Sunleadsme Magazine

I first heard Half Moon Run’s 21 Gun Salute and the intensely dramatic beginning to that song with lead vocals by Devon Portielje on the CBC at a live show, just a couple of months ago. It was meditative even ambient – and I was entranced –instantly inspired – including other songs like Full Circle.Although I had not heard of them before, I felt it was a new mission of mine to share the gift of music with my family (including my preschool age children on some certain tracks (Call me in the afternoon even by one by one [x2 ]is sung around the hosue like a Christmas Carol substituting some words in for the obvious) and all my friends and social network so they too could enjoy this gift. That being said there was something sacred in hearing them for the first time. It was so different yet modern but there was a comfort in it that seemed to be missing in most modern music, and not felt by me personally, since artists like Bob Dylan, and Ballads from Simon & Garfunkel, I was introduced to in my youth.
That same day after discovering and enjoying the first album on iTunes (Dark Eyes Released June 2013) My musical journey with HMR led me to discover the second album which coincidentally was released that same day!
Sun Leads Me, Released Oct 23, 2015
It was a groovier sound and a more uplifting album than the first. It assisted in my creativity and put me in a greater mindset, having just emerged from the writing depths, after 10 years and creating again myself personally.
In researching the journey of the band, from recording in the desert (Texas) to California (For some seaside inspiration, leading up to the Second Album, and living in a dome shaped Oceanside house fit just right for a inspirational surf all day and late night magic sessions ) To experimenting in Europe in what appears to be a bit of a Rave Scene – road testing songs like Trust - it all lines up triumphantly.
I was lucky enough to experience this live set of troubadours on Dec 7th, 2015 at Sugar Nightclub in Victoria BC to a sold out show where some fans paid 9 x the door price just to get in. After staying late and meeting the eclectic mix of supporters, including a High School French Teacher and his wife who also thought their sound was as transcendent and made the journey to support them from up Island (Where most of the band hails from in Comox), to the sprawl of young woman who clearly were there for the "act" to the Lead Vocalist Devon Portielje who you could say in my excitement of après show and with my slight nerves "When a sip of gin saved an hour of speech - Nerve " I didn’t quite get the interview I thought I would - instead Briefly – you could say I found speaking with Devon clearly exhaustive from his end.
This band tours and plays almost nightly I would have asked him who "stole his Sunny Day" – but I could tell he was wiped. I asked him if the band would emerge on the Island again soon (Returning to play Rifflandia in 2016 like in 2014 but he didn’t commit to that.)
I spoke to his interests and would he get a chance to Surf the Jordan River on his visit to the Island but he said they only had 8 hours in the city and then off to Vancouver for the next nights sold out show at the Imperial.
This Band works hard – you forget sometimes when you haven’t seen an emerging act for awhile ( My last show was UB40 in the summer at the Commodore in Vancouver ) that to really put yourself forward you have to put in the hours (years ) on Tour (They actually toured Dark Eyes for three years !)
Just the fact that the Lead from the opening act for that nights show (Nick
Vallee from Folly & The Hunter) was assisting behind the counter at the merchandise booth after a long night and travel… well that’s a team of working mans bands.
More on the Music, there is huge variety in sounds on the current album, Sun Leads me – with the gritty Narrow Margins - There is a hint of Flamingo music that quickly folds into a somewhat Hip Hop beat – the sound not found anywhere else on the album, speaks like a story its very cool and soulful. It wasn’t played in the show, as I had anticipated – it’s a story of sorts that sounds very introspective.
Highlighting the further talents of Connor Molander (Harmonica being my favorite) one can find a cover done of the modern, Chvrches –The Mother we Share on the BBC Radio 1 (01/2014) then found again in the finale to the current live show touring with the Cover to Bob Dylan’s , Shall be released – seeing it live is spectacular - it was clever and mirrored the original art but with a tang of HMR.
There are confessional tones and a little sadness on both albums – and stories of what appears to be glimpse into the world of addiction – Music is a challenging business for anyone who has had this in their lives – this band however appears to live clean and is into a very healthy lifestyle from surfing to organic gardening mentioned to me by a family friend at the show about Issac’s Symonds (Mandolin extraordinaire and haunting vocalist) wishes for at organic landscaping book for Christmas.
I have heard Dylan Philips (Drummer – who has a great timing and a soulful sound as a professionally trained pianist – and always rocks the keyboard) said in other interviews that in terms of personal struggles that they have had the music guide them as a group – I noticed words formed around the struggle with being saved and loss of faith - perhaps even a loss of hope there – I hope they will continue to explore some further element of faith and that this translates to even more extraordinary music from this talented group, I am proud to call Canadian and will continue to share as their talents that will be sure to surprise us with further gifts in the future.
I clicked the you tube link on HMR’s website and watched some videos they had favored and found: TORA : and now I feel like the gifts just keep giving.
In the next feature story coming in January 2016:
　
Artist Profile: Half Moon Run
Singer Devon Portielje on vocals, guitar and percussion;
Conner Molander on vocals, guitar and keyboard;
Dylan Phillips on vocals, drums and keyboard;
Isaac Symonds on vocals, percussions, mandolin, keyboard and guitar.

