DIVINE BROWN: To love is Divine

R&B singer Divine Brown reveals her roots

by Christine Leonard

Appearing at Jack Singer Concert Hall June 26, 2008

They say there’s no love like old-school love, and few Canadian singer-songwriters know this better than R&B prodigy Divine Brown. Brown (formerly known as Divine Earth Essence) saw 2005 become the new “summer of love” as the single from her self-titled debut poured from patio speakers and car stereos across the country. Enchanting audiences with her impressive five-octave vocal range and penchant for dance-worthy grooves, the runaway hit “Old Skool Love” heralded Brown’s arrival on the scene and brought her soulful sound to the attention of millions. Urban pop and reggae fans alike flocked to Brown’s rock-steady beat, finding common ground in her soulful melodies, soaring intonations and playful rhythms. Ever conscious of paying homage to her musical roots, Brown hopes that her modern songwriting style strikes a familiar chord with listeners of all ages.

“I’m all about drawing on older forms of soul and funk to create something fresh and unique,” Brown explains. “Just as hip hop borrows from older sounds, I love and respect all genres and use them to create new art forms. If people like pop, then there’s something for them in my music, or if they’re from an older generation and like The Platters, then they’ll enjoy it, too. More than anything else, music triggers feelings and memories for me. When I was growing up as a child, Sunday was always ‘soul music’ day around our house; sitting around in the sunshine listening to Al Green. I hope people get that emotional connection when they listen to my music.”

Accustomed to recording her innermost reflections in song — she’s had a passion for writing lyrics since the age of 14 — Brown took a hands-on approach when it came time to think about producing her next full-length CD. With 12 freshly penned original tunes at the ready, she headed back into the studio in late 2007 to record her new album, The Love Chronicles. A heartfelt tribute to the artists who have influenced and inspired her (including Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and Anita Baker), The Love Chronicles faithfully traces the gradual evolution of R&B music throughout the decades.

“It was an extraordinary experience putting the album together,” says Brown. “I wanted live musicians in the studio with me, so I flew [in] some people I had worked with in the past to play drums, bass, strings and horns. It was a surprisingly easy way to work. I imagine the experience is something like what Chaka Khan and Rufus [Thomas] would have done in their day.

“I also brought in guest producers to help give each track the feeling of a different era. For example, “Lay It On the Line” is kind of a doo-wop throwback with contemporary production. Some of the tracks were recorded directly to tape to give them that warm, vintage, analog sound. I had a lot of fun writing The Love Chronicles, because love is such a complex topic. There are so many aspects to explore. This time I just wanted to lay it on the line.”

A veteran of Toronto productions of Rent and Ain’t Misbehavin’, Brown is accustomed to setting the room alight with her fiery stage presence and powerful vocals. The tables were turned, however, when a recent shoot for her smouldering new single “Lay It On the Line” had to been relocated due to temperatures even more extreme than the ones her performances generate.

“We just filmed the video for ‘Lay It On the Line’ at Fox Studios with director Paul Boyd [Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, Sting, Ice T],” says Brown. “We were supposed to do it at Universal Studios, but then they had that massive fire on their lot. It was really coincidental, here I am flying into L..A. with the burning fire that Divine Brown brings and here the place is already in ashes.”

Dimmu Borgir - Sven "Silenoz" Atle Kopperud Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Dark Fortresses

Dimmu Borgir preach the black metal gospel

As foreboding as the jagged spires of volcanic rock that bear their name, symphonic black metal juggernaut Dimmu Borgir make an indelible impression on those who come to behold them. Translated as “dark cities” or “black castles” in the Old Norse-Icelandic language, the twisted peaks and hellish valleys of this otherworldly geomorphic landscape are the perfect metaphor for a band that prides themselves on their Norwegian heritage even as they rebel against everything their compatriots hold sacred. With nine full-length studio albums and just as many singles and EPs to their credit, they were the first black-metal band to have a No. 1 album in their homeland.

