THE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM LISTENING TO MUSIC A CONVERSATION WITH PHIL MANZANERA “Where are you calling from,” asked Phil Manzanera at the beginning of our Zoom call. “I am in Toronto,” I managed to say. My nerves were getting the better of me. I [...]
EMBARKING ON A NEW JOURNEY A CONVERSATION WITH STRATEJACKET Certain bands can instantly kindle a flame of yesteryear brilliance with the sounds of their vocals, the strokes of their guitar strings, or their energetic drum presence. When it comes [...]
FUELED BY STRUGGLE; BUILT FOR SUCCESS A CONVERSATION WITH TORONTO METALCORE BAND THE NORTHERN When it comes to the metalcore genre, few bands can execute a balance of melody and heavy cadence as well as Canadian metalcore band, The Northern. In [...]
EVERYONE DESERVES A HOME A CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS BIRKETT I am speaking with producer, arranger, and sound engineer Chris Birkett on a Zoom call through the wonders of technology. While I am comfortably at home, he is at the Canadian National [...]
BROUGHT RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE LEFT OFF A CONVERSATION WITH JESSE MATTHEWSON OF KEN MODE Ken Mode, the formidable death metal rock band, has unleashed their latest album, Void. We were privileged to engage in an enlightening conversation with [...]
IT’S A DARK & DIRTY WORLD A CONVERSATION WITH TED SIMMONS Ted Simmons is an East Coast kind of a guy. Born in Newfoundland, he now calls Dartmouth, Nova Scotia home. He has also see a pretty sizable chunk of the world. He made his [...]
SERENE LIFE CAN PRODUCE EXCELLENT ART A CONVERSATION WITH JENN GRANT Slowly but surely, Jenn Grant has become a fixture of the Canadian music scene, with her quality music echoing not only down across the border but elsewhere. It was her assured [...]
FOR THE FIRST TIME I FEEL…FINE A CONVERSATION WITH JESSICA RHAYE Within 30 seconds of speaking with Jessica Rhaye over a Zoom call, I had the distinct feeling I was talking to a friend and catching up on everything, rather than conducting [...]
THE TRUTH IN A DARK AGE A CONVERSATION WITH LUCA MALATESTA OF THE DOORMEN The Doormen formed in 2009 in Ravenna, Italy. Vincenzo Baruzzi (vocals, guitar, drums) and Luca Malatesta (guitar) released an EP in that year, and two years later their [...]
THIS IS AS SEVENDUST AS IT GETS A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN CONNOLLY OF SEVENDUST If you ask John Connolly of Sevendust if he regrets not pursuing his childhood dream of being a professional runner, he’ll tell you no, without hesitation. When he [...]
FILTER HAS BECOME THE EXHAUST PORT FOR MY CREATIVITY A CONVERSATION WITH FILTER’S RICHARD PATRICK “I don’t want a comeback” Richard Patrick exclaims, adding “This isn’t 1995, or 1999, or 2002. I’m 54-yrs-old, if nothing happens with this music, [...]
COMING TOGETHER AS A BAND IS NEVER EASY A CONVERSATION WITH NEIL ARTHUR, LIAM HUTTON & FINLAY SHAKESPEARE OF THE REMAINDER While The Remainder may be new, it consists of some New Wave/Electro veterans. The band consists of Blancmange’s Neil [...]
CELEBRATING THE 40 YEAR OLD ‘NEW SONG’ A CONVERSATION WITH HOWARD JONES Howard Jones is back on tour, celebrating 40 years since the release of his first single, “New Song”, back in September of 1993. We had the opportunity to [...]
I’LL SAY IT AGAIN. ‘CAUSE I’M A WOMAN. A CONVERSATION WITH HOLLY FOSTER WELLS (GRANDDAUGHTER OF PEGGY LEE) Peggy Lee is one of the most important artists of both this century and the last one. Not only did she kick down the [...]
FRANK ZAPPA’S GHOST A CONVERSATION WITH PETER LEWIS (MOBY GRAPE) In 1966, Skip Spence (formerly of The Jefferson Airplane) joined forces with Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley, Don Stevenson and Peter Lewis to form the band Moby Grape. The band [...]
THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE A CONVERSATION WITH RIVAL SONS’ GUITARIST SCOTT HOLIDAY With the recent release of their seventh album, Darkfighter, and the conclusion of their massive headlining tour, Rival Sons are a leading presence among a growing [...]
GIVING BACK TO THE INDUSTRY A CONVERSATION WITH MAC DOWNEY, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR OF THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL Toronto has one of the most distinguished music scenes in the entire world, from icons like The Weeknd, to visionary [...]
I’M INTO SOMETHING GOOD A CONVERSATION WITH HARVEY LISBERG Since the beginning, the rock ‘n’ roll manager has always been almost as important as the bands/artists they represented. Starting with Colonel Tom Parker through to Brian Epstein, [...]
I SEE DEAD PEOPLE A CONVERSATION WITH AHREN STRINGER OF THE AMITY AFFLICTION The frailty of life has been explored through music since its earliest roots, artists creating bleak portrayals of reality or giving legs to the heaviest emotions so [...]
TRYING TO FIND THE WAY FORWARDS A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE PETERS OF THE ALARM “I’m in London playing the Union Chapel tonight, looking forward to a gig. Just pulled up outside the venue and ready to make some noise tonight”. Mike Peters of [...]
DREAMS ALWAYS DIE WITH THE SUN A CONVERSATION WITH TODD STRANGE OF EYE AM There are many layers that musicians strive to convey through their art, going back to what they’ve created to ensure that everything was delivered exactly the way it was [...]
DIE TRYING A CONVERSATION WITH GARY TRAINER OF NEW MATH The late 1970s was an exciting time for rock ‘n’ roll. Not everyone was aware of it at the time, but in hindsight, 1976 through to 1980 was very very exciting. While the mainstream were [...]
FIRST MOVEMENT A CONVERSATION WITH MISTER JOSHOOA Detroit is the birthplace of techno and Mister Joshooa (aka Joshua Guerin) is a product of that place. For the last 20 years he has been a DJ, and under the mentorship of club owner Ivory “Tree” [...]
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY, EMERGING VICTORIOUS A CONVERSATION WITH ROBBIE LITCHFIELD OF SAVING VICE For most DIY bands, many would quickly become disheartened by the number of challenges Vermont-based metalcore band Saving Vice has faced since their [...]
