CBNAH Interview with We Are Monroe

CBNAH staff writer Peter Drakopoulos recently got the opportunity to conducted an interview with the Post-Punk Rock band We Are Monroe. To chat about getting radio play on local radio, touring, the music scene in Montreal and more.

CBNAH: First off, can you tell us how it feels to have your music played on local Montreal radio stations like CHOM 97.7?

WAM: It's always good to hear us play on the radio. We appreciate all the help we receive from radio stations and online stations. It's always weird to hear yourself play but at the same time exciting. It helps motivates us to keep working so we can one day, hopefully, get continual airplay. Getting radio play on a station like CHOM 97.7 is huge. They're an institution in Montreal's music landscape, and to have them in our corner feels like we're being given a chance to take a step up the ladder.

CBNAH: For people who are unfamiliar with We Are Monroe can you give us a brief history of the band?

WAM: Well, the band as a whole has just reached the two year mark, not too long ago.  But the band actually started a bit before that. Originally Ben Dupuis(Drummer) & Pete Juteau (bassist) started the band when their previous band (The Furlongs) split up. They meet Jay Lalonde (guitarist) during an auditioning period, where they were looking for a guitarist as well as a vocalist. For a while the band was actually a three piece, under the name the Casavettes. They actually played a few shows where jay was the singer and guitarist. I (Pat Gomes, singer/rhythm guitar) actually met the guys at their first show, as the Casavettes. I was, at the time, in a band called the Crystal Keys, and they had asked us to be their opener for that show. I must of left a good impression (laughs) because a few months later they ask me to audition for them. Things pretty much took off from there.
 
CBNAH: The band is classified under Post-Punk Rock. But after listening to your music I've noticed some elements of Post-Rock and Art-Rock. Do you feel the band will slowly go on that direction?

WAM: We don't really write in function of a style of music. We pretty much just write and whatever we find sounds good we keep. We don't really worry about the style. Post-punk rock is more of a reference point of our influences. From the actual Post-punk movement, you have bands like Gang of Four, and obviously Joy Division. And from the Post-punk revival of the 2000's you have bands like The Strokes, Interpol, Bloc Party. Both lists are exhaustive, but both eras share a definitive sound, and a basic aesthetic. There's a free association that we've made because we identify ourselves with bands from both lists. But we're still a relatively young band, trying new things and exploring different styles of writing. We tend to make choices based on our immediate reaction to any given vocal melody, guitar riff, bass line, or drum beat we come up with. So if a certain sound inspires us, we'll usually chase it down regardless of what 'style' it would fall under. We're constantly playing around with our sound, changing it, evolving. Which is was why we decided to record our first, self-titled, EP and why we're heading back to the studio to record a new one. We want to document our evolution as a band so our current fans, and hopefully future ones, can witness the changes we go through and be a part of it, as well.

CBNAH: What's the songwriting process for the band?

WAM: We pretty much write everything together. Whether it's one of us that brings in a new idea or we just jam something out, everyone helps write. Everyone has a say and their own idea as to where a song should go. So, regardless of how a song comes together, we strive to have everyone's voices heard. It's democratic that way. And, while some of our songs have taken weeks to piece together, we're finding that when we're all in a 'moment' together, on any given night, we've been able to tap into something. It's not always easy but it's worked for us so far.  Sometimes, whisky helps (laughs).

CBNAH: With two EPs under your belt, will your next recording be another EP or a full LP?  

WAM: No, we'll be sticking with EPs, for now at least. Like I (Pat) said before, we're still exploring our sound and at this point EPs just seem like the best option for us. We have a lot of songs written and still more coming, some better then others. We think it's just a better option for us to record the best of the songs, we have, than to record a full album where half the songs are fillers. We also thought it would be interesting to release less music, but more frequently. So, every few months, we'll record 2-3 songs, and release singles. It will allow us to engage with our core fan-base on a very regular basis.

CBNAH: Your live performance is getting a lot of attention for its high energy and raw emotion. Do you guys lose yourselves in your performance?  

WAM: Definitely. Every time we get on stage and start playing we get lost in our own little world. It's hard not to when you love what you're doing. The crowd definitely helps with that, they keep you grounded. The rowdier the crowd the better. There's an certain energy that you can only get from a live show. It's that moment when someone is completely submerged into what they're playing and feels every note down to their core. It's in those moments that you can really grasp a band's vibe. It's what separates a good band from a great band. It's what we strive for the most when we perform. We love rocking out and having the crowd rock out with us. A lack of energy and feeling is enough to ruin a show no matter how good and tight you are as a band.

