It’s beautiful summertime and the “Best Music Festival in Canada” is happening imminently. The Evolve Festival is an incredible three-day experience based on the celebration of music, community, art and the planet on which it all happens. Evolve is getting more attention than ever this year, after CBC Radio3 listeners voted the event as the Nations best music fest in the Searchlight contest. Having been to, and played at, numerous Evolve Festivals in the past, I got to thinking about how festival producer Jonas Colter might be feeling this year. I wondered what his perspective is on the festival as it heads toward it’s eleventh year running this weekend.
Canadian Invader: When Evolve first began, it was very much viewed as a festival with a focus on jam-bands and Djs. Now, 11 years later, how has Evolve’s musical focus or mandate changed, if at all?
Jonas Colter: The focus has changed for certain, but not too much. A new demographic and musical genre has evolved during the time of Evolve – Indie. I feel that they are basically, “the millennium’s flower children”. I like “their” music!
CI: Producing a music festival must be a difficult job at times. Is there a moment that justifies the labor you put in?
JC: Putting Evolve on is the struggle of my life. There are so many sacrifices…The moment that justifies the labor is seeing the smiling faces everywhere and the good energy that abounds.
CI: Evolve is more than just a music festival. How does the festival continue to be active in the community and in “green” activism?
CI: Speaking of community, it’s interesting to note that the festival takes place in the small town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Why have you chosen to do the festival there year after year?
JC: I did not choose Antigonish. The Founders: Jimmy and Joe, did. Joe is from Antigonish, and Jimmy had gone to school at St.F.X. It is geographically a beautiful place.
CI: Evolve was voted the “Best Festival in Canada 2010″ by CBC listeners. What is your best Evolve Festival experience? Non-Evolve experience?
JC: My favorite Evolve Festival experience is probably from the second year, on the Saturday night. The Slip owned the weekend and played with a projector that had photos of tropical beaches and many people smiling… it was beautiful… My best non-Evolve experience might be seeing The Grateful Dead in Atlanta in 1993… life changer…
CI: In your opinion, who is Evolve for?
JC: Evolve is for everyone that loves it. Who else really? Evolve is a one of a kind festival that offers a mega-diversity of musical genres played nearly 24/7… Evolve also offers in the ticket price: free camping and parking, BYOB, and BYOFood. That all coupled with peaceful vibes and good times…
CI: People have come from all over North America and even further to be a part of Evolve as performers or spectators. Why do you think that is?
JC: I think that it may be because of the passion Evolve Festival-goers have for Evolve. Word of mouth marketing sells, and Evolve folk tend to be travelers, so it is of no surprise that people come from all parts having heard the tales.
Evolve 11 is going down this weekend (July 23 – 25) in beautiful Antigonish, Nova Scotia. This year, the lineup is truly international in scope while still featuring local artists from Antigonish and the rest of the Maritimes and Canada. Canadian Invader will be onsite at the festival covering the great moments from this unique and treasured event. Good luck Jonas!
In the world of electronic music, there has got to be more sub-genres than in any other scene. Two polar opposites of those sub-genres might be IDM or Intelligent Dance Music and Electro-Pop or Club, although if you were to speak with Nick Fowler of Fredericton, New Brunswick, I think he’d argue for the two styles’ coexistence. Fowler produces and writes alongside singer/songwriter Tyler Lombard to create party-themed club music as The Arka Teks; a new group quickly gaining some popularity on the global scene thanks to the Internet. Additionally he keeps a solo project, M4TH, focused on creating instrumental IDM. It’s not hard to hear Fowler’s influence on the Arka Teks and it got me wondering about his approach to producing music and what it’s like producing this music from “Canada’s Cultural Capital”. I caught up with Fowler in the midst of releasing the Arka Teks debut album “Nightlife”. Check out their Youtube page where they are getting loads of attention and you can actually listen to the whole album.
Canadian Invader:As a composer of IDM for your solo project M4TH, you create really lush sound-scapes which flow within a framework of catchy beats. In a nutshell, take us through your creative process. Where do songs begin? How do they develop? When is a piece finished for you?
Nick Fowler: The song always starts with a theme. I almost always have an idea in my head beforehand, so I sit down and try to get that idea from my head to my computer. The first thing I do is choose a tempo, then start a basic beat. Once I get a short beat created (usually two measures), I will loop it and pull up a synth/instrument and start experimenting with my keyboard. After I get a general outline of what my idea is, I will always try and get the song “skeleton” made ASAP. Basically what I do is get the entire length of the song sketched out temporarily. This allows me to always have the rest of the song in mind while creating individual parts. From there I fill it out, much like adding organs, flesh, blood, and skin onto the skeleton. My perfectionist personality prevents any songs from getting the “finished” stamp, but I do at some point give it the “more-or-less-done” stamp.
CI: Tell me about the scene in your city, Fredericton. Are there places where artists can showcase their not-so-mainstream forms of music?
NF: Although Fredericton doesn’t have a huge number of active electronic musicians, I feel that the people who live here are very open minded and accepting of the not-so-mainstream genre. When we play shows I think the audience enjoys dancing to music that isn’t heard 4 times a day on the radio. I know that there are many bedroom electronic musicians in the area which is why I have recently started a label called “TEKnology Productions”. I hope to use this label to help these musicians get their music out of their bedrooms and into the ears of fans.
