A lot of bands now a days are trying to go for something a bit different..a bit more..out there. Who says you have to stick to one..two..or even three genres of music? Who made up the rule that your musical styling had to be kept in a creative filled box? Rules are meant to be broken, and this battle is made to be defeated. I'm glad to say that finally today bands are taking that into play, especially us Toronto ones. Oh No Forest Fires has that bad ass edge of rock and roll with that twist of happy go lucky pop. One thing that matters most to me is lyrics, and they have that too. What's better then getting that song stuck in your head for hours on end! Not to mention they put on a killer live show. This band has a history of members carefully formed together from different bands. These include the Most Serene Republic, Fox Jaws, the Vulcan Dub Squad and Five Blank Pages. Want that spring in your step for spring 2009? Go ahead, listen, im almost positive you'll smile.
Hmmm it depends what you mean by "starting out." Our first practice was just me and Adam back in December 2006, playing songs I'd been sitting on for years and years. A few months later Matt joined, a few months later Brock joined (there was another guy too, but he's not with us anymore). The first show we played was Sept 20, 2007. Maybe that's the best starting point.
2) How did you come up with that name?
As for the name story, I don't think I've ever said it better than right here, skip ahead to 1:34 if you want:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc4mOOFss 74
As for the name story, I don't think I've ever said it better than right here, skip ahead to 1:34 if you want:
http://www.youtube.c
3) How was it like recording for The War on Geomerty?
Hmmm. Almost all of it was fun! So that's good. We did things really really quickly, and if you listen to the album really really REALLY closely, you can kind of pick up on that.
We did all 7 tracks (9 actually, but we only used 7!) instrumentally in two days at Last Ounce in Brampton, and over the following few months we would go into Kenny (Bridges, from Moneen) basement and do vocals here and there. Eventually it was done. And me and Shawn mixed it over a few days at his place, usually working late into the night trying all these weird shit.
I think the sound of the album reflects the love and care of not just us but everyone that helped us out, and I know we're all really proud of that. If every record was this much fun to make I don't think anyone would ever want a real job haha
Hmmm. Almost all of it was fun! So that's good. We did things really really quickly, and if you listen to the album really really REALLY closely, you can kind of pick up on that.
We did all 7 tracks (9 actually, but we only used 7!) instrumentally in two days at Last Ounce in Brampton, and over the following few months we would go into Kenny (Bridges, from Moneen) basement and do vocals here and there. Eventually it was done. And me and Shawn mixed it over a few days at his place, usually working late into the night trying all these weird shit.
I think the sound of the album reflects the love and care of not just us but everyone that helped us out, and I know we're all really proud of that. If every record was this much fun to make I don't think anyone would ever want a real job haha
4) Did you know which song was going to be your first single?
No we didn't actually, certainly not before recording the album. We made the whole record, and there was maybe.... 4 songs that really stood out to us, all of them showcasing a different kind of sound for the band. Ultimately, I think "It's Not Fun And Games Unless Someone Loses An Eye" just got picked up the most by stuff like CBC Radio 3, so we just kind of ran with that. Hmmm, although, that said I think "Robin The Boy Wonders" was the one that XM Radio liked the most.
Well either way, I think we're gonna try and push "Swing and a Misdemeanor" on people a lot now, if we can call that a second single. It's not like we're going for radio play or making music videos or anything, so the idea of a "single" is a little less concrete with us.
No we didn't actually, certainly not before recording the album. We made the whole record, and there was maybe.... 4 songs that really stood out to us, all of them showcasing a different kind of sound for the band. Ultimately, I think "It's Not Fun And Games Unless Someone Loses An Eye" just got picked up the most by stuff like CBC Radio 3, so we just kind of ran with that. Hmmm, although, that said I think "Robin The Boy Wonders" was the one that XM Radio liked the most.
Well either way, I think we're gonna try and push "Swing and a Misdemeanor" on people a lot now, if we can call that a second single. It's not like we're going for radio play or making music videos or anything, so the idea of a "single" is a little less concrete with us.
5) My favourite song is New Cove Road Back Home can you explain what thats about?
It's funny you should ask about that, because New Cove Road Back Home is probably the most important song on the album to me lyrically. I went out with this really wonderful beautiful girl named Kim for a long time, like 4 years, and eventually we just kind of grew up a little differently so we had to break up. Being the geniuses that we are, we decided that moving in together a year after breaking up would be a smart move (IT WASN'T). After eight months of living together and fighting every day (partly because we loved each other too much, partly because we hated each other too much) we kind of came to an understanding that it just wasn't working out and she had to move out. That's where the idea of "when you said you were never coming back" came from. And it really really really reaaaaaally sucked. I knew then (and now) that it was definitely the best decision but it still sucked. Anyways, I suppose the main point of the song is to capture that perspective of having lost something really important that you thought you could have, and the crushing weight of loneliness and regret that can come along with it. Making coffee for just yourself in the morning when you don't even really feel like you have a reason to wake up is an awful feeling. It's made even worse when you know the one you love has started a new relationship with someone else, and they moved in together and seems really serious and like maybe she's moved on forever, for good, and some other guy is getting every you wanted. I probably will go to her wedding (although she doesn't have one planned yet), but I honestly have to be really careful not to drink much. I will probably say something stupid. Although I love her family, so that'd be nice to hang out with them a little bit again. I don't know.
As for the title, it's a reference to both an older ONFF song, and a road back home in St. John's NFLD (where kim and I are both from). The old song was called "Cove Back Home Song", and then Adam thought the new one was "the New Cove Back Home" and there's this street in St J called "New Cove Road" so we just called it "New Cove Road Back Home"... we're very stream-of-consciousness when it comes to making song titles.
