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

Rarely do you find a band that literally embodies itself within its own name. Well, such is the case with Amazing Baby, the Brooklyn-based band that’s garnering a lot of cred in the industry for its innovative sound.  

Formed in 2005 by guitarist Simon O’Connor and vocalist Roan (admirers of each other’s work in the bands Stylofone and Lions and Tigers), the two bonded and added a third member to the group, guitarist Rob Lasko, who worked alongside the two at a ringtone company. O’Connor remembers that time, “It was like this limbo for musicians who didn’t know what the next step should be.”  

Following a career change and the massive response to their Infinite Fucking Cross releases on MySpace, the band officially formed with the decision to take Amazing Baby in a new direction. As O’Connor says, “I thought ‘Why not just make an album for myself with a friend?’” The result? A beautiful mix of the band’s musical influences. 

The band’s new release, Rewild reflects the band’s unique sound. The EP’s first track, “Bayonets”, takes you on a glam pop trip, with a sound that brings you back to the androgynous days of Bowie, while tracks such as “Invisible Palace” showcase Roan’s sweet vocals. 

Other notable tracks include ‘Kankra’ (a personal fave) as well as ‘Headdress’ in which the lyrics remind us of the shitty parts of love. 

As Roan suggests, Rewild is the band’s, “evolution through regression, a step forward in being more primal.” For Amazing Baby, that ‘more primal’ sound works beautifully.

Amazing Baby are hitting Toronto on Monday, June 15 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre with, fittingly, Phoenix from Paris, France.

iheartthemusic will be giving away an Amazing Baby prize pack of goodies to one lucky winner. Send your name and email to info@iheartthemusic.com to enter!

Written by Lisa Simundson

The first thing iheartthemusic noticed about Matthew and Nathan Leone from rock and roll super group Madina Lake is that they look exactly alike! Twin brothers, actually.  Throughout the whole interview it was hard to tell which one was the bassist (Matthew) and which one was the lead singer (Nathan). However, what we do know for sure is that these two brothers from the Windy City are probably two of the nicest, most genuine people. These brothers are not only jovial people, they are passionate about music and about pleasing their throngs of fans. Interviewing these two gentlemen before their show on April 23^rd at the Phoenix was like talking to a good friend you hadn’t seen in a long time. We talked about our favorite band – Smashing Pumpkins – Warped Tour and eating shit on Fear Factor.

iheartthemusic: Matthew, in your bio you say that you guys had more life and experiences under your belt making the new record, Attics to Eden, than you did when making your first album, From them, Through Us, To You.  What experiences did the band go through between the first album and the second that made you guys grow?

Matthew: I think one was just sort of the touring cycle. We spent two and a half to three years on the road in different countries under different circumstances and with different egos.  Lots of wonderful surprises, like Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance, they wound up being the nicest, most down to earth inspiring people ever while some of the mid-size bands to lower-size bands had huge dramatic egos and would wage these little drama wars ; and when imposed upon you it kind of creates a reaction and I think that reaction came out a little bit on the second record.

Nathan: And I think, musically speaking, one of the big inspirations too was that on the first record we got a little bit categorized in this emo or pop/punk thing, which is fine, to each his own, but it’s nothing we ever listen to and it’s nothing we ever saw ourselves as.  I think we maybe had a little bit of animosity about that or something, but it ended up great because it caused us to push way further and I think we finally found our identity with this one.

iheartthemusic: In being a Chicago-based band and growing up there, were you inspired at all by that music scene in particular?

Matthew: Yeah, and I don’t know necessarily if it was a conscience thing, I mean, it is now but at the time it wasn’t. I think it’s just a blue collar town, a lot of electronic music stems from there, a lot of house music and then bands like Smashing Pumpkins. All that is subtly ingrained in you and it actually took our producer David Bendeth, who we worked with on the second record, the one we just put out, to sort of bring that to life. He was telling us that, and we didn’t realize it until that moment, but yeah, it influenced us for sure.

