Matt Costa Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Living on the Edge

Former skater Matt Costa finds new thrills

“I don't believe everything I see/ and if you don't like the movie, then quit acting,” sings Matt Costa on “Mr. Pitiful,” the track that opens his latest full-length album, Unfamiliar Faces. A fitting sentiment for a multitalented individual whose own life has unfolded like something out of a Hollywood script. Considered a local hero around his old stomping grounds in Huntington Beach, California, Costa originally made a name for himself as a passionate and innovative pro skateboarder who loved good music and big tricks. His pro dream came to an abrupt end five years ago, though, when he shattered his leg.

“There’s nothing quite like that thrill you get when you’re leaning over a ledge just to see what it would be like if you fell — and then you fall,” says Costa of his former risk-assessment tactics. “Kind of like the time I was in San Antonio celebrating the Fourth of July with some friends. It was the perfect American scenario, with fireworks shot off as a train rolled by in the night. I was so drunk on tequila that I went right over the rail of my friend’s balcony. I landed face first in an agave cactus; it probably saved me from breaking my neck. If I was a cat with nine lives, I would have lost one just then.”

Music became Matt’s solace during the painful 18-month recovery that followed his accident as he channelled his energy into songwriting, singing and playing his guitar. His tentative demo, a homemade four-track recording, soon began circulating the So Cal music scene, eventually coming to the attention of No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumant, and subsequently surfer-cum-mellow-rock god Jack Johnson. Signed to Johnson’s Brushfire label on the strength of his beautiful folk-rock sound, Costa released his debut Songs We Sing in 2005 to critical acclaim and began touring widely with artists including Modest Mouse, Pinback, Gomez, Built to Spill and, most recently, Oasis.

“Not bad, hey?” says Matt Costa of his current tour mates. “I’m going to have to bring all of my muscle to the stage to stand up with these guys. But seriously, it’s an amazing feeling to be performing at this level. I don’t have much time every night, so I try to keep things concise. I’m constantly writing new material, but I also realize that, like anything, there’s comfort in repetition. It’s a form of mediation. For better or for worse, we humans are creatures of habit and we’re all doomed to repeat ourselves. I think that repetition often brings clarity. Like with skateboarding, I don’t think of it as practice — every time is the real thing. Every time counts.”

Making every moment count, Costa now finds his thrills performing in front of sold-out crowds, wowing audiences at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Coachella, Sasquatch, Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo. An amazingly adept observer of everyday minutia, he continues to find inspiration in common objects and ordinary interactions.

“I appreciate the harmony found in simple things,” says Costa, whose tune “Lullaby” was tapped by Johnson for the Curious George soundtrack. “My memories of listening to music as a kid are one of my greatest sources of joy. Sitting down at the piano, I still get so excited about the sound of music.”

by Christine Leonard

Originally published August 28, 2008 in FastForward Magazine.

Gojira Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Heavy Sounds, Heady Philosophy

~ French prog-metal outfit Gojira transcribes

 the Tibetan Book of the Dead ~

The well-worn Old Testament phrase “All flesh is grass” is a terrifyingly factual statement about the transitory nature of human existence. French prog-rock musician Joe Duplantier echoes the adage in the title of his band Gojira’s latest album, The Way of All Flesh, tapping into the universal themes of death and rebirth to develop his unique brand of highly technical yet deeply spiritual heavy metal. Together with his brother, percussionist Mario Duplantier, Joe (vocals and guitar) formed the band that would eventually become Gojira in 1996 in Bayonne, France. Assisted by the combined talents of bassist Jean-Michel Labadie and guitarist Christian Andeu, the Duplantier brothers conceived of the next logical stage in the evolution of heavy music.

“As time goes on, we definitely write music that is more personal to us,” Joe says. “I believe that the more honest you are in your intention, the more original the final product will [be]. The process of recording The Way of All Flesh was a bit of a departure for us, because it was solely composed by Mario and myself…. We shared the same strange mood. We held onto the energy from playing live and were still in that state of mind when we entered the studio. It’s true — once we started to express ourselves musically we didn’t need to talk.”

Intuitively integrating the aggressive rhythms of traditional heavy metal, the prosthetic magnitude of industrial metal and the fantastical reverie of the progressive rock genre, Gojira reaps the full benefit of the boundless horizons they’ve created. Traversing moods and time signatures with an uncanny facility, the energetic quartet alternates between grooving and thrashing until the two become indistinguishable. Duplantier’s vocals range from hellish growls to clean-cut hardcore shouts as he verbally navigates our mortal coil.

Though they’re accustomed to comparisons to tourmates such as Cannibal Corpse, Children of Bodom, Amon Amarth, Sanctity, Trivium, Behemoth, Machine Head and Lamb of God, Joe and company still manage to distinguish themselves from the rising tide of heavy hitters. Tapping into the wisdom of ancient religions, Buddhism in particular, Gojira draw the inspiration for their music and artwork from hallowed tomes like the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Weaving together the wisdom of the ancients with their own personal mythologies, these avant-garde headbangers effectively put the New Age into new metal.