“It’s weird but cool,” says founding guitarist Silenoz, a.k.a. Sven Atle Kopperud, of their hard-won success. “It’s something that even I wouldn’t think could happen 10 years ago. We are very grateful to do what we do and to be able to make the life we want for ourselves. I think it’s important that we continue to expand as a metal band in an honest and natural way. We’ve never compromised. We have our own ideas, and we won’t be pushed around by any label. We’re just too stubborn for that!”

Honesty, and the discovery of one’s true nature, is the theme that pervades Dimmu Borgir’s most recent studio effort, 2007’s In Sorte Diaboli (which means “in league with the devil”). Chiefly a concept-driven album, In Sorte Diaboli tells the foreboding tale of a devout Christian acolyte who traces his bloodlines to Satan, ultimately leading him to reject the church. Not a topic to be taken lightly, especially in the band’s native country of Norway where the population is 95 per cent Lutheran. Silenoz and his fellow Dimmu Borgir members haven’t been shy about voicing their convictions when it comes to their preference for Satanism, and are delightfully quick to use the H word when referring to what they see as an unwanted and invading influence.

“Looking back, I can see that there is actually a lot of personal stuff in [In Sorte Diaboli’s] lyrics, but I didn’t realize it until after the whole thing had been written,” Silenoz says. “It brings me back to my childhood growing up in the Bible Belt. Those early experiences certainly sparked my hatred towards organized religion. We believe that it’s important to get to the bottom of things; to ask the extremely critical questions. We’re not like some Muslim or Christian who goes by ‘the book.’ The answers aren’t in any book. It’s not that simple. People ask us why we hate the church, and it’s so much harder to explain to someone who’s from outside Norway. Basically, it goes back to having Christianity thrown down our throats a thousand years ago. It’s always in the back of our heads how our people were treated. Like all the conflicts in the world, it can be traced directly back to religion. As long as there is religion in the world there will be no peace. ”

by Christine Leonard

Originally published in Fast Forward Magazine April 10, 2008  

Serj Tankian Interview

Serj Tankian surges forward

America’s angriest Armenian 

wants to elect the dead

He’s certainly come a long way — from living a traditional Armenian childhood in Lebanon, to studying marketing at the University of California, to fronting one of world’s hottest-selling, stadium-fillingest hardcore outfits, System of a Down. Still, for Serj Tankian, it’s not a question of how far you’ve come, but how far you’re willing to go.

Setting the stage for a combined career of metal god and political gadfly, Tankian and his crew of angry Armenians (a.k.a. SOAD) captured the attention of a generation by channelling anxiety and outrage into blistering thrash punctuated with Tankian’s operatic rap-singing. Taking on issues from genocide to suicide over the course of five internationally renowned albums released between 1998 and 2005, Tankian is also the centre of filmmaker Carla Garapedian’s award-winning documentary Screamers.

“It’s primarily a film about the denial of the Armenian genocide,” Tankian explains, “but it also addresses other areas in the world today that are receiving the same treatment. It is a very exciting time, because we [in the U.S.] have the opportunity to elect the first non-white [or] non-male president. But, no matter who’s president, we all have a responsibility to collect knowledge and work towards a world we all want to live in.”

Never one to rest on his laurels, Tankian has recently written and produced a long-anticipated solo album, Elect the Dead. While his former bandmates may have been unsettled by his sudden desire to work with classical instrumentation, it was Tankian himself who was ultimately most surprised by the final result.

“I wasn’t planning on making a rock record, but that’s the way it turned out,” the singer-songwriter says with a chuckle. “I poured over hundreds of records and musical pieces — orchestral, classical, electronic, hip hop, goth, experimental, ballads — and these songs just worked out to be rock songs. I was playing around with dynamic orchestral music written for piano and strings, letting my stream of consciousness lead me, and at a certain point I was surprised because everything was becoming much more dramatic and powerful sounding. I thought ‘Wow! Cool. We’re going rock!’”

Taking his one-man orchestral rock opus out into the public spotlight presented a new challenge. Many of the album’s songs were created on the fly with guest artists and friendly neighbourhood musicians popping in and out of Tankian’s studio to put their own unique stamp on his self-proclaimed “art album.” Every track on Elect the Dead will eventually be accompanied by its own video, each from a different director. To bring his vision to life, Tankian has rounded up a road-worthy dream team to take on the task of re-creating his album live. Dubbing themselves the FCC (or Flying Cunts of Chaos) in a direct snub to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Tankian will be touring North America with Dan Monti, Mario Pagliarulo, Troy Ziegler, Erwin Khachikian and Primus’s Larry LaLonde, along with opening act Fair to Midland, on Tankian’s own Serjikal Strike record label.