Sunleadsme

CAPITOL TO CAPITOL Travel review tie in

Family event the Blues School and all Family photos

FOO FIGHTERS NIGHT 1 JULY 10

1. All My Life

2. Learn to Fly

3. The Pretender

4. The Sky Is a Neighborhood

5. Rope

6. Drum Solo

7. Sunday Rain

8. My Hero

9. These Days

10. Walk

11. Blues Jam / Another One Bites the Dust

12. The Dee Da

13. Imagine / Jump / Blitzkrieg Bop

14. Under Pressure (Queen cover)

15. Monkey Wrench

16. Run

17. Breakout

18. Dirty Water

19. Best of You

20. Still:

21. You Oughta Know (Alanis Morissette cover) (Dave and Taylor with a brief… more )

22. Big Me

23. Times Like These

24. Everlong

Foo Fighters rock Bluesfest
Concert review

Foo Fighters, Greta Van Fleet

City Stage, RBC Ottawa Bluesfest

The Foo Fighters have a response for the pundits who keep saying rock is in danger of extinction, certain to be taken over by country music or forced to the backburner by hiphop and R&B.

The Foos’ stance on the issue was obvious on Tuesday as the band demonstrated its vitality with a loud and thrilling knockout punch of a rock concert in front of a sold-out crowd at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest.

“Hey, I know we’re at a bluesfest right now,” hollered singer-guitarist Dave Grohl, who was dripping with sweat by the second song, “but I came here to play some rock ‘n’ roll. You want some rock ‘n’ roll?”

The crowd roared its approval, and off he went with his bandmates, careening through a marathon, close-to-three-hour show that bristled with intensity at every turn. The Grammy-winning U.S. rockers blasted out of the gates going full-tilt on All My Life, hitting top gear in a fraction of a second and barely letting up on the gas, except to banter with fans and introduce the band.

Blowing a kiss to fans, the 49-year-old Grohl promised to play at least one song from each of their nine albums. He was clearly having a great time dashing across the stage, wielding his sky-blue guitar and screaming into the microphone, possibly even more fun than the fans packed onto the LeBreton Flats plaza. A diverse crowd ranging from grizzled rockers to young punks pumped their fists and sang along.

The pace was intense through Learn To Fly and The Pretender, two of the Foos’ most popular and radio-friendly singles, and they kept it up for The Sky is a Neighbourhood, one of the tracks from the latest album, Concrete and Gold. Later on came another flurry of singles, including Monkey Wrench, Breakout and Best Of You, plus a version of a newer tune, Dirty Water, that featured Grohl’s daughter, Violet, helping out with the vocals.

The concert also featured a wicked display of guitar dexterity by lead guitarist Chris Shiflett, which morphed into some blues for the occasion. “I don’t think we’ve ever played a blues song,” declared Grohl. “Let’s play a blues song.”

Somewhere in the middle was an entertaining medley that included an inventive keyboard mashup of the Beatles and Van Halen, as well as snippets of Queen, the Ramones and more.

RELATED
Fans don’t have to battle long Bluesfest lineups to get in to see Foo Fighters
The barrage of melodic hard rock was interrupted for some of the obligatory rituals of a rock concert, including, of course, a drum solo. In one interesting aside, drummer Taylor Hawkins referred to his time touring the world with Ottawa native Alanis Morissette. That’s when he first met Grohl, he said, giving props to the city of Ottawa and Alanis for the opportunity that led to his long career with the Foos.

Alanis came up again when Grohl returned to the stage for an encore, teasing an Alanis tune and reminiscing about the time he and Miss Thang had the same pigtail hairstyle in separate, mid-90s music videos. In honour of the “serendiptious hairdo” memory, he played that old-school Foos’ song, Big Me, before ripping through Times Like these and Everlong.

Grohl was well aware that it had been a decade since the band last performed in Ottawa. It was long enough that anticipation was at a fever pitch for their Bluesfest debut, which was also one of the rare occasions the festival has declared a sellout in advance. Organizers opened the gates ahead of schedule to accommodate the throngs, although they should have had more personnel serving beer, too.

The main-stage opener, by the way, provided further proof of the positive state of rock music. Michigan’s Greta Van Fleet consists of the three Kiszka brothers, with a friend, Danny Wagner, on drums. In their ’60s-inspired outfits of fringes, feathers and bellbottoms, the baby-faced crew played with the passion of Led Zeppelin and The Who combined, their energy focused on a curly haired singer, Josh Kiszka, whose searing voice rose to Robert Plant-like heights. It was a great match for the Foo Fighters, solidifying the case that rock is most definitely not dead.

lsaxberg@postmedia.com

DMB BluesFest 2018

1. So Much to Say

2. That Girl Is You

3. One Sweet World

4. Don't Drink the Water

5. What Would You Say

6. Again and Again

7. Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel cover)

8. Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)

9. Jimi Thing

10. You Might Die Trying

11. Can't Stop

12. Crash Into Me

13. Warehouse

14. Why I Am

15. Ants Marching

16. Encore:

17. Do You Remember

18. Pantala Naga Pampa

19. Rapunzel

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
Wednesday
Dave Matthews Band
Still cooling off from the fire and fury of the Foo Fighters the night before, Bluesfest returned to its lazy, hazy summer ways Wednesday with the Dave Matthews Band taking over the tie-dyed festival grounds.

The venerable Virginia-based jam-band made their long-awaited festival debut — their local contingent of loyal fans petitioned Bluesfest for years to offer DMB an invitation — with an epic set of groovy jams showcasing each bandmate’s supreme musicianship.

It’s been awhile since the band played the capital. Their mammoth tours once made the old Corel Centre a regular stop during their late-90s hey-day, and local music-lovers still talk about their 1996 club show at a packed Barrymore’s.

Matthews and Co. made up for the extended absence (their last show here was in 2002), with a two-and-a-half hour set stacked with crowd-pleasing favourites from an extensive repertoire.

“It’s been a long time, we’re very, very grateful,” the affable Matthews said by way of introduction. “I love visiting this very civilized country to the north of the one I call home. So much so, on occasion I’ve wondered about moving up here.

