By Will McGuirk
The Strumbellas at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Thursday Dec 1, Friday Dec 2, Saturday Dec 3. Tickets here.
Sarah Burton, photo by Jen Squires
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Georgia Harmer, Cots, Sarah Burton, Jess Kallen, Marthe Halvorsen, Down With Space, and Hot Chip
By Will McGuirk
Marcus Paquin, photo by Andy John
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Gord Downie and Bob Rock, Marcus Paquin, Living Hour, Eva Schubert, Ryan Hicks, Bodywash, and Zoe Sky Jordan
By Will McGuirk
“As we weave our way through this complicated thing called life, we can oscillate between an illuminated state of awareness in which the senses are fully engaged and a state of darkness where it is difficult to decipher even what is right in front of us.“ - Marcus Paquin
“Human to human and all the inner biological electricity involved, human to technology to human and the electricity involved there. Also about everything else in between that we cannot perceive that’s at work, like when you think about someone out of nowhere so deeply and intensely while driving, and get a text from them, or see them walking down the street.” - Sam Sarty, Living Hour
“It’s about all the funny and frustrating things I’ve been told to do and be in order to be successful. Be an undiscovered gem with the talent of a veteran, be a starving artist but release tons of music, know everyone, but be mysterious, create tons of online content while you feed your creativity, and perhaps most insidious, be self-made and stay young!” - Zoe Sky Jordan
Skye Wallace, photo by Mikki Simeunovich
Gigs This Week: Skye Wallace at the Biltmore Theatre, an interview
By Will McGuirk
Whitby rock ‘n roller Skye Wallace rolls into Oshawa’s Biltmore Theatre Friday Nov. 25 2022 on the eve of the close of her cross-Canada tour. Wallace is on the road promoting her latest long player, ‘Terribly Good’ available via Six Shooter Records. Its an apt title for the record, in the Old Blighty sense of the phrase. The album follows her self-titled which won the 2020 OMAs for Album of the Year. Wallace is, as they say a star on the rise; Grant Lawrence over on the CBC says "Everything this woman does is with raw passion and musical power.".
We have to agree, ‘Terribly Good’ kicks off with a kick full of that passion and power so we reached out over email and Skye responded, terribly kind of her.
Slowcity.ca: Straight off the bat such a strong song, Who or what were you fighting tooth and nail, and where does that determination to continue come from?
Skye Wallace: “The song is definitely a reminder of how far you've come and everything you had to fight for to be standing where you are today. That can mean the doubters, the people that wanted to take you down a peg along the way, and even your own mind - sometimes the biggest obstacles to overcome are within. What the song has become for me is a reminder to look at your current life through the eyes of your younger self - it's easy to get too close to it and lose sight of the long path you've walked, but there's a power in recognizing what you want and how you've fought to achieve it.”
SC: There is a sense of celebration, of joy to the album, is it a celebration of self, of survival or. . . ?
SW: “Kind of all of those things. There's definitely an introspection to this record that made me dig deep and look at all the little messy pieces of being alive. I think you have to celebrate your Self in order to keep going and growing, or to just keep surviving. And you definitely have to celebrate the little things, which can be fun and exciting, but can even be just getting out of bed in the morning when you're going through a tough time. I think it's a celebration of all of those pieces of life that shine brilliantly when you look at them altogether.”
SC: Tell me about the recording of the album, done during the restrictions, what was that like?
SK: “Technology has come a long way and allowed for so much work to be done remotely - it felt great to keep the momentum going on the record during that time. But another thing that I felt I was afforded during the album's fruition was time, space to be introspective, to try new things, to really dig deep and think about it all. So often when things are busy, I can't even think straight. I can't access my real emotions. Too busy to look inward. That kind of existence was stripped away and left a very raw and vulnerable space to move through the creation of this project and I'm pretty grateful to have had that time and space. I think, too, that being mindful of that oversaturation and burnout is something that we all need to focus on now that we're becoming active and busy again. It's something I'm trying to stay on top of as things ramp up.”
SC: How has it been back out on stage, some people built up habits during lockdown that might be hard to break, and some took a second look at their lives and said nah!
SW: “That is very fair! It's not an easy life and it's certainly not for everyone. For me, taking a step back and asking myself whether I wanted to continue and being met with an inner resounding "yes" made it all very clear. Touring is a wild west world out there right now, but this tour has really filled my cup with full rooms and full hearts. Connecting with people over all these new songs and rocking out in person has felt immensely special.”
SC: It could be just me, but there are parts of the album, 'Keeper,' in particular that have a very sweet Lowest of the Low vibe, is it there? What have you learned from being around those guys?
