Corner Boys Interview

Corner Boys

Canada’s Corner Boys are in love with ‘70’s punk and power-pop. The band pulls, most notably, from Irish bands like Protex and Rudi, but adding in Simpletones energy and a love of obscure one-release wonders. Corner Boys, like the boys dealing in The Wire, will be hanging around your brain long after listening to their brand of infectious power-pop.

by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

This is Patrick Bertrand.

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

There’s three of us. I play drums, Joel Butler plays bass, and Wade Connor plays guitar. We all sing, but I sing lead most of the time.

Give us the band’s origin story, some other bands the members have played in and currently do play in?

Corner Boys started in spring 2016 when Wade asked me to play drums with him. I hadn’t played drums in more than 5 years at that point so it was kind of like learning from scratch again. We wrote together with a few bass players and singers but nothing ever felt right, so Wade and I practiced as a two-piece for most of the first few months. Joel Butler “retired” from music after his previous band Nervous Talk ( https://hoseheadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/nervous-talk-2 ) broke up, but it only took me six months of bugging him to play bass with us until he finally agreed in November 2016. We played our first show in January 2017.

In addition to Corner Boys, I play in a band called Chain Whip

( https://chainwhip.bandcamp.com/album/chain-whip ), as does Joel. Wade also plays in a band called Puritans ( https://puritansband.bandcamp.com/ ).

Describe the band’s sound in 20 words or less.

Happy sounding sad songs played by brat little brothers.

Where did the band name Corner Boys? Is the band name from the book, Corner Boys?

A corner boy is a troublemaker. It’s old slang for someone loitering, usually up to no

good. It’s in the song Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=024UcB1m7Do ).

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

We all love late 1970’s punk and power pop bands that released one 7” then faded into obscurity. At our first show, we covered The Speedies - Let Me Take Your Photo, and The Simpletones - TV Love. Add Protex and Rudi to that mix and those were the reference points we had from the start.

In a previous interview, the band stated “First wave Canada will always have a

place in my heart, but no one played power pop in the ‘70’s better than the Irish.” What makes Irish power-pop/punk so special?

Whenever I read about the troubles in Ireland I’m blown away by the fact that a bunch of kids could write love songs as well as they did. I think there’s a kinship between countries like Ireland and Canada. We’re both stuck beside influential countries that have all the spotlight. We’re defined more by not being something than what we are. It’s a terminal uncool that I think levels the playing field for people to write music. Check out releases on Good Vibrations Records and Rip Off Records both from Northern Ireland.

Corner Boys seemed to get noticed due to the original demo that was posted on Bandcamp. So, did Drunken Sailor approach the band about putting out the debut 7” or was the band sending the demo to labels?

We put the demo up on Bandcamp and posted about it a bit on social media. It had pretty good legs and a few labels reached out to us, but they wanted us to pay to press it as a 7” on their label. Julian at Drunken Sailor reached out a bit later and asked if we were going to record more, because he wanted to hear it if we did. We did another session with Jeffrey McCloy (Tranzmitors, Fashionism) and sent the tracks to Julian, and that became the Just Don’t Care 7”. The demo did eventually come out as a tape through Flo at Trapdoor Tourz in Germany.

How you the band hook up with Dirt Cult?

I’ve known Chris and Lizzie at Dirt Cult for a few years through doing my own label

Hosehead Records. Chris got a hold of me a few days after Drunken Sailor did and asked to do a 7” as well. Rather than do a split release we decided to do two 7”s. The next batch of songs became the Love Tourist 7”.

With a zillion digital avenues presented to musicians nowadays (Bandcamp, blogs, Spotify, YouTube, etc.) what do you feel are the best parts and worst parts of these digital avenues?

You can listen to anything at absolutely any time. It’s an ultimate convenience that makes it impossible to make any waves. 99% of the time when I listen to music it’s on vinyl at home. Unless it’s a super rare KBD single and I can’t afford it, then I just listen to it at Josh from Chain Whip’s house.

What are some the band’s favorite shows they have played?

We recently played a show with Mike Krol and Swearin’ and that was a really good time. We all like playing in Victoria, BC, which we’ve done twice now. Our US shows have been a lot of fun as well, Portland and Seattle. I’d like to play more down there.

What are some of the Vancouver bands that people should be checking out?

We often play with Sore Points ( https://sorepoints.bandcamp.com/album/dont-want-to-7 ) and Fashionism, both of which are a pleasure to see. Necking and Lié are also great.

https://fashionism.bandcamp.com/

https://lievancouver.bandcamp.com/

https://neckingband.bandcamp.com/

When not playing music, what does the band like to do?

We’re usually watching old horror and sci-fi and challenging each other to eat really spicy things. We all ride bicycles a lot too.

Where can people hear the band?

All our stuff is on Bandcamp first and foremost, but also iTunes, Spotify, and possibly Youtube. If you like it, please support Dirt Cult Records in Portland, or Drunken Sailor Records in the UK by buying it on vinyl.

https://dirtcultrecords.wordpress.com/

http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk

What’s next?

Debut LP out 2019 on Drunken Sailor Records. Ideally a European tour to follow.

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Dany Laj and The Looks

Dany Laj & The Looks photo by Justin Lamothe

Dany Laj and The Looks have made one of the most tremendous records I've heard all year.  Their new LP Word On The Street released earlier this year on Squirtgun Records is a power pop masterpiece.   Sure you've got bands aping Cheap Trick and The Beat left and right but Dany Laj mixes his influences up, breaks them down to their basic elements and what he creates from it is something truly inspiring.  If you miss Elvis Costello's hooks, Joe Jackson's heart, Nick Lowe's wit, and Dwight Twilley's charm; then Dany Laj and The Looks are the band for you!