But while other heavyweights may have fallen behind the times, DMB not only survived the era, they keep their fans under a spell by creating more of the same magic on their studio efforts as they do in their live performances.

Their latest, and ninth studio album Come Tomorrow, peaked at number one after its release in June, proving again the band’s staying power and crossover appeal.

Part of that has always been due to Matthew’s front man charm, on full display at centre stage as the band started up the new tune That Girl is You from the latest record, Matthews strumming his ever-present acoustic, his falsetto soaring above the bed of percussion and stinging guitar lines.

And Matthews has always surrounded himself with the finest of players to support his songwriting, the band’s membership now swelled to a seven-piece after the departure of founding member and violinist Boyd Tinsley.

Tinsley’s flashy presence was missed most dearly on set pieces like Jimi Thing and Ants Marching, where in place of his usual flame-thrower fiddling, the band had trumpeter Rashawn Ross and sax-man Jeff Coffin trading licks with keyboardist Buddy Strong and longtime Matthews collaborator Tim Reynolds on electric guitar.

But the star of the show for many in the crowd was the powerhouse drumming of Carter Beauford, navigating an enormous kit and weaving intricate splashes of cymbals and percussion, or pounding out a furious double-kick beat.

The interplay between Beauford and Matthews was near-telepathic on the vintage One Sweet World, from a collection of their earliest recordings released back in 1993.

Matthews snarling voice was only amplified by Beauford’s thunderous beat on Don’t Drink the Water, and they continued to play off each other’s intersecting rhythms on the funky What Would You Say, from their 1994 smash Under the Table and Dreaming, now serving as a launching pad for Coffin and his searing sax.

The band touched on its entire catalogue, with hits Crash Into Me and fan-favourite Ants Marching mixed with road-tested tunes from their new album.

Again and Again and Samurai Cop were among the best of the new batch, served up before breaking into a midset highlight with a ripping cover of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer.

There are few who can take on such a daunting tune, but DMB shot it into the stratosphere. And they were just getting warmed up.

Bluesfest continues with festival favourites Blue Rodeo Thursday.

ahelmer@postmedia.com

Blue Rodeo / The Lynnes

But after Shaggy pulled out and Blue Rodeo stepped in, it meant the hip hop crew became the warm-up act for Canada’s beloved country-rock stalwarts, which was something of a head scratcher for everyone involved.

Leave it to Bluesfest to come up with one of the most unlikely pop-music pairings conceivable, although credit goes to both acts for making it work. After all, both rose to popularity in the ’90s, and it seems they share a certain, slim demographic of fans.

For Blue Rodeo, it was their 12th concert at the festival since 2001, and all the elements fell into place for yet another enjoyable night. The weather was beautiful, the sound was terrific, and the crowd was a manageable size.

Co-singer-songwriter Jim Cuddy greeted folks like old friends: “So nice to be back at Bluesfest,” he said, getting into the spirit of the night. “Don’t worry we’ll keep the hip hop going up here.”

Well, not exactly. Blue Rodeo followed their usual roots-rock groove, but kept it upbeat and played with a swagger, almost like there was something to prove.

And maybe there was.

After a hearing problem experienced by co-frontman Greg Keelor caused some uncertainty in the Blue Rodeo camp this year, the band may be feeling the need to flex their musical muscle on this string of summer dates.

Whatever the reason, they played remarkably well, and it was reassuring to see the full lineup operate at peak capacity, cranking out shapely arrangements of the familiar songs that so many Canadians have grown up with.

The oft-requested ballad Five Days in May was a starting point that drew everyone together, the lush version decorated by the guitar work of Colin Cripps. The old nugget, Diamond Mine, was extended with an intense and trippy keyboard interlude by keyboardist Michael Boguski, who also provided an accordion flourish to Bad Timing.

Young Jimmy Bowskill, who’s a part-time member of the band when he’s not busy with Sheepdogs gigs, added a range of textures to the songs, too, contributing mandolin, violin and pedal steel to the proceedings.

The contrasting, honey-and-grit voices of Cuddy and Keelor were strong and true, and they had some assistance from Ottawa singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards, who made a surprise appearance singing backup vocals on Try and Lost Together in the encore, joined by a chorus of thousands in the audience.

Earlier in the evening, the New Jersey hip hop trio Naughty By Nature delivered a show that was designed to please a wide audience, kicking it off with a soft-rock singalong and a show of respect for elders born in the 1960s.

It was an easily digestible beginning for an audience that looked to be mostly Blue Rodeo fans seeing Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee for the first time. All three performers worked hard to build a party atmosphere. Shots of liquor were consumed and single ladies were encouraged to disrobe in the 25th-anniversary hiphop celebration.

Highlights included the old-school hits O.P.P. and Hip Hop Hooray, the beats getting heavier as the show progressed. References to Tupac, the Humpty Dance, Marty McFly, and A Tribe Called Quest were tossed out along the way, a series of pop-culture tidbits that helped ease the transition between American hiphop and Cancon campfire tunes.

BECK

1. Devils Haircut

2. Loser

3. Mixed Bizness

4. Qué Onda Güero

5. Wow

6. Colors

7. l'm So Free

8. Go It Alone

9. Lost Cause

10. Debra

11. Raspberry Beret(Prince cover)

12. Blue Moon

13. Dreams

14. Girl

(Kanye West's 'Power' snippet)

15. Up All Night

16. E-Pro

17. Encore:

18. Where It's At

19. Good Times / Miss You / Cars / Once in a Lifetime / In the Air Tonight

20. One Foot in the Grave

21. Where It's At

(Reprise)

Beck came to party Friday night, the L.A. troubadour delivering a dynamic performance touching on every phase of his eclectic career as a horde of fans turned Bluesfest’s sun-baked lawn into a giant dance party.