“I’m very interested in all kinds of myths and religions,” Joe explains. “I have a very strong attraction to Tibetan culture, because they are naturally so spiritual. I don’t practise Buddhism, but I feel from my experiences that we hold certain truths in common. I think that death is the last societal taboo because we fear what might happen, probably because we don’t know. I don’t consider discussing the topic of death to be morbid, sad or scary — it’s just something we have to experience. I’m mainly concerned with the immortality of the soul. The Tibetan people talk about this all the time, it was a concept that was understood by the Mayans and the Egyptians, yet modern cultures seem to have lost this knowledge.”

Understanding our connection to nature is also important to Gojira. Exploring such heady topics might seem like career suicide in a genre defined by its intensity, but for Joe, it’s all part of the performance.

“Our music is a mix between increased consciousness and following your instincts,” he says. “It cannot be just one or the other. You cannot separate the human and the animal. Still, we all have some divine spark within us. I like to see what’s sacred; the deeper meaning that exists on several levels at once. When we perform for an audience, our goal is to really re-create that energy and communicate another dimension of experience.”

• In Flames performs with All That Remains, Gojira & 36 Crazyfists on November 14th.

by Christine Leonard

Originally published November 13, 2008 in FastForward Magazine.

Death Cab for Cutie Interviewed by Christine Leonard

Catch a Taxi to the Dark Side

Death Cab for Cutie are willing to try anything, now that they’re ‘insane’

Bellingham, Washington’s indie rock sensation Death Cab for Cutie may sound like the logical conclusion to a night on the town with a boozy starlet, but in reality they are named after the song performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band in The Beatles’ 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour. Expanding on their previous body of work, which consisted of five noteworthy studio releases including We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes (2000) and Transatlanticism (2005), the Grammy-nominated rock quartet delivered their most ambitious project to date, Narrow Stairs, this past May. Providing a decidedly darker take on DCFC’s bestselling pop-rock odes to teenage heartache, their newest CD stirred waves of dissent amongst fans who had fallen in love with the band’s soundtrack contributions to television shows including Six Feet Under, CSI: Miami, Californication and, most famously, The O.C.. While founding member and bassist Nick Harmer hardly fits the boy-band rebel-without-a-clue formula one might expect of a group that has cashed cheques from The Wedding Crashers soundtrack, he remains pretty much indifferent when it comes to who is enjoying his music.

“I knew we were pushing ourselves,” he says of the new album. “People were saying that we’d gone mad or something. It didn’t border on insane, but we did try to turn things on their head. I think that at the core it’s still recognizable as our sound. We were just stretching into different corners until we felt a massive breakthrough… and now that we’re ‘insane,’ anything is possible. We had to re-approach things in order to avoid running into an audio cul-de-sac. Too many bands go that way and wind up writing themselves into a rut — that will [only] make you successful in the short term.”

Though they’d clearly prefer artistic longevity to quickly gotten gains, DCFC remain somewhat in denial of their status as prom kings of the Billboard charts. Still, there’s no reason they couldn’t strike a balance between popularity and integrity — a balance that current tour-mate Neil Young has struck throughout his career. Like Young, Death Cab clearly have no qualms about taking musical turns that might isolate their audience. Also like Young, Harmer and his bandmates are not afraid to get political at any given opportunity and inspire their generation into action.

“I’m basically screaming from the rooftops for people to please vote for Obama,” Harmer says of the upcoming U.S. election. “Young people especially need to stand up and be counted. I think there’s a huge constituency who don’t show up to vote because they feel disenfranchised, and, like their concerns, are neither heard nor respected. These days, technology and the Internet have equalized a lot of barriers based on age. A 12-year-old blogger can have as much influence as a 40-year-old novelist. People are realizing that they have more individual power and importance than ever before. So often in America it seems like things are geared to looking at the older generation and meeting their needs first. We’re doing what we can to encourage people to make their voices heard.”

Keeping their feet wet on the activist front, the band will soon make its first appearance at Young’s Bridge School Benefit, an annual charity event hosted by the rocker and his wife featuring consistently stellar lineups. It’s all part and parcel of their new regimen of greeting every opportunity with open arms and open eyes.

“We’ve got a new focus when we’re playing, and we want people to know early on to expect the unexpected,” Harmer says.

by Christine Leonard

Originally published October 16, 2008 in FastForward Magazine.

REVEREND RON REMEMBERED

Reverend Ron Tribute

In memory of CJSW DJ and Bluesman Reverend Ron a loving tribute in the words of his friends

Calgary lost a great friend on November 12, 2009 with the passing of one of its most unique and dynamic philanthropists Ron Predika, aka the Reverend Ron, host of CJSW’s Blues Witness. Ron’s family and friends remember the venerable “mojo navigator” as a colourful character who loved music almost as much as he loved the people around him. His passion for the blues never wavered, from the early days of Calgary’s King Eddy scene, when Ron interviewed every blues musician that came through town, to his recent years spinning the best of the his preferred genre every Wednesday night at CJSW radio.

