February 29, 2024 • 58 mins
In anticipation of the release of their new full-length album, Strangers I Used to Love (April 12, independent), hosts Johnny and Riley engage Kingston's Jonas Lewis-Anthony and Nick Lennox of The Wilderness in a spirited and emotive discourse that veers from experiences overseas to our city's local music strategy, and from Frank Turner to Taylor Swift. And, of course, about the making of the band's forthcoming album, from which Nick and Jonas share the first single and title track. The result is a roller-coaster ride through impassioned rants and unabashed opinions, to lighthearted hilarity and brutal honesty.
Hosts:
Johnny San john@kingstonlive.ca
Riley Jabour riley@kingstonlive.ca
Music in this episode:
Strangers I Used to Love by The Wilderness
Links:
The Wilderness https://kingstonlive.ca/the-wilderness
Support The Wilderness on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thewilderness
Find live music events in Kingston http://kingstonlive.ca/
Audio production by Soundwise http://soundwise.audio
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello, this is Kingston Live.
I am Johnny San, I'm RileyDeBoer and we have with us from
the wilderness Jonas Lewis,anthony, hello, and Nicholas
Lennox Howdy.
Thanks for having us.
Well, welcome back.
Yeah, it's been a while.
I'm trying to remember the lasttime.
Like I remember the last time.
What was it like three yearsago?
It was summer 2020.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, I was in Skeleton Park because COVID was
still rife on big old lawnchairs and talked about our last
album.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
That was a good time.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
That was a great time .
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I like the outdoor podcast.
We can't do it right nowbecause it's winter, it's very
cold, but yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
I mean, it's barely winter.
It's like climate change.
It's the last winter, guys,yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Enjoy it while you can, because next winter will be
fire.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We've got a new album .
Yes, these strangers I used tolove.
Yeah, let's talk about thefirst single, the title track.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
So I'm from the UK.
I'm sure I've mentioned thatbefore Once or twice, not that
I've made it my entire identityor personality or whatever, but
yeah.
So during COVID, I didn't gohome for two and a half maybe
more years and I got to go homefor the first time in July of
2022.
And I took my girlfriend withme and it was my sister's
(01:18):
wedding and my mom's 60thbirthday party.
So I was so like just sick tomy stomach, homesick during
COVID, like I'd neverexperienced homesickness like
that before.
I think it was probably becausethe option to go home was
always there and then when itwas taken away during COVID, it
was just like I can't reallydescribe how homesick I was.
(01:40):
So, leading up to this trip, Ihad this sort of like rose
tinted color glasses, view andmemory of the place that I grew
up and I was so excited to gohome.
Don't get me wrong I had thebest time.
It was just so great to be homeand so wonderful.
But it was distinctly verydifferent from how I remembered
it because, a it had been twoand a half three years since I'd
(02:03):
been home and, b I'm a Iwouldn't say a grown-up, but
I've aged over that time and itwas the afternoon, it was my
mom's 60th birthday party and mygirlfriend and I were at my
mom's house and she was doing anexcellent job talking with
friends and acquaintances of mymom's most people who I didn't
(02:24):
know and I was like, hey, howare you doing?
You hanging in there?
And she's like, yeah, I'm fine,but if I have to make small
talk with strangers one moretime I'm going to lose my
fucking mind.
And I was like, okay, I'mwriting that down.
And then the idea basically likethat kind of became like the
thesis of the song, because Irealized that while I was there,
(02:45):
a lot of people who I was veryclose with I was not as close
with.
And that's just part of growingup, that's just time passing by
, and it was actually a reallyweird and kind of sad
realization.
I came to that like this isn'tmy home anymore.
These people who used to be soimportant to me I'm still are.
Some of them have kind ofbecome strangers and like I'm
(03:06):
struggling to figure out what wecan talk about and 10 years
prior we would be talking aboutthings like no problem, you know
.
So that was kind of the longwinded version of how that song
came to be.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Have any of these people heard the song?
Yes, they have.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
And what was the reaction?
Pretty positive.
Yeah, a lot of people thinkit's a banger.
Yeah, the second verse I had todo some explaining, but we
figured that out.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
But I mean Do you want to explain that here, to
save yourself some conversationslater?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
It's a really good line.
It's just a line that probablygets people in trouble, namely
Jonas, mostly me.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think I know what we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, do we want to go there.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, my dad's probably not going to listen to
this anyway.