CBNAH: Any funny or great road stories to tell?

WAM: For some reason, our first show as the four of us together, as We Are Monroe, comes to mind. We were playing a small bar gig in Joliette, only about 45 minutes from Montreal. We had been invited by another band to go out and play. It was a winter gig, so the drive out was cold, and felt longer than it actually was. We blasted The Bravery, and told funny stories. When we got to the bar, we discovered there was no stage. No problem. But, the designated area for bands to play was located right next to the only door in and out of the bar. People were coming in and bumping into Pete (our bass player), and we were getting these drafts of cold air. Thankfully, the bar was crowded, and people were into it. After our set, the staff bought us a few rounds, we met some cool folks, and tried to get Pat (our singer) to make a move on this cute girl at the bar. We had good fun, and we knew we wanted to keep gigging together.

CBNAH: The Music scene in Montreal is a hotbed for a lot of bands and artists from different genres of music. Do you think the city will be the next Seattle?

WAM: It's hard to say. It definitely has the potential to be, but there's still a long way to go. It's a shame really because like you said there are a lot of great bands here in Montreal. Most only make it here once they've established themselves on the outside. There seems to be a lack of interest for local independent bands. There are signs of that changing though. With the coming of bands like Half Moon Run and the Damn Truth, I think, people are starting to pay more and more attention to local artist.
  
CBNAH: What does the future holds for the band?

WAM: Hopefully good things. (laughs) Like we mentioned before, we're heading back to the studio to record another EP soon, so that'll definitely will be something to look forward to. Putting the idea of releasing music more frequently into motion. That's our next step. We also have a few shows planned for early next year, which we'll be announcing as soon as possible. Although, in the winter months, we tend to play less gigs. So we're going to use that time mostly to keep writing and record. Over all we're looking to just expand and keep writing music.

Check out We Are Monroe on their Website, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.

CBNAH Interview with Rob "Rawrb" Kersey of Psychostick

What happens if you mix over the top humor with heavy metal? You get the band Psychostick. In the last ten years, the Arizona band has released three full length albums, three EPs, and either shared the stage or toured with a lot of known names in metal. The band has a strong online presence with their popular Youtube channel with over ten million views. Recently, they launched a successful campaign on Indiegogo. Which the band will be making a new album and building their own recording studio. CBNAH staff writer Peter Drakopoulos caught up with lead singer Rob "Rawrb" Kersey to chat about the band, Indiegogo project, the Alfredo Afro web comic and more.

Peter Drakopoulos: First off, how’s the band been touring for the past few weeks?

Rob "Rawrb" Kersey: No, actually. We’ve been off the road for the past couple of moths because we’re focusing on the Indiegogo project and writing and recording. We still do a couple of dates here and there but not on tour.

PD: When I first heard the band’s music it has a lot of humour. Does this humour comes from what you guys experienced in your daily lives? 

RK: Yes, it’s pretty much a lot of it is based on real life experiences. For example, Two Ton Paperweight is about Josh’s [Guitarist] crappy car.

PD: You guys have a successful Indiegogo campaign with the new album and studio. Why Indiegogo instead of Kickstarter?

RK: Indiegogo is a lot more flexible. In Kickstarter, if you don’t reach your goal for funding, you don’t get anything. Indiegogo avoids that all or nothing model, so, we wanted to have at least a little bit money in case, you know, if we didn’t make our goal. We kind of took the safe route. 

PD: You have a web comic called Alfredo Afro. Can you tell us a bit about the comic?

RK: Sure. The web comic that I draw is basically just me having another creative outlet.  It’s really just about random stuff that happened to me or other people on tour.

PD: Do you see this web comic published in print by a publisher?

RK: Honestly, I  don’t know. It could happen eventually, I guess. The problem is a lot of the material is pretty vulgar. I don’t know who would wanted to publish those unless it’s one of those alternative publishers. But it really all depends on the situation.   

PD: You have a popular Webcast on your Youtube channel. Can you tell is the origins of the Webcast? 

RK: Webcasting is something we’ve been doing for the last five, six years. It started through a website like Stickam. But once Youtube introduce the ability to do livestream, so, we do it from them now. The whole idea behind it’s just to hangout with our fans and interact with them. We used to do this thing called Druken Webcast. Where people would be able buys us some shots through the website and we would say their name and then take a shot online and get pretty messed up. [Laughs.]     

PD: The band has been around since 2000. Have you ever thought you would be this successful?  