Needless to say, Rev. Ron’s loved ones and listeners were immeasurably stunned and saddened by this loss. A CBMA Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Ron was a veritable walking encyclopaedia of knowledge, yet he didn’t much dwell on quoting dates and credentials. His informal yet apt obituary described him thusly: a sculptor, comedian, master-craftsman, musician, intellectual, music lover and radio-host, arm-chair historian, bee-keeper, guerrilla gardener, instrument builder, teacher, street-artist, activist, gentle provider to animals, companion, father, but mostly a friend.

Kaitlyn Hatch – Former host Queertopia
“My favourite thing about Ron was his brilliant way with words. The animated way he would exuberantly wave his arms combined with such a blunt and creative description cracked me up. The last time we saw each other was under the beautiful summer sun whilst enjoying music at the Calgary Folk Fest. He had a vigorous hug for me, along with a pat on the back. Truly, he is a fantastic example of how life should be lived and loved fully.”

Taryn Montgomery – Host of Good Character Requirement
“He just couldn't understand how anyone could possibly turn down a good time (particularly one involving "free" booze). I realized that (it) was not the place for me if the people there could not appreciate the awesomeness that was Rev. Ron.”

Peter Maitland – Host of Bikeshevics
“On one of my early dates with my now wife, Marissa, I brought her in to see me in action on the radio. That evening she was wearing a dress and at one point Rev. Ron comes in, looks at her and before even introducing himself says, ‘Boy, those are some hot legs!’”

Christine Leonard – Host of The Nocturntable
“I remember a particularly detailed story he once told me about how mice had eaten out the innards of his favourite handheld Shop-Vac; a trifling matter, except to Ron, the carpenter, who had undoubtedly used it to suck up mountains of sawdust over the decades. To me hearing songs like ‘Ten Toes Up’ on Blues Witness was evidence of Ron’s love of life, marijuana and women, and as for the latter – his hugs certainly made me feel like a real one.”

Greg Chernoff – Host of Airport Bison Radio
“One night, while working a construction job, I was taking a break in the van and I turned on the radio. I had recently discovered CJSW and was feeling my way through the schedule, but had never hit a Wednesday evening before. I tuned to 90.9 in the middle of a Lightnin' Hopkins song, and the honesty and sadness of the tune fit perfectly with my mood. Ron showed me what radio could be, and gave me the courage to speak openly, loudly, and frequently for things that I believe in.”

Laura Glick
“So many good stories but the one I love best is when my show was after his, he would sign off by saying, ‘And now Laura will ruin your night with punk rock.’”

Milan Sveda
“My favourite anecdote as told by Ron about four years ago: ‘Talk about equality of sexes – oh yeah – I tell you. If a guy is getting undressed with window blinds open and a woman walks by, the guy can get himself arrested for being an exhibitionist. And if a woman is getting undressed with window blinds open and a guy walks by, he can be arrested for being a Peeping Tom.’”

Bob Ferris aka Bobby Tubular
“We got to talkin' about Steve Earle and I told Ron what a good song writer I thought he was. He looked at me in disgust and sternly stated... ‘I don't give two shits about the songs he writes... I just like him 'cause he likes to RAWK.’ You will be missed Double R...”

Leah McCartney – Host of Tombstone After Dark
“As a nineteen year old, I was incredibly intimidated by the loud, vivacious, incredibly opinionated guy who sat in on my show after his own, fuelled by his stop at the campus pub (the Den) in between programs. Over the years, the Rev would frequently call me up on air and say, ‘It's all about the groove, Leah! It's all about the groove!’"

Adam Kamis – Host of Failed Pilot
“After a few goes at having an on-air sparring partner and coming off clunky in my efforts, The Reverend left another great CD-R for me in my mailbox and with it a note illuminating me on the finer points of conducting a decent interview. Always mindful of other people's feelings, he concluded his most stirring note by saying ‘...but then again this is coming from an old drunk.’”

Kerry Clarke – Host of Alternative to What
“Two quotes from Rev. Ron: ‘You people know how I hate Kensington.’ And: ‘This show’s the only thing keeping me sane.’ I know there are hundreds of others...”

Chef Wayne – Host of South Louisiana Gumbo
“I remember his was the only show I'd heard that played jug bands, 1920s Delta Blues and the rough rural blues in any quantity. And his way of introducing the next selection with phrases such as ‘building the Tower of Babel one brick at a time,’ ‘they're over in the Amen corner,’ ‘we're gonna get right church and go on home.’ And the way he often referred to himself in the third person as ‘the kid’ and talked about ‘the miry clay.’”

