Sound, Phrase & Fury 2.4

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 1

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SPF Editor-In-Chief Janet Adamana

Associate Editor Ally Sigurdson Promotions Director Steff Shields

Contributors & Photography Credits Ally Sigurdson Dagmawit Dejene Debra Heather

Steff Shields Special Thanks Zoë Waugh George Donoghue Joe Constable Josh Collins Kevin Hogg Eric Clefstad Jay Jensen Scott Beattie Andy Tongren Dylan Scott Julian Dimagiba Steve Patrick Heather Lachnit Ken Taylor David Huzyk Dylan Ramstead Sonia Eidse

Michael Melnyk Sean Guezen John-Michael Bowes Daniel Guezen Evan Chandler Erik Radley Kendra Eyolfson Codey Emms Nick Gammon Brendyn Funk Troy Cattani Ryan Lennon Michael Gammon Jason Chisham Taylor James Sound, Phrase & Fury is a Canadian music magazine out to help promote musicians not usually covered in mainstream media. All music, photos and articles used are for the sole purpose of spreading the knowledge of these artists and their music. We always encourage readers to support every act through purchasing releases, merchandise and attending live shows.

july/aug 2014 We Still Believe In Saviours Note from the Editor

All For One

ReVerbed takes us through their EP, This Machine

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For A Friend

The Revival play their hearts out

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Young Guns

Young Rising Sons and their summer anthem, “High”

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The Show Must Go On The life of a show promoter

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Ghosts of Pop Punk Past The Gentlemen Thieves and their pop punk throwback

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Get Lost In Sound

We take you through the Get Lost In Sound launch

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Talk of The Town

Industry profile on MSMFest

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Five Minutes With...

Taylor James talks albums and influences

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info@sound-phrase-fury.com @soundphrasefury facebook.com/soundphrasefury Sound-Phrase-Fury.com

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 3

Editor’s Note

we Still Believe in Saviours Ever find that one song in a cyber sea of a trillion others… That’s how it all began. One song that shook every cell in my system and woke a part of my existence that felt so stagnant yet fleeting like an old childhood memory. One little song was all it took to remind me what it meant to be young, hopeful, and naïve; to show me the rapturous possibilities that come from chasing your dreams.

Sound, Phrase & Fury was inspired by the simple truth, that music, with all its embedded passion, emotion and appeal, can change your life. This magazine was created as an ode to the power of these songs, and an ode to the ones who have created them. There is no sufficient amount of thanks we as music lovers can give to the strangers who reach out and continually pick us up and dust us off as we wallow at our lowest points. These artists fearlessly open their emotional wounds, and spill their hearts into each and every note, in hopes that somewhere in that beautiful noise, a stranger can find everything their despondent souls are searching for.

For every word we needed to hear, every moving performance we will never forget, and for never failing to fuel us with hope, we thank you.

Lost In Sound Janet Adamana Editor-In-Chief

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q&A Q&A

Brighton’s aggressive pop punk band, ReVerbed, has been rocking the underground UK scene since 2011.

Although, most musicians spend that span of time changing roles and experimenting in different bands, the members of ReVerbed tote their success to the fact that they have matured together and allowed themselves to focus on strengthening their one musical endeavor.

ReVerbed vocalist/guitarist, Zoë Waugh, takes us through the band’s history and the making of their latest release, This Machine.

WORDS BY Janet Adamana

All For One JA: Tell me a bit about ReVerbed and how you guys got together?

ZW: We are an aggressive pop-punk band based in Brighton. We’ve been together for five years. Myself, George [Donoghue] (guitar/vocals) and Josh [Collins] (drums) formed the band during high school.

We met Joe [Constable] during University about 18 months ago and he joined us on bass. We’ve been going strong ever since.

through the same amount of changes and development. The band has matured and strengthened so much since our earlier days. We’ve learned and experienced so much. In all honestly, it’s only within the last 2 years where we’ve really felt comfortable with our sound.

JA: What’s it like being an aggressive pop punk band in Brighton? Is there anything particular about your local music scene that helped inspire ReVerbed’s style?

JA: How have things evolved since you began?

ZW: In that span of time, most musicians have been ZW: We’ve only been in Brighton for about two or in two or three different bands and found them- three years whilst at university, but the music scene selves. We’ve all just stayed in one but we’ve gone

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q&a

and atmosphere is great and a big difference from was a great experience for us all, we learnt a lot and our hometown of Doncaster, South Yorkshire where we definitely would like to continue recording ourselves in the future. We are now already working we spent a lot of time. on our next release, and will be recording over the JA: Can you tell me a bit about your current re- summer. It’s set to be released at the end of the year. lease, This Machine?

