PipemanRadio Interviews The Fixer - Dark. Sexy. Loud. - The Adventures of Pipeman

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, you love them too, Censure Wow, gra you your night.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Shund, your shamelfel Repstyle.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
This is the pipemin here on the Adventures Pipe Man
w pour c Y Radio and our next guest has
had some pretty cool, cool new song and a cool
tour going on that we're going to talk about. So
let's welcome to the show The Fixer. How are you great?

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Hi? Thank you very much for having us.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
Oh my pleasure. And I gotta tell you, I really
love your description on Instagram because it just totally describes you. Dark, sexy, loud.
Thank you, And I was listening to your new song
and it's pretty badass. What I like about is it,

(01:13):
you know, it's not like normal metal today that has
one sound throughout the whole song and basically, once you've
heard the first thirty seconds, you've heard the whole song,
which playgates to the track track track track mentality. I
think yours is more old school in my opinion, where
it takes you on a journey.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
We do have a bit of old school with us.
I feel like, well The Fixer naturally has a lot
of varied influences even outside of metal, but I feel
like there is some elements in old school, like I
grew up in the for reference point when new metal

(01:56):
was very popular. I feel like that to a degree
comes through and I don't know, I guess just writing
something that's start to finish the same, like, nothing really
wrong with that, But if you do every song like that,
it as a creator, it I don't know, it doesn't

(02:16):
feel as fulfilling, and it's kind kind of just a
challenge to keep a song moving and still keep it cohesive,
listenable and interesting all the way through.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Well, and you made a good point there, because like
as an artist, if you were making the same song
over and over again, it wouldn't be fulfilling and be
kind of boring and tedious. I would think.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Every day that you get to pick up an instrument
to guitar, and it's not never a bad time, but
it is the creating interesting songs and not just doing
the same thing every time. That kind of keeps you
motivated to keep doing it. Otherwise I feel like eventually

(03:01):
it would burn out. But the actual activity of playing
an instrument, I just feel like it's.

Speaker 4 (03:07):
It's a fun If anything, it's kind of like the
opposite of what's going on is that I feel like
we have too much potentially variety in our music, and
we have have in the past struggle to make sure
that like an album is cohesive or like a sat
list has enough of the same sound, just because I
feel like we want to play with so many different.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Sounds or at least transition between things tastefully. It's but
that in itself is actually a fun challenge as a
creator to be playing with different sounds and figuring out
how unlike things can go together.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, and I do love your point about it has
to be cohesive. To me, that's old school too, because
like we live in this day and age where people
bands put out singles, so if you put all those
singles together on an album, they wouldn't be coesive. But
old school, you bought an album and you listen to
the whole album or CD or cassette tape or whatever

(04:08):
it was you just went through and be kind of like, Okay,
if you listen to Dark Side of the Moon only
one song at a time, it wouldn't make sense.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yes, yes, and that is actually true with our album
Your Lie, where we did have like an overarching lyrical
theme through it. Even though it does we do feel
like it jumps a fair bit genre wise and even
topic wise, but there is it does connect each song
into a general theme for the album. So we do

(04:40):
like creating the album experience. Still, it's fun to do
a single once in a while just because you're not
really bound to anything. But there's still something about creating
a full experience from start to finish.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
No doubt. And to your point, I like when bad
to put out a single but then don't it's not
part of the new album because it doesn't fit with
the rest of the album. So they put out singles,
but then they put out an album. Say that again.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Sorry I interrupted you.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
I was just saying I was thinking that that's exactly
what we've been doing with our to our two singles.
It will end tonight and ugly not to be released
because a lot of our music's going in a different
direction than our next album. We just didn't think they
would fit with But we still like love the songs.
Really wanted to give them like a real release and
like a real I don't know you word it better.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, we wanted to get a proper release and and
they're great songs a live but we do want our
next album to have kind of a specific sort of
I don't want to make it sound like it's all
gonna sound the same, because that's not it either. But
you do want to have that cohesiveness and that those
two songs they were as good of songs as they were.