Daryl Leman – Host of Speaking in Tongues/Folkcetera
“I can’t count the number of times we caught up with one another at a local festival or club, usually with him wearing his trademark denim jacket and his long white hair trailing beneath a Greek fisherman’s cap or some other fetching chapeau, and his side stage dance moves were semi-legendary. Ron would often call up during my own CJSW show to ask me about something I had just played or to make some other comment, evidently just to let you know he was out there listening AND that he was paying full attention. As soon as his booming voice announced itself, I couldn’t help but brighten up. His everyday presence and his annual inspirational sermons at the meetings that immediately preceded CJSW Funding Drives will be sorely missed.”

Bob Keelaghan – Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
“’Don’t ask me how I’m doing; ask me what I’m doing. That way, you’ll get the truth.’ – Rev. Ron”

Compiled by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Originally published in Beat Route Magazine.

CRADLE OF FILTH - An interview with Paul Allender by Christine Leonard-Cripps

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world

England’s biggest metal band likes it filthy

 Cradle of Filth  on tour with Satyricon & Septic Flesh

There’s a certain morbid allure to Cradle of Filth that no self-respecting 17-year-old metal fan can resist. The dual pleasures of simultaneously pissing off one’s parental units whilst basking in the funerary glory of the band’s gothic symphonies is a two-headed demon of mythic proportions, to be sure. Embracing the innocence of youth along with the trappings of liturgical symbolism older than history itself, Cradle of Filth evolved out of the primordial sludge that festered around their hometown of Suffolk, England in the early ’90s. Audiences were lured in by the band’s acute sense of timing, sophisticated melodies and forthright heavy metal sound, all overwritten by singer Dani Filth’s signature howls. Sharing a so-called singing Suffolk accent — marked by a wide pitch range and a high-rising intonation at the end of sentences — lead guitarist and veteran member Paul Allender speaks in a notably broad Midland rhythm that is perfect for a metal-head, right down to the Spinal Tap drawl. Although, what he says isn’t always all that metal.

“I have the notorious reputation for being able to sleep through anything,” says Allender. “That tends to be how I cope with things when we’re on the road. Everybody is off snowboarding, and I’m stuck on the bus because our insurance won’t cover me getting busted up on the ski slopes. They’re like ‘Those hands? No way!’ So, that means that I don’t get to see as much of the places we perform in as I might like, but to me it’s more important that I’m completely energized when I hit the stage every night. I mean, that’s what it’s really about, isn’t it?”

That drive has led Cradle to produce black metal albums of the highest calibre, despite being haunted by label conflicts (the band has had issues with both Sony and Cacophonous Records), financial ruin, legal woes and a seemingly never-ending war of attrition amongst bandmates. Cementing their status as gods of the heavy metal underworld with legendary releases such as The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Cruelty and the Beast, Thornography and last year’s Godspeed on Devil’s Thunder, Filth and Allender have ironed out past differences into a battle-hardened friendship.

“The way we see it, it doesn’t matter what the label thinks,” says a defiant Allender. “We’ve always done what we wanted, contracts or no. We’d politely tell our label ‘It’s got fuck all to do with you,’ even when we were on Sony. We run the show ourselves. It’s always been about freedom, and I think that comes across in our music. Working without constraints allows for more flowing. We do it all by feel and without an agenda.”

Other developments have seen the elite metal group incorporate female vocals into their mix — most notably those of their new “satanic advisor,” Sarah Jezebel Deva, who replaced Andrea Meyer after her short run with the band. Content whether performing as a six or seven-piece, Cradle always digs deep to bring their living nightmare to the stage. Gathering their collective sense of creative inspiration from Gothic literature, classical mythology and horror films, the grim collective enjoys adding a dash of the dramatic to their performances — something their audiences have come to appreciate, admire and, in some cases, demand.

“We just did three shows in a row in Mexico where we played to a packed stadium of three-and-a-half thousand people every night,” Allender recalls. “They were singing our songs from the time they were standing in line, and even cheered our road crew through the whole set-up process. The amount of support they showed us was totally unbelievable. They were so appreciative and so into it that they refused to leave after our encore and still stayed around as the stage was dismantled. I think that when it comes to seeing live music, a lot of us are really spoiled for choice, but those kids are just so hungry for it. We’d go anywhere in the world to perform for people who love metal that much.”

by Christine Leonard

Originally published in Fast Forward Magazine January 29, 2009

GOGOL BORDELLO - Interview with Eugene Hutz by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Full-Tilt Punk Rock Polka Party

Gypsy punks Gogol Bordello get their kicks at Brazilian Carnival

Thriving on the infinite variety of cultures found in their home state of New York, the ragtag group of gypsies who make up the multi-ethnic punk rock sensation Gogol Bordello bring a black market of musical influences to stage with every explosive performance. The band, famous for their dynamic musical arrangements and bizarre theatrical performances, formed in 1999 under the direction of lead singer Eugene Hutz, who had lived the life of a refugee in Poland, Hungary, Austria and Italy after being evacuated from the Ukraine in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster. Settling in the U.S. in 1993, Hutz joined forces with a group of like-minded musicians largely of eastern European descent. Their collaboration would result in a folk-punk experiment that’s taken the world by storm.

