I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

iheartthemusic decided to choose a few keys players to interview during CMW 2010. Here is the first of many informal chats that we had with some talented individuals. Introducing Jonathan Chandler (guitarist/lead vocals) and Christopher Wilson (drummer/vocals) of Amos The Transparent.

iheartthemusic: I’m really excited to be here at CMW, it being my first time, but for you guys it’s not; you were here last year and played with Black Diamond Bay. Are you glad to be back?

Jonathan: Yeah, we played with Black Diamond Bay and Michou. The venue was packed, everybody was drunk and singing every word louder than I could. It’s so much fun here. Toronto’s a great vibe, especially during this festival…everyone is in music mode and ready to go. We love it, and are definitely glad to be back. (Toronto’s) starting to feel like home.

iheartthemusic: You guys just released the EP My What Big Teeth You Have, and were up for a Verge award – congrats, by the way -  what else has been going on with the band?

Jonathan: The biggest thing that’s happened to us is that we entered this radio competition in Ottawa called ‘The Money Shot”, and we ended up with $50,000. We lost to Hollerado, but for the record, we’re all friends, and we like them…

iheartthemusic: And you’re playing wth them tonight!

Jonathan: Yeah, it seems like ever since then, we haven’t been able to avoid each other; here and in SXSW. So, that (radio competition) was the big thing, which has kind of opened up the door; now we’re writing and getting ready to release a full length record.

iheartthemusic: That’s so good to hear! I know that on your last full length record, Everything I’ve forgotten To Forget, Jonathan, you were the creative centrepiece or the album’s lynchpin, but for “Teeth” you sort of de-centralized creative control. I’m wondering what it was like to let go of the creative reigns? How does that sort of transition work?

Chris (laughing)(to Jonathan): You’ve got a really good answer to this one!

Jonathan (laughs): Well, like I said, Chris has been the #1 partner from the beginning. When we started the album, it really just was Chris and I. So when we were making/writing that record, it was just me primarily writing the songs. I’d bounce ‘em off Chris and we’d arrange them together, and brought our friends in to play the parts, whereas with “Teeth” we widdled away and really formed a real band, so it was a good way to showcase how far we have come.

Chris: Even “Teeth” was still Jonny’s total songwriting, with the band having more input/influence, but I think you’ll even see with what’s coming up, the band’s really taken over. (Amos) has really become a band now. I think it’s been a slow, but good progression from intially just the two of us working together to having more collaboration, and for this upcoming record, it’s been the first time we’ve all actually sat in a room together writing songs before going into the studio. It’s been really great having everyones input and working through it as a team.

Jonathan: I bring skeletons of songs to the band, but I’m purposefully not thinking about drum parts when I’m writing them, not thinking about what the bass is gonna do. I’m really starting to get a “band” feeling…which is wicked.

iheartthemusic: Do you think this sort of change in dynamic has benefitted your sound?

Jonathan: I honestly feel like everyone has more of a home in the band now. It could have been perceived before that people were kind of like ‘hired guns’ to do things, and I can tell we’re playing more like a band now, we’re acting more like a band now just because everyone is in that happy place.

iheartthemusic: Where do you guys see the band taking you from here? What are your collective aspirations?

Chris: Hopefully out of my basement! (laughs) No, obviously we want to do this as our life.

iheartthemusic: Yeah, I hear you guys all still have full time jobs outside of the music industry?

Chris: Yeah, we don’t make really any money doing this, so we have to support ourselves, our greater families.

ihearttemusic: How do you balance both obligations?

Chris: It’s busy. Balance is hard, but you work your hardest to do what you need to do at home, play the shows when you’re on the road. It works out. We want to do this as our “fun job”.

Jonathan: It comes down to the fact that this is our passion, so we make it work. The end goal is just to have as many people hear our music who wanna hear our music. Have fun, and enjoy.

iheartthemusic: Let’s talk about people who want to hear your music. Is there any specific city or town in Canada you guys love to play because the fans are so great?

Chris: I think the small city of Toronto is probably my favourite place to play in Canada. I think the reaction and the response here has been absolutely amazing. Everytime we come here it’s usually like “this is better than our hometown”. Ottawa’s great, but Toronto’s always a blast. There’s always a lot going on down here, and it’s definitey worth the trip. We always have a good time when we’re down here.

iheartthemusic: So glad to hear it! We’re some of those fans! (laughs all around). What about the internet? It seems like for so many indie bands, the internet has been a really amazing means to more lucrative ends in terms of getting your music out there, the heightened exposure, the push and promotion, the free streaming, the blogs etc., but on the flip side, the internet is also the source of free and illegal music downloads and this takes – much needed- money right out of pockets like your own. So, the internet: scourge or saviour?