CI: Why electronic music?
NF: Honestly because I am a mega-nerd. I am an electronics technician/field engineer by trade, so naturally electronic music sparks my interest. What originally got me into electronic music is an interesting story. I was in grade 9 and playing lead guitar in a metal band. Electronic music was the last thing on my mind. My dad bought me a copy of Cakewalk’s “Sonar” [a recording software] because I wanted to get into recording our band. Along the way I learned that band members (especially high school band members) were unreliable. It took me months, but I figured out how to use midi and plug-ins to create sounds from within my computer which allowed me to not have to rely on band members. One day I made a drum beat and turned the tempo up to 999BPM. What I heard for the first time was granular synthesis. Hearing this sound unlocked something in my brain. Before I knew it I was making this crazy glitchy electronic music which I didn’t even know existed. Then one day, in London Ontario, I saw The Aphex Twin’s album “Richard D James”. I had never heard of him, but I felt compelled to buy it. After listening to the first song “4″ I finally knew what kind of music I had been making; IDM. From then on I just kept pumping out these super fast and super glitchy tunes. I strived to incorporate the strange IDM sounds into something more musical, and now here I am with The Arka Teks.
CI: Four-course meal in the Nation’s best restaurant or fire-cooked food in the wilderness?
NF: Definitely a fire cooked meal in the wilderness… as long as I don’t have to hunt down the animal myself.
CI: The Arka Teks have a new album coming out, what does this mean for your solo work?
NF: It means I will have time to take a break from producing tracks for TAT and work on my solo project. I am really excited to work more on M4TH.
CI: If you could keep only a single piece of music gear, what would it be?
NF: Hmmm, that’s a tough one. It is a tie between a sampler and my classical guitar. Although I could sample any sound and use granular synthesis to make all kinds of tones, I think I’ll go with my classical guitar because it is the only instrument that really sounds complete by itself.
CI: What is your reaction when you listen to your own work as M4TH or the Arka Teks? Do you think about what you want your audience’s reaction to be when you create?
NF: When I listen to any of my own work all I can think is “I should have brought the snare down 2dB” or “his voice could have a little more 557Hz”. When I create music for The Arka Teks I always keep the audience in mind. When I create music for M4TH I only think about what I want. That’s why it is good for me to have two projects. M4TH serves mainly as an outlet for all my weird and possibly “bad” sounding ideas.
CI: What can your audience members expect at a live Arka Teks show?
NF: Lots and lots of interaction. Our fans are our main focus, and our live show reflects that. One of our signatures is the “auto tune contest”. Basically I make a short instrumental that sounds like a top-40’s song prior to the show. We choose three audience members to come up on stage and freestyle through auto tune on top of this instrumental. There are prizes for first, second, and third place.
CI: Speaking of live, what are the challenges of performing electronic music live?
NF: Our live performance is still evolving, but right now the main challenge is gear. Specifically the 1980’s Casio DG20 that I use. It likes to reboot randomly and send lots of Midi messages to stuff. When we perform I am not nervous about our performance, I am nervous about our gear. I am in the process of improving issues like these so I can sleep a little better.
CI: Lost or Twin Peaks?
NF: I don’t watch TV (It melts your brain). Plus I don’t have cable.
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Thanks Nick! If I may, I strongly recommend renting the DVD Gold Set of Twin Peaks which David Lynch himself endorses by stating “This is a great gold set.” Amazing. Check back soon for my review of The Arka Teks’ brand new album “Nightlife”.
The Mahatma Gandhi quote “Be the change you want to see in the world” most definitely applies to the upcoming “Malahat Revue” tour. The tour will include artists Aidan Knight, Hannah Georgas, Jeremy Fisher, and Said the Whale performing as a collective on a 10-day long tour around British Columbia. The collective will be changing traditional touring methods with high environmental impacts, opting to ride their bikes as transportation between venues and camp for accommodations. The Malahat Revue will have one support vehicle to transport their larger gear, but the artists will offset that by transporting themselves and smaller gear for the over 500 kilometre tour.
Jeremy Fisher is definitely not new to touring via bike, having a few cross Canada treks already under his belt. I recently caught up with him to discuss the upcoming tour.
Canadian Invader: What is the significance of the tour name “ The Malahat Revue”?
Jeremy Fisher: We needed something that sounded as physically big as the band. Getting all these people together for this unique tour kind of feels like riding a bike loaded full of instruments over the Malahat on Vancouver Island sometimes. CI: How did the idea to tour by bike come about?
JF: I have done a few tours across North America by bike. Cycling is a big part of my lifestyle, I use a bike for most of my daily transportation needs and I’ve found travelling long distances by bike to be transformational.
CI: Are there any additional ways that you plan to be environmentally friendly on the tour, like the 100 Mile Diet?
JF: We haven’t really discussed anything else, but we’ll be camping out instead of staying in hotels (according to those cards they place on towel racks we will save gallons of water in the wash!). We try to be friendly to everything. CI: Have there been any unusual logistical issues that have come up while planning the tour?
JF: At first there were some challenges surrounding routing because we can only ride a maximum of 100km per day to get to a show. On normal tours you set up the venues and towns and then drink lots of coffee and make long drives, sometimes overnight to get to the next gig on time. With the Malahat Revue we had to lay out the routing first and then ask promoters to accommodate our itinerary. We have an amazing team of people who have worked hard to put this together, it really just requires patience and good communication.