“Big crowds, small crowds it makes no difference to us,” says Hutz, who recently performed a Tom Waits tribute with Primus bass player Les Claypool and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett at the Bonnaroo music festival. “We purposefully make a point of playing smaller gigs just so we can bring back that atom-smasher mentality to the big stage. We believe in transforming negatives to positives by getting people to voluntarily take part in the creative process and switch their masks. Some critics keep comparing us to a circus act, just because we wear costumes and have an accordion, which is complete bullshit! We have nothing to do with fucking circuses; everything we do is in a minor key. If anything, what we do is more like a Brazilian carnival.”

In fact, Hutz has been pursuing a newfound love of all things Brazilian. He recently travelled to that country, where he spent some quality time with his friend, composer-musician Manu Chao. While abroad, Hutz discovered a variety of indigenous Brazilian instruments, which he eagerly purchased for his ever-growing orchestra back in New York. Next to hanging out with Sepultra’s Max Cavelera, Hutz reports that the highlight of his South American spree came when Manu Chao introduced him to his favourite band, Mundo Livre.

“I’m already planning my next trip to Brazil,” Hutz reports. “I’m ready for another full-on collaborative vacation. Winter is usually the time when I like to go into the studio to record, and I’ve already written the next album based on the material I worked on in Brazil. That is not to say this will be a bossa nova or samba album. I believe in influences, not flavours. There will be no flavours. It’s more about studying the connections and the textures of being in a place. It is like a documentary taken firsthand and turned into music. My journeys become part of my experience. The universe is expanding and so is me, baby!”

Pushing the envelope and venturing into new artistic realms comes naturally to the intrepid vocalist, who has been tapped by none other than Madonna to star in her directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom. The singer’s charisma makes him a natural choice for movies (there’s already been a film character loosely based on him — the Russian rocker Eugene in 2006’s Wristcutters: A Love Story). Combined with his band’s cathartic sense of humour and an energetic cast of players who deliver a dizzying barrage of musical styles and sensibilities, Gogol Bordello is a folk-punk juggernaut of epic proportions.

Christine Leonard
Originally published October 9, 2008 in Fast Forward Magazine

GRIM SKUNK - an interview with Peter Edwards by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Catcha fire under the bridge

Grim Skunk puts the ‘party’ in politics

There is a surprisingly serious edge to GrimSkunk, one that belies their reputation as Quebec’s premier high-flying, bong-water-steeped rock ’n’ roll act. For a party-oriented band, GrimSkunk is no stranger to controversy. Their original bassist, Marc-Boris Saint Maurice, founder of the Marijuana Party of Canada, left the band in 2000 to open Montreal’s Compassion Clinic and to continue his crusade to legalize marijuana from the inside by joining the Liberal party. More recently, the band’s breakaway single “America Sucks” and its accompanying video have fired up intense international debate on YouTube. Looking back over a career that spans 15 years and eight LPs, GrimSkunk’s lead guitarist Peter Edwards continues to thrive on the changes and challenges that signal this legendary ensemble’s readiness to face the future head-on.     

“We’ve shot three videos for our new album, Fires Under the Road,” says Edwards. “It was filmed last year in advance of the album’s release on October 31. The title track is a nod to a long-standing annual tradition where our friends gather in secret caves under a road to light Samhain bonfires. The other videos are for our songs ‘America Sucks,’ and ‘Vive le Quebec Libre,’ which is kind of the French version of ‘America Sucks.’ That song in particular has stirred up a massive controversy. It built up slowly and now we have Russians posting arguments with Americans about the superiority of the AK-47 over the M-16. We have always been very open to debating global issues. We have our stand. Some people in the States may take it at face value, but it’s a wake-up call to all of North America. We have to shock people into realizing the government is materialistic, consumer-oriented and wasteful.”     

Sometimes the status quo isn’t good enough and standards need to be raised across the board. Never ones to Bogart a good thing, GrimSkunk have shared their success by applying the “puff, puff, pass” philosophy to their working lives as well as their recreational activities. Stepping in where the well-liked Cargo Records label left off, Edwards, along with vocalist and rhythm guitarist Franz Schuller, vocalist and keyboardist Joe Evil, drummer Alain VDbC and Boris’s replacement bassist Vince Peake, conceived Indica Records. Shortly thereafter, they released the infamous Inhale compilations to showcase the impressive variety of bands they had attracted to their label.    

 “We’ve entered a co-partnership with a group of labels and have seriously gotten into the business of releasing music,” Edwards reports. “We’ve put out everything from alt rock to punk to pop to techno and hip hop. One of our greatest successes has been a world groove album. There’s a new generation emerging, one that is more open-minded and less likely to be prejudiced against foreign cultures. Indica records carries licences for artists from England, the U.S., France and Australia, though to date all of our Canadian artists are from Quebec. Basically, we don’t want to limit ourselves in any way.”  