So while we were writing thesong like and we wrote it and
rewrote it like a thousand timesand on the last iteration of it
being rewritten I felt likethat the verses just didn't tell
like a good enough story.
So it was one of the firstsongs that got written for the
(04:19):
album in some regards and one ofthe last, and we rewrote all
the verses like a week before wewent to the studio and we were
in Nick's living room and I wastrying to like sort of tell the
story about like my girlfriendIconi, we're back home, we had a
leaving Canterbury for a while,which is where I grew up, and
we like to get away.
We went on this like nice driveto Wales and I was showing her
(04:39):
all these places I grew up.
And then part of the story ofthe song is you bump into
Somebody who you used to know,used to be really close with,
and you start having aconversation.
And it's strange because at onepoint in time you would have
had like meaningfulconversations with them and at
this point in time you'reliterally talking about like oh,
what's the weather like inCanada?
So the second verse is life hasbeen good, nothing too crazy.
(05:01):
My sister got my act justhaving a baby, you know, like
boring small talk and I didn'tknow how to follow up.
And then I was like, oh, it'sso good to see you.
How have you been lately?
And then Carl goes, my mom'sdoing well, but my dad fucking
hates me, and I was like, oh man, I can't say that.
But everyone was like that'sthe line and I was like oh,
(05:22):
fucking, it's a pretty memorableline.
Yeah, it's gonna get me in a bitof trouble.
You know, those are the thingsthat you would say with a close
friend, not somebody who you arenow in acquaintance with and
the idea of that versus it waslike a conversation between two
people and one of the people isoversharing a bit and the other
one is being reserved and justbeen like yeah, you know, like
life is fine, you know that kindof thing.
(05:43):
So I had some explaining to doaround that line.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
We can.
It's ambiguous, right?
We can each deferresponsibility to everybody else
in the band for writing thatsong, so nobody comes after us.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, yeah, I did even have a conversation with an
old friend who I know had avery contentious relationship
with his family and he alludedto that.
So it's his fault.
Yeah, so Dan Love well, danloves dad.
If you're listening, go speakto your boy.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
Well, I thought you'd ask me where we were going, but
you slept in the backseat, Irolled down the windows and
drove across the country.
There's some places I want youto see the house in the hills
where I spent my summers.
It's harder than hell and itkeeps getting harder.
(07:00):
There's a tower in the valleywith cobblestone streets.
I'll skip rocks in the riverwhile you lie next to me and we
bump into someone who reminds meof something that I can't
explain, because now it meansnothing.
Speaker 5 (07:18):
I make these walks over strangers.
You are used to love up ourCanadian winters, and how much
it hurt to get those tattoos onmy fingers and boarded in these.
Do they see a stranger whenthey look at me?
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Life has been good, nothing too crazy.
My sister got married.
She's having a baby.
It's so good to see you.
Have you been lately?
My mom's doing well and my dadfucking hates me.
We talk about someone whoreminds me of nothing.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
I try to remember.
Am I supposed to feel something?
There's a voice in the air andI've heard it before I spill my
guts and out the anger's not thesame anymore.
I make these walks overstrangers.
You are used to love up ourCanadian winters and how much it
(08:21):
hurt to get those tattoos on myfingers and boarded in these.
Do they see a stranger whenthey look at me?
I'm carrying on my blare stainsand cutting my losses.
I'm letting go of anger and thetime that it cost me felt.
It left me like a breath.
I'm seeking the shame.
(08:42):
I'm living free and screaming.
I'm carrying on my blare stains.
Do you need me here?
(09:04):
She has come home.
Do you need me here?
Speaker 1 (09:14):
She has come home.
Do you need me here?
I make these walks overstrangers.
You are used to love up ourCanadian winters, and how much
it hurt to get those tattoos onmy fingers and boarded in these.
Do they see a stranger whenthey look at me?
(09:35):
Having said all this, where ishome for you now?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Home's here 100% Like .
I feel like a tourist when I gohome now.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Because that's kind of the vibe of the song.
That's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
The whole thing is like this is where I grew up.
These are the people that wereimportant to me, this is the
place that I used to spend mysummers as a kid, and I just
don't fit here anymore.
It's like a weird sort ofnowhere space that I feel like I
land in.
I'm not quite Canadian enoughto be Canadian and I'm
definitely not English anymore.