(06:00):
It just it didn't really work in an album cohesive sense.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah. Yeah, and that makes sense. Yeah, and even what
you said before, as long as there's something tying the
album together, it doesn't have to be the same exact
genre every song, in my opinion, because it's kind of
to me that's part of the journey, is it not
being exactly the same on every song, just something tying

(06:25):
it together. And you know, it's funny because this all
reminded me of a few years back, Slipknot released this
really really good single and then they released an album
that was the same name as the single, but the
single was never on the album, and I thought that
was kind of wild in one in one way. But

(06:48):
then based on what you were saying before, it made
me understand it now. I was like, oh, well, now
that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Yeah, it's it's it's interesting in the new landscape of
how you can release music as an artist because there
is actually a lot more options of how you can
present your music now in the just with with the internet,
the way multimedia accompanies your product online, it just kind

(07:23):
of changes things, and it does, you know, Rather, I
try to not always be old and go against the
new way of things being because it does add some
interesting things that you can kind of play off of
in the new musical landscape, even though there's still definitely

(07:47):
some stuff that I obviously, you know, knowing the that
we like to do the album experience that's a little
more old school minded.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
I totally agree with that too, because I think you
have to be a little bit of both in my opinion,
Like you can't just be old school and forget about
new because I kind of related in radio, Okay, I
call the old school radio people that they have WKRP
in Cincinnati syndrome, which I don't know if you would
get that in Canada, but it was a very popular

(08:19):
seventies TV show called WKRP in Cincinnati, And I feel
like a lot of the old school terrestrial radio people,
they all want to hold on to something that does
not exist anymore, and the radio stations are smart combine
a little bit at old school but use the new

(08:39):
technology in a new school way of doing things.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
Yep, even with the way like I actually do our
audio production for our releases. And when I first started,
it was right at the beginning of digital when I
started learning about audio recording, and the person that meant
me actually made a very specific point before he would

(09:03):
show me any of the digital tools, he made me
do a few recordings on aid at tapes right, just
to know what what the process of recording on the
old medium before moving in to see the progression of
how it got to where it is now. And I

(09:25):
find that very valuable, even just in a in a
mindset of how to approach thinking about things. Being stuck
in where things were isn't helpful, but it's also not
helpful to not not see why it worked in its

(09:46):
in its time. The new school has a lot to offer,
but the old school was great for reasons too.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
Is that the same person that made me do the
same thing with film?

Speaker 1 (09:55):
It is the same.

Speaker 4 (09:57):
So funny we have a mentor that we didn't connect
through in any way, shape or form. We just happened
to be taught at the same person him audio and
new video.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
And yeah, I.

Speaker 4 (10:09):
Learned how to do all the video stuff on like
film first. Way, like before you touch anything digital, learn
how to do it on film first. And I really
do appreciate those foundations. I feel like they really shape
probably the way we both approach the different forms of media.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, it just gives you more more ideas in your
toolbox to work with. It's learning is is you know,
it's never a bad thing, even if it's not something
you're going to use all the time. Just the perspective
it gives you is always positive.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
I think it's brilliant actually, And the reason I think
so is I think it makes you better at the
new school to know the foundation. I kind of equate
it to technology nowadays. So I'm somebody I learned all
the programming languages that built the Internet and built social
media and built computers. And I look at people that

(11:05):
have never had that experience and they think that just
technology just works. They don't know what works behind it.
And as a perfect example, they all get, you know,
like viruses and spyware and all that. I don't even
use anti virus or anti spyware, and I never get
either because I understand what to do and what not

(11:28):
to do to avoid it.

Speaker 1 (11:30):
It is like I do, uh, because it's like the
idea of moving into a new workplace that has a
lot of very like specific systems that have like their
little quirks. If you weren't there to see how those
quirks got into their system that is operating, it's challenging.

(11:51):
And the only way you really get that is if
you do look back from where you are, necessarily starting
getting a bit of history on where you are. It's
it doesn't have to be like like you know, into
the weeds or anything, but having some sense of the
history of why things have landed where they have is

(12:12):
always always a valuable thing to know.

Speaker 3 (12:16):
Yeah, and I think to your point with the audio
production specifically because I know that better than the video production.
But you know, I think it really helps to know
that in analog there was a wave and there were mids,
whereas digital as chop chop chop. So by knowing that,
I think you're able to create a better sounding digital

(12:39):
sound because you know that you have to compensate for
that words. I think people that only know to digital,
they don't know that there were mids.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
I think they they just think about I don't know
if that aspect of things always always comes to mind
for some of the New school people until they been
at it for a really long time, right, and then
even if it's not not actually knowing, if you've even
just worked recording on on older like like say on tape,

(13:15):
you'll just hear the difference if you're listen, if you
critically listen long enough, you'll hear those little subtleties. And
it's again the biggest thing. I think, the the enemy,
uh that a lot of people face now is just
the time, the expectation that life has on us. Life

(13:35):
moves really fast to try and get all of the
the actual hands on experience to get there, uh is
you know, I do sympathize with the newer generation that
you know, didn't learn these things, you know, just ahead
of the Internet age, because I was I'm one of

(13:56):
the interesting ones where like I grew up without internet
and then through part way through my youth it became
very prevalent. So I see the benefits and drawbacks from
both ways, and it's to me it's a very cool thing.
But I definitely don't envy the battle to get the

(14:18):
handle on the hands on that the New school would
be facing.