His crack eight-piece band striking a pose along the laser-lit stage, with the flashing neon grid backdrop looking as if it was lifted from Tron, Beck stood centre-stage with his guitar held aloft as the thunderous opening riff of Devil’s Haircut came crashing down around him.

“How ya doing Ottawa?” Beck shouted over the teeming spectators, all raising their hands to the heavens as the unmistakable slide guitar hook of Loser washed over them.

The catchy chorus, ultra-funky beat and stream-of-consciousness lyrics somehow still sounded as fresh and distinct in the flesh Friday as it did when it first soared across the radio waves back in 1994.

“Thank you so much for welcoming us and embracing us,” the just-turned 48-year-old Beck told the boisterous crowd on his Ottawa debut.

· “I’m in the mood for something soulful, a little bit moving. Something to take it a little bit higher.”

GALLERY:

PHOTO GALLERY: BLUESFEST ON FRIDAY NIGHT (JULY 13, 2018)

· Beck on the City Stage for a Friday night performance during RBC Ottawa Bluesfest continues on...

· Sturgill Simpson and his band perform on the City Stage of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday...

· Sturgill Simpson band members Miles Miller on drums, and Chuck Bartels on bass guitar, perform...

· Sturgill Simpson and his band perform on the City Stage on Friday evening. Wayne...

· JW-Jones performs on the City Stage on Friday. Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia WAYNE...

· A close-up view of the guitar of JW-Jones during his Friday evening performance at RBC Ottawa...

· JW-Jones performs on the City Stage on Friday evening. Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia WAYNE...

· Cassidy Taylor performs in the Barney Danson Theatre during RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday...

· Cassidy Taylor performs in the Barney Danson Theatre of the Canadian War Museum as part of RBC...

· Hip hop performer BLACK IRI$H on the Black Sheep Stage on Friday evening. Wayne...

· Fans of hip hop performer BLACK IRI$H cheer him on at the Black Sheep Stage on Friday evening....

· Megan Kardos, 19, is all sparkled up for a night at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday. Wayne...

· The performer BLACK IRI$H joins with fans at the Black Sheep Stage of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on...

· Beck performs on the City Stage during RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday night. Wayne...

· Beck on the City Stage of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday night. Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia

· Beck on the City Stage for a Friday night performance during RBC Ottawa Bluesfest continues on...

· Sturgill Simpson and his band perform on the City Stage of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday...

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When the band didn’t play it hot enough for his liking, Beck took it upon himself to rev up the tempo with Mixed Bizness, the disco-infused hit single from his hard-partying Midnite Vultures album.

He instructed the crowd to “Giddy up” on the throbbing Wow, from his latest Colors, then busted out the dancey title track, which he (fairly accurately) described as “psychedelic Michael Jackson,” while pulling out his best MJ dance moves.

Always eclectic, Beck showed he had been equally adept at keeping up with his contemporaries with slickly-produced robotic beats, synth sounds and electronic bleeps and blips colouring new tunes I’m So Free, Wow and the furious Up All Night, its club-worthy pumping beat with shades of Timberlake.

He took time out to showcase the many other sides of Beck, though, gathering his band along the front of the stage for some acoustic samplings of the best of his back catalogue: the beautiful Lost Cause, rendered even more spare than the album version on Sea Change, the haunting Blue Moon, from his Grammy-winning Morning Phase, and the hilariously cheesy Debra, with Beck inserting an ad-lib vocal about driving around Ottawa listening to his favourite song on the radio and teasing a tidbit of that tune, Prince’s Raspberry Beret.

By the encore, a roaring version of Odelay smash Where It’s At, Beck had already worn each one of his influences loudly on his sleeve.

Still, in case anyone missed the clues, he cued them all up in sequence with riffs on The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever, The Stones’ Miss You, a verse of Once in a Lifetime by the Talking Heads and a rip-snorting take on the Delta blues of One Foot in the Grave from his earliest days as an anti-folk hero.

***

Sturgill Simpson and his band perform on the City Stage at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest on Friday night. Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia WAYNE CUDDINGTON / POSTMEDIA

Making a fine example of Bluesfest’s new festival format pitting two headliner-worthy acts on the main stage, early-arriving fans were treated to a scorching evening set from Sturgill Simpson.

The self-professed purveyor of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music — the title of his 2014 breakthrough album — Simpson and his band blazed through another genre-bending set, equally at ease with the earnest ballads, soul-infused heavy blues, heartland rockers and outlaw country boogie that make Simpson so difficult to define.

Opening with It Ain’t All Flowers, Simpson let loose his gritty growl and searing Telecaster licks as his lean, mean four-piece churned up a deep groove seeped in soulful Hammond organ.

The band barely took a breath cutting into The Promise, a cover of the ’80s new wave hit given the twangy Nashville treatment. Simpson said only a quick hello before that tune broke into the thick funk intro of Some Days from his self-funded, self-released 2013 debut High Top Mountain, with Simpson showing off his hot electric guitar licks and wearing influences of Highwaymen Waylon and Willie on his sleeve.

The band — drummer Miles Miller, bassist Chuck Bartels and Bobby Emmett on keys — had barely broken a sweat by the time they shifted seamlessly into Turtles All the Way Down, the thick blues riffage and chunky beat of Keep It Between the Lines, and the rippling waves of Breakers Roar, from his Grammy-winning 2016 album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.