ZW: The album was written and recorded com- JA: You’ve had a pretty successful few years, pletely by us over 12 months. George was the main with some awesome nominations like Kerproducer and recorded the majority of the album rang’s Best British Newcomer Award and your in the back bedroom of his house. Recording some constant gigging. What have been some of your guitars in the airing cupboard and acoustic guitars favourite highlights so far? in the bathroom! We wanted to really capture the ZW: A tough question, however I think our mini energy of us live on record, which we’ve previously tour of France last Summer was awesome. Organot been able to quite master. As for writing, we nizing it ourselves wasn’t easy as none of us speak branched out into areas we haven’t gone before, French. A lot of people doubted we could pull it off, whilst aiming to maintain the classic ‘ReVerbed’ but we did, so that was a nice little fuck you to evsound. Without being too cheesy and cliché about eryone. We had a great laugh both as band and as it, we just grew up since our last release. We wanted friends, it was really enjoyable and some of our best to write honestly but leave it so listeners can draw shows to date. their own conclusions from our music. Over all it

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Stay up to date with ReVerbed at Facebook.com/ ReVerbed. Download a copy of their latest EP, This Machine at ReVerbed.Bandcamp.com July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 7

Profile Q&A

Founding member and drummer, Alex Danyliuk, originally met Eric Clefstad through a mutual friend and showed him a demo of a band he had put together with some friends. “Everything was just awful on the tape, except for the drumming,” laughs Clefstad, who joined the group and now plays lead guitar. Later, bassist Jay Jensen, a long time friend of Danyliuk, joined the group. Their current vocalist, Kevin Hogg, was added to the mix when the original vocalist had to leave to go to school in Ontario. They spent a large amount of time working on their debut EP, The Brady Bird, released in May 2012. “We wanted people to have something to take home” says Jensen, [the EP] helped us tremendously … it helped give us a name.” Their first music video “Shake This” also helped garner some attention, as a creative paro-

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dy showing today’s top EDM artists attempting to form a band. “[The idea] came about initially when [Hogg] put on these lens-less black-rimmed glasses, and put his hair to the side. We were like, ‘He looks just like Skrillex, this is hillarious’. And coincidentally we knew someone who had a Deadmau5 mask, ” says Jensen.

Soon after, the band signed onto local label, Pipe and Hat, which helped officially launch their careers. The group’s unique vision has drawn in large crowds across the city, forming a large but tightknit community. “It was a very organic thing,” says Clefstad, “it’s like we became friends with every one of our fans.” It’s no surprise that fans were quick to fall in love with a band with such a unique sound.

profile

The Revival is ready to challenge the musical norm with a unique style that incorporates the best elements of EDM and Rock. The Winnipeg-based 4-piece has caught the attention of music lovers through their 5-track EP, The Brady Bird. Along with the album, the group’s creative music video for their single “Shake This” has helped launch their popularity to audiences across the globe.

On April 12, 2013, Alex Danyliuk tragically passed away of a heart condition. However, this did not stop The Revival from continuing what they had started. “We just couldn’t stop,” says Jensen, “he would’ve been pissed.” So the group recruited a new drummer, Scott Beattie, and continued to try and fulfill Danyliuk’s vision for the band. “[Alex] was, out of all of us, the most driven [and] the most determined,” says Clefstad. “We do it for him, to keep his dream alive.”

The band has dedicated a new song off of their new album to Danyliuk. “It was the last piece of music we wrote with Alex” shares Clefstad, “the lyrics are kind of written as if he was talking to us, from wherever he may be, and it’s my favourite piece

of music we’ve ever written.” The group strives to prove to listeners that live music is still very much alive, and electronic elements do not make it any less authentic. “We’re a real band,” says Hogg, “the electronic sounds that we [use], we make them.”

The Revival will set off on a Western Canadian tour where they will play with The Sheepdogs and Nazareth. They will also break into the United States in August to play at the Music Festival in Pennsylvania.

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Like The Revival at Facebook.com/TheRevivalStyle.

Check out their video for “Shake This” at PipeAndHat.com.

WORDS BY Dagmawit Dejene July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 9

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E T I R W AND & ABSOLUTELY LOVE NEW MUSIC?

