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  • May2

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    Interview // Summer Hero – May 1st 2005

    Posted in: Interviews

    HIP: Why the name SummerHero? Is there a special mystery behind it?

    SH: Its not really a mystery. When we were coming up with a name we kinda keep throwing names together. Its kind of a match between two names. I won’t get into the long story of what the other names meant because they had a meaning, but the final choice was kind of a mix of two names we liked. As for Summer Hero, everyone know what a summer hero is. When a movie comes out, there is always a summer hero of the year, you know what I mean.

    To me, its like, I hate winter. Winter freaking sucks to me, so its my meaning of the name. We can throw as many different reasons why it makes sense.

    To me, it means one thing, but I know we had the name before our singer and our other guitarist joined the band

    HIP: So at first, there was only 3 members in the band?

    SH: At first Mike Smith and me we were like playing, more like drinking and playing in a cover band and having fun. We tried to get the cover band to write stuff and they didn’t want to because they were all in other bands. Right then we said to ourselves: lets find somebody to jam. We knew our drummer from before, like when we were 12. We played together since elementary school. He’s been playing for a long time. He just turned 21 and he’s more than I could ever ask in a drummer.

    HIP: Are you guys all about the same age?

    SH: No, I’ll be 25. Our drummer is 21. The others are right in the middle at 22-23.

    HIP: How did you hook up with Dan (Golfinger’s drummer and Summer Hero’s manager)?

    SH: He moved to Canada because he married a Canadian. You know whats funny, we started playing hockey with friends (guys from Not by Choice who are from the same region as us). The first time, it was me, Mike from Not by Choice and Dave “Brownsound” from Sum41 and his wife. We rented an arena and the few of us just skating around the giant arena all by ourselves and it just escalated more and more friends from bands kept coming. It was like once a week punk-rock hockey. Even Darren from Sum41 came and also friends from bands invited their friends from band.

    Then one time, we were partying at Dave’s house one night and I brought disks… I was drunk and I was like “Hey Darren, you really got to listen to our CDs please” and then after that he was like “I love you guys and all, but there is just two things I would never do: I’ll never be a manager and I’ll never work in a record label”. We had just fired our old manager and I slipped it in there like “You never thought about managing?”. So he accepted until he could find something/someone better, so he said. So one time, it just clicked that he was having fun and it all went from there.

    Darren is honestly the most down to earth, genuine guy, he would do anything for his friends. He’s the best person on the planet. We kind of owe everything we had in the last little while for sure. He and his wife are two of the coolest persons we’ve met. And I think its because he’s been through all the shit and stuff that makes him act the way he does. Its not because he thinks about dollar signs.

    HIP: What is, in your opinions, your biggest achievement as a band?

    SH: This year is our big achievement. We are on the Purevolume compilation volume 1. We played the Cool House, the big venue in Toronto with Goldfinger. It was insane. We have a bunch of shows lined up with All American Rejects and NOFX in the coming weeks/months. We owe all that to Darren that we can play with NOFX. Its been our most stressful year but our must fulfilling one for sure.

    HIP: One year ago, did you picture yourself where you are at right now

    SH: Hell no. Not where we are now. I thought at the time that we would have stayed where we were, crashed and burned and hated each other, black eyes and bloody noses. But a year ago, we were writing and having some talks with guys from The Full Blasts about touring with them during the summer. That was it. We had 2 songs recordeds, no vans, no trailers, no merch and not even a CD. We’ve got a 4 songs demo and that’s it. We were just borrowing my mom’s Denali and felt bad when we got at venues in that big (had expansive) truck. So we started to borrow a friend’s van from the band Cautherize.

    HIP: Is there a special meaning about those pink lips on your website (and some merch too)?

    SH: There is no link between them and our name or band. We have a friend at home that does our design for us. He has been doing shit for free so we don’t like to ask him to do stuff. So when we do, we’ll buy beers, get drunk and go on for hours. We just wanted to have something that was different from our old merch logo and it was supposed to be for one run but its now in its third run. Since we keep getting out of merch, everytime we call back home to get more stuff, we just used the same design. Funny thing is, it wasn’t supposed to be a tshirt. At first, the pink lips were for a button. We wanted a specific design but we couldn’t do it and we were a bit last minute so we took the design of the button and just went like “Fuck it, just print that”. And since black and pink is hot at hell so it’s a good sell.

    HIP: Do you guys have any special talents or diplomas of some sort? IF you weren’t playing music, what would you be doing?

    SH: Lane, has a talent. Its not school wise but he does landscaping. He’s super talented at that and he would probably still be doing that if it weren’t for the band. He loves it and he’s always asking to help. Sears is just a really smart dude. If we wasn’t playing music, he would probably go to school for music. Me and Leblanc are like… I tried college twice. I was going to college for one year and spent that whole year ditching class to book shows for a friends band. If I wasn’t in this band I’d try to start another one. I’d also like to get into photography but can’t afford a camera since I spent too much money on music gear. I always buy new stuff.

    HIP: Last part now, any words of wisdom or any words at all for our readers?