SW: “We have been very lucky to have shared the stage with lots of awesome acts like The Lowest of the Low, Matt Mays, Crown Lands, and Sam Roberts, and all have been so incredibly welcoming and supportive - I don't take that lightly, it's a privilege to be friends with all these folks and to get to continue to learn so much from them. The Low have always been a big influence for me and that tour formed a very bonded friendship between all of us that felt rare and intimate. My band and I still hang out with them all and work with them in many capacities. I think it's been an amazing growing opportunity to learn from the Low, who have had such a prolific and well-respected career - they've been so influential in the Canadian rock scene and I love how political they've been with their platform. I think you're right in your observation about their influence around Keeper and the dynamic of the album, because I think that's another thing that LOTL does so well is that dynamic in their music. They can rock out while accessing real conversations and topics, and they can also strip it down and sing the most beautiful tender song and have it completely make sense in their set. I think that's something I strive toward and really look up to them in their ability to create these spaces and emotional dynamics in their musical landscape.”
Standstills
Gigs This Week: The Standstills, with Three Days Grace, The Warning at the TCC
By Will McGuirk
Oshawa rock ‘n rollers The Standstills make a hometown stop at the Tribute Communities Centre on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The duo will be opening for Three Days Grace. The Warning is also on the bill.
The Standstills are Jonny Fox on guitar and Renee Couture on drums, and when not on the road, they reside in Oshawa. They are touring their latest album ‘Shockwave’ which features a collaboration with Jesse Hughes of desert rockers Eagles of Death Metal.
Being on the cold road of touring in Canada can be eventful. The couple were caught in a snowstorm on their way to the first date in BC. After the pandemic restrictions its must have seemed like the band would never stand on a stage again!
So we asked them.
Slowcity.ca: Obviously Covid shut things down and now you are on tour and then it was a blizzard!!, You must be thinking WTF!! but it takes something to keep going through such adversity, where does that motivation come from individually and as a couple?
Standstills: “The motivation comes from the music we create. We believe ‘Shockwave’ is our best album to date and we stop at nothing to bring it to life to fans across this country waiting to see us. Life will always have its challenges but it depends on how you look at it. To us overcoming the challenges is a great recipe for great songs. And we touch on a lot of that in our new album.”
Slowcity.ca: Tell me about the new album, was most of it pre-written during the pandemic, or over your time in L.A, how did the songs emerge and come together?
Standstills: “We wrote it during the pandemic. Because of the state of the world we felt like this might be our last album so we wanted to start from scratch to push ourselves from a different perspective. We also changed directions with the team we worked with. Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace produced it and Grammy winner Howard Benson mixed it. We also invited our friends in Eagles of Death Metal to join us on a song. It is our best album because of how much we pushed ourselves but also because of the people we worked with. It really reflects our love for big catchy chorus’s and the power of a great songs derived from personal experiences. It’s a rock and roll love story that’s playful and passionate. Something that we know very well as a couple living in the rock and roll world.”
Slowcity.ca: Your time with Neil must have been great as you are on tour with him and the band - What did he bring to the band during production, I hear a much more solid cohesive sound on the tracks, how is it for you guys?
Standstills: “Neil is a great friend. We worked together in the past prior to hooking up for this album. He just gets us. And that’s incredibly important when seeking someone that is excited about putting in the hard work to make great sounding songs. We spent a lot of time hanging out and listening to music we like and talking about great lyrics. We are grateful the Three Days Grace team brought us on board for the tour. It has been an incredible experience so far and our new songs seem to be really connecting with their fan base as well.”
Slowcity.ca: Some interesting musical 'interludes' - such as on ‘Maple Sugar’, when playing live will you be expanding on these or keeping things tight?
Standstills: “Sometimes certain songs just beg for a juxtaposition. I think with more experience under our belts in song writing we have a good sense of when to change things up in a song, and not just for the sake of change. Sometimes live we will play around with those sections to make them more special.”
We guess we will have to see them live to get that answer so.
Gigs This Week: Virginia to Vegas, Skye Wallace, Sloan at the Biltmore Theatre
By Will McGuirk
Virginia to Vegas at The Biltmore Theatre Thursday Nov. 24 2022. Tickets here.
Skye Wallace at the Biltmore Theatre Friday Nov. 25 2022. Tickets here.
Sloan at the Biltmore Theatre Saturday Nov. 26 2022. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Terra Spencer and Ben Caplan at the Dakota
Terra Spencer and Ben Caplan at the Dakota Tavern Friday Nov. 25 2022. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Skye Wallace at Lee's Palace
By Will McGuirk
Skye Wallace at Lee’s Palace Saturday Nov. 26 2022. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: Rheostatics at Horseshoe Tavern
By Will McGuirk
Rheostatics at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Thursday Nov. 24, Friday Nov. 25, Saturday Nov. 26. Tickets here.