“I put together the FCC to help me out on tour,” he says. “I’m really thankful for all they’ve done to make this the best show it can be. We like to give a classier kind of presentation when we perform. We’re known for wearing tuxedos and top hats. It’s kind of a taste of the English-gentleman-meets-Vaudeville.”

With a ready smile and without the begrudging glad-handing typical for a figure of his popularity, Tankain has a well-earned reputation as a really nice guy. Perhaps it is this willingness to meet humanity and all its woes head-on that has kept him engaged in social activism. Tankian continues the dialogue, promoting causes like Amnesty International and tracking his own efforts to run a “green” tour, on his homepage, www.serjtankian.com. It’s clear that Tankian is always willing to take things further.

By Christine Leonard

Originally published March 12, 2008 in FFWD Magazine

Silverstein - Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Silverstein takes Tokyo

Canuck screamo-rockers head overseas

February 1, 2008
by Christine Leonard

‘We enjoy immersing ourselves in foreign cultures, but these guys were on a mission to destroy us’ — Canadian post-hardcore rockers Silverstein find conspiracies everywhere they travel

They say that once you’ve made it in Japan, the rest of the world will fall in line. Even if it doesn’t, hey, you’ll always be big in Japan. Flexing their screamo-rock muscle and swooping down on the metropolis of Tokyo with Mothra-like fury, post-hardcore pundits Silverstein were all-too eager to bring their bold Canadian tidings to the land of the rising sun.

“It was awesome,” says drummer Paul Koehler of the band’s recent whirlwind nine-day tour of Nihon. “This is the second time we’ve been to Japan, which is incredible. Now that we’re kinda familiar with the place, we have friends to visit, specific things we want to do and places we want to visit. The more you go back, the more you get out of the experience. Especially when you’re in a place that’s so culturally different. The more different the better.”

Kicking back and taking in the scenery was just one highlight of Silverstein’s return voyage. Reconnecting with some of their favourite tour mates, the group performed before massively enthusiastic crowds who knew every word of their infectiously defiant lyrics. Along with vocalist Shane Told, guitarists Josh Bradford and Neil Boshart and bassist Bill Hamilton, Koehler confirms that playing live and connecting with audiences face-to-face has been the single most rewarding aspect of their careers to date.

“We just wrapped up a two-and-a-half-week run in Australia before we landed in Japan,” Koehler reports. “It’s been crazy, but fun. The kids are so energetic. The fans in Japan are unlike those anywhere else on Earth. So respectful and not totally hung up on images and gimmicks.”

Shrugging off their long-running trademark of being the sole Canadian band at any given multi-act hardcore concert series, Silverstein has steadily worked to build on the ironclad foundations they’ve laid out for themselves with their previous full-length albums, When Broken is Easily Fixed and Discovering the Waterfront. Striking while the iron was hot, they released the aptly titled Arrivals and Departures in July of last year. Their third turn on Victory Records debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard 200, commanding attention with its stark fusion of angst, anger and intelligence, and eventually topping the indie charts. According to Koehler, Arrivals and Departures represents a new outlook for a road-hardened Silverstein and a more mature approach to their collective craft.

“We’ve been through some pretty drastic and dramatic events over the past two years,” he explains. 

“[Arrivals] references the changes and stops we’ve been through in our own personal relationships, people entering and leaving our lives. We touch on some negativity, but we try to stay level-headed. We’re all pretty happy in our lives and realize that we have some young and impressionable fans out there. It’s great that we have this opportunity to try to share our music as a source of escapism, but we also want to use images and emotions to better ourselves and improve the lives of others. We really want to be a force for positivity and overcoming hardships.”

