you feel that your music is any more theatrical because of your experience in theatre?

Theatre theatre theatre.  Yeah I do come from a theatre background and have been in some musicals and go on auditions and other stuff.  I think all the years of doing it and singing songs in that structure has definitely rubbed on me. Just like all music does. I find myself lately wanting to sound less “theatrical” because there is a certain connotation that comes along with it, but really it’s what makes my music and voice different and I just need to own it.

What does 2010 have in store for Allie Hughes?

A lot hopefully. I am recording my first album, to be released in the fall.  I have been working and co- writing it with a few different producers, Dave Newfeld, Leon Taheny and Adam King.  I am really excited about the songs and direction my music is taking.  I also have a new 6 piece band so a big focus is getting as tight us as tight as possible.  This Friday will only be our fourth show together!  Also expect a video out in the summer! I don’t know- I have so many ideas and plans but I don’t want to say them out loud because what if they don’t happen!?!

And finally, since our site’s called The Singing Lamb, we always end our interview with this question – if you were a singing animal what would you be and why?

I would have to say a guinea pig because I am one of the few people you’ll ever find in the world who can actually make a convincing guinea pig noise.  Seriously.

***

For more Allie Hughes,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/alliehughes

Don’t forget to catch Allie Hughes tomorrow night at the Garrison, opening for Language-Arts and The Pinecones! Tickets will be available at the door for $6.00!

Toronto’s Everything All The Time will be playing the Horseshoe Tavern on January 30th, as part of the No Shame-curated lineup, joining Halifax’s Rich Aucoin and fellow Torontonians Lioness. Joseph Shabason, who plays keyboards, saxophone and sings in the band, was kind enough to recently answer some questions via email. Read on to find out what Shabason recommends as a warmup for a EATT show, the challenges of having a band with six members, and more. I also embarrassed myself when it came to a classic song by an iconic Canadian band. Enjoy!

The SingingLamb: Is this your first time playing a No Shame show? Have you ever played with Lioness or Rich?

Joseph Shabason: This is actually our third No Shame show. The first one was with The Magic at Wrongbar and the second was for our EP release at The Drake with Mike Dugay and Whale Tooth. Lauren’s always been such a huge supporter/helper/friend of EATT, so hopefully there will be many more No Shames together. We played with Lioness before at CMW last year and they are fantastic. I actually went to high school with Jeff and Vanessa. The first show I every played was with a punk band called Martini in Jeff’s ex-girlfriend’s garage in  Brampton in 1995. We opened for a band called Perfectly Normal which eventually became Moneen. Wild! We’ve never played with Rich before but we’re definitely excited to hear his set.

Joseph, the last time we interviewed you, you said that you started writing rock songs because you hated playing jazz. I noticed that many of your songs incorporate elements of snyth-pop and disco, and I was curious as to where the more “dancier” influences in your music come from?

Joseph: I think that everyone in Everything All The Time is a huge pop music fan, and a lot of our favorite pop songs are also pretty danceable. I mean a lot of the Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates and Madonna songs that we grew up listening to on the radio are also monster dance jams. I think that if your goal is to write good pop music, you’ll inevitably end up writing music that you can dance to.

With Alanna also singing in Bonjay, and the rest of you involved in various other music projects, how difficult is it for you guys to find the time to record and get together to play shows?

Joseph: VERY!!!!!!! The biggest struggle with this band is keeping things moving forward. Everyone has so many commitments/bands/kids/jobs/mortgages that to even lock down one day a week that we can all get together is pretty difficult. What ends up happening is that in the times that we all can’t meet together, different people who are available meet to write and record demos. That way when we all are able to be in the same place at the same time we always have new songs that we can work on.

With six members in the band, do you ever find yourselves without enough room on-stage? Do you guys have a regular stage set-up or do change it up for every show?

Joseph: It’s never been a huge problem, but we’ve definitely had problems/band discussions about what the best stage configuration for us is. Recently we’ve been trying out a “V” configuration with the drums at the back of the stage/”V” and Alanna right in the middle of the “V”. So far it’s been working pretty well. Alanna gets to be the focal point (which she should be) and we can all see each other which is important.

