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.