Nathan: It’s really cool, I’ve grown a much bigger appreciation and respect for Chicago as of late. I mean, Chess Records is one of the most infamous blues labels based out of there; a lot of their artists are based out of Chicago, it was a huge blues city. Now it seems like every couple of years Chicago turns out huge bands, it’s really cool. I really respect and appreciate that about Chicago.

iheartthemusic: I feel that Chicago and Detroit have their own style and their own scene more than anywhere else.

Matthew: More genuine and honest music comes almost from a necessity. They make music to give them something.

iheartthemusic: Your music is very big sounding.  Was the whole band drawn to this big sound when forming and making the first record?

Matthew: I think it’s a result of the four of us having pretty diverse taste in music, but all of us having in common that we like bands like Paul Simon, The Beatles, all the staples right on through to Metallica, NIN and Smashing Pumpkins. So, like, we were fans, we didn’t grow up listening to hard core punk per say. Our parents were listening to Paul Simon and Fleetwood Mac and we were loving that and I think that’s where we became fans of big chorus and dramatics in music.

iheartthemusic: So you guys were on the same page musically from the get go.

Nathan: It’s weird because I feel like we’ve been in bands in the past and it always felt like we were trying so hard to get something we liked. With this band it seems like when we’re working on something we all kind of know when we love it right away and we all like really love it.  It’s a weird thing, whatever it is, between anybody in a creative environment, there feels like there is some magical click or something. I’m not saying that it ends up the most amazing music but for us it’s so fulfilling, it’s easy and it’s satisfying and rewarding.

iheartthemuisc: You say in an interview that Smashing Pumpkins and Refused revolutionized music, in what way do you think they did that?

Matthew: I think honesty and integrity applies to both bands. Refused, for example, had no ulterior motives with their music, they had a statement and they were going to make it no matter who was trying to stop them, no one would be able to. The Smashing Pumpkins came out in a time when this new thing was burgeoning called “grunge” and they got thrown into that category right away, and they were not grunge! So they especially had to articulate themselves, you know, to set themselves apart; their music and subject matter and lyrics distinguished them and made them pioneers.

iheartthemusic: Well, I definitely agree with you on that, Smashing Pumpkins are my favorite. Well, back to your music and your new album, what do you want fans to take away from it, what is your message?

Nathan: Well, I think music for us has always been this kind of escape, like anything that is going on in your life that is stressful or otherwise, happy or sad or whatever, music was always a way to escape that reality. [Music] created this imaginary world for us, which is one reason why we kind of created this town and story behind the album, to get that across.  So I think it would be incredibly rewarding if someone was inspired in any way, shape or form, like if anyone felt better about their life or themselves, felt connected, relieved, anything like that, it would be really rewarding. We hope our music incites enthusiasm or provokes thought, you know, maybe  get people thinking about something from a different perspective.

iheartthemusic: Other than this tour you will also be on Warped this year! How different is it traveling with a ton of bands all at once?

Matthew: Night and day, it’s very, very different. Warped is an amazing tour but it’s a really arduous tour because your set times change every day; you never know what time you are playing until that morning and you have to get there at like 7am. The drive and the traveling is pretty brutal, there aren’t many days off, but with so many bands it’s awesome because a lot of your friends are on it and you get to hang out.

Nathan: Some people like drama, I suppose, we don’t, we like to kick it on the sidelines and enjoy ourselves. I heard that the bands on it this year are going to be just awesome, laid back, cool vibes, no egos… then the tour will be amazing.

Matthew: It is vastly different, what is important to us when we play live is to really create this full-on cerebral experience. You can accomplish that in a club where it is dark and you do your own thing with lights or whatever, however you want to present your show. [However], there’s only one way to present a show at Warped: get on stage, sweat your balls off, get off.

iheartthemusic: Tell me about your stage show, do you have any pre- and post-show rituals?

Matthew: Yes and yes. Pre-show rituals: we do some yoga and some meditating, try to get on the same wavelength. We all have our nervous things that we do while we’re pacing around and muttering little mantras to one another that I won’t disclose because they are embarrassing… As I was saying before, a concert experience for us has always been that escape; when the lights go off and the doors close and everyone is packed in, it’s like nothing else in your life matters and that’s how we feel when we’re on stage, so hopefully that is conveyed and you can get a break, a little mini vacation from all the griefs in your life and all your dramas, people judging people and all of that crap. None of it matters in that time, you can just let go and cut loose.