His cover of ’60s Stax soul hit You Don’t Miss Your Water, later featured on The Byrds’ essential Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, was further proof both of Simpson’s cross-genre appeal and his defiance of any convenient category the music industry may try to apply.

ahelmer@postmedia.com

Beck has been promising since 2014 that his latest (then next) album Colors would feature "high-energy songs, designed for live shows," and boy if he didn't deliver on that promise. Tracks like "Wow" (which was accompanied some ridiculously psychedelic visuals) and title track "Colors" were downright uproarious.

But those were only offered mid-set. He began his Toronto show with a slew of classics from his earlier albums, immediately whipping the crowd into a nostalgic frenzy. First on the list was "Devil's Haircut" from his 1996 record Odelay. It was an opener that not many expected, but one that was most definitely appreciated. He then followed it with his breakout single "Loser," which then ran into "The New Pollution."

Up to this point Beck was still guitar-less, simply jumping around donned in one of his trademark hats. This was fairly short-lived though, as he cracked out his acoustic for "Mixed Bizness." From there on in his set was a perfect blend of intimacy and hype. To accomplish this, Beck could have easily ran through a mix of his latest album, and his previous, award-winning record Morning Phase, but that wasn't to be case — this was a show packed with oldies and goldies. Surprisingly a lot of the highlights came from his divisive 2005 album Guero. "Go It Alone," "Earthquake Weather," and "E-Pro" proved to be some of the best tracks of the night.

His covers of other artists' songs stuck out like a jazzy thumb; his slowed-down version of Prince's "Raspberry Beret" was one of most beautiful parts of the night. This was probably overshadowed, however, by perhaps the longest interlude of any live performance to date. Here, halfway through "Where It's At," Beck took some time to introduce the band and let each member bang out a 30-second jam of their choosing: the bassist treated us to a snippet of Chic's "Good Times," the keyboardist gave us a slice of "Takin' it to the Streets," by the Doobie Brothers, before the rest of the band dished out "Cars," by Gary Numan, "Once in a Lifetime," by Talking Heads, and a whirlwind of a solo by drummer Chris Coleman.

At this point it was easy to forget that they were actually in the middle of a song, and though no one wanted the funky renditions to end, "Where It's At" had to kick back in some time, and kick it did. Just before that though there was a lovely moment when the whole crowd sang happy birthday to Beck (he was turning 48 at midnight). If his birthday wish was to put on a majestically memorable show, then he must have blown the candles just right, because that's exactly what he got.

It’s not a riddle it’s a stepping stone

Although I had not heard of them before, I felt it was a new mission of mine to share the gift of music with my family (including my preschool age children on some certain tracks (Call me in the afternoon even by one by one [x2 ]is sung around the hosue like a Christmas Carol substituting some words in for the obvious) and all my friends and social network so they too could enjoy this gift. That being said there was something sacred in hearing them for the first time. It was so different yet modern but there was a comfort in it that seemed to be missing in most modern music, and not felt by me personally, since artists like Bob Dylan, and Ballads from Simon & Garfunkel, I was introduced to in my youth.

That same day after discovering and enjoying the first album on iTunes (Dark Eyes Released June 2013) My musical journey with HMR led me to discover the second album which coincidentally was released that same day!

Sun Leads Me, Released Oct 23, 2015

It was a groovier sound and a more uplifting album than the first. It assisted in my creativity and put me in a greater mindset, having just emerged from the writing depths, after 10 years and creating again myself personally.

In researching the journey of the band, from recording in the desert (Texas) to California (For some seaside inspiration, leading up to the Second Album, and living in a dome shaped Oceanside house fit just right for a inspirational surf all day and late night magic sessions ) To experimenting in Europe in what appears to be a bit of a Rave Scene – road testing songs like Trust - it all lines up triumphantly.

I was lucky enough to experience this live set of troubadours on Dec 7th, 2015 at Sugar Nightclub in Victoria BC to a sold out show where some fans paid 9 x the door price just to get in. After staying late and meeting the eclectic mix of supporters, including a High School French Teacher and his wife who also thought their sound was as transcendent and made the journey to support them from up Island (Where most of the band hails from in Comox), to the sprawl of young woman who clearly were there for the "act" to the Lead Vocalist Devon Portielje who you could say in my excitement of après show and with my slight nerves "When a sip of gin saved an hour of speech - Nerve " I didn’t quite get the interview I thought I would - instead Briefly – you could say I found speaking with Devon clearly exhaustive from his end.

This band tours and plays almost nightly I would have asked him who "stole his Sunny Day" – but I could tell he was wiped. I asked him if the band would emerge on the Island again soon (Returning to play Rifflandia in 2016 like in 2014 but he didn’t commit to that.)

I spoke to his interests and would he get a chance to Surf the Jordan River on his visit to the Island but he said they only had 8 hours in the city and then off to Vancouver for the next nights sold out show at the Imperial.

This Band works hard – you forget sometimes when you haven’t seen an emerging act for awhile ( My last show was UB40 in the summer at the Commodore in Vancouver ) that to really put yourself forward you have to put in the hours (years ) on Tour (They actually toured Dark Eyes for three years !)

Just the fact that the Lead from the opening act for that nights show (Nick
Vallee from Folly & The Hunter) was assisting behind the counter at the merchandise booth after a long night and travel… well that’s a team of working mans bands.

More on the Music, there is huge variety in sounds on the current album, Sun Leads me – with the gritty Narrow Margins - There is a hint of Flamingo music that quickly folds into a somewhat Hip Hop beat – the sound not found anywhere else on the album, speaks like a story its very cool and soulful. It wasn’t played in the show, as I had anticipated – it’s a story of sorts that sounds very introspective.

