ZEX: Strength Through Struggle

Photo by Em DeMarco

Ottawa's ZEX have worked hard and endured a lot in the name of Rock n' Roll.  They consistently release and record music and tour the globe relentlessly.  The music they play brings to mind British Street Punk bands of the early 80's like Blitz and Sham 69 while the guitars are saluting British Heavy Metal from that same time. Their vocalist Gretchen Steel sings with the power of The Plasmatic's Wendy O. Williams and the passion of The Violator's (UK) Helen Hill.  ZEX seem to be fueled by a genuine passion for expression, truth and freedom very few bands still have in punk music.  This is what sets this band apart from the rest of the studded jackets and patched black jeans. It's also what makes them one of the most relevant and intriguing bands around today.  


Interview by J Castro

Please introduce yourself (or selves) and tell me what everyone does in the band: 

Gretchen sings, Jo plays guitar, Gab is on the bass and Cody is the current drummer.

How did you all meet and decide to play music together?

JO: My previous band Iron Dogs was making a music video that Gab was filming and editing and Gretchen was an actress in the video so we decided to form a band then. Gretchen and I already had recorded some demo tracks.

GRETCHEN: Jo and I had made the demos for ZEX before we found our other two members and wanted to have a serious band together for a while.

GAB: Jo asked me to play with them after we did a music video for Iron Dogs, he sent me demos and we started jamming 4 days a week, because apparently people do that.

 

Fear No Man EP released November 1st 2015

Tell me about what it’s like playing shows in your town.  Is there a community that you feel gets what your band is doing musically?

JO: Certainly not. We are despised in our own city. People are very cliquish and only like 'cool' bands.

GRETCHEN: I've never been popular or understood in my life. So, I'm not surprised my band’s music gets the same treatment.

GAB: It’s cool playing shows in Ottawa, I get to sleep in my own bed and don't have to sit in a van all day. Our last two shows have been super weird though, we played a film festival as the only band and the last show we did was in a pancake restaurant.

Can you remember what band or musician first inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play and/or write music?

JO: My friend Dez was the first guy I met in high school that wanted to start a band. He actually knew how to play instruments. He is some kind of musical genius, I still play with him to this day.  He approached me and asked me if I wanted to play in a "Death Metal Band". I answered that I didn't know how to play instruments and didn’t know what death metal was. That didn't seem to matter to him.

GRETCHEN: Ever since I was four-years-old I wanted to be in a band. I honestly can't remember how I came to have that dream but I do remember telling my parents when I was four that I wanted to sing in a band.

GAB: I took piano lessons when I was a kid but my teacher never taught me to play cool songs. I don't think I ever associated playing music with the music I listened to when I was a kid. My uncle gave me a Van Halen rip-off guitar when I was really young and I took lessons for about 2 months when I quit playing piano. But I never practiced so my parents took me out of it. When I was 14 I decided that I wanted to learn to play bass because it was easier than guitar and have been playing in stupidly named bands since. Its way easier to tell your grandma that you're playing in a band called Zex than Dick Fister.

In your experience, what have been some of the best and worst parts about being in a band?  Is it totally different than what you imagined as a kid?

JO: Growing up in the DIY scene, I had to learn everything myself from experience. There was and still is a lot of trial and error. I never had rock star delusions. I've always understood what it took to get a band going. Its ridiculous when people ask me "Ohhh you’re in a band and touring!? You must be making a lot of money!"

GRETCHEN: the worst part about being in a band is that now that a lot of people know you/seen you or heard about you, you are now in the line of fire. People criticize as if they invented punk. Every piece of who you are is picked apart and chewed out by these people. I don't know if it's jealousy or that people are just so bored they look for something to hate to get out all their negative energy, you become that punching bag.  As a woman, I've dealt with a lot of that horse shit, I've heard it all. Positive thing about being in a band, you get to make music, express who you are, leave your dent in history and make everyone hate you just for kicks.