Nathan: We’re not about any scene bullshit, popularity, or haircut or what clothes your wearing. We’re about an uninhibited environment where everyone can absolutely be themselves and can be in a judge free zone and don’t have to worry what other people are doing, or saying or thinking about them.  So that’s what we try to convey from the stage.  The truly great shows are when the audience gives that back and you can tell it’s uninhibited.

iheartthemusic: I have one last question I have to ask. You boys were on twin Fear Factor and won! Did you use all those winnings to record and produce your first EP, The Disappearance of Adalia?

Nathan: I bought a flat screen TV, which is one of the best purchases, I love television. I love watching like Curb your Enthusiasm, Weeds, Lost, 24, I love those series. So, yeah I think that was one of my better investments. But that was it, otherwise it was all pretty much the band.

Matthew: We had so much debt going into that thing, we could pay credit cards off and make a demo that was about it.

iheartthemusic: Was it a good experience?

Matthew: It was an interesting one… we thought it would be hilarious! We were going to go on there, make fun of the jocks, get kicked off and by the time it aired we we’re going to invite our friends over and just happen to turn the TV on and be like, “look what happened!”  We thought that would be awesome. It didn’t go that way.

Nathan: It kind of became a big deal. As far as the experience, it was miserable, to be honest… The shit we had to do and the actual stunts plus it was cold.

Matthew: Dealing with those meatheads and the people that go on that show, but it was kinda funny, I guess… We invited all of our friends to this bar and had them play it and that’s when we watched it and that was about it.

Nathan: That was fun as hell that night!

iheartthemusic: Getting drunk and watching the show?

Matthew: Yeah, and a friend of ours from high school threw up in his glass just watching it!

Interview by Kristen Tignanelli

Photography by Joyce Wong

Sharing the stage starting in April with Ladytron on their North America Tour, is the electro band The Faint, who hail from Omaha, Nebraska. On their Toronto stop at Phoenix on Monday (April 6), The Faint totally stole the show. Before their set, iheartthemusic did some theft work of their own and stole a few moments with The Faint’s keyboardist and backup vocalist, Jacob Thiele.

iheartthemusic: How many times have you guys been in Toronto?

Jacob: I think this is the sixth show we’ve played in Toronto. No, sorry, seventh. We played with Bright Eyes at that place that’s near the water.

iheartthemusic: Koolhaus?

Jacob: No, it’s a different place. There are driving ranges and a go-kart track over there. I can even see it from the CN Tower.

iheartthemusic photog: The Docks [now the Sound Academy]!

Jacob: Yeah, we played there. So this is the seventh show.

iheartthemusic: You guys are playing Toronto today and then heading over to Montreal tomorrow, what do you guys most look forward to when playing Canada?

Jacob: As oppose to other places, Canadian people are very friendly. The shows are probably very similar to other shows in North America. I mean, we just like to play, and it’s fun for us to be playing in a different country technically. But other than that we just like to play shows and we appreciate the politeness of Canadians as a whole.

iheartthemusic: I guess in terms of playing the States…

Jacob: We dread the border sometimes, that can be a real hassle, especially during the Bush Administration going back into the States. It was sometimes kind of a nightmare.

iheartthemusic: Yikes!

Jacob: We had an LD that was deported. He was denied entrance to America one time and we’ve been held up at the border probably for a grand total of six hours. But this time coming into Canada was easy. I think our bus driver is Canadian, so that might have helped.

iheartthemusic: I’ve actually had horror stories too, especially passing through to the States, but I’ve never heard Americans having a hard time crossing the border.

Jacob: It happens. There’s a documentary made some years ago, where they had a funny episode of [people] trying to cross the border and they’re trying to explain to the border people what they do for a living and what they’re trying to do. [Laughs.]

iheartthemusic: Haha, that’s crazy. In terms of your routine, you guys are pretty busy with your shows and you all play day after day, what would you say your daily routine is, especially before playing a show?