Chris: The internet has been great. I’d never complain. We’re at the point in our careers where we just need people to hear our music. If you’re gonna download it, well, it kinda sucks, but it’s a benefit for us because someone’s gonna get to hear our music. And you know what? Download the music, and come to the live show, buy the ticket – even a t-shirt – and that’s fine. You’re never gonna stop the downloads, so you might as well just accept it…

Jonathan: and firgure out how you can use it to your benefit. There’s now countless ways to interact with fans, and ultimately grow more fanbases. I just found out today we hit gold in terms of people stealing our music, all because of over 5,000 downloads of our one record. So, that sucks, but look at the positive: there’s over 5,000 people who just got the record. Hopefully they like it, and it’ll turn into ticket sales.

iheartthemusic: Funny Question: You guys did a cover of Alannis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”, is she one of your favourite Canadian artists, or do you have hatred equal to hers for Joey Gladstone from Full House?

Chris: (laughs) The cover came from a tribute show in Ottawa for CBC Radio. It was getting artists together to pick a song or two to play. That’s how it came about. Jon picked the song though!

iheartthemusic: Hey Jagged Little Pill was a good record! (laughs)

Jonathan: It was a good record! Actually we were the final addition to the show, and it was Alan Neil from CBC who said no-one has done “You Oughtta Know” yet, and I was like “Really? No-one’s picked her song? So great! We’ll do that”.  I really like tearing things apart, so what I did was listen to the words and, although she did it as an angry song, if you listen to the words without the music, it can be a really heartbroken song. So, we figured we’d just switch it up.

iheartthemusic: So you don’t dislike Joey Gladstone?

Jonathan: (laughs) Nope. He’s fine. Shit happens.

** catch them back in Toronto April 17, 2010 with The Junction!

interviewed by Brittany Smith

photography provided by Renee Rodenkirchen

Everybody was excited for CHARTattack’s CMF showcase on Thursday night at the Horseshoe, and for good reason. Whipping together some of the best raw talent that Canadian music has to offer, the night consisted of performances by Magneta Lane, Amos The Transparent, Green Go, Hollerado, The Besnard Lakes, Great Bloomers and Arietta. It was a palpable plethora of the many shades of the indie music scene and (luckily) they all basked in the bright light of victory that night.

Amos The Transparent took to the stage first (we missed openers Magneta Lane). Here is a mid-level indie band capturing the hearts of audiences everywhere, probably because they play with so much of it. Kicking off their set with “Catch and Release”, you couldn’t help but venture to the pit in want of becoming part of this 6-member musical family. Going back and forth between their traditionally slower, almost emo-pop sound, to lengthened bridges and intensified jam sessions, Amos’ live performance is filled with nice surprises; layers of sound, beautifully held harmonies, pan-band vocals, call and answer sequences with the crowd, and even friendly sing-a-longs onstage with friends as seen during the tail end of “Greater than Consequence”, creating one of those inexplicable, tingly concert moments.

I don’t even want to review Green Go. I just want you to go see them, and by the looks of the audience, so do they! This electro-pop dance party machine is meant for the stage. Even the most brooding of hippies awaiting The Besnard Lakes couldn’t help but bust a move – no matter how teeny it was. A decidedly awesome, pumped up mix (think Arcade Fire meets Talking Heads meets Fujiya and Miyagi), Green Go has excavated their own super sound through duet-styled vocals, tons of synth, commanding lyrics, undeniable creativity, and a full band behind ‘em- including a really, really tight drummer. Turning the mainstream into electro (even the haters) one audience at a time.

Hollerado came out like fire with front-man, Menno busting out the windmill and immediately declaring “I’m outta tune and I fucking love it!”.  Their energy un-chartable, the drum solos possibly un-re-creatable, the fist pumps from the audience definitely un-stoppable, Hollerado make a sledgehammer to the head feel like a walk in the park. With hard riffs, incredible pace, tons of sweat, they still manage to deliver catchy melodies which, coupled with their straightforward lyrics, make sing-alongs and clapping sequences possible. These guys define power pop. The only thing missing were the drunk, shirtless babes whipping their sweaty bras on stage. The album does not do justice to the spectacle that is Hollerado. Go see them. Oh yeah, and the lead singer horked on himself.

The Besnard Lakes were next on the bill. Not much to say that hasn’t already been said about them, however the crowd appeared to dwindle a bit once they hit the stage..??

**this is the point where our photographer’s camera died. Sorry!**

Great Bloomers are hard to pigeon-hole. Not your typical country, rock or even alt folk, but rather a little of each. Throw in the piano and some beautifully-crafted melodies, mix in the refreshing hooks and the 5-member harmonies, add a little orchestral twang, and a pinch of grit of and you’ve got a splendid musical salad perfect for those interested in feeling good while digesting. From songs of foot-stomping quality (“Speak of Trouble”) to sounds reminiscent of old Broken Social Scene (“This Aint You”) but with stronger vocals, Great Bloomers are a band you’ll want to see again and again. Even though the crowd thinned out before their set began, both the remaining fans and the band fed off of this more intimate, highly pleasurable atmosphere.