GAB: It's weird having to be a public person, you meet all these people for very short periods of time but because of the internet you have to be careful about what you say or if you make a bad first impression. I can't for example complain about a band sucking on the internet now because someone will make a big deal about it. It's kind of a small price to pay to essentially get to travel the world, meet incredible people and see all these awesome bands and experience all these great things. I've met so many different people that have really impacted me in my life and made me look at things differently.

What other bands do you feel people need to hear in order to better understand your music? 

JO: Are you asking this to me because you're having a hard time yourself? I think people need to take a step back and for a minute pretend that extreme metal and hardcore punk never happened. Let’s say we were back in those days and wanted music to keep evolving without subscribing to the faster /heavier race that went on in the 80’s and 90’s.

What’s your favorite part of making music: the writing process, the recording, or performing in front of a crowd?  

JO: the satisfaction of unwrapping a box of your newest record is a great feeling! It gives you the impression that all your efforts weren’t totally useless. Live gigs are a lot of fun, but it’s only the tip of the ice berg, its 5% of what a band does. Most of being in a band is sitting in front of emails or going to the post office.

GRETCHEN: Performing is my favorite part, its where I finally can break free and be the animal I need to be. I truly love recording too.

GAB: Performing is definitely my favorite thing, maybe I'm just a narcissist but there's no greater feeling than looking out at a crowd of people who are enjoying your art. I work doing film and when you finish a movie it's a really satisfying process but you just don't get that feeling that people actually care about what you made. Having that direct feedback just makes you feel so much more accomplished on a personal level. Also it gives me an opportunity to do awesome stage moves and jump around. 

Fight For Yourself  LP released October 1st 2014

What music do you own or listen to frequently that you feel a typical fan of yours may be surprised you enjoy?

JO: Italo disco, space rock, black metal, Italian prog, power electronics, AOR, rocksteady, reggae, northern soul, girl groups, doo wop, etc..

GRETCHEN: I'm with Jo on the Italian disco!

GAB: I'm completely obsessed with the band NoMeansNo.  Everyone else hates when I put them on but fuck that band's lyrics and the way they write their music is just so original and honest. I'm also a huge fan of novelty music and comedy music. I saw Weird Al twice last year and it was the best show I've ever seen.

Never mind the critics, what in your opinion has been your band’s most shining moment so far?

JO: We've lived in poverty, homelessness and unemployment just to be able to say that we have toured the four corners of the earth. We've played large gigs to hundreds of people and we've played to ten people and acted like we're headlining Madison Square Garden.

GRETCHEN: We have overcome some pretty unbelievable circumstances... seriously, unbelievable circumstances. I believe it's made us stronger as a band and as individuals. I'm very proud of my bandmates for staying so strong and sticking it out throughout all our turbulence. We are warriors and that is why we shine through.

GAB: To sort of elaborate on what everyone has been talking about, we've gone through band members angrily quitting the band, our drummer passing away, every possible kind of bad luck in terms of vehicle maintenance, flights fucking up, being sick, arguing amongst ourselves, injuries, weird internet drama, Nazis attacking us, getting electrocuted simultaneously, unbelievably long car rides, and just other personal problems on top of it all. The fact that despite essentially being cursed, we're still touring successfully, travelling the world, and playing our music blows my mind. I think the craziest thing for me still is that I can be on the other end of the planet and someone knows my music.

Do you ever feel like underground culture meant more to past generations that had to actually invest time and money into going to shows and record stores to discover new music as opposed to just using Google and Youtube on their phones?

JO: I still think you can really tell the people who live and breathe underground from the average concert goer. I think it’s strange that its 2016 and people still ask me that in zine interviews. Soon we will be living in a time where no one will remember how it was before the internet age.

GAB: It's great being able to listen to whatever music you want, we're touring right now and have an iPod filled with all hit songs and don't have to fumble over our tape collections. I think the problem is that with the accessibility of free music there's a lot more bands and it's hard to get noticed within it. That being said, you can make a music video now and people will actually see it.

What is the best way people can hear and get a hold of your music?