RK: I knew that at some point, early on in our career, when we first formed. With the recording of our very first album, and I remember listening to it and I just had a feeling that if the right person heard this at the right time, I think we go somewhere. But wonder it would be so cool if it happens. But… The record didn’t get played at first, and then it got played on XM Radio and then it blew us up like crazy. Sometimes I have to sit back and go wow we’re actually doing-- I haven’t had a real day job in like six, seven years now. And being in this band I’m really grateful for it. The fact we’re still here and people are still supporting us. We’re pretty gratefully for that and I had no idea that it would go this far.     

PD: What can fans expect from the band in 2014?

RK: Well, completing the studio and obviously the new album. We’re going to get that done. There will be a lot of touring, we’re trying to go to Europe. Working on that but it’s always been a struggle for us. I think we’ll be able to do it for next year. I’ve said that a few times already for the past few years. We’ll see. Next year will be the new album, lots of touring, more videos and more content.  

Check out Psychostick on their Website, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud.

CBNAH Interview with Adam Macleod of Until Dawn

CBNAH staff writer Peter Drakopoulos recently conducted a phone interview with Adam Macleod, lead singer of Alberta metal band Until Dawn. To chat about touring, the metal scene in Alberta, new album and more.

Peter Drakopoulos: What’s it like to grow up in a small place like Fort McMurray? 

Adam Macleod: Fort Mac is a small town with a big city mentality. It’s not really a huge place but pretty much when you grow up here, you sort of know everybody. With us, we all grew up together and knew each other from school. It’s not too crazy but it is a work city. It’s not really, you know, a very active city, mostly just ship work and everybody working at the plants. What’s why when we do hit the road, we try our best to get to the bigger hubs and other places where there’s more heat compared to what’s going on at Fort Mac.

PD: I’ve notice that there’s a lot of metal bands coming up from the [Canadian] Prairies and I’m just wondering why is it?

AM: Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, there was a lot of punk coming out of here. A lot of those bands that had their reign are sort done now. I think it’s just more right now it’s more accepted. People are looking for more of a variation to it rather than the old typical trash band. That’s what we’re planning when we go out on the road because we tend to play with rock bands, metal bands and death metal bands. All of these different variations -- All of the different fans are starting to rally around, not just one specify genre. A lot of people coming together and focusing on metal rather than just rock     

PD: Can you tell us the genesis of the band and how it got started?

AM: It started a few years back with Steve [White, Guitarist] and Luke [Worrell, Drummer]-- The Worrell [Luke and Deke, Guitarist] had a Christmas party one year and we all just went out there. We were just chatting and pretty much, all of us were in different bands at the time, but everybody was frustrated due to various issues. We were all tried of it, we just sort of talked about and said, “You know what? We should start a band!” We were all in bands with guys that were lacking the passion that we do. It took awhile, about a year, Steve had a lot of music that he had worked on his own time and he brought it back to the table, that ended up being our first record. When your in a city like Fort McMurray there’s not as many options of musicians to choose from, but you find a good group of guys, you definitely try to stick with them.          

PD: I really enjoyed your first album, the self-titled album that came out in 2011.  Can you tell us the differences between recording the first album and the new album Horizon(2013) musically and lyrics wise?

AM: Well, like I said early, see how a lot of the material for the first record was already written and it was written in a long time frame, about a few years. Once Steve joined the band he brought it all and we started to work together. We did the exact opposite when it came for Horizon, we did it in a short time frame and we wrote it together as a unite rather than everyone just piecing their parts together. Lyrically, on the first album, when I first joined the band I didn’t really have a lot on the go and I wasn’t really finding a lot of inspiration. So, I just sort of lean towards my peers and I looked towards bands like The Misfits, Danzig and even The Black Dahlia Murder that write songs about horror films and other medium. I sort of used that as inspiration, and to be honest, I’m not going to lie to you. Our first record is all about Dexter. If you’re a Dexter fan, you would be able to pick it up like a sore thumb because songs like Slice Of Life and m99 is the drug that he uses to knock his victims out. The song The Struggle is all about just him and the whole scenario of him taping people to the table and wraps them in plastic. That was the main focus was I’m just going to write something based on Dexter. Horizon however, we sort of wanted to have as a collection and we’re all big fans of concept albums. We decided to come up with a story that reflected the band and where we from. Being a heavy metal act from Fort McMurray, it’s not the easiest place to be a band from. We tried to focus on writing a story that reflected on and where we are right now. The storyline is about a gentleman who’s stuck in a point of time where society still believes in that the world is flat and they sentence him, because he knows its not, to fall off the edge of the earth. That’s what we sort of feel like being a band from Fort Mac. We’re in this desolated area where no one thinks anyone can be in a band from. The reason why we choose the word Horizon is just because we’re out playing shows and we’re always on the road, it’s almost like we’re looking towards the edge of the road and looking towards the horizon. It just felt so soothing to put all that together as a concept record.          