Speaker 3 (14:24):
Yeah, totally. And you know it's funny because I remember
one time I was telling my youngest daughter. I was like,
some days I just want to drive down the road
through my phone, my computer, my iPad out the window
and keep driving. She goes, oh, you came dead. You're
just as addicted as anybody. And she's right because I'm
a techie. But I said to her, you're absolutely correct,

(14:46):
except I do remember a time when I didn't have
all this crap, and it was kind of better. In
some ways. It was my generation gen X built this
stuff to make things easier and have more time in
our life life, and it actually worked out the opposite.

Speaker 1 (15:06):
In its own way, created a little bit of a
monster's right. It's one of those interesting things where I've
looked back at it, and the access to learning that
I've had through a lot of these tools is incredible.
But the amount that it sucks you away from real
life is you know, the other side of the sword.

Speaker 4 (15:27):
Right, like everything is being on your computer and your
computer being in your home and no one expecting you
to be able to magically do something right.

Speaker 1 (15:36):
Now, like looking at it as a writer, the abilities
that we have now with digital production as a tool
for creating. I like, you know, just the possibilities and
the more creative you're thinking about how you're using these

(15:56):
tools in you're writing can be real, like real Dora. Yeah,
it's a lot of it is just like being really
critical about how you are using these tools. Are they
actually helping you totally?

Speaker 3 (16:11):
And I also feel like where the advantage is is
artists like you nowadays can do things on your own
to where you have creative control instead of having record
labels and people like that dictating how you should do
your art because they're the only ones that know how

(16:32):
to make it. You know, you know how to create it,
but they're the only ones that knew how to produce it.
And I think it's great that artists can produce their
own music now and not have to be subject to that.

Speaker 1 (16:43):
And this is again coming to the two sides of
the sword, because I feel like now a lot of
artists have that ability where before maybe it was access
to things to fully realize their vision of what they
wanted for their music. Now you can realize in a
lot of depth with like you know, us that use

(17:04):
a lot of electronics and synths in our music being
able to use the new platforms for for that part
of creating is is like it's endless, Like it's just
so cool, how much how depth, how much depth you
can get on that aspect of things. We still like

(17:25):
two Bamps. We played the two Bamps alongside digitally like
programmed stuff too. But it's but then again, a lot
of artists I feel like I haven't seen have now
created a much larger workload for themselves by doing everything.

(17:49):
So I think there's also that struggle for a lot
of bands is getting their full their full project operating
on all level just because they've they've they've just got
so many other things that they've started to take on
doing themselves, rather than having like a few people that

(18:10):
are specializing that are maybe not necessarily the musicians themselves.
The benefit that he does a lot being a DIY
band and having you know, been really motivated to try
and do as much as we can on our own
and learn as much as we can. Totally see the

(18:34):
blessings and curses.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
Totally same here. And you know, like to look at
the old school DIY bands compared to new school DIY bands,
DIY bands now could definitely probably blow away the old
ones because you know, you think of the old school
punk bands that were DIY. Their sound quality sucked, their

(18:57):
instrument quality sucked, but they were doing it all on
their own, whereas nowadays they can make everything just as
professional as if they were with somebody professional.

Speaker 4 (19:09):
Yeah, the access is a lot better, and the access
to the world as well. Like, I don't feel like
we would have be able to connect without the globalization
of the Internet and being able to share our music
around the world.

Speaker 1 (19:22):
And it's and again seeing the blessings and curses because
I look back at some of those older recordings, like
I was talking about it with our Touramate's technosis about
looking at say, recordings from like just ahead of when
digital recording became a thing, and they're doing all of
this stuff in the room. They don't have all those

(19:43):
bells and whistles, but there is energy. There's that secret
artistic sauce of the performance and stuff that I feel
like got the extra attention in those days. That isn't
all there. There's definitely still recordings that are doing it.
And I feel like my favorite recordings are the people

(20:07):
that have been marrying the old school with the new
school totally. That's that and I feel like that's something
that we've kind of made like a goal to like
try and figure out those things, to not abandon our
past and just do new school stuff and also not
be sticking the mud old fogies and not these new school,

(20:34):
new school bands, new school producing approaches and that, like,
you know, seeing the benefit that's come from those.

Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, and then look at like some of these artists
that have become huge just by using TikTok, Like those
are artists that probably have never been heard of before ever,
no matter what you know. So I think that's the benefit.
I'm with you, there's two sides, and you gotta use both.
I think that's even what like the Internet age, you

(21:03):
know that I remember when it's first started and all
the Internet companies at dot coms are like, oh, brick
and mortar is gonna go away. It's never gonna And
who are the companies that our biggest on the Internet
now are the ones that combine forces with the brick
and mortar, not try to separate themselves.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
Yeah, we are still real humans, We are still living
right in the real world. Computers in the digital age
their tools for us navigating the real world. Not to
become the existence contained in a box totally.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
Now, you guys are starting a tour tomorrow. My birthday
is on the eleventh, and you have I saw on
your latest Instagram post about you have a very cool
show coming up on my birthday. I wish I could
be there for it. Let's talk about Let's talk about
the tour and that show right now.

Speaker 1 (21:56):
So we're very excited to be kicking it off in uh.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
Well.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
We've actually done three shows in Quebec that were that
were last weekend that we're built as part of the tour,
and then tomorrow is the first day that we pick
up with our friends in Technosis for the for the
rest of our dates, and we're playing one of the
smaller regional towns just a few hours out from our

(22:24):
hometown of thunder Bay, called Fort Francis, which is super cool.
They they've been very good to us in the last
couple of years. It's it's a very small place that
doesn't get a lot of touring entertainment, so we're super
excited to get into uh to a region that doesn't

(22:46):
doesn't get a lot of stuff, let alone something as
different as different as the fix. We're in our tourmate's technosis.

Speaker 4 (22:55):
I'm also really excited. This is the first time we're
going to go to this particular venue. It's called the
Pink paras aal Tea Room, and it is from the
pictures it is exactly what it sounds like and I
just can't wait to be a goth in that space.

Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yep, that'll be so cool.

Speaker 1 (23:13):
That show on the eleventh, that will be our first
time ever playing in UH Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. We're very
excited to be doing UH. What's special about that show
is our friends from a rap group seven Sinners from
the Paw Manitoba, are coming out for the for the

(23:34):
show there, and we have a special song that we've
collaborated with them that we only get the chance to
play twice on tour with them, and that will be
one of those shows.

Speaker 3 (23:47):
Nice.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
I also just love any show that has a dress
up theme.

Speaker 4 (23:50):
I love like, like we always dress up and we're
always uh doing doing some elaborate things or like being
being over the top. And I love when the audience
or audience I guess the people going to the show
can also express themselves and wear something that's really fun

(24:11):
for them. And I just love seeing other people's fashion.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
Art as well.

Speaker 1 (24:16):
We have a spot at home called Definitely Superior Art
Gallery that does a couple of like themed, multi art
disciplined events each year and doing having played their events
over the years with the dress up themes, it's just
always so fun to get other people a part of

(24:40):
creating art along with along with the performers. And we're
actually playing a show of theirs to wrap up the tour,
the Hunger eighteen, which is their massive Halloween event and
it's I even remember how many men, it's.

Speaker 4 (24:58):
Like the somewhere between like nine and eleven. Yeah, there's
always a lot.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
And we're very excited to be a part of that
show this year on Halloween proper, which is I love
it us.

Speaker 3 (25:13):
I love it. And you know what I love about
what you're saying, This is what I do like about
new school that I could care less about Old school
about Back in the eighties, we were the worst freaking
gatekeepers when it came to metal and punk. It was stupid,
and I love that nowadays, Like i'd go and I

(25:34):
do coverage at music festivals all over the US, UK, Europe,
and you go and it's just like anybody can be
anybody they want there, Like it's like there are no outsiders,
there are no freaks. We're all freaks, you know, Like,
and it's like everybody can have their own look. You know.

(25:55):
Back in the eighties, it was like, Okay, if you're
into this medal, you had to look like this, and
if you're into this metal, we had to look like that.
It was like the whole idea of gothin metal was separated.
And I'm like, that's kind of stupid. You know, We're
all really in the same realm, and people should just
be able to express themselves anyway they want to express themselves.