 Stepping down from their soapbox and leaping from their amps in full glorious Van Halen-style, GrimSkunk really know how to let their hair down when it comes to performing live. Thrilling audiences with their classic-rock guitar assaults, theatrical organ runs and heavy metal percussion, GrimSkunk possess the uncanny ability to combine multiple genres and tongues into one mighty explosion of synergistic energy.     

“After our last show in Norway, some kids came up to us and expressed their admiration for us, because we don’t care about being hip,” Edwards laughs. “We’re all about good times. It’s still 90 per cent party. Politics does not rule the majority of what we do. Our ability to accept multiple musical styles lets us create a multi-musicscape that reflects Canadian culture. People get it when they see us live. We try to keep the universe in balance by starting fires.”

Originally published in FFWD Magazine by Christine Leonard

AUTOBODY : An interview with Graeme McInnis by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Heavy Metal Shop

Calgary's Autobody likes it fast and furious

Emerging Calgary hardcore-meets-heavy-metal artists Autobody have weathered highs and lows on the road to rock ’n’ roll glory, and they have the experience and the scars to prove it. Claiming a musical heritage that stretches back to a prog-rock ensemble known as theR.A.C.E., this unholy trio of tried and true friends have succeeded in blazing their own trail.    

 “In the beginning, we ran our own label and put out our own records,“ says guitarist Graeme McInnis. “We spent five to seven years working on the last record for our previous band theR.A.C.E. It was a very progressive concept album. We had a great vision that required a complex recording process to accompany the tremendous industrial nature of the performance. Ultimately, it was cheaper to buy a studio than to pay to record in one, and that’s how our label, Trace Records, got started. We recorded some projects for other bands to offset the expense, but it all comes down to percentages and our style is just not “mainstream.” It became apparent that we were leaning more towards art than commerce. I wouldn’t advise young musicians just starting out to try and start their own label; we’ve learned how difficult it can be when you’re trying to do everything yourself.”     

Eventually, the strain was too much, and, as McInnis puts it, things soon “self-imploded.” Still, the members of Autobody endured and eventually emerged from the ashes of their former incarnation. McInnis further cemented his collaboration with vocalist-bassist Jerrod Maxwell-Lyster and the two joined forces with drummer Rob Shawcross to form a powerful three-piece. The group has left behind the disappointment and dissolution to focus on the future.  

With the advent of their explosive full-length debut, The Mean Length of Daylight, released on the band’s own label, Autobody have dedicated themselves to creating shredding guitar riffs and pummelling percussion arrangements so tight there’s no room left for personality conflicts.     

“I don’t think we’ve taken a step back by going down to a three-piece,” McInnis explains. “I think we’re much more accessible. It’s a much simpler project in terms of merging egos, finances and commitments. We just try to keep it simple; we’ve learned over the years that too many members means too many issues. I think that our wide dynamic range sets us apart. As a trio we are strong enough musicians and songwriters that we can perform original compositions in any style within the genres of rock and metal. We’re a steamroller full of determination!”    

Making the most of their new, sleeker lineup, the lads in Autobody have been generating plenty of buzz on the local scene and beyond. They’ve been performing at metal festivals, appearing on globally broadcast radio program “Megawatt Mayhem” and, most recently, embarking on a whirlwind tour of their old stomping grounds in Southern California.     

“The reason we chose to return to the L.A. scene is that there is such a huge number of venues concentrated in an area the size of southern Alberta.” McInnis reasons. “We do all of our own booking and it’s way easier to hit a large segment of the population down there. It was definitely a learning experience, and we did our best to take advantage of it by playing with bands down there that were of interest to us. We had a great time. It’s a lot of hard work, though, and that’s part of the whole problem; as the band is getting to be more popular, all of the little tasks that we were doing ourselves are becoming full-time jobs. That’s when you know you need a professional team — when all of the ‘detail work’ gets to be too much to handle.”

~Christine Leonard

Originally published September 6, 2007 in Fast Forward Magazine 

SQUARE ROOT OF MARGARET -- an interview with Jason 33 1/3

Endless rotation

Square Root of Margaret screams in library-voices

Completely incognito — Four-fifths of Ontario’s Square Root of Margaret find the perfect way to avoid unwelcome attention

The party house. Every old neighbourhood has one. Skateboard ramp ascending the front porch, flags instead of curtains, anatomically correct garden gnomes strutting their stuff in an overgrown yard. For the southern Ontario town of Chatham, a.k.a. The Maple City, that particular residence was known as The Briscotech. Its requisite resident house band — Square Root of Margaret.    

  “There was lots of LSD going on at the time,” explains keyboardist Jason 33 1/3. “The guys chose the band’s name by going into a room in The Briscotech that was known as the library. They began randomly opening books and pointing to words. The idea was to find a combination of words with no linear meaning. You could call it a surrealist statement. Other names that came up were Big Daddy Carnie and the Thumbsaws, and Bloated Policewoman.” 