How would you suggest the crowd best warm-up for an Everything All The Time show?

Joseph: Two shots of tequila and some deep lunges.

Who from the band is the most likely to go out to a club and start an epic danceoff?

Joseph: I’m not sure. Back when we were younger I know that Kieran and I used to go dancing at The Dance Cave and have some dance-offs…but that was over five years ago…and we were total losers. I think that I might have even had a studded belt and some ironic belt buckle at the time. I wouldn’t put it past Mary to win a danceoff. …I feel like out of all of us she has the most tricks up her sleeve. These days I think most of us are just content to dance non-competitively. I know that when I used to throw the party “Loving In The Name Of”  a lot of the members of EATT would show up and dance together. I think it was more of a positive friend jam than an epic dance-off thing.

You guys have a song called “Those Eyes”. Did you name it that because “These Guys” was already taken by The Guess Who?

Joseph: Do you mean “These Eyes” by the Guess Who? (Note: I did) I think you must, although “these guys” would be a pretty funny title change. The lyrics could be:

“These guys are cryin’
These guys have seen a lot of love
But they’re never gonna see another one like I had with you”

Everyone would be thinking “who the fuck are these sensitive guys who’ve seen so much love and why are they cryin’?”

Tell us about some of your other upcoming shows. Which show(s) are you guys most excited for?

Joseph: We are playing:

Late Night In The Bedroom on the 27th
Peterborough on the 28th w/ The Magic
Toronto @ The Horseshoe on the 30th w/ Lioness (Facebook event)
Brantford on the 5th of Feb
The Steam Whistle Brewry on the 5th of Feb w/ Dinosaur Bones
And an (as of right now) secret CMW showcase on the 11th of March

We’re excited for all the shows, but right now the show on the 30th at The Horseshoe we’re most pumped for. We haven’t played Toronto in a little while and we’ve been working on a bunch of new songs so it’ll be nice to play them to a hometown crowd.

What’s next for you guys?

Joseph: Recording a new album in the spring and fingers crossed doing a big tour come summer/fall. In the meantime we’re just gonna keep writing and playing and hopefully we’ll be able to do our music thang all-the-live-long-day. It’s just a matter of time before everyone realizes that we’re as good as we know we are.

***

For more Everything All The Time,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/everythingallthetimeband

Ohbijou, Casey Mecija - centre, front

Last Saturday, at the fourth installation of Daps All-Ages shows, we chatted with Ohbijou’s brainchild, Casey Mecija. Interview conducted by Melody Lau and Carmel Garvez.

You’re playing solo a lot lately. Is there a reason why you decided not to do Ohbijou for a while?

Well, it’s not really separate from Ohbijou. I write a lot of the songs that it’s hard to find time to do other stuff that’s not really related. I play songs that are from Ohbijou, also – just in a different formation. And some other songs that I don’t know what to do with yet.

So no solo record yet or anything?

No. Right now I’m playing with Jeff Debutte from The Acorn and making up some songs, and who knows what will come out of that.

Didn’t Ohbijou start from your own work?

Yeah! I started writing in my bedroom and then just accumulating a lot of people to play with.

Do you think the songs that you’re playing in these solo shows are going to end up as evolved Ohbijou songs?

Probably. Jennifer and Anissa are playing with me tonight. We’re playing Black Ice. So yeah, they’ll eventually become Ohbijou songs, probably.

You went to Ryerson? Radio Television Arts?

Yeah, I did!

There seems to be a lot of bands that have members that went to RTA from Ryerson.

Like the Born Ruffians! The Wooden Sky, Tokyo Police Club…

What is it about the program that makes people turn into musicians?

Heather, our bassist, went to Ryerson also and taught there actually. But I think when you’re trying to decide on a program when you’re going to university, I was kind of like, ‘Do I want to go into film…?’ I wanted to do something really arts-related, but you want to think of something that’s a bit more practical like, ‘How can I get a job? Maybe TV?’ I think the allure a long time ago was just do something where you can make a little bit of money.