And being so desperatelyhomesick during COVID and then
(10:16):
to go home and to have thisrealization like okay, this
place is just not home anymore.
It was kind of sad for me.
I still love it.
My family are there, some of myreally good friends are there,
but here is home now.
My whole life is here.
My friends, my community, mygirlfriend, my dogs my entire
life is in Kingston.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Well, and I like to think that in a multicultural
society, you talk about feelingCanadian.
It should be said that youshouldn't have to feel like you
should be something If youconsider yourself Canadian, oh
yeah for sure.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I mean it's less about like, do I own a pair of
skates and play hockey and wearplaid, and it's more of like I
don't know.
I feel like a lot of peoplewould probably feel the same way
if they move from one place toanother, like you leave some
parts of you behind and you,like, take new parts of the new
place with you.
And I mean I think that's oneof the great things about Canada
(11:08):
is how there's people from allover the world and that very
much seems like it's identity.
But you know, sometimes peoplethink I'm Australian all the
time because they're like youknow, you're not from England.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I promise you, I am.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I just don't have a Canadian accent, but I say how's
it going, bud sometimes.
So it can be quite confusing.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I mean, if I can relate to the thing you're
saying, like I didn't move toKingston from England, so I
definitely don't have the sameexperience than you.
But I feel the same way aboutGuelph.
I grew up in Guelph, ontario,which is three hours down the
401.
I like the way that you rootyour songs and your identity and
like you talk about what itmeans to be like an expat.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
But it's immigrant.
Yeah, ex-pats just do not knowwhat that like that like white
people use when they don't wantto be called an immigrant.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
They're gentrified immigrants.
Yeah, thank you for that.
No, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I like that you talk about your experience that way
but I relate to that, even beingfrom another town in Ontario
Like it's still like thatLeaving home.
There's a universality to it.
I think that speaks to a lot ofpeople.
So credit to you and Carl.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Well, even if you want to look at the music
community, there's a lot ofpeople who've come here, like
you said just, from out of town.
But they're here and they're inthe community and it's some.
People become part of thecommunity very quickly.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, and like, I think a big part of that is like
you have roots and you pullthem up and that takes a
considerable amount of effortand when you put them back down
again, having already beenthrough like the whole, like
movement things, like geez, Idon't have the energy to like
dig up all those roots and gosomewhere else again.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think there's somethinginteresting, especially what you
just said about moving fromlike wealth to Kingston, where
it's only three hours.
I think even the small, likethose micro differences in like
England to Canada, where I thinkit was like an interview with
Frank Turner I heard once wheresomebody said in Canada 100
years is a long time, but inEngland 100 kilometers is a long
(13:08):
distance.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
And it's so true.
Yeah, Frank Turner also sidenote said quote he's obsessed
with this song.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
Oh, that's right, I forgot about that.
Oh my God, where did that comefrom?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
My Frank Turner musical hero of mine.
I have loved Frank Turner foras long as I've been playing
music.
My brother-in-law sent himstrangers.
I used to love Frank Turner.
It replied to him like on anemail saying wow, that's a super
great song.
And I was like okay, I'm goingto email him and say thank you.
So I emailed him this longemail being like thank you so
much, I'm so glad you liked themusic.
And I sent him Christina,because he's from Winchester,
(13:42):
which is where my friendChristina, who the song
Christina is about that's whereshe's from.
And I sent him the link to thewhole album.
I was like give it a listen.
And he replied saying a lovelyemail and was like I'm actually
kind of obsessed with that songand I was like, oh my God.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Oh my God, that's great to hear, I love the album.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
There's a great energy about it and I found
myself comparing it to theprevious album until tomorrow
which had, I'd say, some darkermoments on it.
This album, I got the feelingthat the band felt re-energized
somehow.
Is that correct, correct?
I would totally agree.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, I think the four years that have passed
since until tomorrow since weput that one out, which is
August 2020, have been thehardest four years of our not
just careers but, like, I think,our lives as a whole.
We went through some really,really rough times as a band and
as a group of friends and we'veput a lot of weight and a lot
(14:41):
of stock into the making of thisalbum and I think the process
of writing it and the process ofmaking it not only saved the
band but definitely saved ourfriendship for sure, and I'm
glad that comes across it feelslike writing this album helped
us be like a capital B band.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
You know what I mean.
We've always been a band andI've always had this joke with
the guys that our shtick as aband is that we're a band.