PD: You guys shared the stage with everyone from Korn to Kiss to Fozzy to 3 Inches of Blood. Have any of those bands give you guys any feedback or advice?

AM: Well, there’s a difference between each band. When we played with Kiss, Obviously we were trying to dig for a couple of a little inside tips or anything but you know those guys were busying. We still got a tip of the hat from them which is pretty much keep on trucking along and persistence is the key. Working with a band like 3 Inches of Blood which we played with them in the summer. Asking them about the road and trying to get some tips. Basically what it is just anything you can do for touring and to keep your sanity. Working out, trying to eat right and not partying everyday-- Not partying as hard as you normally would do. Just in general, tips about the road especially us being a younger band that hasn’t done too much touring. Trying to learn and playing to larger crowds. We’ve been blessed to play at some very big festivals. We don’t get those options very often to play in our city. It can be a bit nerve-racking but at the same time sharing something that you love with thousands of people rather than a hundred.     

PD: The Horizon album is getting a lot of positive feedback. Did you feel that the next album or EP will be a big breakthrough or build a bigger fanbase?

AM: I believe so. We’ve gotten a lot of reviews and we sort of already knew prior to getting those reviews to what was going to be said and we took it for what it was. The fans are reacting to a lot of the songs we’ve been playing, it’s just like the first album. We’re going to stick to what we know and going to see what works. But at the same time we do want to be diverse and do want to grow. I mean, there’s songs on our record that can be consider as ballads. That we don’t want to be a band like Slipknot where fans sort of get mad at them for later on their career because they did something lighter. We want to be a band that has already done some light stuff and it’s not going to be very -- It’s not going to be a huge change if we do something light compared to something heavier.

PD: What does the future holds for the band in 2014 and beyond?

AM: 2014 we’re going to hit the road hard. We got a couple of tours planned with our management, we’re working on right now. We wanna hit the States and get into some markets that we haven’t been in. The first thing that we want to do is get out East. There’s a high demand for Ontario, Quebec and even in the Maritimes. That’s probably our main goal for ’14 is to do Eastern Canada and then go down South.

Check out Until Dawn at Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Official Website and on Soundcloud.

CBNAH Interview with Where Giants Once Stood

Where Giants Once Stood has been making some huge waves in the Canadian metal scene. From word of mouth and a solid live show, the band has been winning a lot of new fans in process. In July, the band released The Changing EP and the music video for the single The Heavens Tremble. Currently are in the middle of their Where’s Your Head At Tour, which the band is touring all around Ontario and Quebec. CBNAH staff writer Peter Drakopoulos caught up with lead vocals Reshaun Page, and lead guitarist and vocals, Jordan Turnbull, to chat about touring, the EP and more.

Peter Drakopoulos: This is the start of your Ontario and Quebec tour. How are things so far?

Reshaun Page: We only played two shows so far. In Oshawa, our hometown and Belleville. Driven pretty good and I’m excited for Montreal tonight. 

Jordan Turnbull: Our Oshawa show was really good. It was a bit of emptiness off the top, we were a little worried and it just filled up. It was nice and yeah, we’re actually really stoked to be in Montreal. Our last tour we weren’t able to come through here. So, it’s really cool that we’re actually going to be playing in the metal capital of Canada. 

PD: Well, I thought Toronto was the metal capital of Canada. If you look at all of the bands that came out of that province like Kittie. 

Both: True.

JT: I’ve always just heard that there’s an awesome metal scene in Montreal. I only pass through here.

PD: There is a great metal scene here in Montreal. The best way I can describe your music is a cross between Death and Alice in Chains. Were you guys greatly influenced by both bands? 

JT: Honestly, not really. Reshaun really likes Death a lot, but he’s not even a guitar player. [Laughs.] I listened to a bit of Death and Alice in Chains. But my main influences are a lot of the new wave of American Heavy Metal like Lamb [of God], Avenged [Sevenfold], Killswitch [Engage] and also I like Blues a lot. It’s Interesting with a couple of  names you drop but for me personally, no. 

RP: You know, Chuck [Schuldiner] had that high scream. I did listen to him a lot before I really focus on my technique. I really never thought about it.

PD: What’s the metal scene like in Toronto and how you guys are able to stand out?