Highlighting the further talents of Connor Molander (Harmonica being my favorite) one can find a cover done of the modern, Chvrches –The Mother we Share on the BBC Radio 1 (01/2014) then found again in the finale to the current live show touring with the Cover to Bob Dylan’s , Shall be released – seeing it live is spectacular - it was clever and mirrored the original art but with a tang of HMR.

There are confessional tones and a little sadness on both albums – and stories of what appears to be glimpse into the world of addiction – Music is a challenging business for anyone who has had this in their lives – this band however appears to live clean and is into a very healthy lifestyle from surfing to organic gardening mentioned to me by a family friend at the show about Issac’s Symonds (Mandolin extraordinaire and haunting vocalist) wishes for at organic landscaping book for Christmas.

I have heard Dylan Philips (Drummer – who has a great timing and a soulful sound as a professionally trained pianist – and always rocks the keyboard) said in other interviews that in terms of personal struggles that they have had the music guide them as a group – I noticed words formed around the struggle with being saved and loss of faith - perhaps even a loss of hope there – I hope they will continue to explore some further element of faith and that this translates to even more extraordinary music from this talented group, I am proud to call Canadian and will continue to share as their talents that will be sure to surprise us with further gifts in the future.

I clicked the you tube link on HMR’s website and watched some videos they had favored and found: TORA : and now I feel like the gifts just keep giving.

In the next feature story coming in January 2016:

Artist Profile: Half Moon Run

Singer Devon Portielje on vocals, guitar and percussion;

Conner Molander on vocals, guitar and keyboard;

Dylan Phillips on vocals, drums and keyboard;

Isaac Symonds on vocals, percussions, mandolin, keyboard and guitar.

P.J Tinham 12.6.2017

EVERYONES TRYING TO STEAL YOUR HEART

Fast Romantics are a Canadian indie rock band based in Toronto, Ontario and originally formed in Calgary, Alberta.

Matthew Angus

"What does it mean to be Canadian, The first single from American Love — the anthemic “Why We Fight”— was released on January 27, 2017, with the album set to be released in April 2017 through Light Organ Records, in partnership with Postwar Records.

FAST ROMANTICS

In January 2017, the band released the first official single from their as-yet untitled new album, a political song called "Why We Fight." Released on the same day as the inauguration of Donald Trump, the video featured clips of American pop culture and protest movements, along with footage Angus found of an actor portraying Abraham Lincoln in a 1956 Greyhound-sponsored propaganda[10] video[11], who was made to lip sync the lyrics of the song.[12]

That same month, the band recorded a three-song performance of new material for alternative rock radio station Indie 88, offering in an interview portion that this was the band's true "first record" and that everything that came before was "just play-dough."[13]

Shortly after the appearance, in February 2017, the band officially announced that they had signed to Light Organ Records and would be releasing their long-awaited LP on April 28, 2017, titled "American Love." The press release described songs that were originally intended as love songs, but eventually became infused with the political uncertainty and social unrest occurring during the making of the album, a reference to the rise of Donald Trump throughout the 2016 election campaign in the USA. Frontman and lyricist Matthew Angus was quoted as saying: "I was falling pretty hard in love when we started the record. But the songs ended up being paintings of what it felt like to fall in love while the rest of the world went mad. The American election went bizarre and took over the Canadian one, everybody's obsession with social media hit some kind of peak, and suddenly everyone — everywhere — was talking about America. Smartphones were going off like bombs everywhere I went. It started seeping into the songwriting, and now I'm not even sure how to describe it. Is it a collection of love songs about politics or is it a collection of political songs about love?"[14]

Shortly after announcing a release date and record label for "American Love," the band also announced it would be supporting Canadian indie-rock outfit Said the Whale on a national Canadian tour in April.[15]

Members: Matthew Angus Kirty
Jeffrey Lewis
Kevin Black
Nick McKinlay
Lisa Lorenz

SLM: Is home for you still Toronto? You guys are in Toronto now?

Matthew: Yeah, it's Toronto. We all slept on our own beds last night. It was really nice.

SLM: Oh, that's brilliant. Yeah, we were lucky enough to enjoy your live show in support of SLM Featured Said The Whale back in April (2017) on the Island. We were just blown away, so amazing. I've had so much fun diving into the Fast Romantics anthology.

Matthew Oh, thank you.

SLM: Yeah, and most recently American Love, of course. Such a meaningful album and beautiful song-writing here. I was a huge lover of the single Animal last year. I almost feel like it needed to be up front as a standalone song. That line, "Every time I fall on my heart, I can't help but break it," those are really powerful lyrics. Finding a love is one of the major themes of American Love, the album after that, and I understand for you personally, perhaps with an archetypal runaway girl, who knows? Tell us about Animal before we embark on the album.

Matthew: Animal is a really funny song. We thought it was going to be on the record. It got written as this really slow, grooving song. Then, we went and produced it with a different producer than we usually work with and spent some time reworking it. It sort of turned into this song that it wasn't to me. It was funny, through that process, I think we found our way into how we wanted to make the rest of the record. We went back to our original producer, Gus van Go.

As a side process of that, I think Animal got put out separately and it never really felt like it fit on American Love, for some reason. What's funny with that is we kind of stopped playing it live for a long time, but so many people requested it, so on this last tour we've been playing it, but the way it was originally intended, which has been really nice for us. It's been kind of like, "Oh, that song still exists for us, we're just playing it our way."

SLM: Yeah, like its own entity, kind of.

Matthew : Yeah.