Thankfully that one didn’t stick. Collaborating and creating infectiously good music in a non-linear fashion, Jason and guitarist Po Kadot, along with the house’s namesake rhythm guitarist Joshua Brisco, bassist Easy Reissner and drummer Todd Clark, have amassed an impressive body of work since the band’s inception. From their mind-bending early Outer Space(s) and Casual Man-Slayer EPs to their more recent LPs, Levitation Days and Cloud Nine Revisited, Margaret have displayed an uncanny knack for combining harmony and whimsy. Self-proclaimed “soldiers of misfortune,” the group has weathered an unfortunate era marked by venue closures, studio fires and a record label that crumbled, taking one of their best releases, the brilliant yet ill-fated Endless Rotation, with it.     

“The history of this band goes back to the beginning of time,” explains Jason, a two-year veteran of the long running troupe. “Po Kadot started the band as an instrumental trio back in high school. I know the term ‘musical genius’ gets bandied about a lot, but he honestly is one. He can literally pick up any instrument and moments later he’s working on a melody. We recorded one of our early songs, “Crisis in Space,” within 10 to 15 minutes of Po picking up an autoharp for the first time. Funnily enough, our guitarist, Joshua, lived in The Briscotech, too, and taught himself to play his instrument by listening to (the band) jamming out in his basement. One day he just came downstairs and asked to join.”    

Rotating on an axis of unbridled musical talent and unexpectedly auspicious coincidences, Square Root of Margaret continue to pursue the ideal of creating genuinely unique and enjoyable music that is at the same time deeply personal and widely accessible.   

“We exist in our own world, one we have created out of cultural necessity. The Briscotech is gone, but our new residence, The House of Bleen, continues to be a communal existence, ” Jason elaborates. 

“For a while there, Square Root of Margaret had stopped playing live and focused on making music. It wasn’t long before Po had accumulated over 100 songs. We selected 13 to make up the new album Teragram Photeur. Having our own recording and rehearsal space in-house has influenced the sound and feel of our albums. An interesting pattern developed where Po would wake up, go downstairs and record music inspired by his dreams. We consider ourselves thoughtful individuals and we believe that, within reason, we can do anything. As long as we have warmth, food and shelter and it doesn’t hurt anyone, we intend to customize our existence to suit our needs and perceptions. We like to mix and match concepts in our songs; they’re whimsical, abstract and only limited by our imaginations.”

Published September 6, 2007  by Christine Leonard

FEAR FACTORY - Interview with Burton Bell by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Don’t fear the reaper

Fear Factory remanufactures death metal

Churning out alt-metal thrash for over a decade-and-a-half, Fear Factory has earned legendary status among the myriad of industrial bands that emerged in the early ’90s. Founding member and vocalist Burton C. Bell was fresh from his days with Hate Face when he crossed paths with percussionist Raymond Herrera in Los Angeles. The two formed the band’s earliest incarnation under the name Ulceration. They quickly joined the lineup of a compilation entitled L.A. Death Metal and soon thereafter found themselves signed to Roadrunner Records.

Inspired to broaden their horizons the newly formed (and appropriately renamed) Fear Factory began experimenting with remixing techniques and adding new instruments, producers and players to their roster on a regular basis. By 1998 they had released an impressive array of albums including Soul of a New Machine, Fear is the Mind Killer, Demanufacture, Remanufacture (Cloning Technology), and Obsolete, and had established themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

Pioneering a new industrial genre and taking the hardcore scene by storm, Fear Factory continued to push the envelope with a unique esthetic that layers techno-oriented augmentation on top of classic hardcore metal. Dabbling with elaborate remixes of everything from Gary Newman’s "Cars," U2’s "I Will Follow" and Nirvana’s "School," Fear Factory have proven that they are comfortable enough in their own skins to step outside the box and create musical arrangements that appeal to their senses on all levels.

"When people ask what our influences are, I just tell them to look at the songs we’ve covered over the years," explains Bell of the band’s eclectic musical tastes. "It doesn’t matter what genre a piece comes from, we just have fun with it while trying to keep it recognizable. Our music is directed towards people who like everything from hardcore to industrial to new wave to pop."

This past fall Roadrunner Records released a Best of Fear Factory CD that has rekindled interest in the band’s oeuvre and recruited new adherents across the metal scene. By tying together such diverse elements into one intellectually stimulating and physically exhilarating package, Burton and Herrera have seemingly struck upon an inexhaustible well of musical inspiration that has proven to be a veritable fountain of youth. Backed by guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers and Strapping Young Lad bassist Byron Stroud, the group is eager to reconnect with its fanbase and re-establish their presence on the world stage.

"It’s almost overwhelming playing in front of an audience again. We’re revisiting material we haven’t dragged out in 10 years, but people seem to be pretty happy with the results. We usually focus on picking our heavier material, including a couple of tunes we haven’t performed live since 1994. It’s a real trip back to the rack, so to speak," says Bell.

"With our more recent albums like Digimortal, Archetype, and our latest release Transgression, I think one can perceive how our sound has subtly evolved on its own over time – there was certainly nothing deliberate about it."