JT: The whole GTA [Greater Toronto Area] seems to be pretty good and always has been a big music scene for all types of music. We’ve been treated very well overall in Toronto. Our fist show was with Chelsea Grin and Veil of Maya, that was awesome. We played a few shows here and there -- Sneaky Dee’s and stuff. There’s always crowds and always mosh pits so, yes, it’s been pretty good. I enjoy it.

RP: We’ve been told that our style of music will appeal more here in Montreal, which is interesting. The metal scene in Montreal is very traditional. We kinda of have that traditional metal influence too in our music. Other bands have their own sound in Toronto and it’s really good I love their sound, but we’re also trying to do something a little bit different too. People would say , “You guys gotta go to Montreal. They will love you there.”

PD: You guys released the Changing EP this year. I was wondering will you be releasing a full length album next or planning on releasing an EP every year to have your music out there constantly?

JT: The next idea is gonna be EP again. Our personal opinion as a band is that we don’t feel it’s necessary just yet for us to release a full length album. First of all it’s a lot of money and we don’t have a lot of money. If we can put out four songs we can tour and do the same kind of stuff as would of eleven songs. We’re going to stick with the EPs for the next little awhile. If things pick up or we get bigger or we ever get an agent or label then definitely of course we’ll talk about full lengths. 

PD: Can we expect the new EP in 2014?

Both: Yes.

JT: I don’t think we should announce releases just yet, but it will be in 2014.

RP: We’re writing and we have scheduled for the next recording sessions. And we’re actually working with Jon Howard from Threat Signal. He’s going to be producing our recording. We’re all excited about it and it’s going to be fun. So, yes, definitely in 2014.

JT: We’re also all pretty big fans of Threat Signal. We think that Jon [Howard] is amazing vocalist. We’re really stoked for Reshaun because Jon is probably going to be able to help him [Reshaun] to get to the next level as a vocalist. We’re pretty excited for this next record for sure.

PD: After this tour of Ontario and Quebec are there plans to tour the rest of Canada?

RP: Hoping to go out West in the spring or in the summer. The offer was there to do it but touring the Prairies during the Winter time is a big risk. We’re definitely going out West in 2014 that’s our goal.

PD: What can people expect from you guys in 2014 and beyond?

JT: It’ll be probably pretty similar to what we did this past year. We’ll have new music videos, probably do another drum and guitar playthrough on our Youtube channel. Along with another lyric video and we’re just going to tour as hard as we can and if we’re lucky and if they have us, hopefully we can crossover to the States. As you mention, The West Coast would be awesome. We just want to stay out as long as we can. We all have jobs and stuff but that’s second -- besides the point we just want to be out on the road and try to get the band out there.

PD: For the recording process what happens first? Do you guys jam and work on the music while Reshaun is writing lyrics or you work on the lyrics first and then music or combination of both?

JT: Well, Reshaun is always writing lyrics. Myself and Scott [Major, Rhythm Guitarist] write the music and both him and I can record. We have a little recording program and basically we just demo. We write and work on it until it becomes a song.  Then we bring the song to the band, Austin [Hamilton, Drummer] and Remy [Lebeau, Bassist] adds the drums and bass, and everything comes together from there. Reshaun is generally the final step. He comes in at the end and puts his lyrics on top of the song.

RP: Yeah, I keep writing lyrics all the time and I bring my ideas to Jordan and Scott and they work with me on the phrasing and producing. It’s a collaborative idea with like how the vocals go on top of songs and Jordan usually sings most of the choruses. So, he writes his parts, for the most parts If I have an idea I write what I’m thinking and then Jordan will write his part for the chorus and his melody.

JT: Usually, Reshaun will come up with a theme of the song, the music will be written but there won’t be a theme to what it’s about. So, he’ll give us a theme and he leaves the choruses and bridges blank. For Scott and I, whoever happens to sing that part can write our lyrics based off Reshaun’s theme. That’s how it works.

PD: Last question, where do you guys see yourselves one year from now?

JT: Hopefully if we’re lucky, touring Europe. We want to try and get out there whether label or not. If we can it’ll be awesome and the same for America. Hopefully we can tour outside of Canada by year end, I think that’s probably everyone’s goal.

RP: We want to go to where the metal markets are a lot bigger.  We’ve been playing around here for a long time, even when we were younger. The metal market in Canada, I would say is not as big compared to Europe and the States. Hopefully will be touring there and the band can take the next step. This is our second tour of this year since we launched as a band. We just got to keep on pushing, keep on going and hopefully it’ll payoff.   

Check out Where Giants Once Stood on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and on Soundclound.