6) Where do you guys practice?
It's funny you should ask about that, because New Cove Road Back Home is probably the most important song on the album to me lyrically. I went out with this really wonderful beautiful girl named Kim for a long time, like 4 years, and eventually we just kind of grew up a little differently so we had to break up. Being the geniuses that we are, we decided that moving in together a year after breaking up would be a smart move (IT WASN'T). After eight months of living together and fighting every day (partly because we loved each other too much, partly because we hated each other too much) we kind of came to an understanding that it just wasn't working out and she had to move out. That's where the idea of "when you said you were never coming back" came from. And it really really really reaaaaaally sucked. I knew then (and now) that it was definitely the best decision but it still sucked. Anyways, I suppose the main point of the song is to capture that perspective of having lost something really important that you thought you could have, and the crushing weight of loneliness and regret that can come along with it. Making coffee for just yourself in the morning when you don't even really feel like you have a reason to wake up is an awful feeling. It's made even worse when you know the one you love has started a new relationship with someone else, and they moved in together and seems really serious and like maybe she's moved on forever, for good, and some other guy is getting every you wanted. I probably will go to her wedding (although she doesn't have one planned yet), but I honestly have to be really careful not to drink much. I will probably say something stupid. Although I love her family, so that'd be nice to hang out with them a little bit again. I don't know.
As for the title, it's a reference to both an older ONFF song, and a road back home in St. John's NFLD (where kim and I are both from). The old song was called "Cove Back Home Song", and then Adam thought the new one was "the New Cove Back Home" and there's this street in St J called "New Cove Road" so we just called it "New Cove Road Back Home"... we're very stream-of-consciousness when it comes to making song titles.
6) Where do you guys practice?
In a room at Dufferin/Dupont, in this thing called The Rehearsal Factory. It's a whole bunch of practice rooms in one building. We share with a bunch of other bands, including the band I'm on tour with right now, who are also really amazing, called "The Ghost Is Dancing".
7) What comes first the music or the lyrics?
It depends how you look at it. I can't really speak for Matt, but I know with me I write down all my different lyrical ideas first in this notepad file on my computer, and then I have a whole pile of music recorded as demos separately. Once the melody is in place, then I kind of go through the lyrics and try to edit them and tie ideas together to form a cohesive song. THat's how it works most of the time for me, although sometimes I'll just start singing something randomly in the jam space and I"ll make a point to remember it and develop an idea around that ("Fighting Heidi" is a perfect example of that).
8) How does it feel like to be on the music charts?
Being on campus radio and the CBC Radio 3 charts has been above everything else, really surprising!! hahaha I say that half jokingly, but seriously, it's really cool- we didn't really expect it and it feels great to know that other people seem to enjoy our songs as much as we do. Hopefully we can keep it up! It's helping with bringing people out to our live show, which is what our band is really about- the live show I mean, so that's also a really awesome bonus too.
9) Any exciting thoughts or anticipations for the summer?
HMmm not sure yet! We have some ideas we're kicking around, and a bunch of new songs. I know in mid/late May we're doing a quick Ontario/Quebec tour with our buddies in the band Arietta, that'll definitely be a lot of fun. We have some exciting oppurtunities besides that coming up too, including NXNE, and a music festival in Ottawa at the end of the summer. I guess for me specifically, the new songs are probably the most exciting thing haha I can't wait to demo them!! EEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Think quick:
1) Most played on your ipod right now?
I don't have an ipod, and my itunes is back home on my computer right now, but I know lately I've been listening to a lot of:
So Many Dynamos
Mountain Goats
Phoenix
Dark Was The Night
Wilco
2) Best performance so far?
For us?? HMmmmm. We played REALLY well at the Horseshoe a few weeks ago with The Coast. I don't know what it was, a mix of crowd reaction and us just being a little bit "on", but it was fucking fun as fucking fuck fuck.
As for performances that I've seen, I'd say hmmm, Fox Jaws at the Rivoli was amazing, their new album is definitely going to melt faces and destroy brains it's so good, the new songs are incredible. Ummm, I saw Hey Rosetta! at Lee's Palace, and they just killed. The Constantines/Weakerthans at the Phoenix was really really great. HMmm.
And you know what, I know it's not music but I saw Norm Macdonald do stand up at Yuk Yuk's last week and it was easily one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, so definitely that too.
3) Dream band to tour with?
Oh gosh, there's millions!! On the more realistic side of things I'd love to tour with Moneen, adam/matt have been friends with them forever (and toured with them before in their old band) and that'd be like a little dream come true for me. I'd also love to tour with So Many Dynamos again, that might actually be possible later this year, but more on that later.
As for other dream bands that I think we'd fit with, I'd say "And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead" would be super super fun, maybe someone like "Maps And Atlases" I don't know, I love too many bands hahaha
4) Craziest person in the band?
Oh my god that's like asking which cast member on Full House is the "whitest". We're all batshit insane- although in different ways.
5) Biggest fear?
Those sliding automatic doors at grocery stores and airports.
6) Favourite book/author?
Tie for favourite author is Michael Winter (amazing writer from NFLD, he splits his time between St. J and Toronto, just like me!) and Milan Kundera (we were talking about him in the van yesterday, I want to be his drinking buddy).
Favourite book? Let's say "This All Happened" by Michael Winter, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Kundera, and I gotta say "Shadow Of The Wind" was really good too. And "The Kiterunner". And this book of poetry by Shawn Collins is really good took, the name of which escapes me now.
7) Mars or Jupiter?
Mars. It lives by the three words I base my whole life on: Smaller, faster, redder. That makes... NO sense.
8) Oh No Forest Fires in one word:
"Guitarded"
Myspace: www.myspace.com/ohnoforestfires
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