    SH: What did we say in our last interview? Party fuckin’ hard ! I wouldn’t say we have words of wisdoms, but yeah, check out our stuff and don’t judge us because we’re in the black and pink phase right now. Don’t be pissed because we’re doing what we love right now. We’ve lucked on everything we have right now. Its timing and a fluke, every band out there it’s timing and a fluke. So I mean all kids can do it. So if you’re looking for words of wisdoms it should be carry a disk of everything you ever written and hand it to any one you can. Hell we’re not even important and we get people handing stuff over to us. Fucking work hard for it. Don’t fucking sit around and wait. It doesn’t fall on your lap. It might use to be like that, but not nowadays

  • May2

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    Interview // Bottom Line – May 1st 2005

    Posted in: Interviews

    HIP: As a start, why don’t you reveal how old is each member of the band ??

    BL: two of us are 21, the other 2 are 20 years old.

    HIP: Have you guys ever been in other bands before Bottom Line?

    BL : For 3 of us, Bottom Line been our only band. We’ve been playing together since 8th grade when we were 14. Our last member, Cliff, has been in the band for the last year and half or two years. But Bottom Line, as a band, started around 1997 / 1998, we just never tried to get big and play outside of our town.

    HIP: Now, I’m gonna quote your website. You say “You find your inspiration by being passionate.” Could you explain how this translate in a real life situation like when you’re writing songs.

    BL: Lately we’ve been writing a lot of songs. We’re probably gonna record this summer. The CD is coming out May 31st and we’ll be going into studio right after. In songwriting you just like to find things that really truly inspire you and so being passionate is something that we hold high. I started, well attempted to start writing love songs, it’s just like you know, something about someone you really care for. That definitely inspired a lot of lyrics for the next album.

    HIP : When you do your stuff, do you do each part (lyrics, riff, beats, etc.) on your own or is it a group thing ?

    BL : “Eloquence” is awesome because every songs is completely different. It would come from a guitar part, or a drum part and then the rest of the song would just spill out. This album’s different. It was a really neat experience.

    HIP : At what point have you or will you consider having succeeded as a band ?

    BL : We just kind of sets mini goals along the way, I don’t really know if we have a big goal at the moment. One of our “small goals” was that I always wanted to sell out our local venue, the Bogarts, two nights in a row and we did it. Now our goal is mostly to tour and get a lot of fans. Our ultimate goal would be to be able to do music and live off of it. Not having to do part time jobs between different tours. Or like have or face on the big megatron TV in New York and rock out.

    HIP : Are you more a band that will like to use a successful way of doing things that is less original and common or doing stuff the original and new way without garanteed success ?

    BL : The latter for sure. It’s nice to be compared to other bands because we look up to a lot of other bands. And we draw inspirations from a lot of bands too, be it hardcore band or pop music. Its hard sometimes because you will be compared to other bands. Everytime we write a song its 100% us. We don’t listen to someone else and say “Hey it worked for them so let’s use it”. We strive to achieve a goal where people will hear us and say that’s Bottom Line and no one can do that.

    HIP : What was the worst comparison your heard about your band, or the one you liked the less.

    BL : I got told that I sounded exactly like the singer from New Found Glory. It’s not that he’s a bad singer, it’s just that I don’t think I sound like him at all. We just want to sound like Bottom Line. Yeah, its gonna be poppy: we don’t scream and do those other stuff.

    HIP : Any last words of wisdom to finish off the interview?

    BL : Give us a chance. You like it, you like it, you don’t, well you don’t. Keep your ears open, you’ll see what happen in the future.

  • Dec13

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    Interview // Alexisonfire – December 12th 2004

    Posted in: Interviews

    Guillaume: What’s the question you get asked the most and what is its typical answer ?

    Alexisonfire : Is it “Alexis on fire” or “Alex is on fire” ? Where we got our band name from… that’s a popular one. Sometimes we kind of make up answers. Also we get ask why we’re so damn sexy all the time.

    G : So the story about the stripper, is it true also ? (see other past Alexisonfire interview)

    A : Yeah, it’s really true.

    G : What’s the last thing your parents told you before you first went on tour ?

    A : Don’t bring any drugs in the USA.
    - My dad reminded me to remind Steele and Jesse that fact.
    - My dad actually said to watch out bringing drugs in Texas or I could end up in the “clink”.
    - Didn’t your dad said something about loose women as well ?
    - He always as those kinds of comments.
    - We’ve been told, when in the south of the US, to stay away from Mexican women.

    G : When doing your set and there’s flashes all over the place, does it get on your nerves ?

    A : It gets crazy after a while. At some shows, they put all the photographers upfront for the first two songs and it’s quite crazy for that time. It gets ok after those first songs.

    G : The way you talk about it, it doesn’t seem like it’s your decision to put the “3 songs” rule for the photos and stuff ?

    A : No, not really.

    G : You’re given the opportunity to tour for a while, and you have to bring with you one band from Quebec and one from Ontario, who would it be ?

    A : Fift Hour Hero, from Quebec. Raising the fawn or Moneen from Ontario.

    G : You have to design the best t-shirt ever, what’s on it ?