Holding their heads high and keeping up the good fight, Silverstein are prepared to embark on a full-scale North American tour, a comfortable home-coming for a quintet that bravely rose to meet a challenge of another sort when they recently found themselves at the mercy of Japanese-style hospitality.

“One night in Tokyo, our hosts, the local Japanese promoters, invited all of us out to an authentic restaurant,” a teetotalling Koehler recalls. 

“It was a beautiful dinner, and they just kept piling on the food and drink. These guys are considered very respectable in the music industry, and they can really put it away. They dropped quite a few sake bombs on us over the course of the evening. We enjoy immersing ourselves in foreign cultures, but these guys were on a mission to destroy us!”

Silverstein with Protest the Hero, Ill Scarlett & Devil Wears Prada at MacEwan Hall

Pennywise Interview by Christine Leonard

Punk Rock Karma

Pennywise use their powers for good

Stalwart punk rockers Pennywise, who have been pounding out their 

melodic hardcore for almost 20 years, join Rise Against in 

Calgary and Edmonton for the charity-driven Jingle Bell Rock tour

When it comes to the pursuit of money, Pennywise have always remained true to their name. From the California ensemble’s formative years in the late ’80s, when there was never enough of the green stuff to go around, through to their current status as a group of legendary proportions, Pennywise has maintained an unfaltering sense of artistic direction while keeping an eye on the coffers. Now, after writing hundreds of songs and blowing thousands of minds, these stalwart punk rockers are more than willing to repay some of their good fortune.

“When we got the call, we didn’t have to think twice,” says bassist Randy Bradbury of his band’s decision to join Rise Against for Union Events’ annual Jingle Bell Rock charity tour. “We’ve always been involved with doing shows for charities. In fact, we just filled a sports arena for a concert we did in L.A. where all the profits went to charities of our own choosing. It’s important to us to help out these organizations, and anytime we can associate with someone who’s doing some good, we’re always happy to do our part.”

Having recorded some eight studio albums, most recently 2005’s The Fuse, Pennywise are constantly working on new material, and three years of downtime between recording sessions has given the lads plenty of time to amass new material. Bassist Bradbury (who replaced original bassist Jason Thirsk after his 1996 suicide) and fellow band members Fletcher Dragge (guitar), Jim Lindberg (vocals) and Byron McMackin (drums) are in the process of whittling down the new track list, employing a time-honoured test to decide which tunes make the final cut.

“We like to throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks,” says Bradbury with a chuckle. “There’s a lot to sort through and Jim has been writing like crazy, but I wouldn’t say the chances of this being a double-CD [as rumoured] are very good. We’ve always been very methodical about how we work. We want people to hear our music and give it as much exposure as possible, but at the same time, we don’t want to make any bad decisions or misrepresent ourselves. We want our albums to last. It’s a long, slow road to invest in them properly to make sure we’ll be staying around, rather than just jumping on the fast train like so many artists who are here today and gone tomorrow.”

Pennywise have consistently used their voice to speak out on the issues they feel are important. Whether it’s using cleverly derisive lyrics to malign authority figures or waxing melodic in tribute to a fallen comrade, the band’s reputation for telling it like it is, free from outside influence, has made them a touchstone for admirers of the true punk rock spirit.

“We’re really lucky to have a lot of control over the way this band is run on a day-to-day basis,” Bradbury says. “It’s important to us to keep it that way, and that goes back to the beginning of the band. These guys had it going on before I arrived on the scene, and they were already on an indie label. With the new album, I don’t think we have to take a step back from that.

“Epitaph has always given us artistic freedom. Most recently, we’ve been speaking with MySpace.com Records about a new deal. They are a widely known name, and they like what we do. They know our image and they want us to keep working just like we have been all of these years. We’ve realized all along that we want people to be able to hear our music, and now we’ve found a way to do that through MySpace… We feel that nothing is going to change, except that it will be a bigger release and bring more exposure to the band. We’re still working out the details, but the album will be available traditionally for purchase in music stores. I know if I like a band, I still want to have the disc in my hands and all the lyrics and cover art that goes along with it.”