Accustomed to touring with massive, million dollar productions such as Ozzfest and the inaugural Gigantour, Bell confirms that he is very much looking forward to engaging audiences on a more intimate basis. Hitting the highways with the Machines of War tour along with fellow headbangers Decapitated, Hypocrisy and Suffocation, Fear Factory is more than ready to assume its rightful place as the headlining act in the company of highly capable and compatible peers.

"I think that there are up-and-coming bands out there who represent our genre, but industrial music is not really getting much notice these days," says Bell of the current state of things. "Bands like Ministry and KMFDM are still around, but they’re on the backburner. Young bands that have evolved from the Swans, Einsturzende, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails are so hard to search out, they’re pretty much invisible and nobody has really made a dent in the scene.

"Basically, I’d have to say that industrial music hasn’t moved forward yet. I think someone needs to step up and take it all the way back to what it was originally about – rhythm and discordant cacophony."


by Christine Leonard

Originally published in FFWD Magazine December, 2006

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - An interview with Troy Van Leeuwan by Christine Leonard-Cripps

No one knows they’re insane...

 Queens of the Stone Age rock the cradle with fatalistic fables

You know you have made the big time when warming up before the big show is the only way to get daily musical practice in, but for guitarist extraordinaire Troy Van Leeuwan, it’s his preferred mode of operation.

With bands such as A Perfect Circle, Enemy and Failure to his credit, Van Leeuwan takes the pressure and adulation that comes with being in Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) in stride. In fact, it was while on tour with Failure that Van Leeuwan initially made the acquaintance of QOTSA’s front man, space cowboy Josh Homme. At the time, Homme was playing for the Screaming Trees and the two made an instant connection, due in no small part to Van Leeuwan’s admiration for Kyuss, the groundbreaking stoner-rock giant formed by Homme and his longtime collaborator Nick Oliveri. Van Leeuwan’s past experiences put him in the enviable position of knowing what he was getting into when he signed a deal to team up with Homme for his next foray into rock ’n’ roll history.

"I’m just doing the music thing until I can launch my own accounting firm. That’s where the real money is," Van Leeuwan says, with dubious sincerity. "But seriously, being in A Perfect Circle and Failure was like polar opposites. Failure didn’t get its due. We were broke the whole time. And the whole process was driven by the sheer love of music. A Perfect Circle was something that Billy (Howerdel) had been working on for years. I was one of the last to join and was only there to record two songs at the end…. It just shows how much you can achieve when you know how to orchestrate art and commerce.

"This situation… is somewhere in the middle. It’s more chaotic, which in turn creates energy. It’s more intense."

Diagnostically speaking the departure of bassist Oliveri was a gaping wound in the Queen’s side and could be considered a mortal blow for a band who’s previous album, Songs For the Deaf, signalled a swift and steady rise to success. But Homme was not about to give up the ghost, and splitting with Oliveri afforded the hard rockers the freedom to take on fresh players and a new sense of style.

"It’s something that we grew into," says Van Leeuwan, who now shares bass duty with Homme and Alain Johannes. "It doesn’t feel like I’m replacing anyone. We’re still evolving as a band. We all write and we all like to stay busy. The last thing you want to do is to become stagnant. Because then you’re just treading water."

The addition of Natasha Shneider on keyboards brings a "space-country-rock-ambient kind of a thing" according to Van Leeuwan. "Not typically the way things were supposed to go," he says. "The one thing we discussed was making different colours and shades and dark and making space – something I’ve been known to do."

Indeed, at the time he was invited to play guitar and electric piano for the QOTSA, Van Leeuwan was already well reputed for his ability to create an instant sense of atmosphere in the studio on recordings for A Perfect Circle, Failure, Orgy and Deadsy. Van Leeuwan‘s talents made him the perfect fit for Homme’s re-banded circle of merry men.

"We were still finding out new things about each other while we were recording the last record (Lullabies to Paralyze)," he says. "When you do most of your playing in the studio, the intensity is at a much higher level. If something had a character or a vibe we liked, we would get to go off the page and explore it. You put pressure on yourself to do your best, but you have to be aware that you’re only competing with your own expectations. The temptation is to over analyze every song, because you’re so focused on it. If something requires more than five takes it’s not working. It’s like beating a dead horse."

Ex-Screaming Trees branch Mark Lanegan has also ventured across the bridge to bring his vocals along for the ride with the Queens on the new album and on tour. Bonding during the production of Lullabies to Paralyze, the album’s central story was modelled after a fairly twisted tale akin to the fatalistic fables penned by the Brothers Grimm.

"The theme of this album was our own dark fairy tale. Most of the old stories were really dark and now people are trying to clean them up for the kids. But that’s so wrong. Sometimes when you’re searching for something you wind up going into the dark and you have to do that in order to see that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel — and it’s not always a train that’s about to hit you."

by Christine Leonard

Originally published in FFWD April 2005