(26:16):
And that's what's cool about metal today. You know.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
That was one of the things that always drew me
to music in general is it's one of the few
gathering type events that really does not have borders on
goo will attend. It's one of the true community builder
sort of sort of things that we have left. There's

(26:40):
very few things left in the world that I feel
like has an element of magic like music and live music.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
Yeah, and I think sorry, I was just gonna say
I thank you guys for that, because your generation is
what brought metal to be that way opposed to the
assholes in my generation.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
But I actually my experience too, like I saw the
gatekeeping in my younger years. But I also think so
fondly of the metal heads. You know, when I was
you know, had been in my first band and was
really like at all the shows, every weekend or all
the week days, any all ages shows that there were here,

(27:25):
I would be out, and then the old guys would
every now and then pull us along and pull us
on one of their bills and mentored us through and
we're really supportive. So I actually feel very fortunate to
have been where I started to see the older generation
starting to reach down and and embrace that things were

(27:49):
moving in a new direction rather than rather than a
preservation aspect, because it's like what was going on in
the eighties. If if it wasn't for you folks in
the eighties doing that music, there would be no space
for the fixer to be progressing. Well, that's the same
as just the same as after after us, there's you know,

(28:13):
after our generation, there's it's uh, somebody else is going
to have to wave the freak flag.

Speaker 3 (28:21):
Aggressive And what were you going to say about the
gate keepers? What were you get before?

Speaker 4 (28:27):
I like being kind of like like goth but not
super goth, and like metal but not super metal. Like
I was really afraid when when going out into the
world and presenting the way we are that there, that
it was going to be really difficult. And I've been
so pleasantly surprised that so many people and and venues

(28:48):
and and places online have been so welcoming to us,
and it's really so nice.

Speaker 2 (28:54):
I feel like the community is just so like supportive
and like we just we just all want to make
art together.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
Yeah, I do feel like there is a hunger for
people looking for music that is very authentic, very much
putting your heart into music and and and you know,
putting it all out on the table when you're creating
or performing, and and you know, we we make that

(29:22):
a huge importance in the band, and I think a
lot of people that can break down preconceived notions about
genres or what people's impressions of what we are or aren't.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
I love that because that makes bands unique nowadays, the
blending of genres and instead of the you need to
just be this. And I also like, I think Amy
Lee for exactly what you were saying before, like she's
goth but she's also not too goth, you know, and

(29:56):
like that she was exactly who I thought of when
you were saying that, because everybody loves her, whether you're
a goth or not.

Speaker 1 (30:06):
Yes, yes, honestly, the life is too short. There are
way too many things to that are are more reasonable
to bring you down in life. Just enjoy the music
that's out there. I cheat yourself from the joys you
can get from all types of music.

Speaker 3 (30:26):
Right exactly. And I think that's where I can't speak
for Canada, but I think that's where the US is
getting smarter, because I think Europe has always kind of
been that way. Like you went to European festivals, it
was always a mixture which you didn't have here, and
now we're starting to have it, Like I do all
the Danny Wimmer festivals here. I was just came back
from one, and like we had pop, punk, we had goth,

(30:50):
we had you know, metal, we had thrash, we had hardcore,
you know, like we had every kind of even hit pop,
every kind of music there, and we were all on
the same team.

Speaker 1 (31:08):
No, that's a that that's exactly what I love about music.
That that that border breaking thing, and it's you know,
like there's you know, I'm I'm not going to go
up and do rap, but it's sure like getting to
play with our friends like seven Centers and going out
and see people doing other other types of music, like

(31:31):
why would you cheat yourself from that?

Speaker 3 (31:33):
It's just I.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
Don't know, it's a And then even the the just
getting to meet other creators. Yeah, you know, I've I've
found some of the best people I've had interactions with
are almost always centered around live music.

Speaker 3 (31:49):
Right, and you could still learn a lot from people
in other parts of the genre or other genres, and
maybe there's something that creates some influence in your music
that makes you unique, that came from somewhere you've never expected.

Speaker 4 (32:06):
Absolutely, and especially with some of the touring we've been
doing in some of the smaller areas, there's.

Speaker 2 (32:11):
Not a lot of similar sounding bands or.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
Other people to play with play with guys, so we
have had the opportunity to do shows with rappers, with
hip hop groups with just completely different genres or like
somewhat similar genres aren't really similar, and like it's so
nice to just get to get to meet all the
people and get to experience the music together.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
Well, like I just thought of too when you're talking
about that, when Lady Gaga performed with Metallica, and I
was like, oh my god, what a badass she is.
She's a badass metal head, you know. And it was
right after she did something with Tony Bennett. So it's
like I had a whole different respect for her because

(32:58):
she's so versatile and she doesn't even care. She doesn't
even care what genre whatever. And I mean like I
remember being in awe of her when she was doing
that performance with Metallica. I'm like, who knew, you know,
But that's what's cool.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
I mean Gaga. Bringing up Gaga is probably one of
the one of the less obvious influences that goes.

