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

It is quite unique these days to find a band that is musically talented, performs well AND are all related. Well, iheartthemusic found this all in the form of Winnipeg threesome Inward Eye. Anders, Dave and Kyle are three brothers who are making quite a name for themselves. They have already been on countless tours – including one that had them opening for legendary band The Who - and they were also the headliners for the opening night party of Canadian Music Week at Tattoo Rock Parlour. iheartthemusic took some time to talk with all three of them before that opening night show show on March 11th. Check out what they had to say:

iheartthemusic: Being siblings, do you feel your parents had an influence on your decision to pursue music?

David: It was pretty natural actually. I picked up a guitar when I was about 14 or 15 and just kind of played around and showed Kyle some chords. He, of course, quickly got better than me.

iheartthemusic: I guess that’s why he’s the guitarist now!

David: I guess so. Then I eventually got a bass and Anders eventually acquired some drums and we would always be jamming together. We then realized let’s play in a band together. We were sometimes jamming with our friends, but it just seemed easier this way.

iheartthemusic: You guys also got a chance to venture into the US to play some gigs there. How did that happen?

David: It started during CMW in 2005 when we played and some of the record labels really liked us and so word got down to the big wigs in New York City that they should check us out. They ended up flying us down and we did a series of showcases there which was pretty mind-blowing and we got a record deal out of it! So it was pretty good.

iheartthemusic: You’ve done tons of touring since then, such as Warped Tour, Lollapalooza and a stint with The Who, so  what is it about touring that you love?

Kyle: Playing live is the highlight for us as a band. Everything else about touring is hit or miss; you’re stuck in a van for long periods of time, eating poor quality food and not sleeping much, but in the end it’s a lot fun too and you get to see a lot of different places. The stage is the best part though.

iheartthemusic: So where has been your favourite place to play so far?

Kyle: Some of the best shows that we have ever played seem to be out West. I remember we played at the Pemberton Music Festival and that was a really good one. We played on the second stage. We had the mountains all around us and tons of people who didn’t know who the hell we were, which was good because it introduced us to a whole new crowd.

iheartthemusic: You went from playing on the second stage at a festival to opening for The Who, that must have been an amazing accomplishment for the band.

Anders: [The Who] have always been one of our biggest influences growing up, ever since we got into our dad’s vinyl back in the day, so it was just amazing. We played a show down in Austin a couple of years ago and their promoter saw us. We then ended up playing a couple of shows in Canada with them and then when the American tour came around their name came up again and it was probably the best tour we’ve ever done and ever will do.

iheartthemusic: You guys are now on a Canadian tour with Mobile and Bend Sinister. I actually got to speak with Bend Sinister last night and they gave me some dirt on you boys. Apparently you can hold your liquor quite well!

David: Yah, apparently we can for skinny boys! I mean there is only three of us, right, so we get to divvy up the booze three ways, so we’ve learned how to handle ourselves.

iheartthemusic: You also just came out with your first self-titled EP in January and you have a video out for the single “Shame.” It has an unusual concept surrounding it, can you tell us how you came up with that?

David: The director’s name was Rémy M. Larochelle and he approached us because he was really inspired by the song so we just let him have free reign with it. He drew a couple of pictures of us looking like crocodilians or something, but I think the clincher for us was the baboon beating up the priest. We were just like this is the man for us, we are going to offend some people so let’s do it right.

iheartthemusic: You were aiming for shock value then?

David: Yah, it’s great because it goes with the whole theme of the song which is about rising up against the oppressors.

iheartthemusic: You are also hitting up Warped Tour again this summer, are you excited about that?

David: It’s going to be a tough grind. I mean Warped Tour is awesome, but it’s definitely a grind. We get so much exposure and it opens a door to the whole punk scene, which we aren’t really in. We consider ourselves a rock band, so it kind of gets our foot in that door too.

iheartthemusic: How is it living together, working together and being brothers?

Anders: Well, we have done it our whole lives so we are pretty used to it!

David: We are like an old married couple; bitter and resentful [laughs].

iheartthemusic: So after Warped Tour what is the plan?

David: We are going to be hitting the road pretty hard in Canada and come back to the Toronto area and do the “401 milk run” as we like to call it; all the little areas. We are also going to be doing another little stint in New York City. We are going to be releasing our full length album hopefully in the fall, so the EP is just a little taster of what’s to come from us.

iheartthemusic: Do you want to add anything for your fans out there?

David: Please check us out on our MySpace site and give us your comments! Let us know if we are complete tools, or you like what we are doing. Be honest because we will always be honest with you!

photography provided by Matt Vardy

Day two of Canadian Music Week had iheartthemusic’s team “mkay” out to Tattoo Rock Parlour for the opening night party. Set to play were Bury the Bully, Isle of Thieves, Songs From a Room and Inward Eye. We got to sit and catch up with the boys that make up Inward Eye before the show so stay tuned for that interview, but first we’ll give you a run down of the night’s happenings.

This event was advertised as by-invite-only which means we were expecting it to be full of industry professionals and a few fans so it was great to see TONS of bands out to support the acts playing and listen to some great tunes in the process. First up was a band that goes by the name of Bury the Bully. Prior to this evening we had not even heard of them, which to our surprise was a shock after they began their set. These Whitby-born boys rocked and are now on our radar as a band to watch. Lead vocalist Rich was incredible and they were a great treat to start the night off with! They ended their set by playing a new tune called “Rock My Baby” which was incredible and is a great tease for what’s to come for this young band! They return to Tattoo Rock Parlour on April 9^th so if you get a chance to check them out, do it! Trust us you won’t be disappointed!

Next up were Isle of Thieves a very young band that hails from Toronto and is composed of a mixture of varying musical backgrounds. Although they were all talented with regards to their respective instruments, the vocals were just not there. This band has so much potential if they only had a stronger lead vocalist. Let this be a warning for all other bands out there, it does not matter how talented you are, the front man has to be able to stand out on his own or else it ruins the whole performance. It was really difficult to concentrate on anything else but the lack of vocals. They had a great sound, however, and it was nice to see keys incorporated into the mix.

We got to see the boys from Songs From a Room rock the house yet again this evening and as per usual they were amazing (see review and interview with them in a previous post).

Last but CERTAINLY not least were the three brothers that make up Inward Eye. This is a band that has often been referred to as “the next big thing in Canadian rock music” and having opened already for The Who, it certainly seems that they are well on their way to living up to the title! These boys hit the stage with full force dancing about while hitting every note perfectly. A highlight for the performance had to be drummer Anders. If you have ever seen these boys perform you will know why we say that. Anders is the most talented drummer we have seen in a long time and attempted to play standing up, sitting down and everything in between making for an exciting show to watch. These boys are currently on tour with Mobile and Bend Sinister so be sure to check them out when they hit your city next!

It was a great night to kick off the week full of amazing performers, tons of drinks and great networking opportunities! Stay tuned for all the highlights (and lowlights) of the week brought to you by team MKAY!!

photography provided by Matt Vardy