St. Albert Rockers, Calling All Captains, have collected life experience to set free over an emotive release that is abounding with meaning. In celebration the recent release of ‘Nothing Grows Here’, I caught up with the guys to discuss overcoming self-doubt, gratitude for being a part of the Equal Vision Records family, fulfilling endeavors outside of their musicianship and more.
Congrats on the release of your ‘Nothing Grows Here’ EP. Tell us about the creative and recording process and what you learned along the way this time around.
Writing and recording these songs has definitely changed the way we work together as artists. These are the first songs that Luc recorded lead vocals on, and the first songs that I (Connor) had EVER recorded vocals on. With Luc being so suddenly thrust into the position of frontman, we all had to learn how to play together as a band again, and we found that things really clicked when our longtime friend, Tim joined the team. As things progressed, we explored new sounds and concepts and had a blast building ‘Nothing Grows Here’ with our good friends Quinn Cyrankiewicz and Ty Elgie. Quinn has been producing our songs since before Captains and is a huge part of the way everything comes together, we couldn’t do it without him!
As many bands from all across the spectrum have been a part of the success of Equal Vision Records, tell us about your experience being a part of the label so far.
Connor + Brad – We absolutely love Equal Vision. We did lots of research on all the labels we were interested in and heard all kinds of horror stories from other bands, but couldn’t find anyone that had something bad to say about EVR. It was almost too good to be true! Right from the start things just clicked and we knew it was the right place for us. We have an incredibly hard working team behind us and they make sure we have everything we need to do what we love. It’s hard to express how grateful we are for this opportunity and for our new family at EVR. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
Luc – I can only speak for myself but a big struggle I’ve had is the fact that I have taken over the lead vocalist position for the band. Before our first single was released I was so worried about what people were going to say, some people online can get really nasty about it. We’re familiar with how people react when bands change vocalists. My self-doubt and fear about the new material and singles were washed away when we released “Disconnected”. The response has been more than positive and we are beyond grateful. Another thing that has been a struggle is that most of us have quit jobs for this, we had healthcare benefits and salaries but it’s hard to ask your boss for the 5th time “I need a month or two off for tour” , eventually they will want to move on or find a more permanent team member; which is totally understandable.
What is your perception on the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
Brad – Social media is a plague, a blight on this earth lol it’s like the best and worst thing that could’ve happened to us in the digital age. On one hand, we’re more connected than we’ve ever been and have immediate access to unlimited information and opportunities to stand in our own spotlight and create and express ourselves, but on the other hand, we’re so connected that we forget how to actually connect with people in person. You hang out with people and they’re glued to their phone, or they’re watching concerts through a snapchat filter, and pining for likes and the instant gratification that comes with social media attention. It’s really easy to get caught up in and addicted to. Even us as a band, we’re always comparing ourselves to other bands and when a post doesn’t get very many likes we get bummed about it. It’s stupid haha but it’s also an invaluable asset in promoting and growing our brand, so thicken your skin and adapt or die, right?!
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
Luc – Beyond being a musician I am many things. I used to hold a caseworker/admin position for people aged 18-30 in a transitional housing program. Which at some times can be emotionally draining being the go-to for many peoples issues and being their resource provider. It was rewarding but it was definitely a lot to deal with sometimes. Shout out to the people in Social Services. I also take pride in my Metis culture and perform with my traditional dance group whenever I am not touring. Some of us in the dance group have been performing together for over a decade. The dance group continue to perform because we take pride in our Indigenous culture and want to share it with future generations. It’s sad to say but there is still a lot of prejudice regarding First Nations, Metis, Inuit and all other Indigenous cultures. That is something i will always feel and be aware of. I do my part in spreading awareness about the many Indigenous cultures in Canada and North America.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
That’s actually a very overlooked part of being a band. You get the highest highs and the lowest lows out on the road, so that’s something you need to be aware and mindful of, otherwise that shit can creep up on you out of nowhere and mess your day up. Everyday you’re in a new city meeting new people, getting that adrenaline rush on stage, and it’s way too easy to live day to day and forget to center yourself. For us, we lean on each other. There’s no hiding anything from 4 other dudes when you’re cramped in a little van. If someone isn’t doing good or having a bad time, it shows. We just try to be open and talk about it and be there for each other when we need to vent, and give each other space when we don’t. Everyone kinda has their own vibe and way that they deal with things, and part of being a band is learning those little things about each bandmate and knowing how to either help or get out of the way.
