Raid for Blood Diamonds

They say they've got "In-your-face energy. Complex yet catchier than mono. A fusion of styles from all over the musical spectrum."---- i say, this is spot on! This band is upbeat, with a sound that's catchier-than-average, undoubtedly making them a craze through the toronto garage band scene.

Acid City: How did you guys start out?

Luc: Will and I have been playing music together for years now, but in the beginning we would play whatever would suit the other musicians we tried working with (we were young and just wanted to play in a band, but together, we were only a guitarist and drummer). We used to play some weird funk shit, then we somehow ended up sounding like Incubus for a while, which we hated. Eventually, we ended up getting rid of a bunch of members and writing crazier, more energetic stuff, and that totally felt 100% natural too.

Will: Luc and I have been playing together since we were like 16, back when we were both little punks, jamming out to the misfits and NOFX and all that stuff, and we sort of evolved from there. We went through many lineup changes, and created a sound that reflects our growth as a band and as people.

Acid City: Who came up with the band name and what does it mean?

Luc: I came up with it after we had tried brainstorming a million ridiculous names. I think something like "Killer King" was one of them...haha. The concept of our name is basically a "Robin Hood" transfer of wealth idea. The name sounded cool at the time and stuck!

Acid City: What insipires you to write your music?

Luc: A central lyrical, and even musical theme, for me is coping with life and death. Also, if I may use the cliche "musician" explanation - to forget about every other responsibility we have and just have fun doing what we love to do!

will: A need for solid songs. This will also sound very cliche, a music industry saturated with un-inspired music needs a passionate, from-the-heart alternative... US!!

Acid City: Do you think Toronto has influenced the way your music sounds or how it is delivered?

Luc: For sure! There are so many awesome bands coming out of the Toronto scene lately, and obviously they are our competition in some ways. So we need to practice ALOT - because some of these bands are fucking TIGHT! We also tend to feed off what other bands around us do, in terms of marketing and stuff like that! Its a great scene to be a part of.

Acid City: Which song is most important to you guys?

Luc: I'd have to say "The Audio Ghost", just because of what it's about. We wrote that song a couple days after our vocalist Frank died in the summer of 2007. It was a really horrible time and that song still gives me chills because I remember that week so vividly.

Will: agreed.

Acid City: Dream band to share the stage with?

Luc: Dillinger Escape Plan. Or Glassjaw if they ever get going again. Or, like, whoever will hook us up with some label contacts! :P

will: Coheed and Cambria.. nirvana, bob marley...

Acid City: Dream location to play a show?

Luc: WEMF, Cutting Edge Music Fest, Warped Tour Main Stage, Taste of Chaos, anywhere those are held!

will: The Kool Haus.. I feel like once you play the Kool Haus, and if you are able to sell out the Kool Haus three days in a row.. you've made it somewhere!

Acid City: Where do you hope to be in 10 years?

Luc: I always said my dream life would be touring around the world in a big ass bus, with a hot tub and bar in it. Ballin'. But I'd definately settle for being crammed in a van with a bunch of sweaty dudes for months on end, just as long as I'm playing in this band as a career!

Will: Ballin'. MTV cribs style.

Acid City: Do you do anything to prepare for a great show?

Luc: We practice alot, put on just the right amount of stage make-up, and practice our poses in the mirror for a couple hours.

will: straighten our hair, and help each other squeeze into our girl jeans...

Acid City: Which song do you like performing the most and why?

Luc: I'd say "The Audio Ghost", for the same reason as before. Or Lt. Ron Hubbard, an "older" one, cuz I get to sing Franks insane parts.

Acid City: What is the song Wheezing about?

Luc: Lyrically, it's another song we wrote when dealing with the shitty times last summer. Musically, we were going for a cross between Weezer (half the reason behind the name) and Converge - an unlikely match!

Acid City: Most played band on your ipod at the current moment?

Luc: I can't afford an iPod. On my car CD player I've been listening to alot of Drum and Bass and Psy-Trance.

Acid City: Hollywood is -

party central?

Acid City: School is -

fun! Will and I are about to graduate York University and it has the best parties, lots of cool people and places to hang out!

Acid City: Best place to hang out is -

Richmond Green Skate Park, The Gym, The Office (where we jam)

Acid City: Loudest in the band is -

Me, I guess, cuz I scream the most?

Acid City: Whats one thing you hope never changes about the band?

Luc: The line-up. We've gone through so many changes, and it feels perfect now. Everyone gets along great, has musical chemistry, and wants to play constantly! What a relief!

will: The line up, we have a super sexy lineup right now, and we all get along to boot!

Acid City: What can people expect out of you guys in the future?

Luc: Tons more songs! We're gonna keep giving out our music FOR FREE at our shows, until we make a proper full length ( which we'll sell for super cheap anyway ). We don't care about making bucks off our songs, we just want people to hear it, and if they like it enough to come see us and chill out with us, thats amazing!

Will: Consistent, solid music, and an energetic live set!

Acid City: Why should people listen to your band?

Luc: Well, we love the punk and hardcore scene, but we really try to make an original, memorable contribution to the scene. Our songs aren't "cookie cutter", although we still write energetic, catchy, moshable songs! We also love to meet new people and our recordings are available FREE of charge, so we definately won't hold a grudge for getting downloaded or burned!

will: Cliche, but: Because honest, from-the-heart music seems hard to come by these days, and we try our best to stay true to who we are. If you give us a shot, you wont be let-down.

Acid City: Definition of Raid for Blood Diamonds in one word:

Luc: ENTHUSIATIC
Will : SEXY