CI: Are there any concerns about breakdowns, inclement weather, or unforeseen problems causing you to be late for gigs?
JF: Sure, but any band that’s toured by plane/train/bus/van/car/foot/kayak has to deal with unforeseen circumstances. You just keep a good attitude and make sure there’s oil in all the right places. I’ve probably done 40-50 shows by bike in my life and haven’t missed one yet. I did miss a show because of a flat tire on my plane in Fort McMurray, AB once though…
CI: The tour will have you biking over 500 km, have you been doing anything to train in preparation?
JF: Not really. I believe anybody in a reasonable state of fitness can ride 500km in 10 days.
CI: Do you hope that other musicians will consider biking to work?
JF: I hope every person in any profession considers it at some point because of the value it adds to quality of life. It’s often faster than driving or taking transit in the city, it keeps you in great shape and it is so inexpensive. For the cost of a year’s transit pass you can have as nice a bicycle as money can buy, a strong heart and sexy legs. It’s a win/win/win situation.
CI: In the same vein, do you hope that fans will consider biking to the gigs?
JF: Yes, I know they will and probably not just because we’re doing it. Lots of people I know ride to shows all the time. It would be cool if absolutely everybody did though, don’t you think? What would 500 bikes locked up in front of Sugar Nightclub in Victoria even look like?
CI: Are there future plans to expand the ‘bike to work’ tour beyond B.C., like maybe across Canada or North America?
JF: No plans yet, we’re still on training wheels. We’re all dreamers though – so you just never know. CI: Halifax musician Rich Aucoin has toured via bike across Canada raising money for childhood cancer research. Have you considered including similar efforts in future tours?
JF: We have discussed it a little. If we can keep this thing running we’d love to get some sponsorship for each kilometre ridden in place. It is a nice way to be supported by people who aren’t necessarily in the region we’re pedalling through and raise awareness and funds for a good cause.
CI: Does The Malahat Revue have any plans to record together as a collective?
JF: It’s not out of the question.
Perhaps, if we’re lucky, we’ll see a Malahat Revue contribution to David Suzuki’s “Playlist for the Planet”. If you can check out any of these tour dates, please do it, and if you can bike there, even better! A free Malahat Revue tour kickoff date was just announced from Said the Whale’s Twitter. It’s happening today at noon outside the Vancouver CBC Building located at 700 Hamilton Street.
The Malahat Revue Tour Dates:
Thursday July 8 – Artspring Theatre – Salt Spring Island, BC Friday July 9 – Pender Island Community Hall, Pender Island, BC Saturday July 10 – Sugar – Victoria, BC Sunday July 11 – Duncan Garage Showroom – Duncan, BC Friday July 16 – Nanaimo Entertainment Centre – Nanaimo, BC Sunday July 18 – Vancouver Folk Fest – Vancouver, BC
June has another hauntingly-titled release with Stars’ “The Five Ghosts”. “The Five Ghosts” is their fifth full-length album (if we don’t count the remix album “Do You Trust Your Friends?”) which was released worldwide June 22, 2010. Stars hardly seem like they need an introduction, with their last album “In Our Bedroom After the War” nominated for the Polaris Music Prize and their prior two albums “Set Yourself on Fire” and “Heart” both receiving Juno nominations for Alternative Album of the Year in 2005 and 2004, respectively.
The week prior to the release of “The Five Ghosts” was filled with a string of US tour dates where the band played the album in its entirety. The entire album was also made available for streaming from their website. Following its release, the band has several Canadian festival tour dates as well as a European tour. They’ll be touring the rest of Canada this fall.
The singles “Fixed” and “We Don’t Want Your Body” were released in advance of the album. It seems releasing a few singles prior to the album has helped to combat a complete leak of “The Five Ghosts”. The band tweeted, “a little more than a week from five ghosts and no leak!! thank you!! it will start streaming all over the place on tuesday…hope you like..” on June 12, 2010. Concerned with “In Our Bedroom After the War” leaking, the band made the album available for download two months before its street date. Pairing the advance singles with full album streaming seems to have combated the concern for a “The Five Ghosts” leak. The singles themselves are indie pop perfection, heavy on the 80s-sounding synth keyboards, revealing influences that include New Order.
Throughout their catalogue, Stars shine with emotional songs about relationship breakdown, often pairing upbeat instrumentation with haunting and morose lyrics. The back and forth lyrical banter between Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan emphasizes the dramatic nature of their music. “The Five Ghosts” does not stray too far from this formula. Though it veers somewhat from their previous work, with the added synth and lost string sections, it is still very much typical of Stars. ‘The Five Ghosts” included writing contributions from all five Stars members. Amy Millan’s description of “The Five Ghosts” as the “quintessential Stars” album is a truth.
“Dead Hearts”, an unsurprising ballad about heartbreak, opens “The Five Ghosts”. It slowly swells to crescendo and sets the tone for what’s to come. “I Died So I Could Haunt You” is definitely the album highlight, starting out quiet and building, adding danceable beats, basslines, and super synthy keys. I’ve yet to listen to this track and not dance. I feel it wouldn’t be out of place in a school dance scene on Degrassi Jr. High. The lyrics, “I want only to haunt you, but you’re never there” and, “I died so I could have you. I died so I could hold you” firmly place it within “The Five Ghosts” theme. The rest of the album sticks with the ubiquitous haunting moving between infectious upbeat pop and eerie electronic ballads.