Thrilled by the prospect of a rapidly expanding international listenership, Pennywise love to stir the melting pot. Like their contemporaries Black Flag, the Descendents and Bad Religion, they get their kicks from throwing a healthy dose of socio-political satire into their intelli-punk anthems. And while they may be a popular choice of kick-ass background music for extreme sports heroes, Pennywise are perhaps best known for lacing their raucous, mosh-pit-inducing performances with revolutionary tunes such as “My Own Country,” “Victim of Reality,” “Fight Till You Die” and many more.

“We know that no matter what we do, we’re always going to sound like Pennywise,” Bradbury acknowledges. “We always find a way to throw in a new dimension without changing too much. The idea is to use traditional elements in unexpected ways to expand the boundaries. Lyrically, we tend to project our perspective on whatever’s going on in the world, so you can pretty much guess what topics we’ll be addressing in the coming album. When we perform live, we try to give people a nice cross-section of our work, which is getting harder to do!”


by Christine Leonard

Originally published December 20, 2007 in FastForward Magazine.

The Blood Lines - drawing their own conclusions

From Moose Jaw to Beijing

The Blood Lines take the Prairies to the globe

Published December 13, 2007  by Christine Leonard

‘I think I had a combination of jet lag and culture shock when I arrived’ — The Blood Lines recently shared a stage with the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Public Enemy in Beijing

There’s something about a restless youth spent on the Canadian Prairies that tends to put a spark into the hearts of those who survive it. A creative cinder smouldering in a tinder-dry small-town environment, The Blood Lines burst onto the Saskatchewan scene with a fiery passion for the nouveau and a stripped-down old-school rhythm that spread like wildfire and carried the electronic-rockers far beyond their native borders. Introduced by a mutual friend, the dual sets of siblings who comprise Saskatoon’s latest claim to fame — brothers Paul and Barrett Ross and siblings Maygen (a CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award nominee for Sexiest Canadian Musician) and S.J. Kardash — were more than willing to give playing together a shot. It paid off, as they quickly went on to record a self-titled debut and embarked on a pilgrimage to the U.S. to perform at the CMJ Music Marathon. Winning over fans and critics alike with their modern take on the ’70s pop-rock sound, the quartet was startled by their own success as the awards and accolades began to roll in.

“Winning the WCMA (Western Canadian Music Award) for outstanding rock recording in Moose Jaw was probably one of the best experiences so far for me [and my brother Barrett],” says Paul of the band’s recent achievement. “Moose Jaw is our hometown, and a good chunk of our family was there with us for the event. It was like coming full-circle, and it’s a weekend I’ll never forget. Winning the award was totally unexpected, and the limelight was a surprise. Needless to say, it was nice to be recognized from people in the industry. Feedback was instant, and we have since been talking with a producer and have booked a spot at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. I’m not sure if it has changed any goals, but it certainly has galvanized them.”

Setting their sights on foreign climes, The Blood Lines recently joined forces with major players such as Nine Inch Nails, Public Enemy and Mando Diao to perform live at the prestigious Beijing Pop Festival. It was an experience that both tested their endurance and left a lasting impression on these emerging artists.

“Beijing was a blast,” Paul confirms with obvious enthusiasm. “After a long flight, I think I had a combination of jet lag and culture shock when I arrived, so that was the low for me. The high was playing our set at the festival. There is something to be said about travelling thousands of miles and playing in front of a large crowd who actually know some of your songs.”

As eager as they were to soak up the culture and gain a greater understanding of a strange new world, the political and economic policies of their host country inevitably played on The Blood Lines’ collective consciences. Their ultra-hip album is rife with what could be considered provocative and, in some circles, subversive songs like “End of the World,” “Not Enough” and “Revolution.” Putting their reservations aside, the group persevered and was justly rewarded with a sense of accomplishment from bringing a much-needed form of expression, release and enjoyment to an audience that could truly appreciate every single heart-pumping electrified supersonic note.

“Experiencing Beijing is hard to describe because it is a combination of shock and awe,” Paul elaborates. 