THEN DO WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING, AND WRITE FOR US! HIT UP SOUND-PHRASE-FURY.COM FOR MORE INFO.

10 Sound, Phrase, & Fury • July/Aug 2014

Facebook.com/AestheticHeartPromotions July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 11

Q&A

young guns We want to develop a bigger audience, work on attracting new people. We just need to get out WORDS BY debra heather there and have people open up to us as a band.

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q&a

Red Bank, New Jersey’s pop rock quartet, Young Rising Sons, capture the essence of being young and alive, and inject it into a new summer anthem, worth a thousand repeat listens through blaring car speakers and wide open windows. Vocalist, Andy Tongren took us through the process of creating, their hope-fueled single, “High.”

DH: Can you tell me a bit about how Young Rising Sons came to be, and how you come up with the band’s name?

AT: The four of us have been playing together for a long time now, almost five years. In that time we’ve been developing our sound and finding what fits us best sonically. In doing that we wrote a verse in particular that summed up what we are about and what we believe in. Within that verse were the words ‘Young,’ ‘Rising,’ and ‘Sun.’ We changed the sun to Sons to identify the name with us even more, and felt the idea behind the verse captured our vision.

DH: I’d like to talk about your new single “High” which, by the way, is an awesome summer jam and will definitely be on my playlist this summer. What inspired you to write this song and what message would you like your fans to take away from your music?

AT: Thank you. I’m so happy to hear you enjoy it.

We became musicians because music made us all feel something. Songwriting is a vessel to convey an emotion, and I think “High” captures a very strong sense of hope. The lows we face day in and day out make the highs that much more meaningful and give us that ever-so-important perspective.

Boys. A common ground we all found that brought us together were The Beatles, and being Jersey boys, Bruce Springsteen is a staple.

DH: What are your rehearsals generally like?

Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?

AT: Before band mates we are best friends, so when we aren’t writing or practicing we are still together hanging out; basically like family. Therefore, practices are usually a little more spontaneous. We are hard workers, but we also like play. We can be found to take a lot of breaks to go shoot hockey pucks in the driveway or throw a baseball around.

DH: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

AT: We’ve come a long way since we first started playing together. It took a while to find a sound that was true to who we are and what we stand for. A lot of being in a band is trying to do new things, and sometimes trying to force yourself into a sound that isn’t natural. With “High,” and the rest of the songs we’ve written for our EP, we feel we’ve collectively found our voice.

DH: Where do you guys see the band 5 years from now?

DH: What are some of your musical influences AT: All along we’ve joked to ourselves that we want either as individuals or as a band? to be in the biggest band in the world, but I think as AT: I’m sure you hear ‘we listen to everything’ quite long as we get to communicate to our fans through often, but we honestly do. We all grew up listening our music and see them singing along in the crowd, to different records that our parents played, from we’ll be happy.

Tom Petty to Sly & The Family Stone, to The Beach

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Stay connected at Facebook.com/YoungRisingSons. Listen to their new summer single, “High” at YoungRisingSons.com

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 13

sound local Love Q&A spotlight

Without question, concerts are one of the most intense and inspiring moments for many artists. They thrive on putting on a good show, and sharing their music with their fans. A band will work for months at a time properly preparing their material to share, and usually, are very satisfied with the final result.

But what about the rest of the team? There are so many people that help put a show together, and along the way they all learn what makes a concert successful. For Winnipeg’s own Heather Lachnit, being a promoter has gotten her very far. She knows all too well what makes or breaks a show, and her company Purplehaze Entertainment Productions has given dozens of bands, local and touring, a chance to share their art with as many people as possible.

AS: So, how did you become a promoter?

HL: Honestly, it’s super random. I quit university, I was working at George’s as a waitress, and I was so sick of people. I went on Kijiji (Canadian Craigslist) and just started scrolling, looking for random things to do. I came across this guy who was looking for someone to find shows for his band, make their merch, all that kind of stuff. He was basically looking for a manager. I got in touch with him and I began doing that. From there, I started expanding and doing local shows with him. He ended up moving away, but I continued from there on my own. After a while, I really wanted to start working with touring bands, because I really enjoyed a lot of bands from out of town. I started shooting managers and band members messages, and I got to know a ton of people, so it just grew from there.

AS: What is the most challenging part of your job? What’s the best part?