The title track, “The Five Ghosts”, is featured on the deluxe edition of the album. It would have been better placed among the original 11 tracks, though I can’t specify which song I might omit to place it there. Its lyrics describe being happily haunted by five ghosts and the Torq-sung chorus, “Oh, what a beautiful day to try to die” manages to be strangely cheery and eerie. The deluxe edition also features songs with Stars vs. The Album Leaf, Montag, and Of Montreal.
Tags: Stars Posted in Reviews on Jun 29th, 2010, 12:58 pm by Danielle
There are very few jurors for the Polaris Music Prize who work in mainstream radio. Adam Thompson is one of those few. He is the Program Director and Assistant Music Director for Sonic 102.9, a modern rock station in Edmonton. Adam was kind enough to sit back and have a candid chat with me about the Polaris Music Prize and what exactly it is that he does at Sonic 102.9.
The first thing you should know about Sonic is that they play mountains of independent music which we, at Canadian Invader, covet. From Metric and Said the Whale to Mother Mother and Wintersleep, Sonic has helped bring music made by independent Canadian artists to Edmonton’s radio listening public. So how does Sonic choose which songs to play? Well, according to Adam Thompson, the process is pretty involved. With weekly meetings where a group of people, which Thompson is a part of, evaluates songs and decides if any will be picked up by the station. Adam says his job consists mostly of being a “music researcher”, and that he brings much of the indie flavour to these meetings. Adam is also responsible for introducing Edmonton to some of the newest music out there on his show “Farm Fresh”. After a song is put into rotation, it can stay there by scoring well on Sonic’s listener surveys, which Thompson also has a hand in.
Being involved in the Polaris Music Prize is a pretty prestigious honour. Even though it has only been around since 2005, it has become one of the country’s most sought after awards for musicians. Any band with a full length album, released between two predetermined dates, is eligible for that year’s prize. Their album must be suggested by one of the jurors and then be voted on by enough jurors to make the ‘Long List’. Forty albums in total are on the Long List, which was just recently announced for this year. Jurors then vote again, this time only on albums which have made the Long List. The top ten albums make the ‘Short List’. At this point a Grand Jury is chosen by Polaris, from the existing jurors. These are the people who will decide who, on the Short List, wins the Polaris Music Prize. The winner of the ‘Prize receives $20,000! The winners in the past have been Final Fantasy (a.k.a Owen Pallett), Patrick Watson, Caribou, and Fucked Up.
It’s no surprise that a ‘music researcher’ who works for an influential radio station would be an appropriate juror for the Polaris Music Prize. When I asked Mr. Thompson how he got involved with it, he responded with a proud smile, “They asked me… I got an email from them about four months ago.” We talked at length about the Long List and the nominees. When asked about some of his favourites for the prize, Thompson says, “Hannah Georgas – and the ‘New Pornos’… they put out a very solid, mature release.” One album Adam said he thinks should have made the long list but didn’t, is “Islands Disappear” by Said the Whale. Thompson is a big fan of Said the Whale, he loves their album and says, “they are a sweet bunch of guys.”
Besides his favourites, Adam has been spending some time revisiting albums by some of the Long Listers like Yukon Blonde and Apollo Ghosts. He said some albums pleasantly surprised him, like Broken Social Scene’s “Forgiveness Rock Record”. He tells me it’s, “like AHHHHHHHHH” which he says whilst doing his best impression of a choir of heavenly voices.
With the Polaris Music Prize Short List being announced in early July, and forty great albums to choose from, it’s still anyone’s guess as to who will be on the Short List. Could it be Brasstronaut? Zeus? BSS? Or as Adam hopes, Hannah Georgas and the New Pornographers?
On behalf of all of us at Canadian Invader, I wish to thank Adam Thompson for sharing his experiences so far and wish all of the nominees the very best of luck. With a list like this year’s, it’s gonna be a close race to the prize.
June 1, 2010 marks the release of “No Ghost” from Ottawa’s The Acorn in North America with a European release following a week later on June 8. “No Ghost” is the band’s sixth release, and their first full-length album since 2007’s “Glory Hope Mountain”.
The Acorn began as a solo project for Rolf Klausener in 2002 as an experiment in learning home-recording. Soon after, Rolf decided to expand the project adding Howie Tsui, Jeff Debutte, and Jeffrey Malecki to form a full band, bringing together traditional and eclectic instruments. This formation led to the band’s first release “The Pink Ghosts” in 2004.
After the release of the beautifully crafted experimental folk and pop fusion “Blankets!” and “Tin Fist” EPs, The Acorn added pianist Keiko Devaux to the mix. “Glory Hope Mountain” followed as the band’s piece de resistance. It is a scholarly undertaking documenting the life of Klausener’s mother Gloria Esperanza Montoya, who was born in Honduras, in song. Because the material of the album was so personal, “Glory Hope Mountain” packed quite the emotional and passionate punch. It received well-deserved praise including a Polaris Prize long list nomination in 2008.