    A : The background, is a castle. In front of the castle, you got an army of minotaurs, you know the half-men half-horses. Up in the sky, there’s an army of angels flying towards the minotaurs to fight. (Debates on minotaurs vs. centaurs) So then, in unreadable metal fonts you have the Alexisonfire name on top. And last, in the back, it would be written “Mo Money Mo Problems”.

    G : Here’s my last question. I’ve read in one of your past interviews that you said it’s bad for a band to repeat itself musically. So can we look forward to some kind of evolution, musically speaking, on the next album ?

    A : Absolutely, yeah ! The new one will definitely not sound like the first one nor like Watchout. It always goes with what kind of mood we’re in at the moment. When we write music we don’t have a predetermine plan. We just go with what pops up in our head.

    G : Do you have a time plan for it ?

    A : Probably in the fall, like start of fall season.

  • Nov21

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    Interview // Copeland – November 19th 2004

    Posted in: Interviews

    Guillaume: First question is quite standard… are old are you guys and what did you guys do before doing Copeland ?

    Copeland : We’re 23, 24, 25 and 27. We’re all have been involved in other bands before, nothing too notable. We’ve been playing music and working job and going to school on the side. I was doing furnitures, going to school and doing a band. James was working retail and done graphic design and went to school and playing little bands. John was delivering pizzas and selling insurances and playing bands too. So as you see, we were playing bands and working dead-end jobs.

    G : how does a band who grows up listening to, as mentioned in your website, Steevie Wonder, Billy Joel and Phil Collins comes up with a music that is quite different ? Where do you take your inspirations in these to come up with your own stuff ?

    C : I think our music isn’t that far derived from our influences. I think we the basic structure and melodies can reflect our influences. Also, whatever comes out is what come out and we try to write the best songs we can. Growing up we were listening a lot to this kind of music… real melodic and I think that’s the underline influence in our music.

    G : Right now you’re touring with Sparta, a band formed from ex-At the Drive In. When you’re doing these tours with people who come up from a more “hard style” kind of music, do you learn something out these kind of meetings or is it like just any other bands.

    C : I definitely think that we take something out of this kind of relationship. Especially since it’s all live. Touring is so based on live performance and a lot of these performance things rubs off on each other. By example, by touring with professional bands, we, our turn, learned to be more professional. We grown as performers just by watching other greats performers and spending time around these people. I wouldn’t say that they influenced us musically that much, as opposed to the performance aspect

    G : My last question. Let’s say tomorrow you were given the power to change one thing in the music industry… what would it be and why ?

    C : You can say change the President.

    G : If he does music I think we could count that !

    C : That’s a good question. [pause] I’d like to change how in the industry everything is so based around money. Like what gets played on the radio or on MTV as nothing to do with how many people like the bands. It doesn’t have to do with what the song sounds like or how well written music is. It has to do with how much money was paid to whoever playing it. I would love for it to be more about music and less about the industry.

    Beside of that, it would be to not have snow during the touring in the winter.

    G : Have you ever had bad things happening due to snow

    C : We had a dozen of cancelled shows due to snows and a several accidents. Winter touring is always stressful and exhausting. We’re always cold and terrified of sliding off the road.

    G : We have some other questions. What do you think about music on the internet : does it help music or does it do damage ?

    C : I think internet music helped immensely the little guys and it hurting the big Justin Timberlakes and Britneys and the Aerosmiths. It made it more of an even playing field for everyone.

    I really think that the music industry has a big problem with the fact that they don’t know how to charge people for music right now. People still want music. In fact, the Internet has probably increased people’s desire for music by learning of these new bands and new styles of music. I think that it’s great for music, but bad for the industry, which is going back to what we said earlier about the money and industry.

    I’m all for the internet. I definitely think that the artists need to be supported and if you download something (and like it) you should go buy it or go see the band and buy a shirt. I think people do that, I think people like to support their artists.

    I think that music industry needs to be careful. Right now, the generation of youngest music listeners, the 14-15 years old, they’ve never even known what it’s like to have to actually buy music. When I was growing up, when you wanted to hear something, you had to go buy the tape (or the CD) and now they only need to click and they don’t have to pay for anything. The concept of paying for music isn’t really instilled in the youngest generation. When the music industry will figure how will people pay for music, I think it’s going to be great. It kinds of unlimited possibilities, as far as the artists are concerned.

    G : Who is the band you had more fun touring with ?

    C : I think the first one would be “Matashiwa”.They used to be from California but they broke up a couple of months ago, they were with Tooth and Nails. It was the first band that we did a US tour with. Since then we are quite close friends.

    We also like to tour with Switchfoot. We played with them in Montreal, they were really fun to tour with. The band Mae, also, from Virginia. Since we toured with so many bands, it’s a bit hard to pick but Matashiwa is a sure one

    G : For our last (real one this time) question, could you tell us one thing you hate and one thing you like about Montreal.

    C : I love the aesthetics of the city, it looks really beautiful with the cobberstone roads and all the special area in the downtown area. The most obvious is the langage barrier, since we don’t speak a lick of French. This would be the most negative, but even though, we’re easily understood in English. The diversity in the city is also interesting is really cool, mainly compared to the south.

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