Phillip Hong
15 April, 2009

 

Continued from here.

 

PHIL: It's been said that you guys are bringing back rock "the way it's supposed to be". Do you believe that the rock genre has deviated from its roots?

 

DAN: I would say its changed. Before you just had to rock out now you need to be up with the new technology and new sounds.

 

AARON: I think music used to be about the music. People would go into a studio and cut an album and then it would get played on the radio. There were no overdubs, not even drums (at first they were to loud to record in the same room), no auto tuning, no huge team of writers and business men behind the songs, it was just musicians recording their craft and creating music. Now we hear so much of same stuff that if you start doing something different you get told you're not going to make it... I don't think we sound like we're groundbreaking anything new but I know that we write our own tunes, we play them like we mean it, and we try and do it the way people we listened to growing up did it. Our first album is us in the studio doing our thing, that's how Dan sings, he has amazing pitch and one of the strongest voices I've ever heard... Zack's a living metronome, Carl's solid as a rock, and if I can't play a solo and make it sound good I ain't playing it. Better said, if we can't play something, it doesn't get recorded. We don't need an album where most of the work is done by Pro-Tools fixing our mistakes. So bringing back the way rock's supposed to be I would say is about being authentic, playing our hearts out ever night, and trying to stay true to what we believe in and not get swayed.

 

ZACK: I like to think of "rock" as a verb, just wanting to see a band go ballistic on stage, no matter the music they are performing. Seeing that kind of energy always makes the music more entertaining.

 

CARL: Yes. Rock originated with the blues, now it is so far fetched from blues that I would say it has come into its own. I think Dan's lyrics are bringing it back as he stays true to himself and sings about stuff that's important to him, he gives it soul.

 

PHIL: What was the inspiration behind "Under Repair", the song featured with Toronto Experimental Artists?

 

DAN: This is a song about getting back in the saddle and pursuing music and dreams again, also its a bit of a F--k You to my old life.

 

CARL: This is really a question for Dan as he's the lyricist. This said I remeber the time when he wrote it. He was making a decision to go forward and not deal with other peoples BS. He made lots of changes in all aspects of his life and said he was going to do it without any help, and make it on his own. And he has.

 

PHIL: If you were asked to perform a cover of one of the artists you've worked alongside (Evanescence, Sum 41, Sloan, ZZ Top), who would it be?

 

DAN: I would play "Tendency to Change" by Sideshow (Vancouver's FOX SEEDS winners from a few years back).

 

AARON: I personally love ZZ Top, a little "Waiting for the bus" followed by "Jesus just left Chicago", I love those guys. But for the purpose of a shout out I'm going to say "Turn it up" by KROME.

 

CARL: Any tune by our friends The Perfect Trend.

 

PHIL: Do any of you "chase satellites"? I find it kind of hard considering the sky is full of stars and airliners... it's a hard task without a telescope.

 

DAN: Everyday.

 

AARON: I chase dreams everyday and I don't plan to stop. Satellites, well I guess I'll need to buy a telescope once I get a real job! Someone told me the other day that musicians don't make money because we "play" music and if we want get paid we should "work" music... I'll chase my dreams for free if it makes me happy!

 

ZACK: With a bionic eye its not too difficult.

 

CARL: I'm more into Foo Fighters.