HL: Having to rely on bands to sell enough tickets to break even, as well as pay the venue and the touring band. I understand that it’s hard at times, but it kind of puts me on the line for money, and when you’re doing a lot of shows, that adds up. The best part is when you see so many people standing in a venue and everyone is having a good time. Shows like local punk band Forever I’s CD release or any

show at Winnipeg’s Park Theatre, have turned out so well. I’m not the only one who puts in the time and effort into a show, but I feel like I orchestrated the process. I feel successful, you know?

AS: How has being involved in the music business changed your life?

HL: I would say that I know a lot more people, doing what I do. I’m constantly meeting new people and making new friends. They come from all over and sometimes they’re people you wouldn’t expect to be friends with. I keep getting more opportunities as well, which is always awesome.

AS: Any advice for touring bands? What about locals?

HL: I would try to remember that you need enough time to plan a show, so try to give a promoter enough time to properly organize everything. Also, to be professional, regardless of if it’s over Facebook, email, or even a phone call, make a point to present yourself properly. As for local bands, self-promote and sell tickets. It’s super helpful, it shows that you care. I don’t mean that if you don’t sell tickets, you don’t care; I mean that it helps a great deal. It benefits me as a promoter and their band, and in the end it’s a good thing all around.

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Like Purple Haze at Facebook.com/PurpleHazeEntertainment.

Contact Heather at purplehazeentertainmentpro@gmail.com. & Fury • Fury • July/Aug 2014 14 Sound, Phrase, &

Local Love q&a

the show must go on photos & WORDS BY ally sigurdson July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 15

q&A

ghosts of

pop punk past 16 Sound, Phrase, & Fury • July/Aug 2014

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q&a

Fueled by the pop punk movement of the early 2000s, The Gentlemen Thieves revive the distinct styles of scene forefathers, Gob, Blink 182 and Treble Charger.

Their debut album, Uncertainties, showcase the strongest elements of the genre’s earlier days while infusing modern punk elements, creating an admirable throwback to the foundations of pop punk.

Members, Ken Taylor (vocals/guitar) and David Huzyk (guitar) talk influences, band evolution and the Toronto music scene.

JA: Tell me a bit about The Gentlemen Thieves and how you guys got together?

KT: At the time, David and I both played in different bands. We had played together numerous times within a similar scene, so we had known each other for quite a while. In early 2010, our bands had dissolved and we started talking again.

We actually found that we both had similar introductions into music at a young age through late 90’s/early 00’s pop punk bands. With this nostalgic common ground, and our fresh experience from our previous bands, our songwriting took a natural form - combining elements of music that made us fall in love with the genre, with a newer grit that only comes from our current and past experiences. That sound is what makes The Gentlemen Thieves. Quickly after David and I got together, the band was fleshed out with our drummer, Thomas Lesnick, and bassist Dylan Ramstead (Guitarist of Kill Cassette).

JA: You guys started back in 2011. How do you think you’ve evolved in the last few years?

DH: We’ve definitely evolved, both in our music and as people. A lot has changed for us over the past three years, from graduating school, to new relationships and marriages, new jobs, moving cities, etc. We also added Dylan as a new band member last January, which has shaped our live performance in a great way. Moving forward, we’ll

be bringing all of those experiences into our songwriting, and we anxiously look forward to our next release.

JA: What’s it like being a pop punk band in Toronto? It’s a pretty diverse scene as far as its scope of genres, so is there anything particular about your local scene that helped inspire your sound?

KT: We’re lucky to have been a part of the Toronto scene for the past decade or so. Our old bands prior to The Gentlemen Thieves had been playing shows in Toronto, and through doing so we had seen many bands and made many friends.

Then a couple years ago, it felt like things were falling apart. The Big Bop, the last real big all ages venue, shut down. Many bands were breaking up, due to members graduating and starting their “post-school” life. But from that, I think rose a lot of great new bands. Those dedicated to their music and art, willing to troop it out, formed new bands. Now we have old friends in many new, diverse bands, who are doing quite well and have been quite successful. It’s very exciting to see old friends continuing on. It inspires us to keep going, and reassures us we’re not alone, and that we didn’t make the wrong decision. We just need to keep on doing what feels right to us, and enjoy every minute of it.

WORDS BY Janet Adamana July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 17

profile q&A

Tell me about your new album, Uncertainties.