Who's a band?
You know, we're not like aViking metal band or anything.
The shtick is like we play rockand roll and that's it.
When we recorded until tomorrow,it was such a creative process
because it was all happening inthe moment.
(15:23):
There were songs that we had,like never played before, that
we were just hashing out at theback house making it happen as
it came to us, whereas with thisrecord we were like what even
is the wilderness at all?
What do we sound like?
What do we want to sound like?
What are we supposed to soundlike?
And we put in a lot of effortwith one another as songwriters,
with one another asinstrumentalists, to be like
(15:44):
okay, like here's where we canfit all these sounds together,
like Max's guitar parts on thisrecord, for example, like really
, really shine for me because,like, his sound as a guitarist
is so present across all ofthese tunes and they really
elevate the tunes.
We shared responsibility forwriting some of the songs like
Strangers I Used to Love.
There's a tune on this recordcalled Hold Back the Daybreak
(16:06):
which we like literally wrote ina room, shouting like two words
of a sentence of at a time ateach other, trying to figure it
out.
Different people have come intodifferent roles.
Carl is singing more, liam isreally zoned in on the keys
thing, I'm playing more acousticguitar than I ever thought I
would in my life and alsoplaying saxophone.
We all really helped oneanother carve a place for
(16:29):
ourselves and each other on thisrecord.
I think it is like so muchdifferent of an effort than
until tomorrow, but it feelslike where we want to be, if
that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
I love that phrase, capital B band, that's a great
way to put it.
And you also mentioned, likethe creation process of until
tomorrow versus this.
You were in the bathhouse foruntil tomorrow and this record.
You guys, you did a lot of workin your jam house in uh on how
Island and now you've got yourown recording space, that that
you're setting up in kind ofSouth Frontenac.
Do you want to tell us a littlebit about that?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Sure, about the about the place in South Frontenac.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
Anything and everything, all of this, the
whole story.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Yeah, I mean like until tomorrow.
You know we put out an EP priorto that, uh, and a few singles,
but until tomorrow was our firstalbum, and maybe it was Dave
Grohl who said that, likewriting your first album is easy
because you've been doing ityour entire life and then this
is your second one, that'sreally hard, god damn.
He was right.
Like until tomorrow, there wasa lot of us just being like so
stoked that we were recording atthe bathhouse and throwing
(17:27):
every idea we had at the walland seeing what stuck and some
of those songs, the first timewe played them as a band.
Well, while we recorded themand we did 12 songs in nine days
, this album has taken us thebetter part of three and a half
four years because COVID notmuch else to do other than write
songs.
The first song we wrote forthis album was, uh, november
(17:49):
2020.
2021,.
We got together and werehearsed a bunch and when we
could, and then there were a fewfalse starts and they're you
know, like then it was like,okay, are we going to tour this
album cycle?
Because we feel like we shouldtour this album cycle, but we
already kind of already kind ofmoved on for it but we hadn't.
It was this really weird likegray area of our lives where we
(18:09):
didn't really know what we weresupposed to be doing.
We did a few more demos in 2022and, like 2022 was just like
the worst year for us.
It was so difficult, like I wasjust certain that we were just
done and I didn't know what Iwas going to do with myself.
If that was the case, why didyou think that?
Uh, I feel like just life hadbecome really, really stressful
(18:32):
Stressful.
Covid.
That was challenging foreveryone for many different
reasons and it also occupied alot of space in our lives.
It was hard to sort of carveout the time for the band.
Again, I was our own worstenemy.
I would have driven us off acliff if I'd been allowed to be
at the helm of everything.
You know, like it was just likeit was a lot.
There was interpersonal stuff Iwas like insufferable to work
(18:55):
with.
I was just being fuck, thisit's the band versus everything
Like blah, blah, blah, blah,like anyway.
So that was it was.
It was a difficult time and wewere all we were really
struggling personally with eachother as a band.
I the analogy I said was liketrying to keep this band
together is like trying to likekeep water in like your hand,
like cupped hands, you know, andit was just like I was like
doing anything I could to notlet it slip through my fingers,
(19:17):
kind of thing, but anyway.
Um, we went on tour in 2022.
Yeah, in the summer, and it'sreally funny too, because from
the outside, looking in, like2022, like our best year yet and
in many ways it was and in manyways it was the fucking worst
time.