You have toured with a wide variety of musicians over the past years. Tell us some words of wisdom that you collected along the way.
Nick – We’re a band that heavily believes you never stop learning. We take every tour, show and day as an experience that we can take something away from. Whether it be giving ourselves an extra hour to make it to the venue so we can get some extra time to chill, to how we work on our own demos. The bands we’ve known that are still going have taught us the importance of communication between each other, perseverance in this lifestyle and the ability to have a short memory when things don’t go as planned. Most importantly, it’s about having fun. If you aren’t enjoying this then why are you doing it? I’m (Nick) personally thankful that our team between Rude and Equal Vision Records, Big Picture Media and Word Is Bond have been super open to educating myself and the guys with everything that comes along with being in a signed band.
Speaking of touring, tell us about any upcoming or current tour dates that you can fill us in about for 2019.
Nick – We’re about to embark on the largest tour we’ve ever done. It’s 2 months across the United States. It’ll be starting in Lewiston ID on February 15 and the American portion ends in Burnsville MN on April 7. All the dates and tickets can be found on our website. Our touring plans don’t end there either. We’ve been steadily at work booking more and more and hopefully crest over the 150 shows mark in 2019! Keep your eyes peeled y’all.
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?!
We just want give a huge shout out to everyone that’s stuck with us through this roller coaster ride, thanks for keeping this genre of music alive! We fuckin’ love you guys to death and we’re gonna keep making you proud. All the best to you in 2019, and we’re gonna do our best to come meet and thank you all in person.
Minnesota Rockers, Household, have come to find understanding in the necessity of ensuring to take time to reflect on the wild journey that tends to come with being a part of the music industry. I caught up with Lead Vocalist, Josh Gilbert, to discuss ‘Everything a River Should Be’, accessing alternative thoughts and feelings, self-development work, balance and more.
Congrats on the recent release of ‘Everything a River Should Be’. Tell us about the creative and recording process this time around and what you learned about yourself along the way.
Thanks, this record was a huge process! We spent over 2 years writing in cabins, basements and parents houses to create EARSB. We went through 3 separate demoing processes which was a new strategy for us. ultimately I’m glad we had all that time to figure out what we wanted the new sound, through the new record to sound like!
Everything a River Should Be’ comes off quite poetic and so does your lyricism. Who spearheads the songwriting process?
The music is definitely collaborative for us. Nathanael spearheads most of the song structure, but the rest of us fairly split our own instrumentation on the record. I (Josh) wrote most of the albums lyrically save Dependable which nathanael wrote in it’s lyrical entirety.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
Ooo, great question, that’s kinda what the whole album and band for that matter is about, challenging ideas, situations, relationships and just all of life! Recently I’ve been thinking about what actually makes each one of us who we are. Like which things, thoughts, actions, ideas contribute to our being and how can we accept and access those qualities to be true to ourselves. And when I don’t feel like myself, the challenge invites me to be myself and chose things that are true to me rather than putting on a front.
What is your perception on the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
It doesn’t do much for me. Like I mostly have the socials because of the band. Personally I’ve noticed a correlation between social media usage and a negative mood. Rarely does it uplift my state of mind, so staying away has proven to be beneficial for me. As far as the culture at large, I wonder if it has similar effects on others too. I think it can be used in positive ways like how it gives anyone a voice, I just think the negatives outweigh the positives for me individually.