KT: In late 2012, we set out to enter the studio. We approached Dave Baksh. We heard he had begun tracking and engineering bands in his home studio, The Gentleman’s Den. We thought he’d be a great fit for us, given his background in pop punk and his immense musical talent and knowledge. It ended up working out very well. We had a blast in the studio while learning a lot about ourselves as musicians, and learning how to hone our individual talents, voice and skills.

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Afterwards, we went to Tyler Gardiner for mixing.

We loved the work he had done previously, and found him very approachable and easy to communicate with. He brought a good outside view and opinion to the album, while still helping us find the sound we we’re looking for.Lastly, we had Steve Rizun of Drive Studios fame finish it off with a solid mastering job. He had previously helped us with our “Shooter” vinyl release last year, so it was great to work with him again on this album.

q&a

Conceptually, “Uncertainties” is about overcoming your struggles, and enjoying the journey. You never know where life is going to take you, so I think this album is our way of learning to deal with the stress and obstacles placed on us, and enjoy living in the moment.

different directions. We didn’t really continue on with pop punk to where it’s evolved to these days.

So for us, it’s about revisiting those earlier days, while collectively bringing in our outside modern influences.

JA: You’re currently on a cross-Canada tour..

JA: You guys have a very distinct, 90s pop punk Aside from that, what’s next for The Gentlevibe, which is very different from what’s com- men Thieves?

DH: We are going to be laying a little low for the ing out of the current pop punk resurgence summer, but we hope to do some festivals and that’s been happening all over the US and mini tours around Ontario for the fall and winter.

UK. What are your biggest stylistic influencThen in 2015 we are working on our first American es? tour, while lacing in stops in eastern and western DH: We all come from different musical backCanada again. grounds, but I think the one thing we all share in common are the pop punk bands from the 90’s Like The Gentlemen Thieves at Facebook.com/ and early 2000’s. We all grew up on bands like TheGentlemenThieves. Uncertainies is available at Gob, Flashlight Brown, Blink 182, Treble Charger, TheGentlemenThieves.Bandcamp.com etc. From there, we all branched out musically in

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We just need to keep on doing what feels right to us, & enjoy every minute of it.

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get lost in sound When we hit rock bottom, we often turn to the safe haven of our headphones.

We plug ourselves in, and lose our heads in these songs. It is within these sonic masterpieces we find a powerful comfort, hopeful truths from a stranger standing as a light at the end of the dreary tunnel. Injecting their experiences, their pains and often sharing the hard lessons learned, musicians create the ropes from which the wounded can grasp and pull themselves up from their deepest, darkest holes.

Sound, Phrase & Fury has always been a solid dedication to the power of these songs, and stands as an ode to the true impact of music, and the concept of becoming enthralled and inspired by the simplicity of these beautiful anthems.

We’ve enlisted these Winnipeg artists who encapsulate everything we love about music, to help with the local launch of Sound, Phrase & Fury.

Headphones in. The whole world out. This is what it feels like to Get Lost In Sound.

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words BY Janet Adamana July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 21

get lost in sound

Since the launch of her career in 2012, singersongwriter Sonia Eidse has been writing and performing with a purpose. Pulling stylistic inspiration from the likes of Feist and pairing it with impeccable storytelling, she continues to captivate the hearts of the Winnipeg pop scene.

Sonia talks genres, young aspiring musicians and her new EP.

words BY Steff Shields SS: Sonia, tell us about your upcoming EP. SE: As of right now, the new EP is untitled but will hopefully be released by the end of summer.

SS: How will this particular EP differ from your two previous releases, Acoustic 1 and 2?

SE: The major difference is that the last two EPs have been all acoustic and the new release will have me experimenting with electronica and adding other elements.

SS: Who are your major musical influences?

SE: I wouldn’t really call them influences but I really enjoy Joan as a PoliceWoman, Neil Young, and Broken Social Scene.

SS: How do you feel about the comparisons that have been made between your sound and that of, Feist?

SE: Do people say that? Wow. I enjoy her music.

I mean, I definitely noticed her voice. I guess I would consider her an influence.

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SS: What about the title of ‘Folk’? How do you feel about that label?

SE: It’s how people label it, but I don’t consider my music “folk”. I think of ‘folk’ as being political, where my music is more alternative. If I had to put it into a genre, I would be more Alt-Pop. SS: You have found a way to make music your day job as well as a passion. What is it like for an artist to teach singing classes?