And when we got back, we werelike, okay, we need to like
figure something out, and theprocess that we took, uh, to
(19:40):
write until tomorrow, I mean, orsome of the songs, like we were
just all in a house in a roomtogether and I've always thought
like we do our best work whenwe're together as friends.
Our two biggest enemies arenever having enough time and
never having enough money, andthe two are so interconnected.
So, scrolling Kijiji one dayand I see this listing for a
(20:01):
place on how Island and it'sempty.
A huge house.
It was ridiculously cheap andit was only available for six
months and I was like there'sgot to be a catch.
But I guess the catch was itwas an unfurnished rental on an
island for six months over thewinter.
Like how many people are reallygoing to go for that?
And we put in an applicationand they said sure.
(20:22):
And we told them like we wantto work with.
The plan was to record thewhole album there because you
know now we will be able to.
If we don't have the money, atleast we'll have the time.
So we moved in all of theequipment that we could, we
begged and borrowed and stolesome.
We got like Nick and Liam weredriving around town getting free
furniture from like Facebookmarketplace and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
We lifted couches down a lot of stairs.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
And then we just kind of dug ourselves in for like
six months and we wrote a ton ofsongs and we demoed even more
and that process I know itsounds dramatic, but I really
think it like saved the band but, more importantly, our
friendship, because it was justa space where we could just be
friends and there was no liketimeline of like it's go time,
(21:09):
like we've got to get this thingout by you know next week or
whatever it was like there wasnone of that.
It was just like we're going togo and go at our own pace, which
is a really tough lesson for me, because my impatience was
certainly like a big issuewithin the band, because I am
the most impatient person ever.
So, you know, we like reallytook our time with it and taking
our time was the best thing wecould have done and it meant
(21:31):
that like I didn't dread bandshit anymore.
It was like I just wanted to bethere all the time and
sometimes we'd get there on likea Tuesday night.
We had like a little ritualWe'd get there on a Tuesday
after work, we'd make dinner,we'd hang out, maybe we'd play
some music, maybe we'd just hangout, and then we'd have a fire
in the evening, have a couple ofbeers and we'd all have a
sleepover in the living room.
There was like five bedrooms inthe house.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
We never slept in the bedroom, nobody.
Everybody crashed in the livingroom together.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Like, just like six dudes in the living room would
usually fall asleep to like bandof brothers or saving private
life, which is, in retrospect, abad thing to fall asleep to.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
That was why you were so stressed out.
You had to break it down.
It's like the sound of guns onthe floor Guns on the floor.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
And yeah, and then we'd wake up on Wednesday and we
were like, ok, let's play somemusic, and we were just doing it
for the sake of doing it again,which we hadn't done.
Since, like we first started,I've been telling like a really
long story, but like they'reasking about the studio we're
building.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Right, that's it.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
OK.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Anyway.
So this process was just like.
I mean, it was probably thebest six months of my life.
I loved every second of it.
I love the process.
I learned so much.
We were more collaborative thanwe'd ever been because we were
all in the same space at thesame time.
Like Nick said, we were likeall writing songs together and
then, you know, we always knewit was going to come to an end
(22:53):
and when we moved out of thatplace, like I was bereft and so
I was like like this was thebest thing for us.
I want to be able to do thismore and I also want to be able
to share it.
So a couple of months later, wefound this another place on
Kijiji.
It's not quite, as it'scertainly not a mansion, like
the how I own place was, andit's not even as cheap, for
goodness sake, but it's justnorth of Kingston and we decided
(23:19):
that we wanted to carry on thatlike how I own the dream and
just make it accessible to othermusicians in the scene.
So we built our own studio upthere and we're kind of like
soft opening it right now.
Then again, we've done it withnext to no money and we got a
loan from Home Depot.
So we're actually we did it onminus money and we don't know
(23:39):
anything about constructioneither.
We just learned as we went.
But now we have a studio that Iit's.
I'm really proud of it, and wewant to basically like extend
our experience on how I went tolike other bands in the in the
scene or musicians or anyoneWhether you want to come out
here and just bang some drumsfor a couple of hours, or you
want to record an EP or anaudiobook or whatever it is Like
(24:01):
.
We just wanted to kind ofcapture that magic from how I
let it just sort of make that goforward.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I think one of the themes that kept coming up, as
you like told that story, andsomething that I've always felt
like is an over over arching,just a very prominent theme with
the wilderness is friendship,as you guys are a band but you
also seem so forward as just abunch of dudes that are friends,
and I think that's like thetrue, that you really live the
true dream of any like group ofdudes that are just tight where
(24:29):
you're like we should have aclubhouse.