“There’s shock at the existence of very cheap labour, wealth and poverty right beside one another, and there is awe of all the culture, architecture, places and people. It’s just so different from what you’re used to — there is no frame of reference unless you’ve experienced it. Although we aren’t a ‘political’ band, per se, I believe one can’t be numb to what’s happening in the world. The experience of going to China was certainly an eye-opener for me. However, I can safely say that the bands there were great, and the audiences were very receptive. The most popular band from there played a type of ’70s punk, and they sounded great. The audiences there seemed as though they were starving for music. This made me happy to be there. There is a sense that the country is changing, however slowly, and I’m glad we could be part of that.”

The Bloodlines perform with Ghostkeeper & Lorrie Matheson

The Bled : Tight Lips and Loose Hips

You know what you did...

The Bled give their fans the Silent Treatment

Published November 29, 2007  by Christine Leonard

‘[Those bands are] great at what they do. We strive to be great at what we do’ — The Bled: great at standing in bushes

Tracing their roots back to Tucson, Arizona’s tight-knit music scene, music enthusiasts The Bled came together through a restless adolescence spent listening to bands like the Deftones, Converge and Refused. Hashing things out in a process that bass guitarist Darren “HeyGuy” Simoes describes as “natural,” The Bled went through some serious alterations before arriving at their current state as a five-piece thrash-punk ensemble. Singer James Munoz stepped into the role of the band’s front man and Simoes took up the position of bassist while guitarist Jeremy Talley, guitarist Ross Ott and drummer Michael Pedicone kept the original hardcore heartbeat going strong.

“We all know our jobs, so we just get them done,” says Simoes of their collaborative approach. “Usually Jeremy will come up with a few basic random riffs and will bring them to practice where we'll all jam on them for a while and arrange them how they seem fitting. If it sucks, we'll scrap it or alter it to make it flow better, but if it's cool we keep going. [All of us are guitar players first], so everyone seems to figure riffs and things out on a guitar before they're worked out at practice.”

Applying the no-nonsense, full-steam-ahead philosophy of their live shows to their studio sessions, The Bled (formerly Radiation Defiance Theory) have steadily delivered an album every two years since 2003, when they released their rowdy debut, Pass the Flask. Adding to both their prestige and their fan base, the group joined My Chemical Romance and other hotter-than-snot acts on a plethora of tours that have included more than their fair share of Canadian dates — a trend Simoes pledges will continue well into the future. “Canada is great,” he confirms with genuine enthusiasm. “We're trying to play there enough to gain citizenship, so we don't have to pay for health care.”

Preparing to traverse North America in the wake of their latest release, Silent Treatment, the band is geared up to present a dynamic and deafening array of their best material to date. Replete with hyper-intricate guitar runs, thundering metal fury and jarringly brutal vocals, The Bled’s Silent Treatment is anything but. Never afraid to experiment with abstraction and noise, the disc demonstrates a significant progression in the quality and complexity of their sound since their previous album, Found in the Flood, bobbed to the surface in 2005.

“Our main goal was to write a record that we would have fun playing live and not have to worry about it being overproduced, as far as extra effects and tracks go on a recording,” 

Simoes explains of their new 11-track triumph. “Lyrically, it has a lot to do with our lives as touring musicians and the relationships we have with people. It's definitely a difficult thing to maintain healthy relationships with your friends and family at home, not to mention girlfriends. There is a lot of pressure, and not too many ways to communicate other than the Internet or phones. [It’s also about] the relationships we have with each other as a band, touring together, living day in, day out with each other. We wanted it to be a brutally honest record — we didn't want to sugar-coat any of it.”

While that lack of communication is inevitable, Simoes readily acknowledges that giving someone “the silent treatment” as a form of punishment more often than not results in “chaos or alienation.” He much prefers to fill his life with sound and fury.

“We just put out the records we have fun making and have fun playing,” he says. “It just comes out that way. We're a heavy band, but we also want to keep it somewhat interesting and avoid easy clichés to follow, like a bunch of chugs followed by dissonant notes or familiar chorus chord progressions. All of us listen to an array of music from stuff like Radiohead to Fugazi to Meshuggah and even hip hop like Nas or Atmosphere, so we have no problem getting ideas from a broad spectrum other than the world of just metal or hardcore. We have always been our own band. [Those groups are] great at what they do. We strive to be great at what we do.”