JO: The internet! What else!?! Well, we do have records, tapes, cd's that are all well distributed. Go to your local record store and get them to order a copy for you if they don't have it in stock. Otherwise, you can be a nerd and order online yourself through countless distributors or even through the band.

What lies ahead for the band in 2016?
JO: Right now we are on tour in Europe all dying from pneumonia. If we survive, we will tour in Japan in September with Malice Panic.

GRETCHEN: JAPAN AND THEN THE WORLD!

GAB: I'm slowly transitioning entirely out of boxers and moving to the much more superior boxer brief. 2017 might see a full brief transition but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

The post below was taken directly from the bands official Facebook page. 

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First Base

     Toronto's First Base have been producing driving, jangly, rough around the edges power pop since 2009 with a number of releases to brag about in their ammo case. If you need any further description of their sound, the cover of the band's newest effort: You've Got A Hold of Me EP, released earlier this year on another one of our favorite labels, Hosehead Records, is a brilliant homage to the late ‘70's Irish punk/power pop band Rudi's debut single "Big Time," which came out in 1978. Much like The Undertones, Buzzcocks, the Boys and even Generation X: First Base put just as much of the pop aspect in their music as the punk. When done up right; that mixture ladies and gentlemen is the sound that I have a particular soft spot for in my hardened heart for, and First Base manage to pull it off oh so flawlessly!

Interview by J Castro

Let’s start of by telling me who’s all in the band right now and what does everyone do in it?
MIKE: There's been a few different lineups but the current line up is: Connor on drums, Nick on guitar, Fraser on lead vocals and guitar and me on bass. We generally all sing back up vocals too.

How did you all meet and decide to play music together?

FRASER: About eight years ago I was compelled to start a band for some reason. I had recently moved, and didn't really know any musicians so I just started the "band" by myself, recording songs and putting them on Myspace. Eventually, a couple of guys I worked with found out what I was doing and offered to join. So Shinnosuke joined on drums and Shota joined on second guitar and that was like the birth of First Base as a real band. Since then, Shota has moved to Japan and Shin now lives in Montreal.

MIKE: I met Fraser for the first time at the second ever First Base gig. When I saw they didn't have a bass player I offered to play with them and a few weeks later Fraser messaged me on Myspace (hee haw!) and asked if I was still interested. As for the other guys, I had known Connor since high school and had already been in a few throwaway bands with him so I already knew he'd be a good fit. All of us met Nick by seeing his band Brat Kings play a few times. Connor had switched over to drums and we needed a new guitar player so we asked Nick to play with us and he was into the idea. And that's where we are now.

Is this the sound you had in mind when you got together and started playing or did the music just kind of take on a life of its own?
MIKE: Well the music all comes from Fraser. It was his project before any of us were involved and he writes the songs. We make slight changes or add/subtract certain things to everything as a band once we start to play them together generally. It was always the kind of music I personally wanted to play and I think all four of us mesh really well together. This is probably the best the band has ever sounded in my opinion.

FRASER: I write the songs and record them all before we ever play them together as a band. I have fun recording my own version of the song, then we take that and make it suit the band so we can play it live and eventually record it together. I think we've been getting better at translating the songs that I record on my own into the band's songs and getting the band's own sound out of them.

Tell me a little about living in Toronto. What’s it like playing there and are people there supportive of what you guys are doing musically?

MIKE: Toronto's a weird city. I don't want to trash talk it because I love living here and it's a rad city but the scene for the kind of thing we're doing isn't particuarly great. Right now Toronto is really into weirdo/experimental/grungey kind of music. The hardcore scene here is really good too. There was a time when the hardcore and power pop bands played together, but that doesn't seem to happen anymore which is unfortunate. That being said, there are a handful of amazing bands from Toronto doing something similar to the kind of thing we are.

We joke that we're actually an Ottawa band because our records have been recorded there, mixed there, artwork done there (by our friend blood brother Ken from Mother's Children - Ottawa local) and the Ottawa scene just seems to be a lot more in touch with the kind of sound we have.