“No Ghost” has the melodic folk and pop mixtures from their previous releases with a more straightforward rock sound. It also departs from the immensely personal lyrical content. The album seems to ebb and flow between calm folk lulls and raucous rock tracks. When listening to “No Ghost”, the jolting transition from acoustic to electric works for the album but the jarring changes may be overwhelming for those expecting another “Glory Hope Mountain”. Each listen, without fail, I find myself soothed by the acoustic tracks, then subtlety startled with the electric guitars and think the album has looped from the end back to the beginning. The transition from the “Bobcat Goldwraith” to the title track does it to me every time.
A quick look at the album’s track list alludes to the evolution towards rock with titles like “Slippery When Wet” immediately bringing Bon Jovi’s third release of the same name to mind, and “I Made the Law” is reminiscent of The Clash’s famous cover of “I Fought the Law”. Listening to the lyrics, you can hear “Smoke on the water as the day burns out on the bay” during a verse of “Bobcat Goldwraith” which of course is also similar to the title of Deep Purple’s classic “Smoke on the Water”.
The writing and recording process of “No Ghost” took place both in rural Northern Quebec and urban Montreal which no doubt contributed to the acoustic/electric dichotomy. The electric track “Crossed Wires” features the essence of this rock transition and fierce lyrics “Keep the Bay Street wolves at bay” while the traditional The Acorn sound featured in “Restoration” could seamlessly place the track in any of their previous releases.
“No Ghost” is a welcome evolution of The Acorn, sounding more like their live shows than prior recordings. The Acorn are currently on tour supporting “No Ghost” in Europe, with Ontario summer dates as well. Check their Myspace for dates near you.
It’s been an almost overwhelming time for new albums from Canadian indie artists lately and you can add “New Inheritors” from Wintersleep to the growing list. “New Inheritors” is the band’s fourth album, following the fantastic previous release of “Welcome to the Night Sky” from 2007. The follow-up album “New Inheritors” is currently streaming on Wintersleep’s website and is set for release on May 18 in North America and may 17 in Europe.
“Welcome to the Night Sky” continues to be one of my favourite albums of all time. It led to the band earning a Juno Award for New Group of the Year and the Much Music Video Award/VideoFACT Award for “Weighty Ghost” in 2008, as well as being long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize. So, there has been well-deserved recognition in Canada in addition to my praise.
Based on their previous work, I had some pretty high expectations for the follow-up. I always want to judge an album on its own merit, but comparisons to previous work are always there. “Welcome to the Night Sky” set the bar high for Wintersleep.
At first listen, “New Inheritors” sounds like it could be a Headstones record with Paul Murphy’s vocals sounding very reminiscent of Hugh Dillon paired with its straight-forward rock riffs. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but takes some adjusting for those familiar with, and fans of, Wintersleep’s previous releases. The change also definitely distinguishes itself from the quieter vocals on Paul’s side project Postdata, whose self-titled album was also released this year.
The symphonic sounds of “Experience the Jewel” open the album. The song slowly builds from there, adding the haunting lyrics “What would you do? If desperation called for you, what would you do?” The familiar ominous orchestral music and lyrics are still a key element for Wintersleep, but previous pop overtones have been replaced with a more forceful rock stance.
The second track “Encyclopedia” follows like a punch with its post-punk rock guitar work and repeated lyrics, “encyclopedia of hurt”. “Encyclopedia” along with tracks like “Black Camera” and “Mirror Matter” continue in the vein of the Headstones-like hard rock while maintaining Wintersleep’s traditional haunting yet somewhat hopeful lyrics, which permeate throughout “New Inheritors”.
The title track “New Inheritors” was also the first single to be released and is available as a free download below. “New Inheritors” (the song) seems like an extremely relevant cautionary tale to those on earth with lyrics “New inheritors of earth, you overestimate your worth” and “You are not permanent, maybe you don’t win”.
The midsection of “Trace Decay” sounds like the hauntingly upbeat electronic dream pop of M83 or maybe even a background track for the X-Files. “Echolocation” is my personal favourite with its catchy guitar hooks and macabre lyrics like “Thousands of bats, feral, flesh hungry, should I let them in?”
“New Inheritors” is definitely an album to listen to as a whole like its predecessor. The album ebbs and flows well as one song segues into the next like the telling of a great story. The story might be macabre with themes of mystery and crime with hints of hopefulness, but it’s completely expected with Wintersleep. “New Inheritors” is not a complete departure from Wintersleep’s previous releases, but can stand alone on its own merit as an evolution of their sound.
Wintersleep are currently on tour in Europe in support of “New Inheritors” and North American dates follow soon after. Be sure to check their website to find a date near you, and check out their new release for yourself.
My initial impression of Andrea Ramolo, when I met her, can be summed up into two words: “Bold” and “Outdoorsy”. Why? When I approached her, she spoke to me as if she already knew me, like an old friend, like no introduction was necessary. The outdoorsy part, well her attire screamed indie folk songstress (in a good way).
In the second part of the interview, Andrea opened up with a lot more personal stories. I asked her about life on tour, her song writing, her upcoming album, and even about FACTOR. I asked her about FACTOR because, as she is someone who has successfully gone through the application process, her explanations might help other indie music artists who may be unsure how to apply.
Andrea Ramolo interview pt. 2
Canadian Invader: How has your sound/music evolved since “Thank You For The Ride”?