SLM: You're on tour now in support of the amazing album, American Love, which I understand was recorded over two years and alternating between Brooklyn and Toronto. How have the US supporters received the album?

Matthew: Yeah. I think pretty well, although I think Americans probably take something different from it than Canadians, but there's also some universality there, I think. It's been really positive. It's been really cathartic for us and I think for some American fans when we go down there and play. We were just in Buffalo on Saturday. It's a different feeling. There's a moment in the set where I turn the mic on the crowd and ask them to sing American Love. In Canada, the crowd interprets that very differently than I think Americans do. They both do it wholeheartedly, but Americans sing it, I think, from a different place than Canadians. That's been a really fun experience.

SLM: That's interesting. Do you have a favorite US city to perform in or is there a particular city that inspired you guys when you were writing during the climate in the states for this album?

Matthew: Probably New York, definitely, just because we spent so much time there working. We always came back to it and we played there quite a few times now. It's always different, so I think New York is the most inspiring place to play. A lot of the lyrics got written there. There was a lot of songwriting that went on in New York versus recording. I think, for that reason, whenever you sing a lyric in the city that you wrote it, if it wasn't your hometown, there's some kind of deeper meaning there. You remember why you wrote it or where you wrote it.

Pamela: Yeah, definitely. You've been playing in New York for years. You even played at CBGB's a long time ago, didn't you guys, a long time ago?

Matthew Angus: We did. It wasn't CBGB's anymore when we played it, but yeah. We won this crazy contest Spin Magazine put on and they flew us down. Actually, it's the fashion designer John Varvatos that owns the old CBGB's now. It's like a store and they turned their store into this one-off concert venue for the finalists of the contest to play.

Pamela: Oh, whoa. I know. We just interviewed-

Matthew Angus: Yeah. We played for a thousand fashionistas and celebrities sipping martinis. It was very interesting.

Pamela: Yeah. We just interviewed Moby, who was here for Rifflandia, and he and I talked in length about that, too, about how New York changed before he got out. He just wrote a memoir that was really interesting called "Porcelain."

Matthew Angus: Yeah, I heard about that.

Pamela: It was really about New York. It was really encapsulating what had happened in New York and then now he lives in California. He really talks about that time where CBGB's was like, he was part of all that as it was closing down. I thought it was really interesting.

Matthew Angus: That's a perfect metaphor for, I think, the wider story of New York, and that's coming from someone that's only loved the city and visited a lot, but never really truly lived there, that that CBGB's experience was not the traditional CBGB's experience. That was 10 years before.

Pamela: Yeah, fair enough. Well, New York is all about, rebirth, right?

Matthew Angus: Yeah.

Pamela: Change, right?

Matthew Angus: It's special in its own way now still.

Pamela: Definitely.

Matthew Angus: It's still New York.

Pamela: It's still New York. Tell us about the experience of recording between the two countries and the significance of that to the album with the collaboration with Gus van Go and Werner F.

Matthew Angus: Gus and Werner are like our spirit animals. It doesn't really matter where we work with them. It's just we go to the Northwest Territories and work with them and it would be totally warm and cozy . As soon as we sent the first demos to them years ago, they got it. They understood what we were trying to do, unlike a lot of people.

We've always been this outsider band that is trying to do something different than just what the radio is playing. They got it and they understood that we still wanted to write pop songs. Yeah, it doesn't matter, Toronto or New York. The differences were probably, in New York, we were working on rhythm stuff and in Toronto we were working on our stuff. It was just the technicalities. That was basically the only difference.

Pamela: Right. Well, let's get into the new album a little bit. The first single and the second track on American Love, Why We Fight, I've read you say it's in part about what drives you to be in a band and also evolved into an ode to anyone who finds themselves hungry for something that might seem out of reach. I love that. What do you guys hunger for these days, now that the six of you have found each other and have this amazing collaboration?

Matthew Angus: I think a lot of time we just want to keep our heads on straight, honestly, and to keep doing it for the reasons we got into it for. I think that's a struggle for anyone that suddenly starts getting attention. You start to fill your head with the things you're supposed to do, rather than the things you want to do or feel compelled to do. I think, right now, we're just really excited to just get writing again and go back into that place of creating and reminding ourselves why we do it. That song is still really relevant. That's how that song started, was just a reminder of why we do this. It's not always the easiest or the most rewarding thing to do in one's life.

Pamela: Sure. Julia, such a brilliant track and the video's so entertaining, as well as Why We Fight, as well. I find the video for Julia really entertaining. My kids and I have watched it millions of times now. They really enjoy it, as well. It's been out for a couple years and it has a real holiday sort of sound to it now. It's getting lots of radio play on CBC Island. It's a wonderful selection and it was a winner for the 11th Annual SOCAN, so congrats for that support.

Matthew Angus: Thank you, yeah.

Pamela: You directed this video on this one, is that right, as well? Did you direct the video?

Matthew Angus: What's that?

Pamela: Did you direct the video on this one, too?

Matthew Angus: Yeah. It was a crazy month of my life that just went down the tube. It wasn't much directing. It was mostly just crazy post-production weird magic that had to take place, just a lot of work. Sometimes I get in these little tinkering projects and I just lose myself in them. I came out the other end and I was like, "Oh, my God. We're dancing with Fred Astaire."

Pamela: I thought actually it's so classic. It's so unique. I love it.

Matthew Angus: Thanks.

Pamela: It really can speak to anyone, right, that loves music or art or dance or film? It's really cool.

Matthew Angus: Yeah, people seem to dig it.

Pamela: Yeah, in part, you used the 1951 film Royal Wedding featuring Fred Astaire because it was free. Is that right?