SE: It is really hard to teach singing as opposed to piano or guitar. Kids really only want to sing the mainstream music that is out there. It poses a lot of problems when you can’t physically see how the voices are being used and what techniques make the songs what they are.

SS: Do you feel like this obsession over the mainstream is forecast for what is to come from young musicians?

SE: I guess you could say that. Not a lot of students actually want to learn how to sing but are more interested in the celebrity of it.

get lost in sound

sonia eidse SS: Is there anything in particular that you feel sets your music apart?

SE: I would like to believe so, maybe the way that I deliver songs.

SS: What is unique about your delivery?

SE: I don’t want to sound conceded but I don’t think that there is any other way to say it. I guess I am honest about it. My delivery is honest and comes from personal experience. My songs are

about something and I want people to feel that while they listen.

SS: What is the perfect setting for someone to listen to your music?

SE: Sitting outside somewhere, like, in a backyard on a sunny day. OR - in a car, but not when you are driving. Listen to it while you are a passenger looking out the window.

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Stay connected at Facebook.com/SoniaEidseMusic

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 23

get lost in sound Mixing the upbeat elements of 90s skate punk and ska with the giddy energy of funk and reggae, The Salvadorian Garbage Men present a lively summery sound that’s sure to get even the most timid individuals up and shaking their asses.

The Winnipeg-based four-piece formed back in 2011 and have since been entertaining their hometown opening up for bands like Zach & Dave and Saunlust.

Noting a range of influences from Rancid, Led Zeppelin, Sublime, and Queen, the boys released their outstanding self-titled debut EP in April 2014.

Michael Melnyk (guitar/vocals), John-Michael Bowes (bass) and brothers Sean (lead guitar) and Daniel Guezen (drums) recently stepped into the studio to record their new single, “Static.” The song is set to be released in summer 2014.

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Like The Salvadorian Garbage Men at Facebook.com/TheSalvadorianGarbageMen. Their debut EP is available at TheSalvadorianGarbageMen.Bandcamp.com

The Salvadorian Garbage Men & Fury • Fury • July/Aug 2014 24 Sound, Phrase, &

words BY Janet Adamana Photo BY ally sigurdson

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words BY Janet Adamana

get lost in sound

art vandelay

When the boys of Art Vandelay first take their places on stage, one may be quick to judge based on their age, but with their initial notes, and vocalist Nick Gammon wailing his pain-tingled lyrics into the mic, they quickly shatter the usual first impressions that arise upon seeing such a young band. What the boys may lack in years of life, they make up in sheer power, musical prowess and intensity.

Pulling influences from the beloved emo uprising of the early 2000s, the Winnipeg-based quintet,

create a nostalgic ode to the emo-grunge scene of yesteryear while melding more contemporary elements of alternative rock and hardcore. The band has been stirring up their local scene since their debut EP, Dull, hit the internet back in February 2014.

With their intense live shows, the agonizing honesty embedded within their work, and the evident dedication to doing what they do, they’ve snagged the admiration of every music lover with a broken heart and an affinity for real deep angst.

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Stay up to date with Art Vandelay at Facebook.com/ArtVandelayMB. Their debut EP, Dull, is available at ArtVandelayMB.bandcamp.com

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & Fury 25

get lost in sound

the Autopilots From playing in a barn full of cows, to winning accolades in the province’s premier music competitions, alt-rock’s The Autopilots have quickly climbed the ranks of the local music scene while snagging the attention and respect of music connoisseurs from all over. Evan Chandler (guitar/ vocals), Erik Radley (guitar/vocals), Kendra Eyolfson (bass) and Codey Emms (drums) take us through their humble beginnings, life as independent artists and their upcoming EP.

words BY Janet Adamana

26 Sound, Phrase, & Fury • July/Aug 2014

get lost in sound

JA: Give me a bit of the band’s history and how you all got involved in music in the first place?

CE: Evan and I started playing hockey together about three or four years ago. We probably played hockey for about a year before I realized he could play guitar. One day we were in the dressing room and some song came on, I mentioned I can play it on guitar. Evan said yeah me too. I was like, actually I mostly play the drums. He jokingly said “we should start a band, haha.” The next game I went up to him and asked, “do you actually want to start a band? I’ve been looking to get a band started.”

And here we are.

EC: Kendra, who’s our bass player is dating Codey.

She joined the band and we had another guitarist.

Things didn’t work out but now we have our guitar player Erik Radley.

JA: So you guys just finished recording your new EP. Where did you guys go?