Interview by J Castro

Who is currently in the band and what does everyone do?

DANY: Me, Dany Laj – Guitar, Vocals

Jeanette Dowling – Bass, Vocals

Collin Burnett - Drums

I’ve read other people describing your band’s sound, but how would you define it to someone that’s never heard your music before?

DANY: I usually say peanut butter hotdogs sparkled with cinnamon, but really it's power pop (which is a sub-genre of rock 'n roll).

What band, musician, or songwriter would you say has had the single most influence on your musical career?  Tell me about the first time you heard them and how it affected you: 

DANY: When I was about 13 years old, one of my dad's employees for his construction company had brought me a box full of 45's that were from the local radio station in my hometown. I guess the station was getting rid of their records and most likely were making room and updating to only cd's in their library. It was the first time I had ever seen a clear colored vinyl. That record was the single Teenage Kicks by The Undertones. I put it on right away. Even though at that time the single would have been about 15 years old, it sounded so fresh to me. It was so catchy, the guitars sounded so good, and I swear I annoyed everyone around for the next year singing that chorus over and over again. I for sure wanted to play music for the rest of my life after that.

What sorts of things inspire your song lyrics?  Do you ever get inspired by films or literature?

DANY: All kinds of things influence my lyrics: love, friendships, parties, bad experiences, good ones, drugs, politicians, good stories. Yes, I do get influenced by films and literature. I mean, reading The Outsiders when I was in grade 9 was a game changer for me, same thing for Lord of the Flies. When we were on tour in July I read Peter Case's paperback As Far As You Can Go Without A Passport. It really motivated me to keep doing what I'm doing. It really makes me want to go to San Francisco. That kind of thing.  

Dany Laj photo by Holly Thomas

The band just got off a tour of western Canada.  How do you feel that went? 

Can you tell me about the most memorable show on the tour, good or bad and what made it stick in your mind?

DANY: It went really well. It surprised us really. We had just gotten off an east coast Canada tour that could have killed any band right there and then. We had van troubles out there but we pushed through and got our shit together and bought a new van for the west coast. We hired Barry Higginson (The Doers, Uptights), a Vancouver drummer. We had a blast. We laughed so hard the whole time. Jeanette pulled a muscle in her back she was laughing so hard. The Vancouver show was incredible. The people were great and we played really well.

Speaking of your shows, what feelings or sentiments do you want your audience to walk away with after seeing you perform? 

DANY: I just want them to love and respect one another. But most importantly, I want them to be happy and feel like what they paid at the door was worth every nickel.

Word On The Street LP released May 5th, 2015, Squirtgun Records 

Your new LP Word on the Street came out earlier this year on Squirtgun Records.  A label you seem to fit well on.  Can you tell me a bit about the record, where it was made who helped out in the recording of it etc.? 

DANY: Yes we recorded it in February of 2014 at -Stu-Stu-Studio in Toronto, Ontario, with Brendan Howlett, who also helped produce it with Jeanette and I. I write a lot of songs and we play a lot of stuff live that isn't always recorded or released yet. I collected a bunch of those songs off old set-lists and felt that they would make a good record if they were put together and released that way. I started to realize after a while that lyrically, those songs were telling a tale that I didn't know I was telling till I put them together. For a first long player it's kind of an introduction to the world of who I am or maybe even a memoir of who I was for the last 5 years or so. Lewis Handford played drums, and I invited one our previous drummers and brother in arms to me Sean Dignan to play percussion and Jay Lemak to play keys. I also enlisted the help of our friends Heather Mazhar, Samatha Martin, Laura Hermiston, Anna Mernieks, and Zero4 to come sing on the record with us.  It was mixed here in Montreal by Samuel Gemme at what is now known as Reel Road Studios and mastered by Noah Mintz at Laquer Channel in Toronto.

If you could rise to super stardom on the strength of one song, which one of your songs would you want it to be and why do you want this particular song to solidify your legacy in pop culture forever?

DANY: Mr. Rebound. If I would have to play one song every night for the rest of my life I wouldn't mind if it was that one. I never get sick of it and I love singing it. Remedy is a close second.

I was watching an old interview with a famous punk icon (I won’t say who because most of the time people just focus on that instead of the actual question) and he was saying how much he hates Bruce Springsteen because all he does is whine in his songs and he never offers any solutions for the social injustices he writes about.  What do you think about that?  Do you feel musicians and artists in general have an obligation to offer up solutions and not just “whine” about issues?

DANY: Nah, I don't feel musicians have to offer solutions for everything they raise questions about politically. I have a song that we play that talks about unionizing the miners in my hometown, for instance; I mean I raise the question in it. The solution is a complicated one. Of course to me it would be a great idea, but the last thing I would want at the same time is one of my old high school buddies getting caught whispering about it and getting fired from his job for bringing it up at work. Sometimes you simply can't offer a solution because you don't have one. Sometimes “whining” is the thing to do. Take it or leave it.

I always hear golfers talk about how many “life lessons” a person can learn from playing golf.  What sorts of valuable “life lessons” do you feel people learn from being in a touring rock ‘n roll band?

DANY: You learn to adapt to situations quickly. Things happen fast. You meet people, you try to learn their lingo, remember their names. Best way to do any of this is to have a positive mental attitude. None of this is easy, have a good time with it, and treat people the way you want to be treated. It seems like simple stuff but when you're exhausted, hungover, and sick, it gets very tricky. Just be nice.

Where can people go or log on to hear and buy your music?

DANY: www.danylaj.com pretty much has what you want.

What’s in the near future for Dany Laj and The Looks, any U.S. tours planned?

DANY: Tons more touring. We are working on a tour of the Canada/US for early spring with one of my top 10 songwriters of all time. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly and we'll be able to announce it soon.  

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