Matthew Angus: Yeah, I was just lucky. It wasn't free for any reason, other than some guy at the copyright office screwed up.

Pamela: Yeah, that's interesting. I know Said The Whale said the same thing about the buffalo pictures that they used. They used an old National Geographic image that happened to be available, right?

Matthew Angus: Right.

Pamela: That's just very cool. It appears sometimes like it's seamless when you guys are part of the video. What do you make of that, how it looks so seamless? Do you feel part of it?

Matthew Angus: I think actually, because I made it, I see all of the imperfections. If I look at it, yeah, it's pretty cool. It's a bit of a trip. Yeah, I don't know what to say about it, except it was stressful and fun to make all at the same time.

Pamela: Yeah. It looked like a lot of fun to make.

Matthew Angus: Yeah.

Pamela: I know Kirty, such an incredible storyteller as well, also had her first track Dreamboat, accompanied by the visually stunning video released under Postwar, your independent label as well. Tell us about that experience, assisting her on that solo project.

Matthew Angus: It's been really great. Kirty is just such a great songwriter as well and that's how I met her, is that she's just writing amazing songs and was working on an amazing album. I was just starting to sink my teeth into working with other artists and the timing was just right and I really believed in the record. It's been great. It's been really good to collaborate in that way with her beyond Fast Romantics. That record hardly needs any help. Everyone that hears it just loves it. It's really a great collection of songs.

Pamela: That latest sensory-heightened Get Love video with the Fast Romantics, tell us a little bit about this track and the concept behind this one.

Matthew Angus: Yeah, that was another collaboration between [inaudible 00:12:13] and Kirty. The whole band pitched in, but Kirty and I really spent a good month making that happen for some reason. Yeah, we had this idea that we wanted to just try to create images of feelings, rather than over-intellectualize the song. We just got a whole bunch of friends and their friends and total strangers together and we just tried to create weird, awkward situations. Really, one of the examples I use when we were starting off, it was like, try to picture a two-year-old with something in front of him or her and they just love to destroy it or squish it or smoosh it. That was like, "I just want the whole video to be adults doing that."

Pamela: Yeah, I could see that.

Matthew Angus: Yeah. It was a fun experiment.

Pamela: Cool. Yeah, experiment. My personal favorites on American Love are Ready for the Night, Kids Without a Country and How Long is This Going to Last, such a great song. With the luxury of enjoying the entire 12-track album a couple of times, being able to listen to the whole thing through, I always yearn for those tracks in particular. Do you have a favorite or a baby on this album that you hold onto a little bit more tightly than the others?

Matthew Angus: That's hard to do. I think I go through phases where one song is my favorite for a while. Ready for the Night is definitely one of my favorites and still is. I really love Heaven's Alright, proud of. Alberta is a really personal song. It was probably the moment on the record where I found the words that were the most, what's the word, I guess? Well, yeah, the most personal lyrics on the record for me. Then, there's songs that I'm really proud of, like Julia and Get Loved, where I'm like, "Hey, that's a good pop song." I love writing pop songs. I don't have one favorite . I think it's really hard. I don't know if any one of us do.

Pamela: Yeah. Is Alberta an homage to where it all began now that you guys are all settled in Toronto?

Matthew Angus: Yeah. Alberta was more about the experience of having to leave town and what it felt like to leave my entire life behind to come to Toronto.

Pamela: Just get out of your comfort zone?

Matthew Angus: Yeah, and some of the personal relationships and what happened to some of my friends after I left. Yeah, it's a pretty heavy song.

Pamela: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Heaven's Alright, it seems to me like a hopeful bookend for the album. Do you feel hopeful in light of the current global climate, with the world political scene? The album is a little bit political, but the album mirrors or hints repeatedly your vision in the future for the next generation? Do you feel hopeful?

Matthew Angus: Yeah. I think that was how we wanted to leave it. I think the whole record's hopeful. I think Heaven's Alright is definitely a nice way to go into the next record for us. I think it's hope with a couple of asterisks on the end of it. We actually have to change some things. We actually have to think a little more about, not just the political climate or the economic realities of the world, but how we consume art and how we make art and the importance of art and what we value as humans. All that was a part of Heaven's Alright. That song's really about just the experience of living and how we just throw it away so easily.

Pamela: Right. Now you're on tour with The Elwins. How's that been on the Get Love Tour?

Matthew Angus: It's been a lot of fun. Yeah, we love those boys. We were already friends before we even left, so it's just been really easy to get into a routine with them. It's kind of weird, because it's almost over. Yeah, they're sweethearts, lot of fun.

Pamela: Yeah. What have you guys got planned for the new year, then? Some down time , maybe?

Matthew Angus: I guess I don't think we're making it a secret, but we're going to take some time in the studio and see what happens. We're just going to take a few months and just see if a new record is something that will happen fast. Last time, it basically was almost four years between a record and I don't think we want to do that again.

Pamela: Is it hard having six of you? Do you feel like it takes longer to get out an album because of that or do you feel like you just like to take everybody's perspective into account and then it just happens organically?

Matthew Angus: No, not really. I think the biggest problem was that we didn't have six of us for most of those four years. I was putting together a new band, right?

Pamela: Yeah, of course.

Matthew Angus: Yeah. I think actually so much of the songwriting is pretty personal to begin with. We're stoked with this record because there is six people just waiting to hear those seeds of songs and we get into a room and we could play them right away, rather than try to build them over a long period of time as people join a band. Yeah, I'm hopeful and everyone's really excited. It's just [crosstalk 00:17:10] the new stuff.