Speaker 2 (33:24):
Into the We definitely listen to Lady Gaga.

Speaker 4 (33:28):
We actually the only cover that we have right now
is a Lady Gaga cover.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
Nice, which one applause Nice. Well, she's like super talented.
I think she's goth personally, you know, like she's an
artist exactly.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
It's all art.

Speaker 1 (33:48):
And I feel like we resonate with that too, where
it's like, yeah, you got it, Like if you can
only pick one, you'll call her pop. But like and
if you have to pick one, you'll call us metal,
but when you really start killing back the layers, you
see that there's more than just that. There's there's a
whole whole bunch of layers to what makes Lady Gaga

(34:10):
what Lady Gaga is. And I only could hope that
I could be part of creating something that has something
like that, that's that interesting and well done.

Speaker 3 (34:21):
You know what's cool about her too, is so I
interviewed a band last year at one of the festivals
that was like a very extreme metal band, and two
of the members in a band they actually work for Gaga. Okay,
and they play for Gaga and doesn't surprise me, and
they talked about her like in the best way possible,

(34:42):
and they were like, Yeah, she's the one that encouraged
us to do this, and for that I have mad
respect because there's so many other artists out there that
wouldn't do that. Perfect example of the opposite that is
Metallica with Jason Newstead, because that's why he left the
He wanted to do some side stuff to explore his

(35:03):
own creativity that had nothing to do with Metallica, and
James and Lars weren't for it, you know, And now
they realize, Like if you listen to James and Laws now,
they realize how stupid they were that they should have
let him have that outlet, you know, And it didn't
affect Metallica. That's what they were afraid of. It would

(35:23):
affect Metallica, but it doesn't affect And I think it
as the exact opposite because these two guys band they
would do anything for Gaga just because of that, because
she encouraged them.

Speaker 1 (35:38):
Yeah, it's well, I look at that even with our bandmates.
It's very, very similar where where it's like there's no
way when you're doing a band, and especially when you're
you're grinding and putting your all into it at the
starting levels, you always worry that that something's going to
go sideways with your project. But at the same time,

(35:58):
the benefit that you see from from musicians getting to
go and do things with other musicians, they bring it back.
But like just naturally right, Yeah, are our drummer No
plays in the band Technosis that we'll be touring with,
and he also has an awesome band called the Vertebreakers,

(36:19):
And our bassist plays with another band called Phoebe The Phoebe,
So we so we do have members that work on
other projects. I've been just kind of the one that
just because I've been doing so much of the behind
the scenes stuff with the band and me and mel
it's the fixers had to kind of become ours are like, yeah,

(36:42):
we can't. We just don't have the time allotment to
do other things. So it's it's nice to see what
those two are bringing to the table, because them playing
with other other musicians is almost you know, it's not
the same as me actively going and playing with somebody else,
but they're still bringing cool concepts that have come from

(37:03):
their other bandmates that I respect immensely.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
And they're more than happy to play with you because
you're allowing them to creative outlet that they may not
have in your band.

Speaker 1 (37:14):
So that's yeah, I've been the multi band guy, and
it's and you know, I know what it's like to
have have a band lead making it, you know, miserable
for you to to work on exploring and yes, and
I know how much I appreciated when when we just
kind of like, you know, set these things aside, listen

(37:36):
to each other what we wanted and why and how
we made it work, rather than getting hung up on
what may not even be an issue.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
Right, And I think all artists need to experiment and
explore period. I think that's one hundred part of being
an artist.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
Yeah, if you can't actively be participating in it, like
it's it's important to just keep yourself somehow dabbling in
other things. Like to me, when I get to go
and say work on recording with another band, doing a
recording for them, I feel like that's always such a

(38:15):
rewarding experience on multiple levels. Just be able to see
somebody else's process. It scratches that itch a little bit
where I'm where I'm not having multiple projects that I'm working.

Speaker 3 (38:29):
On, no doubt. And how did you guys finally find
each art because it sounds like, based on what you
said earlier, that your universes were bound to collide, you know,
you just didn't know it yet.

Speaker 4 (38:44):
Yeah, Yeah, we have a I was doing a Van
Essence tribute, so I was I was living out my
dream of doing some Amy Leave covers.