As reviewed by Brittany Smith

photography provided by Renee Rodenkirchen

Originally from Manotick, Ontario and currently living in Montreal, Hollerado is a fun group of guys making a fun kind of music. The four-piece band is comprised of Menno (guitar), Dean (bass) and brothers Nick (guitar) and Jake (drums). Seeing one of their shows or hearing the album makes you want to smile and dance… ihearthemusic learned that having dinner with them has kind of the same affect when we all met to feast at New Ho King in Toronto, the night before they left for their tour of China.

iheartthemusic: How did you guys get together as a band?

Jake: Over beers…

Menno: Summer 2007…0r 6… One of those summers living in Manotick, we were all just kinda living on our street. They were our neighbours.

iheartthemusic: Where did the name Hollerado come from?

Menno: It’s imaginary. We had a moving company called Haulerado, it’s true, and that’s where it came from.

iheartthemusic: Your iTunes genre tag is alternative, what’s with that? If you could create a genre tag that speaks specifically to your music, what would it be?

Menno: Alt.Alternative

Jake: Lame. Purple Monkey Dishwasher, classic answer.

Menno: Progressive Christian Rap… or…

Dean: Newskool Funk Opera

iheartthemusic: So who does the songwriting for you guys?

Menno: It’s collaborative. Nick and I do the most, but there are different ways we go about it. No two songs are the same.

iheartthemusic: Do you guys want to talk a little about your album, Record in a Bag?

Nick: We’d love to. We made it last summer…

[At this point we were interrupted by the waiter who came to take orders: a couple Tsing Tao's and a round of waters. Then Menno takes charge and orders up a Chinese feast; his eyes were bigger than his stomach. We ended up with seven dishes! Luckily there were four hungry band boys to meet the challenge]

iheartthemusic: So, you were telling me about recording your album last summer.

Menno: We recorded it in a bunch of different places, so we got to travel a lot. That was awesome! Recording is like the funnest thing in the world. Better than touring.

Nick: Really?

iheartthemusic: Well, you have been doing a lot of touring lately.

Menno: And that’s also fun.

iheartthemusic: Tell me about the Residency Tour you guys just finished.

Menno: We played a different city every night of the week and did that for four weeks. We basically lived in the van.

iheartthemusic: Who came up with it?

Menno: That was us…

[Everyone laughs]

Jake: Sorry to interrupt, but does your recorder have a built-in lie detector? No way we came up with that idea.

iheartthemusic: Would you do it again?

All: Yeah!

Nick: We want to real bad!

Menno: We are actually toying with the idea of doing it in Hamburger…I just said Hamburger… I meant to say Hamburg. In the fall; but just in the one city, and play three sets a day.

Nick: Just to be more like The Beatles. We love them.

iheartthemusic: Do you have other musical influences?

All: Nope… [laughter]

iheartthemusic: Alright then… You were recently at SXSW, how was that?

Menno: Awesome… We were just talking about that in the van on the way over here. It was quite debaucherous….

Dean: But we don’t need to go over it again.

Jake: But we will. There’s this band we were hanging out with there called Magneta Lane; they’re cool and they’re girls. They put up our pictures on the website for SXSW, but the album title was Drunk by More Drunk. I guess that’s how it was for them… It may or may not have been the same for us.

iheartthemusic: So did you find some time to play at all, what with all this debaucherousness?

Dean: Yeah! We got to play three times.

Nick: So that was really fun, and we played a PopMontreal showcase and that was really fun too. We played with some really great bands.

Menno: Really great bands. I love Gentleman Reg, The Boats too.

iheartthemusic: And your next trip…

Nick: China. It’s certainly the furthest away we have ever gone.

Menno: It’s our first time on an airplane as a band.

Jake: I am getting bumped up to Business Class. I am calling that right now.

Menno: That’s fine, as long as you send back that free champagne… [in his best british accent] “excuse me, can you send these flutes back to that scraggly blonde guy, the dark haired gentleman… and Dean.”

iheartthemusic: You’re going with The Stills right?

Menno: No, that’s not happening, they just pulled out last week. They’re all too tired from jet-setting around the world. We’ve played with The Stills a lot in Canada, and it would have been fun, but it will be fun to make new friends while we are in China.

[At this point someone elses dinner goes by.]

Menno: Whoa, pineapple full of beef! Why didn’t we get that? We should have named our album Pineapple Full of Beef. Maybe the next one.

iheartthemusic: Speaking of which, will the next one come in a bag like your EP did and first album?

Menno: No, we’re thinking of moving on.

Nick: …but we’re not sure yet.

Menno: Maybe we’ll put it in a pineapple… with beef.

iheartthemusic: Is there a particular brand of bag you like using best to package the discs?

Nick: Ziploc, seriously… Ziploc are the best. We go to dollar stores some times and we believe that sometimes we’ll get a good batch of dollar store baggies. But they’re never as good.

iheartthemusic: Are you seeking out some kind of sponsorship?

Menno: We would really be down. If anyone out there reading this who works for either Cold-FX or Ziploc, come talk to us.

You can listen to Hollerado’s album Record in a Bag or download it COMPLETELY FOR FREE on their website www.Hollerado.com

Interview by Sam Banack

Photography by Justin Cutler