CE: Garfield Studios. That’s where we recorded our demo. Erik’s recorded some solo stuff there.

It’s really good.

ER: Aw, thanks man.

CE: Yeah, soundcloud.com/erikradley (laughs), also soundcloud.com/theautopilotsmb. We’ve kind of grown with our producer, Bryce Kaminsky. He’s always been producing music but he just kind of started in an actual studio.

JA: What can you tell me about the new EP? EC: P.Diddy’s in it.

ER: It’s diverse.

KE: It’s a lot different from our demo.

CE: We’ve definitely found our sound a bit more.

We’re still finding our sound so to speak but it’s definitely more..

ER: Cohesive CE: It’s definitely more what we feel we should sound like. With our demo we had a lot of suggestions from our producer whereas with this EP...

KE: We went in ready.

EC: I think we’re always happy with our recordings. Every time we write a new song we love it and then you know, you get tired of it and you write new stuff. You’re always progressing so looking at the old stuff, you can see we’ve come this far.

JA: Paint we a picture of what it’s like being an independent artist in the city?

EC: Well you play a lot of shows with nobody watching, you got to get used to that.

ER: You make a lot of friends with bands that you might not have been interested in the first place.

There is a lot of camaraderie between bands and if you play a show with them once, usually they’ll want to play a show with you again. It keeps growing and growing and snowballing from there.

EC: That’s kind of the deal. You play with different bands, you get new fans. If you keep playing shows by yourself you get the same people all the time.

CE: You get to support each other. We have a friend in a band that we asked to sound for us at a show. We’re offered him $50, and he’s like “no, we’ve got to help each other out. I don’t want anything for it.” We were doing an interview for Manitoba Songfest, and the guy was saying that back in the day it was so cut-throat. People were doing whatever they could to make other bands screw up. You were always trying to be better than each other.

K: Now, you’re always making sure the floor is full for other bands. You’re giving them the energy they’re trying to get from the crowd. You try to fill the space for them, because we all know what it’s like to play to nothing. It sucks. (Laughs)

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Like The Autopilots at Facebook.com/TheAutopilotsBand.

Stay tuned for their upcoming

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industry q&A

talk of the town

WORDS BY Janet Adamana

When music lover and Morristown native, Jason Chisham, noticed there was an abundance of bands from small towns struggling to find local venues to perform in, he decided to create the ultimate performance opportunity with MSMFest.

Now in its fifth year, the annual Morristown music festival has grown from an 11-band roster to featuring over 100 acts, including Don’t Call It A Comeback, Tiny Moving Parts and Modern Baseball. We spoke with Jason about his initial inspiration, growing up in a small town, and what it takes to plan one of the biggest festivals in the Indiana.

JA: What is MSMFest?

JC: MSMFest is a three-day, all-ages, drug and alcohol-free family-friendly community event geared towards young adults. The festival is mainly focused on music, with five stages and over a hundred bands, but also includes camping, an art contest, movie screenings, and lots of other fun activities!

MSMFest was a single-day affair, with 11 bands. Seven of them were local to the area, and the other four were from Indianapolis. There was a little rain, but the show still brought in 125 guests. MSMFest has slowly expanded each year, moving to a two-day show in its second year, and eventually a three-day show with camping in its fourth. The attendance has steadily risen, and this year we are up to 104 JA: Take me all the way back to the very first bands over three days. We have added an art contest, movie screenings, yoga, a press hub and group festival. What inspired you to start it?

JC: The very first MSMFest took place in 2010. I games to the agenda! grew up in Morristown, but moved to Indianapolis once I was an adult and it was there that I got JA: What were some of the challenges you had into the music scene working with Piradical Pro- to deal with when starting MSMFest? What has ductions. I came across a lot of bands from smaller been the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far? towns who had to drive a long way to play. Their JC: Getting sponsors involved was probably the families couldn’t always make it out that far or they hardest part. People are, for obvious reasons, wary were wary of letting them go all the way into the of putting money toward supporting something city alone. It brought back my similar experience without definitive proof it will be successful. Also, of having few options for exciting things to do in my getting bands to commit was difficult. Everyone hometown. I remembered Morristown Communi- was sort of taking a gamble. Luckily, the town has ty Park and decided I was capable of creating some- always been extremely easy to work with and put thing that would be fun and exciting for the young effort towards making anything I needed easily acpeople and bands from that area. The first year of cessible. Learning to ask people for help has been

28 Sound, Phrase, & Fury • July/Aug 2014

industry

the hardest but most valuable lesson I’ve learned.

