Norglen is an indie pop group from Alberta whom may not be a band that you have heard of… yet. But with a 16-date spring tour almost under their belt, a video for their single “Miss You Yet” and a debut album due out in August, any anonymity left shall surely disappear as their name becomes a staple on your iPod. Founding members Andrew Doll (vocals & guitar), Brendan O’Byrne (bass & keys) and Joel McCann (drums) have been good friends since childhood, growing up together in rural Alberta. With the recent addition of Hugh Allen and Hiro Okhibu and a move to Toronto, this group is all set and ready to release their debut album, A Long Way From the Truth, which blends ’80s pop rock with a current indie rock vibe. While Norglen was on the road, iheartthemusic was able to get some words in with drummer Joel to talk about the Toronto connection, touring and why as a band they went South of the border first…

iheartthemusic: You guys grew up in Alberta, and your name also pays homage to the street you grew up on, has growing up in the Prairies had influence on you musically?

Joel: Definitely, I think it’s unavoidable. Your upbringing affects your life, which in turn shapes your music in many ways. Lyrically, our songs are about experiences that have come from our upbringing. I also feel being raised in what I guess you could call a “remote area” has shaped our sound.

iheartthemusic: You have since moved to Toronto and I noticed that on both your MySpace and bio sheet that you are considered a “Toronto-based” band. Was there any reasoning behind this?

Joel: Yes. Since moving to Toronto the band has really come full circle – Hugh has joined us from Ireland, Hiro has joined us from Tokyo, and we all came together in Toronto; a city that is so multicultural. We really feel the band is what it is today upon us all meeting and living here in Toronto.

iheartthemusic: You have been fairly popular on the West Coast of Canada and are now breaking into the Southern Ontario and Quebec scene. Have you noticed any major differences between the two areas in terms of musical tastes or trends?

Joel: Definitely! Toronto/GTA being so big and diverse you do see many different cool, unique scenes, many of which do not exist in a place like, say, Edmonton. Obviously in Quebec you have the francophone scene, which you really do not see much of out West.

iheartthemusic: Something that I found different about your band was the fact that you signed to an American label first. Why did you not go the Canadian route?

Joel: To be honest, we were not seeing much interest from the Canadian industry. We wanted to go with a company that were truly behind the band and into the music regardless of location.

iheartthemusic: Let’s talk about the video you JUST released for the single “Miss You Yet”, how did you come up with the concept for that?

Joel: One day we were all brainstorming ideas and concepts for the video with the directors. We really wanted to do something big, cool, and unique. Our manager Mark actually came up with the concept since he had been to an airplane graveyard in Arizona. He had always remembered it being a cool and unique setting and it turned out to be a perfect idea for a video.

iheartthemusic: We wanted to know which truth you were referring to when you came up with the title for your forthcoming album A Long Way From The Truth?

Joel: “A Long Way From The Truth” was the last song written and recorded for the record. We were actually still working out the track while in the studio. The song itself is about a specific situation and we just felt that that song really tied the recording experience and record together and decided to title the album after it.

iheartthemusic: You worked with some heavy hitters in the music industry for this record, what was the recording process like working with such talented people?

Joel: Amazing! Everyone we worked with, Mark Trombino [Blink182], Chris Fudurich [Jimmy Eat World], all found a way of getting the best out of the band and the songs. We learned a lot working with such talented people.

iheartthemusic: You are currently on tour to promote and celebrate the release of your single and video for “Miss You Yet” but I noticed there is no Toronto date, why is that?

Joel: Actually the Toronto date was sort of the kickoff date to the whole thing. It went down a month before we headed out; on April 3rd at Revival. It was a great show! We will be playing more than a few times in Toronto this summer.

iheartthemusic: What is the thing that you look forward to the most while on tour?

Joel: Playing live every second night, I love performing!

iheartthemusic: What do you like the least?

Joel: McDonalds & Dennys! Unfortunately they are the only places that seem to be open 24hrs.

iheartthemusic: Any funny tour stories you care to share?

Joel: Hmmmm I could, but instead everyone should head over to our website and follow the stories as they happen.

check out their MySpace for tour dates in your city!