Speaker 1 (38:56):
And our drummer at the time saw Meladonna performing the
Evanescence covers and we actually at the same time had
started as a tribute group as well. We were doing
Rob Zombie tributes and then later changed to doing a
Ramstein tribute with a very small lineup change. So we

(39:21):
after we had done the two tribute bands, we decided
we wanted to start doing some original music and try
maybe doing something you know, that's kind of at least
influenced in being the all encompassing musical project that has
some theatrics, has the visuals put with it on the

(39:45):
dark lean, but something in that realm with original music.
And our singer from those bands was actually a very
gifted lead guitar player, so he had moved into the
lead guitar position in the Fixer, and then we started

(40:06):
looking for a singer. We did try two other people
before that were you know, wonderful people to work with.
It just wasn't quite right. But then once we found Mallet,
it kind of solidified. The Band's gone through a lot
of changes since then, but the band really kind of form,
like really took its shape once Mel and I started

(40:29):
working together.

Speaker 3 (40:30):
Yeah yeah, now you have your sound. Yeah yeah. And
I have to say how brave you are to do
Evanessence tributes because every singer I know is afraid to
sing anything.

Speaker 4 (40:42):
Amy Lee, I learned how to sing with Evan Essence
covers because they were one of the only things that
I was interested in doing that my music teachers would
let me do because it was close enough to classical. Right,
she's a classically trained singer, like.

Speaker 3 (41:02):
Right this, yeah, and it is I think for those
that don't know, like, she is just such an unbelievable talent.
That's why I said what I did, because if you
can sing her stuff, you can pretty much sing anything
I think.

Speaker 1 (41:20):
I mean, evan Essence is a hard one to I know,
I hear every now and then in interviews, Amyle is
speaking not as highly of the Fallen Record, but like
I look at that as like being one of the
like classic albums of that generation. Like it's like to me,

(41:41):
it's like, but I get it as an artist too,
Like as soon as you're creating new stuff, regardless of
how other people receive it, you're probably creating that art
for a reason. Yeah, right, So like I get it.
But at the same time, like the like like I
think of like bring Me to Life, uh, and even
going Under and My Immortal as like.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
That's the best ever my Immortal, Like.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Yeah, those are like defining songs of.

Speaker 2 (42:08):
That was my first Eesnce song.

Speaker 3 (42:12):
And that one is hard one to sing for sure. Yeah,
and I think, you know, I think it's true though.
I think a lot of times artists they don't want
to be defined by that one moment that most people define.
Like the people that aren't true Evanescence fans, that's what
they define evanessenceays bring me to life, you know, So

(42:33):
I get that part of it. You know. It's interesting
too as you grow as an artist and learn your
craft more and kind of figure out who you are
as an artist, I could see also again where that
kind of stuff would be, Like, well that wasn't really
where I was going. This is where I wanted to go.

(42:57):
But it was a moment in time, you know, type
a thing, you know, opposed to what what people want
to earmark.

Speaker 1 (43:04):
Them like we like we feel it too, when like
now as we've had new music coming into our live set,
it gets harder to pick setless because there's songs that
we know from from playing for a while that there's
some songs that people will come and want to hear.

(43:25):
But you know, you want to showcase where where your
progression is and where your heart currently is. But like,
but you don't want to cheat somebody of what they
are connected to. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (43:39):
Well, and it's funny too. Like the example I think
of most is the band I Prevail and a couple
of festivals ago, they're like, Okay, I guess we're going
to play this song. Everybody wants us to play instatae
or Swift cover, which most people that don't know I Prevail,
they know them by that song. And you could tell

(44:04):
it was like, fuck, why we ever covered a song
because now we have to sing it forever, you know,
type of thing, you know, and they want to be
known by other things, especially like you said, as you're
writing new music, you want it. You want that music
to get out there because that's who you are writing

(44:25):
then in there as an artist.

Speaker 1 (44:28):
Yeah, but it's a but you know, it's a you
sometimes have to step back, uh and and see see
a grander picture than just yourself. Yeah, and it's you know,
that's that is a challenging thing to do when you're
an artist and you're you're very attached to your music.
But it's I I feel like, I don't know, I

(44:51):
just don't understand why you wouldn't want to relish in
the fact that somebody is getting so much out of
something you could write, right, It's just to me, that's
that's the magic of music. The music is greater than
what what our individual project is, and what music can

(45:11):
do is is the real magic. So if you're able
to do something that that really creates that magic. To
to me, it's like even though understanding the difficulties in
the the said order, like, we're just grateful that we
have songs that people will come out and actually sing
along the words to.

Speaker 4 (45:29):
It shows ever seeing someone now the words to your song, Like,
what do you mean the words to my song?