Andrea Ramolo: I was a novice songwriter and hadn’t actually played many live shows of original music before the recording of the album. The new songs are more sophisticatedly crafted and have a lot more soul I think. Also, I’m more comfortable with my guitar now, so I’m able to play in different styles and experiment with sound and arrangements. I feel like I challenge myself a lot more and have found a way to write songs that really fit with the sound of my voice and my abilities as a musician.
CI: When do you think the next album is going to be released?
AR: Hmmm…tough to say? We’re recording in the fall so it could be released in the winter or next spring, right before touring season. It’s real tough to tour in the winter. We did it a bunch this year and it’s just really cold. Sleeping in the van is not an option.
CI: On a long tour, what do you do to protect your voice from burning out?
AR: Good monitors for the stage are essential. We’re traveling with our own this year. If I can’t hear my voice, I tend to push it too hard because I’m unsure if the audience can hear it. That’s a sure way to burn it out. I also drink tons of water and take vitamins because getting sick on the road is by far the worst; especially when you live in a van.
CI: Are you bringing a backing band or will it be just you and Jason on this tour?
AR: For this tour, we’ll be doing it as a duo again. Jason plays enough instruments and has enough stage presence for an entire band. Plus, it’s more cost efficient to tour with only two people and less headaches because you only have to accommodate, and be accommodated by, one other person. We’ve been playing music together now for almost two years so we know each other’s playing styles and I love the quirky, creative instrumentation that Jason adds to my music. I’ll continue to play with Jason but the tours following the release of the new album will most likely be backed by a full band.
CI: Your songs are intense, are you constantly writing new material on the road or do you need space and time outside of touring to do it?
AR: Many of the songs on my first album came from poetry I wrote and life experiences that I needed to capture. I write lyrics best when I’m alone but I love collaborating and I get tons of ideas when Jason and I, or Tim and I are jamming. A cool riff or lyric line will come to mind and I jot it down wherever I am. I travel with my many notebooks and they’re on me at all times in case I get inspired. Sometimes it’s easier to communicate with someone through song and so I do. I’m a very honest person (some would call me blunt) and it comes out through my songwriting.
CI: What inspires you to write a song? Do you have to be in a certain mood artistically to focus, or is it completely organic?
AR: People, places, heartbreaks, love, loss, friendship, a single moment all act as inspiration. I do have to be in a certain head-space to really work on a tune, but again when I’m inspired, I’ll jot something down and return to it and finish it when I have time to do so. It’s hard to write on the road because there is so much to see and do and so many people to hang with. These are the things that make for good writing so I don’t pressure myself to get a song done. It usually finishes itself. And is a song really ever finished? It’s like a painting – you can always return to it and add more colour or different lines and shapes, but there has to be a moment where you say, “this creation says what I want it to” and just leave it behind.
CI: Are your songs based on your life experiences like a reflection of what you were going through at the time?
AR: Most of my songs are based on personal experiences… and I can get very personal. “Owl Eyes” was written during my mother’s battle with breast cancer. The CIBC Run for the Cure used the song on their blog web site for their 2009 campaign. “Aching Body” was about the deterioration of my last relationship. “Simple Song” was written and dedicated to a group of my best friends after a night of us dancing half-naked in the rain and feeling like children again.
A few of the newer tunes are stories based on historical figures. “The Ballad of Klondike Kate” is a part fact, part fictional retelling of the famous burlesque, tap dancer who made loads of money and male fans during the Klondike Gold Rush. I became interested in her and the many other female performers when we were up in Dawson City last year. I have an east coast shanty-type song called “Eastern Shore” that is about both the fishermen of Nova Scotia who died at sea and left their lady loves behind them, and my own battle with unrequited love.
I have one quirky song called “Peaches” that’s about living in a van on tour and not being able to keep my legs shaven. The chorus line sings “My legs may get hairy but you say they feel like peaches anyways.” It usually gets a chuckle. I went through a pretty bad depression this past winter just from being back from the road and experiencing some intense winter ‘blahs’, so many of my new songs are written from that dark place and trying to find some light in that darkness.
CI: What do you do on tour in your spare time? Is touring boring?
AR: Touring is far from boring. It’s the most exciting thing and I’m so blessed that I get to do it. Jason is also the best guy to tour with because we both love nature and the wild and like to go into the bush and explore. We’ve been through a handful of adventures…from hiking up and down Joffre Mountain with a sprained ankle, to hanging out at Liard Hot Springs near summer solstice where the sun never sets, to taking our $20 blow up boat out onto glacier waters and lakes so that Jason can fish for our supper. He’s an avid fisherman. We did a lot of exploring in the woods and up the mountains all across this country. We also like to hit every Value Village or Salvation Army in every town we stop in to see if there are any good deals or if we can find creative gadgets to use for our show somehow. We rarely eat out. Instead, we fire up our camping stove or BBQ and buy cheap, healthy food at grocery stores. We really embrace the nomad lifestyle when we’re traveling which proves to be more cost efficient, and a lot of fun. We’re good at it. Not having a kitchen or bathroom means that we have to be very resourceful.
CI: If you could share the stage and perform with a contemporary musician, who would it be and why?