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
I do a lot of self~development work (Counseling, reading, introspective conversations) which is so rewarding. I think household has always wanting to be about more than a band, nothing extreme, but we just value how music can at times transcend the instruments and voices. I look forward to talking more about the pain that all of us have and how valuable giving each other permission to be ourselves is.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
We could probably do a better job of keeping our emotional and mental health in check on tour. For me, home time is when I recoup and regather, but a busy tour year can add up and be quite strenuous.
You have toured with a wide variety of musicians over the past years. Tell us some words of wisdom that you collected along the way.
Be yourself! I’ve said it so much, but the people that are killing it are the ones that know who they are and own it. Copy paste music doesn’t work long term, so I’ve come to trust the idea that all we can do is take what you have an present it to others. kind of a beautiful concept there that a few people we’ve had the pleasure of playing with understand.
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?!
Thank you for getting it, and letting us do this thing. It’s been a long windy thing we’ve done so it’s truly an honor to be invited to do more! Love you people out there.
New Jersey Rockers, Gatherers, have spent countless hours on developing a concept and album that served as a dose of their Hardcore roots coming forward with heart. I caught up with the guys to discuss ensuring to keep their friendship at the forefront, comparing success and failure on social media, ‘We Are Alive Beyond Repair’, the importance of eating right and sleeping on the road and more.
Congrats on the success and release of ‘We Are Alive Beyond Repair’. Tell us about the creative and recording process and what you learned about yourself along the way.
Thank you! We started writing initial ideas for the album around winter of 2015 if I recall correctly. At the time Adam was in the process of moving into a new recording studio and I believe we initially started writing what would later become the opening track “Spill”. We were going through several member changes at the time so we had to explore a lot of ideas between bass, drums and vocals. In hindsight, I think it was a very healthy way to go about writing in a more focused direction. Eventually, Anthony and Rob joined on guitars respectively. They both provided a much needed perspective on the songs we’d been sitting on for months. We finally finished things off as a complete band by writing “Ann Liv Young” and “Starve. I think writing and recording this record taught us to be more objective for what best served each song and the album as a whole.
Who did you work with on the album cover/photography for ‘We Are Alive Beyond Repair’ and how did you come up with the visual concept?
The album photography was lent to us by Evelyn Bencicova and is part of a series titled “Asymptote” She’s an award-winning artist based in Berlin and has an extremely original way of building these “worlds” within her photography and filmmaking. We discovered the photo early on in the writing process and felt that it also existed in the same world as the album we wanted to write. We reached out to her with demos and the album title and she was very receptive to the idea.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
To stop comparing our success and failures based on the facade of social media. It is a habit I battle on the daily, but I’m learning that we should only speak when it counts, to only think about our band within the framework of things that excite us, and to not get caught up in the rat race of everyone trying to “make it” overnight. Above all, I’m learning to value my friendship with my bandmates more.
What is your perception on the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
Any “culture” born on social media is very uninspiring to me. I think things now move at such a pace that the baseline for culture has been lowered, which means trends die even quicker with more people attached to them. I would be a hypocrite to not admit how valuable of a tool social media plays in the promotion of our own band, after all it has become this requisite extension of our music and art. However, I have a distaste for the way it herds people into various (very predictable) patterns of behavior. I notice it especially in new bands, touting the same style of content, the same way of speaking and so on. It’s all feels very commodified.
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
We all simply try our best to respect our friendship to one another and to be the best versions of ourselves every day.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
Eat right. Sleep right. Avoid excessive time on the phone. Take in the sights and make the most of each show. Also, it’s critical to make each other laugh as much as possible.
You have toured with a wide variety of musicians over the past years and have played at some major festivals. Tell us some words of wisdom that you collected along the way.
Stay humble. Study other bands. Also, get your shit on and off the stage as quickly as possible!
What do fans of Gatherers have to look forward to in 2019?
We’ll probably end up touring a bit more and then who knows? We’ve been flirting with some loose ideas for our next album, so that might end up occupying our time towards the end of the year.
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?!
Thank you for your support. Listen to Great Grief.