Speaker 3 (45:37):
That's what I was gonna say. It's gonna be the
best feeling ever when you see people singing your song.

Speaker 4 (45:45):
We actually had one person do the choreographed dance from
one of our music videos, Like in the audience, I
was like, oh my god, you're doing the choreography with me.
To go through and learn the choreography from a music
video is just like I can can't imagine attempting to
do that.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
I don't I know it. That's so badass. And then
or like Aftershock, which I just did, bring me a
Horizon headline and they brought somebody on stage to sing
a whole song, like just random from the crowd, random
from the crowd, and this this dude did it like perfect,

(46:25):
and Ali just sat back there like he was just
sitting there admiring while the dude sang the whole song
on stage. Fantasy, right, you know. So, I mean it's
I think to Ali, that was like, Wow, how cool

(46:45):
is this that somebody actually knows my song so well
that I don't even have to help. I can just
sit in here and watch, you know. So, I mean
that's what it's all about.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
Yeah, when you can see something like that way and like,
to me, it's just be able to see somebody get
that much joy and know that that experience of coming
to the show and having something like that, whatever kind
of moment it is, and I know that that's going
to make their existence around them feel better extending past

(47:21):
the show. That's that's the goal. That's that's like why
music should be happening. That's why live music is important
and special.

Speaker 3 (47:30):
A million percent. So tell everybody and I reach out
to you guys on socials, check out your music, check
out your tour dates, merge everything.

Speaker 1 (47:41):
So if you want to check us out online on
most platforms, we are the Fixer Canada aside from Facebook
where we are the Fixer Band and definitely head on
over feel free to reach out to us. We love
getting to interact with people, hear what you think about
what we're doing. Make sure you come and check out

(48:03):
the remaining tour dates on our Ugly Nots tour. We
have dates between Ontario and Alberta in Canada, and make
sure you stay tuned to our socials even post tour,
because we will. Our plans are to once we get home,
start wrapping up the writing that we've been doing over

(48:25):
the last year two and actually get to working on
another full length album.

Speaker 3 (48:32):
Can't Wait. And you guys are badass and everybody needs
to check you out. I don't care where they are
from in the world, they need to go to Canada
and check you out.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
Yeah, we do appreciate that we have had some love
coming from so many different corners of the world. When
we first started the band, we wouldn't have dreamed to
have had the people reaching out to us as excited
about us, you know, whether it be in Europe, for
South Africa, or you know, even even the US to

(49:08):
us being you know, folks that have been very much
like you know, uh, hanging around in our northern Ontario
region for for so many years that our music would
actually travel as far as it did.

Speaker 2 (49:23):
Thank you to you for spending the time talking.

Speaker 1 (49:26):
To us and pleasure and it's appreciated you introducing us
to maybe some new listeners that maybe you haven't heard
of us yet.

Speaker 3 (49:35):
Absolutely they should are any of your shows on this
upcoming tour near Calgary. I don't remember.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
We actually just had our Calgary show. The venue decided
because it's Thanksgiving Monday, that they did not want to open.

Speaker 2 (49:57):
Uh we are, so we thought we had a show
in Calgary. We we'll be in Calgary. So if you
have a show for us to play, let us know.

Speaker 3 (50:04):
Yeah, I'm gonna I have somebody that is a co
host of mine on my live show that that's where
she is, So I'm gonna I'm gonna have her look
out for you. But I'm gonna have her go to
one of your shows since she represents if.

Speaker 1 (50:19):
She doesn't and is willing to make the trip down.
Next Tuesday, we will be playing in Lethbridge, Alberta, which
I think is about two hours. I think that's the
closest and and in Canada.

Speaker 2 (50:32):
Two hours is nothing.

Speaker 3 (50:34):
Exactly, let's just falling the lunch.

Speaker 1 (50:40):
We're also playing in Edmonton on on the Sunday of
the Thanksgiving long weekend, and we're playing with a really
awesome band there called Dark and Skies, as well as
another really cool band called ashen Meyer. That show, too,
is totally worth the trip up even beyond. I would

(51:01):
travel the miles just to go see the two locals
from Edmonton.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
And I know she's gone the shows in Edmonton before,
so I'll definitely tell her about that one too. So cool,
you guys, rock and thanks for being on the Adventures
of pipe Man.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
Thanks for having us on the Adventures of pipe Man
My pleasure.

Speaker 3 (51:21):
Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemin on
w for CUI Radio.

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PipemanRadio Interviews The Fixer - Dark. Sexy. Loud.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}PipemanRadio Interviews The Fixer - Dark. Sexy. Loud.