Gigs This Week: The Smile, Manic Street Preachers, Suede at Massey Hall
By Will McGuirk
Manic Street Preachers, Suede at Massey Hall Thursday Nov. 24 2022. Tickets here.
The Smile at Massey Hall Saturday Nov. 26 2022. Tickets here.
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Andy Shauf, Jerry Leger, quinnie, Emi Jeen, Jean-Michel Blais, Logan Staats, Shane Ghostkeeper, and Doug Paisley
By Will McGuirk
"Christmas Without You is a song about missing a loved one during the holidays, which I think most of us can relate to. I know this time of year brings back many joyful but bittersweet memories. For me, I find these kinds of songs comforting." - Jerry Leger
“I wrote this about the holiday season, watching yourself and your family get older, being present, and savoring the rare moments when everyone gets to be in the same room once a year.” - quinne
"It took me 2 years to finish this song and I am thrilled to finally share it with the world. I’m a huge fan of the Holidays and I hope this song brings joy during the celebration!" - Emi Jeen
“The lyrics to this song are quite literal. There are no hidden metaphors, it’s cut and dry. They capture a moment that I carry with me to this day.” - Logan Staats
James Gray releases video for 'Think About Me'
By Will McGuirk
James Gray has been on a short tour with Josh Kvasnak of the Doozies. We chatted previously with Josh about his new album and of course only fair to reach out to James, who has just dropped a new video for the track ‘Think About Me.’ Gray also has a new album, "New Friends That Talk Like Old Friends"
In an email he says the song is about variety of ideas.
“The main idea being that many folks like to make their own lives difficult and blame it on others. It is an introspective song that says the things that a person's environment may suggest. Life is super busy for most of us and I think many of us do our best thinking while we drive. So I thought a driving video would work for an introspective song like ‘Think About Me’. We shot the video on back roads within 7 kms of my cabin. The video features my pal Isaac's truck and also shots of me in my cabin. My buddy Jesse McCracken who is a brilliant film maker helped bring this vision to life,” says Gray.
The Doozies and James Gray had auditioned for Mariposa 2019. There were hundreds of entries but each of them made it through and thats where they met.
“Both the Doozies and I got into Mariposa and we have remained good friends ever since. The Doozies bring me down multiple times a year to play with them in the Durham region. Since then I have made wonderful friendships with people in the area and performed very memorable shows around Durham,” he says.
Gray grew up in the Muskokas where he now lives and while the serenity of Cottage Country is welcome he loves to venture out to tour and meet new people and learn new lives. He has toured across Canada, Europe and Australia.
He says his songs are little capsules of his own life but also of those he has met on his travels.
“I try to create songs that speak to the human condition by writing about the difficult stuff or trying to look at life from a different angle. I think nothing can leave a person feeling more energized and healed than a good conversation with a person that cares. That is what "New Friends That Talk Like Old Friends" is all about. This idea is what I tried to capture. I like to cite songwriters like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt because I think they are masters at this style of songwriting that really speaks to the human condition,” he says.
Gigs This Week: Judgement at Biltmore Theatre Fri Nov 18
By Will McGuirk
Our pals in Oshawa hardcore band Judgement have a single release show at the Biltmore Theatre Friday Nov 18 2022. They are great people, very sound and you should check them out. I think you will like them. We asked lead vox Evangelos Aivaliotis for the low-down.
“The single is called ‘Crashing Down’ and its already out, It was released on Nov 4th. It was produced by Julius Butty (known for Alexisonfire, Protest The Hero, and City And Colour) and co produced by Alexisonfire Guitarist Wade MacNeil.
As for the other bands on the bill… We are going on a 3 day run ( Nov 18th Oshawa, Nov 25th Toronto, Nov 27th St Catherine’s) with 97.7 hits FM Rock search winners Conversation.
“Conversation are an emerging post hardcore band from Toronto, Ontario. Their sound contains the echoes of early Underoath and Deftones, while still carving out their own punk rock attitude with pop sensibility.” -Spotify bio
The other 2 bands are Oshawa Boys, Paralysis and At This Point!. (Openers)
Paralysis is a new Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band that's taking the old school sound of the 80's and bringing it back to life in todays modern age music. -Spotify Bio
At This Point! is a Canadian post-hardcore band that formed in Oshawa, Ontario.” “If you consider you’re self as someone stuck in 2005, or just enjoy throwback sounds from the time period where it prevailed the most, then At This Point! might be a perfect addition to your playlist.” -Spotify Bio