Can you remember as a kid who first inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn how to play/write music?
MIKE: The first band I was ever really into, probably like a lot of Canadian kids, was Rush. Ha, ha. I started on bass because all my friends wanted to play guitar. My first band played our grade 8 assembly a few times. We stole a riff from a Misfits song. Ha, ha. I found out about punk very young and instantly connected with the Ramones (and the Germs - oddly enough) about the same time I realized I couldn't play like Geddy Lee because it was way too hard. All down hill from there.

FRASER: Probably the Ramones for me. First Base is basically the entirety of my musical output and almost all of it stems from the Ramones somehow.

I was reading an interview with Kim Shattuck from the Muffs and she said when writing song lyrics she stays away from politics because nothing dates a song faster. What sorts of things inspire your songs and are there any subjects you try to stay away from purposefully in your lyrics?

FRASER: I just try to make "love" songs. Anything about relationships seems to be ok. Any song I've made about anything else just doesn't work for us, so I stay away from that. I don't think we'll ever do a political song, although I guess we sort of have one? I made a song about the oil refineries in my hometown for the "Bloodstains Across Ontario" compilation. You could say it's about environmental issues, but it was really just a Beach Boys parody. 

What sorts of things distract you the most when you’re playing a show? Is there something in particular that annoys you the most that someone in the crowd always seems to do?
MIKE: People in Toronto just generally stand still and cross their arms when they watch you, (with the exceptions of our friends who are always sweethearts at our shows). You can't tell if they love you or hate you. It doesn't annoy me but the first couple times you play live it can be intimidating.

FRASER: Someone up at the front with their phone out. It's kind of depressing to see while you're playing.

You guys recently played with Forgotten Rebels, how did that go? Were you fans of their music prior to your show together?

MIKE: I was and still am a huge Forgotten Rebels fan. I remember listening to Reich N Roll from the Tomorrow Belongs to Us 12" in the car with my mom on the way to grade 9 summer school. The chorus is just "I wanna be a nazi" (all tongue in cheek - not actually promoting any sort of nazi-ism) repeated over a few times. It's a miracle she put up with that kind of shit from me. The show itself was weird. Forgotten Rebels seem to attract a lot of crust punks for some reason. Oh, and we had to play in front of all the Rebels gear which gave us next to no breathing room.  I didn't feel like the crowd really enjoyed us that much but we sold a ton of merch that night so who knows.

There’s an old folk story I’ve heard about the first time Bob Dylan and John Lennon first met. Lennon was a huge Dylan fan and he asked him what he thought of The Beatles music and Dylan responded by saying “you’re good but your music doesn’t say anything.” So The Beatles started to move away from their pop music about love and girls and came out with Rubber Soul soon after. What do you think about Dylan’s response, do you feel rock n’ roll has to say something provocative to be relevant?

FRASER: I like the story of John putting down Paul with the song "How Do You Sleep," and Paul responding with "Silly Love Songs." 

MIKE: I think the best Beatles material is when they were singing about love and girls. I prefer songs without any kind of political or social message and I know saying that's going to piss a bunch of people off. I see enough of that shit in the rest of my everyday life. I don't want to have to listen to it in my music too. Obviously there are exceptions, I'm just speaking generally. Bring on more songs about chocolate and girls.

FRASER: And hot dogs.

Where are the best places to go to hear your music and buy your records?
MIKE: You can like our Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/FirstBaseToronto  or listen to some songs @ https://firstbase.bandcamp.com/. You can buy our newest 45 from Hosehead records @ http://www.hoseheadrecords.ca/p/webstore.html and our LP from HoZac Records @ http://hozacrecords.com/store/

What does the near future hold for First Base?
MIKE: Right now we're just writing songs to record for our next LP, which might end up being more singles - but we're aiming for an LP. We've got a handful of them written. Hopefully we'll be recording late summer and have the LP out early next year but nothing is set in stone yet.