AR: I’d love to do a tune with Hawksley Workman. I think he’s by far one of the most talented musicians and performers that this country has to offer. His voice and ability is incredible and his live shows are filled with sex appeal, heart-wrenching honesty, poetry, and theatricality, which are all aspects of performance that I’m drawn to as an audience member and performer.
CI: Can you tell us about FACTOR and how it has helped you because I think it may help other indie artists who have no clue what the organization does?
AR: The FACTOR thing is still very new. Thorniac Records applied for an album grant for my project, and they agreed to supply quite a bit of money to account for 50% of the album. I’m very grateful to both FACTOR and Kim and Tim. FACTOR stands for the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Recordings, and they grant money to Canadian music professionals to help them further along their projects. Many of my indie music friends (Cindy Doire and Ory No’Man) have received demo grants from the foundation. You just need to apply and follow the submission criteria. You may have to apply over and over again until you’re granted some money. I have applied for government music grants a number of times and have never gotten anything. There’s a lot of talent in this country!
Last Friday was, in my opinion, perfect. I got to see Said the Whale for my birthday, I couldn’t ask for more than that! The show was at the Starlite room in Edmonton, AB. I’ve mostly been going to shows held in the basement of Starlite, at the building’s smaller venue called Brixx, so I had almost forgotten what it was like to go to a show upstairs.
Shawna, Canadian Invader’s editor, accompanied me to the show. When we arrived there was a line all the way down the back alley, which is typical when a show at Starlite is sold out like this one was. It took about 15 minutes to go through the line. We had to keep an eye on the rooftops for the pigeons that live in the area. They seem to have made a sport of dive-bombing concert-goers who are waiting in line. Starlite must pay to have that lane hosed out because we’ve seen it be pretty gross up that walk. On Friday it was rather calm, few pigeons, no bombers and the line moved at a decent pace.
It turns out we were pretty early, arriving at 8:00 p.m. At the last show we attended at Brixx, the opener, Clinton St. John, was on at 8:00 p.m. And we didn’t arrive until 9:00p.m. I really regretted missing Clinton and there was no way I was going to take the chance of the same thing happening with Said the Whale.
Said the Whale hit the stage just after 10:00 p.m, opening up with “Emerald Lake, AB”, which will hopefully be their next single on Sonic, Edmonton’s Modern Rock station. I was shocked and elated that the crowd automatically started singing the song with the band. Almost everyone in the crowd knew all the words, and not only to that song. The whole place was a chorus of Said the Whale lyrics for their entire set. This crowd involvement created a great vibe in the room which isn’t always so quickly achieved by an opening act. One could have easily been convinced, by the audience’s enthusiasm, that Said the Whale was the headliner.
I admit, for the first three songs I was in work mode. We had these songs to try and capture some decent photos, so both of us were snapping away when we weren’t singing along. After that, we just relaxed and enjoyed the show. The set contained singles such as “This City’s a Mess”, “Goodnight Moon” and, of course, “Camilo (the Magician)” as well as other tracks from the Said the Whale catalogue. They played one of my personal faves, “B.C. Orienteering” too. Each song was superbly done and the sound was great except for from side-stage where we happen to be standing for most of the show. We could only hear Tyler’s singing. Ben’s vocals really sank into the background of the songs. This is typical of the set up at Starlite, it’s just the way the stage is positioned, but side-stage is the only spot a photographer can hope to get a decent shot so compromises must be made. Regardless, the performance was excellent and I left the show extremely happy. The band was full of energy through-out their set. It was obvious that they picked up on the good mood of the crowd. Said the Whale’s set was a good length considering that they were the opener as well. Once they completed the set, Ben hung out side-stage and was bombarded with fans professing their love for his band. We took a little time to say hello, and even off the stage he was full of energy. It was obvious he was happy with the way the night had gone.
Unfortunately we were unable to stay for Plants and Animals’ set but honestly, I was there to see Said the Whale. If we could have stayed for Plants and Animals it would have a been a bonus. We’ll just have to catch them next time they are in town.
We also picked up a stack of signed copies of Said the Whale’s “Islands Disappear” on vinyl so check back often. We will be doing a bunch of giveaways very soon!
When I first heard the band name Type Monkey Type, the first thing that popped into my head was the following Simpsons clip:
Needless to say, I was highly amused at Type Monkey Type’s choice of band name.
The “pre-apocalyptic fusion rock” group from Calgary has been an up-and-coming act since the release of their first EP in 2008, entitled “100000 Years”. The release of the full length, “Jungle Noise”, set for May 2010, could potentially be the album that launches their career.
All three of TMT’s members play an essential part in the creation of the band’s music. Just check out this lineup description from their Sonicbids bio:
Errol Halberg: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Typewriter
Stu Wershof: Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion, Beatbox, Live Loops, Kazoo
Anders Halberg: Drums, Percussion, Vocals, Backflips
Together, these multitasking gentlemen have put together a collection of songs that are almost unclassifiable – they include everything from funky rhythm guitar to arpeggiated electronica. Stu Wershof’s grooving bass line drives the opus “Reading Under a Heat Lamp”, while Anders Halberg opens “Birthday Cake” with salsa-like drum fills.