Is it true that you worked at one point at Much Music?

I did. I worked at Much for four years. And recently stopped to tour and stuff. It was good.

How is it there? What did you do?

I did mostly production. It was good. It was a good community of music then than the one we have today. But it’s good to have a different perspective on music.

Did you stay in touch with any of the connections that you made there?

Yeah! Romeo who runs this youth centre actually works there.

The Toronto music scene is so close knit and interconnected. There’s a lot of connections between everyone, if you really think about it. What is it about Toronto, specifically, that sets it apart from others?

I think whenever you have a big city, or whenever you want to play music, it becomes a tight-knit community – just because everyone relies on everyone so much. I think the music community is so inter-dependent on support from different musicians. It’s a funny business to be in. Not even business, that’s not the right word. It’s like, your friends go to your shows. And you go to their shows. It just becomes a reciprocal relationship that you need to be supportive of in order for it to survive and thrive.

How did you meet the people from The Acorn? It feels like Ohbijou and The Acorn go really well together and you have worked on the split 12″.

Well, we met Rolf and we played shows with them for a while a long time ago. Almost five years ago. This was before they started taking over the world, but we just sort of formed a kinship. They’re really nice people. We always have a good party with them whenever we’re together.

You did that residency in Alberta, right?

In Banff, yeah.

How is Alberta different from Toronto, musically?

I dont’ know what the indie scene is like in Alberta, but they have an arts centre that facilitates some pretty amazing music. When we went there for the residency, it was just one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. And I was just speaking to my friend Basia – she went to the residency last year, the one that just past, and she had the exact same sort of experience.

Let’s talk about Bellwoods! You released the second compilation last summer; it was a big hit. Are there any more in the future? You don’t live in the [Bellwoods] house anymore, do you?

No, I don’t live in that house, but we’re hoping that the name is more than just a house. So, we’ll see. We’ve surpassed our $20 000 goal, and hopefully we can keep doing it. It just makes music a little bit more meaningful.

Any other projects coming up?

Not really. A lot of our members are doing their own thing. James, our drummer, just produced the Evening Hymns record, and that’s doing really well. Ryan, our keyboardist, is doing his Kite Hill project, and that album is coming out really soon. It’s beautiful. And Heather recorded Lisa Bozikovic. And Anissa plays in every band. And my little sister actually has a project called Canadian Wildlife, and she’s playing in February with Sylvie Smith’s country band.

Where?

At the Garrison! You guys should come.

There’s a lot of shows at the Garrison lately. Have you ever been yet?

I haven’t been, but I’m excited. I’ll probably go for my sister’s show.

You’re playing there, too!

Oh, yeah! Thank you for reminding me!

It’s a really good venue. So many venues are closing lately.

It’s good to have a Wavelength spot.

That’s also ending soon.

But it’s ending with some pretty awesome shows.

Any good Wavelength memories in the past ten years?

Wavelength memories? I don’t actually remember. There had just been so many shows… We played Wavelength three times. They’ve always been so supportive. They’re great. It’s too bad it’s ending.

Are you planning to attend any of the Wavelength 500 shows?

I really want to see the Constantines. And Rockets Red Glare. There’s a lot of reunions. Barcelona Pavilion. A lot of bands that I used to watch. I love the Constantines, so I’m excited to see that.

If you were a singing animal, what would you be?

I would be a loon!

Why?

I used to be a camp counsellor for this camp near Ottawa. Every morning, I would wake up to loons on the lake.

Aw.

Sorry, that was a stupid answer.

Well, we’ve never had a loon before.

What have people said?

They’ve said a lot of things.

Like a giant hamster?

Some of them get really creative. We got one that was a shark riding an elephant with laser-beam eyes.

Oh my god! Well, then, I’m a loon riding a shark with laser-beam eyes!

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For more Casey Mecija/Ohbijou,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ohbijou

Casey Mecija will be opening for the Wilderness of Manitoba TONIGHT at the Garrison! Tickets will be at the door for $8.00! See you there!