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Feral Trash

     As if you didn’t know before, it’s official that Canada has invaded our musical border and we are the better for it. If your ear has been to the ground for the last few years, this comes as no surprise to you. Feral Trash, unlike their more power-pop inclined Canadian brothers, have gone straight for the mighty Southern California heart of punk and fed it back to us. Trashfiction is so chock full of early ‘80’s classic So Cal influences (think Adolescents, Simpletones, Posh Boy), that it would be right at home on the Frontier label.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Eric.

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Jesse plays bass, Ilisha plays drums, I play guitar, we all sing.

Give us a brief history of Feral Trash’s background, some other bands you have played in and currently do play in?

Well we are all from Moncton, NB, Canaduh. Ilisha and Jesse had been playing in bands together for a few years (The Kamalas, Thalidomy Kids), and I was always a huge fan, so when I started writing songs for a new darker band, I asked them if they wanted to play. I played in quite a few previous bands, we all did, but Fear of Lipstick was the longest running thing. We all are currently working on new projects.

I had read the band was originally was from New Brunswick, but some of the band now lives in Ottawa.  Is this true?

Me and Ilisha did move to Ottawa.

What are some of the differences between Ottawa and New Brunswick?

As for differences, they're just typical "moved to a bigger city" differences. More shows, more bands, more to do. Ottawa Explosion people do shows year round here it seems, not just the summer festival and they're all awesome. Crazy expensive to live compared to out east though, so in the end, you don't really get out that much more due to funds being tighter. I'd also like to mention a lot of the pizza joints here suck and the east coast favorite dish "garlic fingers with donair sauce" is non-existent here.

What were some of the bands that inspired Feral Trash early on?

Too many to name I'd say, but when the three of us got fucked up together (usually with Jesse's wife, Michelle), Red Dons Fake Meets Failure always found its way to the turntable and a frenzy usually ensued. White Lung and the Wipers yielded very similar results.

Eric and Ilisha are married; do you think it’s easier being a married couple in a band as opposed to bands you have played in separately? I would think one advantage is that you can write songs together at home.

It's as awesome as it sounds.

What are some things you like about all the digital avenues presented to musicians nowadays (Bandcamp, blogs, blog writers, Facebook, smaller record labels, internet magazines, etc.) to help bands today?  And some things you don’t like?

Facebook rules for booking shows/touring, sucks for everything else. Bandcamp helps people check out bands faster than anything else. The internet is awesome and awful at the same time. It's a total necessity these days though, if you wanna run a band/label. I remember being younger and doing mail orders pre-internet and waiting weeks for packages just to get a letter in the mail saying "Out of stock, would you like anything else?"

Has any movie production company asked to use the song “Beth” in any movies yet? The piano intro melody sounds reminiscently like the theme from Halloween. I would have thought a horror movie would have picked it up.

Nope, but if they want it, they can have it.

Right now, it seems like Canada is just pumping out so many good bands. Has Canada always been like that and it’s just taken awhile for the rest of the world to notice or does Canada just have an awesome group of bands right now?

It does seem like Canada is getting a good nod from the rest of the punk world these days, but I figure it's due to the internet and how easy it is to find the bands, they were always here, the rest of the world just didn't know how to find us.

Where can people hear Feral Trash and what’s next for the band?

We plan on playing some gigs in the upcoming year and record a new 7".

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Average Times

     Mere moments into the opening song from Average Times debut album the band quickly and eagerly throws back the curtain and reveals all of the fantastic influences they’ve collected over time. These are sons and daughters of punk from the last 20 or so years, the salad days of Rip Off, Dirtnap, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Crypt Records and many others. What Average Times seems to have done is gone and gathered everything that was great about so many of the bands from that time and the unique sound they created that set that era apart and discard the dead weight. They seize all they have learned and experienced, melt it and shape it into a crude yet sharp prison style weapon and stab you in the forehead with it and after they’re done you beg for more!

Interview by Jay Castro

Please introduce yourselves and what you throw into the Average Times band?