The first few years I tried to take on every aspect of the festival myself, but ended up completely drained and didn’t really get to enjoy myself much. The last couple years I’ve slowly been able to get a few more people involved, and it has really paid off and allowed me to take this festival further than I could have imagined!

JA: Where do you see MSMFest in the future?

Are there any plans of becoming a travelling fest like Warped?

JC: I have put some thought into it. I hope to have MSMFest spread only to other small towns in Indiana. We have been in talks with a few people already around the state to begin development on the expansion! I hope within the next five years, the foundation we’re laying now can just keep growing.

JA: Any tips for bands jumping into the festival circuit?

JC: When we’re looking for bands, we look for bands who promote themselves or their shows a lot, who have a good reputation with other bands or who seem genuinely excited. Also having music available online is a big plus.For bands who are booked already and playing their first festival: We recommend taking off work for the whole thing, that way there are no time constraints or schedule conflicts. The schedule is in constant fluctuation up until it is announced, and being as flexible as possible is a huge help. Also, NETWORKING! Talk to as many other bands as possible, build relationships. This is the best opportunity you will have to be in contact with this many other people in the industry in this short amount of time. Seek out other bands you like and they can help you set up shows in the future!

&

I came across a lot of bands from smaller towns who had to drive a long way to play.

Their families couldn’t always make it out that far or they were wary of letting them go all the way into the city alone.

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & & Fury Fury 29

mins Taylor 5with...

DH: Give me a bit of background about yourself and what instruments you play. Do you have a favourite song that you love to perform whether it’s one of your own or an artist that you admire?

TJ: I play all the basic band instruments like guitar, bass, drums, a bit of piano and I sing. I don’t really play other people’s songs because I’m a composer, and that’s all I do when I pick up and instrument.

I actually don’t really know any songs besides my own. My music defines me and makes me feel good.

I’m also lucky to be a multi-instrumentalist, thus being able to perform and record all my music on my own in the studio that I built, but the two songs I do like to play are “Old Man” by Neil Young and “Got Me Wrong” by Alice In Chains.

DH: Tell me about your music making process and where your inspiration comes from?

TJ: Most of the songs that are going to be on my album were written while I was sober and in love. It was a very lonely time for me. All of my buds were drinking all the time, and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I just stayed in my studio every night and wrote about how I was feeling. When I first built my studio, I wrote the song “Fallen Under” for a girl I really liked, I was excited and full of confidence, but it didn’t work out. Hey…That kind of shit happens, but it brought me down really low. I started to question myself with my sobriety. I thought, am I supposed to be alone like this? Am I working this hard just to feel like shit all the time? So I wrote the song “A Dragon.” She is the dragon. In general my music is written with pure emotion, and it’s the DH: When did you know you wanted to pursue truth because I wouldn’t have music any other way. a career in music?

TJ: Hockey used to be my life when I was a kid, DH: What are your plans in the next year? but when my father passed away, I quit hockey and TJ: I’m always writing music, but I’m so busy restarted playing the electric guitar. I had also just cording and working on this album that I haven’t started high school, so I naturally fell into a band really put any effort into new songs for the future. with some new friends. I played in a few bands Once I’m done with my album, I plan to put tosince then, mostly revolving around the same gether a band to perform live. I want to put on an group of friends with a few main guys and other album release show in the same style of the Nirvana acquaintances, but nothing really took off. I was or Alice In Chains MTV Unplugged show. I want to getting very frustrated towards the end of my last film it and put together a full proof press kit which band. It’s difficult. Especially when you’ve been do- would also include a music video, a photo shoot, ing the same thing over and over again and getting performance and album reviews, personal biogranowhere. I decided to go on my own. I quit drink- phy, artwork and merchandise. My dream is to traving and enrolled myself in Recording Arts Canada. el, perform and record music. Then one day have a With the education I received and money I saved family and pass down my experience and achievefrom being sober, I built my studio and started my ments. album.

&

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r James

5 mins with

WORDS BY debra heather Photo BY Melyelle

Rock soloist, Taylor James, tells us about his start in music and his upcoming album.

July/Aug 2014 • Sound, Phrase, & & Fury Fury 31

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[YOUR TOUR AD HERE] SAVE THE TREES. SAVE YOUR MONEY. ADVERTISE WITH US.

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