Jacob: I kind of wake up and usually, if I have time, I’ll go get some breakfast and coffee somewhere. I have some internet responsibilities like the Twittering and Facebooking and MySpacing. But other than that, sound check and finding the time to call my wife and if we’re lucky we get a nice meal somewhere, but we don’t really get to see too much. We don’t get to really do too much unless it’s close to the venue, like if there’s a record store nearby. So mostly it has to do with the show; setting up our gear and sound checking and sometimes interviews.

iheartthemusic: You guys are touring with Ladytron in North America and they’re one of the most known electro bands at the moment, do you have any stories from touring with them?

Jacob: They’re very nice people. We’ve only been in the road with them for less than a week so we haven’t really hung out that much. We’ve had an after party in Chicago and they had one in Milwaukee and I’m just really glad that they’re really nice people. They have similar tastes and they’re cool to hang out with.

iheartthemusic: Cool. I know your band has also moved record labels. How’s that going?

Jacob: It’s working out probably about the same as it would have in Saddle Creek [Records]. We’ve thought pretty long and hard about different ways to put out this record and after pretty much doing everything else ourselves we decided to put it out ourselves too because it seemed like it was the right thing to do with this particular album. We would have that option for future albums and possibly other projects that we might be involved with as well as friends’ groups and that sort of thing. We’ve always had a lot of artistic freedom and what not with Saddle Creek and now we still do since we just answer to ourselves. Yeah, no complaints. I think other bands in our position will be well off to do the same thing.

iheartthemusic: And for the people who haven’t seen you live, what should your audiences and fans expect?

Jacob: It’s kind of a flashy, energetic live show. We tend to play the songs that work best in a live scenario. We’ve played a lot of shows, hundreds over the years and we certainly have our favourites and I guess we play our favourites, which is maybe a bit selfish, but I think it makes for more energy and better morale.

iheartthemusic: That’s so true.

Jacob: There’s also a lot of ridiculous dance moves happening on stage. We try to set an example through our actions. I’ve seen bands that can inspire dancing without moving a lot or bands that don’t move a lot but then try and tell people that they should be dancing. I think the best way to do it is to just enjoy the music yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to get the crowd moving and then I just kind of ignore them for a while and get into my own world. And by the time I start paying attention to them, they’re all into it.

iheartthemusic: I think it’s good that you guys are playing your favourite songs because if those are your favourite songs, then it would totally show in your performances too.

Jacob: Yeah, that’s part of the whole idea.

iheartthemusic: What are you guys look forward to in the summer?

Jacob: We don’t really know. We were going to do some festivals and shows in Europe but I think we kind of decided against it because of the economy and where we are as a band. In Europe it’s really hard for bands from America, especially bands like us that have a lot of gear, to get our gear over there and travel and accommodations and everything, to come home without losing a decent amount of money. I hope we can figure something out and still play some of those festivals and do some travelling and maybe get to Mexico or something, but yeah, right now it’s totally up in the air. We’re kind of just keeping our fingers crossed hoping that we can do some more travelling or do some more shows and work on some new music.

iheartthemusic: Is there anything else you want to add that perhaps I didn’t ask?

Jacob: I guess I could tell you that we’ve spent a lot of time trying to make the live show work well with programming lights, making videos and making all these things ourselves. Because, I want people to appreciate the fact that we’re a very hands-on band. We’re just trying to make the show as good as it can be whether we’ve hired someone else to do it or we do it ourselves.

iheartthemusic: I know a lot of people I’ve spoken to in the line-up are expecting and looking forward to seeing the show, and many are very excited.

Jacob: Awesome. Yeah, Ladytron is really good too. It’s difficult to have completely different looking shows on the same stage, or on the same tour, but I think we’ve managed to work it out. I think it’s a good show overall and everybody that I’ve talked to seems to have thought the previous shows went well, and I think it will only get better from here.

Interview conducted by Chris Jai Centeno

Photography by Joyce Wong

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