CURTIS: This is Curtis (Guitar, Vocals)

STEPH: Stephanie (Drums)

Where are you all from originally and how did you all meet and decide to play music together?

STEPH: We're all from Ottawa and surrounding areas. I started playing drums as a hobby a few years ago, then jamming with Curtis for practice. Soon after, we started playing with Todd as a three-piece and Seiji replaced our first bass player (Tim) about a year ago.

CURTIS: Well Steph is my better half and we met Todd and Seiji through friends.

Your debut album is out on Hosehead records (or at least it will be by the time this comes out). How did you hook up with those fine folks?

STEPH: Our friends in Ketamines invited us to play a show in Toronto last fall at the Silver Dollar Room. That's where Pat and Mike approached us about releasing a full length based on our tape released on Bruised Tongue.

CURTIS: The first time we met those guys, they were really chill and all of us clicked right away. They are definitely two hard working guys and it shows that they love what they do.

What’s the Rock N’ Roll community like in Ottawa these days?  

CURTIS: I think it's totally rad - a lot of awesome bands and super talented people all working together to make the city an amazing place to play music.

STEPH: Ottawa has always been a great city for punk bands and I feel like in the past couple of years, the scene has GROWN. So many wicked places to play and to party with more on the rise!

In your opinion, what bands do people need to know and understand in order to appreciate your music more?

STEPH: All of them.

Who are some bands you would like to take with you, or open up for on a world tour?

STEPH: David Bowie

CURTIS: 2Pac hologram

When you aren’t Rock N’ Rollin’ all around Ottawa, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?  Hobbies etc..?

CURTIS: We never stop.

STEPH: Don't stop the rockin’ (nods head back and forth in a no position).

What’s been the most unforgettable show you’ve played, good or bad and what made it so memorable?

CURTIS: The Death House in the industrial part of Montreal - it was a super wicked punk squat. The front door was 3 feet away from some train tracks. It was also pissing rain and people were slipping on the plywood sidewalks all night.

STEPH: One of my favorite shows was our second show ever - we were opening for Natural Child. The Death House show was also super fun - lots of indoor smoking.

The cassette is making a raging comeback.  Do you think it’s a viable and collectable form of music or just another hipster trend that will soon go hobbling back to its dark cave of obscurity and take a seat next to the 8-Track where in belongs?

STEPH: Tapes were the first format of music that most people our age collected so I think it's pretty rad to be able to collect them again. Maybe one day soon, CD's will make a comeback.

CURTIS: Whether they stick around or not . . . time will tell.

What does the band have in store for us in the near or not so near future?

CURTIS: Just gonna keep on playing shows, and most likely record again this summer.

STEPH: We have a small Ontario tour coming up this June and hopefully Europe in the next year or two!

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Peach Kelli Pop

     Peach Kelli Pop is the kind of sugary bubblegum pop that just might give your ears cavities, if ears could actually get cavities. If she looks familiar, that’s because Hanlon is also the drummer in the White Wires, but PKP is not a side project by any means. Hanlon is a one woman band that writes and plays every instrument herself on Peach Kelli Pop’s two LP’s, the latest being Peach Kelli Pop II, released late last year on Burger. Currently, Hanlon is busy taking Peach Kelli Pop’s lo-fi basement Shonen Knife, girl-group, garage surf sugar pop to your town as we speak opening for Kate Nash.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Allie Hanlon                       

Where is the band from?

I, Allie Hanlon, the songwriter and only permanent band member, am from Ottawa, Canada and relocated to California last year.

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

I write and record everything and have different friends play with me live. The most recent tour had Wyatt Blair on bass, Mandy Mullins on guitar, Rachel Hortman on drums and I also played guitar and sang.

How did the band start?

The songwriting started before the band. Once I had recorded Peach Kelli Pop songs, I taught them to whoever was playing with me at the time.