With only nine songs on the album, “Jungle Noise” skips all the filler tracks and allows the listener to see the diversity of the band without playing on, and on, and on! The standout song that I can definitely see Canadian campus radio picking up is “Puppet”, with Errol Halberg’s smooth, solemn vocals soaring across the track. Accompanying the song is a neat homemade music video created by the band themselves – all in stop motion. The star of the video is a half-cut tennis ball, Pac-Man style, who’s out looking for a Ms. Pac-Man of his own.
Keep an eye out for Type Monkey Type possibly playing live across Canada – I know I’ll go check them out if they make it over to Vancouver! For now, they’re gigging in their home province of Alberta:
In the world of electronic music, there has got to be more sub-genres than in any other scene. Two polar opposites of those sub-genres might be IDM or Intelligent Dance Music and Electro-Pop or Club, although if you were to speak with Nick Fowler of Fredericton, New Brunswick, I think he’d argue for the two styles’ coexistence. Fowler produces and writes alongside singer/songwriter Tyler Lombard to create party-themed club music as The Arka Teks; a new group quickly gaining some popularity on the global scene thanks to the Internet. Additionally he keeps a solo project, 
NF: Honestly because I am a mega-nerd. I am an electronics technician/field engineer by trade, so naturally electronic music sparks my interest. What originally got me into electronic music is an interesting story. I was in grade 9 and playing lead guitar in a metal band. Electronic music was the last thing on my mind. My dad bought me a copy of Cakewalk’s “Sonar” [a recording software] because I wanted to get into recording our band. Along the way I learned that band members (especially high school band members) were unreliable. It took me months, but I figured out how to use midi and plug-ins to create sounds from within my computer which allowed me to not have to rely on band members. One day I made a drum beat and turned the tempo up to 999BPM. What I heard for the first time was granular synthesis. Hearing this sound unlocked something in my brain. Before I knew it I was making this crazy glitchy electronic music which I didn’t even know existed. Then one day, in London Ontario, I saw The Aphex Twin’s album “Richard D James”. I had never heard of him, but I felt compelled to buy it. After listening to the first song “4″ I finally knew what kind of music I had been making; IDM. From then on I just kept pumping out these super fast and super glitchy tunes. I strived to incorporate the strange IDM sounds into something more musical, and now here I am with The Arka Teks.
June has another hauntingly-titled release with 
The week prior to the release of “The Five Ghosts” was filled with a string of US tour dates where the band played the album in its entirety. The entire album was also made 
Throughout their catalogue, Stars shine with emotional songs about relationship breakdown, often pairing upbeat instrumentation with haunting and morose lyrics. The back and forth lyrical banter between Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan emphasizes the dramatic nature of their music. “The Five Ghosts” does not stray too far from this formula. Though it veers somewhat from their previous work, with the added synth and lost string sections, it is still very much typical of Stars. ‘The Five Ghosts” included writing contributions from all five Stars members. Amy Millan’s description of “The Five Ghosts” as the “quintessential Stars” album is a truth.
June 1, 2010 marks the release of “No Ghost” from Ottawa’s 
alludes to the evolution towards rock with titles like “Slippery When Wet” immediately bringing Bon Jovi’s third release of the same name to mind, and “I Made the Law” is reminiscent of The Clash’s famous cover of “I Fought the Law”. Listening to the lyrics, you can hear “Smoke on the water as the day burns out on the bay” during a verse of “Bobcat Goldwraith” which of course is also similar to the title of Deep Purple’s classic “Smoke on the Water”.
It’s been an almost overwhelming time for new albums from Canadian indie artists lately and you can add “New Inheritors” from Wintersleep to the growing list. “New Inheritors” is the band’s fourth album, following the fantastic previous release of “Welcome to the Night Sky” from 2007. The follow-up album “New Inheritors” is currently streaming on 
sounds like it could be a 
The midsection of “Trace Decay” sounds like the hauntingly upbeat electronic dream pop of M83 or maybe even a background track for the X-Files. “Echolocation” is my personal favourite with its catchy guitar hooks and macabre lyrics like “Thousands of bats, feral, flesh hungry, should I let them in?” 
Last Friday was, in my opinion, perfect. I got to see Said the Whale for my birthday, I couldn’t ask for more than that! The show was at the Starlite room in Edmonton, AB. I’ve mostly been going to shows held in the basement of Starlite, at the building’s smaller venue called Brixx, so I had almost forgotten what it was like to go to a show upstairs.
work mode. We had these songs to try and capture some decent photos, so both of us were snapping away when we weren’t singing along. After that, we just relaxed and enjoyed the show. The set contained singles such as “This City’s a Mess”, “Goodnight Moon” and, of course, “Camilo (the Magician)” as well as other tracks from the Said the Whale catalogue. They played one of my personal faves, “B.C. Orienteering” too. Each song was superbly done and the sound was great except for from side-stage where we happen to be standing for most of the show. We could only hear Tyler’s singing. Ben’s vocals really sank into the background of the songs. This is typical of the set up at Starlite, it’s just the way the stage is positioned, but side-stage is the only spot a photographer can hope to get a decent shot so compromises must be made. Regardless, the performance was excellent and I left the show extremely happy. The band was full of energy through-out their set. It was obvious that they picked up on the good mood of the crowd. Said the Whale’s set was a good length considering that they were the opener as well. Once they completed the set, Ben hung out side-stage and was bombarded with fans professing their love for his band. We took a little time to say hello, and even off the stage he was full of energy. It was obvious he was happy with the way the night had gone.