In the about section of your Facebook Page, there is a review from Rocotober stating Peach Kelli Pop “[m]inimalist bubblegum/pre-Chysalis Blondie/Japanese cartoon pop/zero-grit sandpaper punk perfection! This White Wires side project (though this joy bop music is more of a mutiny than a side project by comparison to WW’s garage purity), PKP is more thrilling than PCP!” Do you really feel this a mutiny more than a side project? How does it feel to be more thrilling than PCP?

I don't consider either White Wires or Peach Kelli Pop a side project, they are both equal in importance and completely different from one another. It feels fantastic to be so thrilling, especially in the eyes of Roctober.

How do you meet up with Burger? Had they heard the first record? Did you send them a demo? Seems like they have a real community of bands on that label.

We were fans of each other: Me, of the label itself and of the Sean and Lee's band, Thee Makeout Party. Burger was familiar with Peach Kelli Pop and the White Wires and it was a pretty natural decision for us to work together. I think they asked me if I'd be interested in them putting out my newest album. I obliged for a bunch of reasons. I would argue that Burger is the most innovative and hardworking label going right now. They have been a pleasure to work with. They are supportive and positive and we seem to be very likeminded in our priorities.

What bands did you have in mind when starting this band?

I didn't have any bands in mind. I didn't even know that my songs would be played live when I started recording songs. I know now that I want to create songs I would want to listen to myself - ones that are catchy, satisfying and fun to see live. If I had to choose a band that inspires me, I'd say The Lovedolls, a fake band from Dave Markey films. I am inspired by different aesthetics and outlets that are associated with music - like cover art, stage shows, fashion, and attitude.

Now all the music is written and performed by you on the LP’s. So how do you choose which friends become your touring band for the upcoming tour? Is it friends who are in other bands that have downtime?

It is actually very hard to find people that have the time to go on tour, can afford to take off work, an so on.  I try and pick people who I think are talented but also who are balanced emotionally and mentally enough to be able to handle going on tour. Touring is great but also exhausting and difficult, so I try hard to find people who are laid back, positive, and don't have substance abuse issues (too badly, at least).

Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?

I think music is vital in the way it affects people and the way it makes people feel. There is a lot of disposable music in existence currently because creating music has become so affordable and accessible (something I think is great in a lot of ways)

While there are heaploads of musical trash nowadays, there are also brilliant jewels of bands that exist; two examples being Detroit's The Go! and Conspiracy of Owls; bands that leave me in awe with their timeless sound, perfect songwriting and incredible production. Another high-quality band that constantly leaves me awestricken is Tucson's Lenguas Largas, whose music is haunting and beautiful.

How much time on the road do you spend each year?  Between Peach Kelli Pop, White Wires and drumming for other bands.

It changes all the time depending on a few things (like finances, personal life stuff, whether any new material has been released at the time) The new PKP album just came out so I am riding that wave right now. I'll do a couple more tours and then probably hold off until I am releasing something new again. Hopefully White Wires will tour a little more in the future.

How was it playing both SXSW and Burgerama this year?  Also this year PKP had a track featured in Spin Magazine as part of Burger’s upcoming releases with a picture of PKP. What are your thoughts regarding that?

We actually only played Burgermania (Burger's showcase at SXSW) this year. It was probably my favorite show of our month-long tour. A lot of my friends and people that I admire were in attendance, I thought we played well and the crowd was very enthusiastic.

While nothing ever seems to come from writes ups like the one in Spin, I appreciate any publicity that might expose Peach Kelli Pop to someone new.

Does living in both the US and Canada affect your songwriting at all?

I have lived full-time in the USA for a year now. Moving to California from Ontario, Canada has probably affected my songwriting since I am generally happier and more inspired here.

50 years ago people used to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects music in any way?

I don't really think about that kind of thing too much. 50 years ago I wouldn't have been able to create music the way I have now.

Where can people hear the band?

You can go to our bandcamp site or see us play live.

What’s next?

We are doing a West Coast USA tour with UK's Kate Nash this May and playing 1-2-3-4 Go!s fest, 

the Go!Go! Fest. Check out my blog for more details: peachkelli.blogspot.com

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