Yeah, you really.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
We really did, that's so true, oh boy, but it is the
thing I mean, so I'll share thiswith you.
Like I said, I moved here fromGuelph.
I saw the wilderness playbefore I was in the wilderness.
I keep telling people there's aposter in my office that has
you guys before.
I was in the band, and the bandthat I was playing with at the
(24:54):
time called the Royal Driftersand Basic White.
They were on the build to.
Yeah, I remember that show Well.
I was like, yeah, so I've seenyou guys play and that's, that's
always been the vibe that I gotand like sort of the
interesting thing for me joiningthe band a little later, which
is still like five or six yearsago now.
Good Lord.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Dude, it was seven years ago, don't?
Speaker 2 (25:11):
tell me that, oh boy, the interesting thing is that,
like that has been like thebiggest challenge and the
biggest asset to the band.
People tell us this when weplay shows.
They're like, ok, we can tellthat you're having a good time.
And we're like, yeah, becausethis is the only thing that we
want to do.
If we were doing this with ournemeses, this would be miserable
(25:32):
, and sometimes we've been ourown nemeses.
You know what I mean.
Like you get bogged down in the, in the business stuff.
You get bogged down trying tobook tours or make show graphics
or budget for rehearsal spaceor whatever, and like balancing
that with being friends isincredibly tough.
Right, like that's part of whyit was hard in 2022 was because
(25:53):
we were all reckoning with thefact that, like, we're on the
cusp of turning 30.
Most of the band already is.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm not like three months, yeah, you know, like
then it's game over.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
We're all like we're all working people trying to pay
our rent.
We're all like we've all gotjobs and relationships and dogs,
cats, whatever no kids yet Allof that makes it so that you can
just spend ages working and notrelating or making music, which
is the important part and issuch a driving factor of the way
(26:25):
that we relate, because beingon stage together is such a
moment of community for all ofus, and writing these songs was
that for us, right.
Like having the vulnerabilityto bring your ideas forward,
like trusting your friends toplay your feelings for you,
which is something that I had towork on desperately.
Jonas can take accountabilityfor being maybe very demanding
(26:47):
of the band.
I can take accountability forbeing the nitpickiest person
alive.
Yeah, the music making momentreally is where the community
feeling happens for us, and so Idon't think that this band
would be what it is if we didn'tlove each other, and I think
that, like, learning to loveeach other more has made us a
better band.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
The thing is is like you're balancing this like
really delicate line of businessand friendship and the business
doesn't pay you any money, soyou can't even say, well, we're
making the best businessdecision right now because it's
going to benefit everyonefinancially.
It's like sometimes we werelike I wanted to make what I
thought was the best businessdecision there was actually
terrible for us as individuals.
(27:28):
Like hey, yeah, like I don'tcare if you're broke, we're
fucking going on tour and suckit up by the cup.
You know like the world justdoesn't work like that anymore.
You know like bands used to goon tour and would make money.
Now bands go on tour and, ifthey're lucky, they sell
t-shirts.
That's the sort of the way themusic industry has gone, and so
like a tough lesson to learn was, while trying to balance this
(27:53):
act, like sometimes the bestdecision for the band wasn't the
best business decision, but itwas the best.
Like we had to choose thedecision that was the best for
the friendship and we'vedefinitely shifted towards that
over the last year and a half orso, making like the friendship
the most important thing.
If that's all working, theneverything else is going to fall
into place and again, like 2022was like awful.
(28:13):
Like I was like sounds dramaticto say grieving, but like I was
a fucking mess.
I was like I was like I've justI've lost this thing.
That's my whole fucking life,that's my entire identity, is
wrapped up in being in this bandand like if these guys can't
stand to be in the same room asme, what the fuck am I going to
do with myself?
It was awful.
It was so awful.
(28:34):
I'm just really grateful thatwe got to work through that
together and it took a lot of ussitting in circles sobbing Yep
Multiple times, many times.
But man, like fuck, how gooddoes that feel that you can just
sit in a circle with a bunch ofdudes and cry until things just
feel better?
The friendship, to me, is likeit's more important than even
(28:55):
the music.
You put the friendship first,everything else will fall into
place and everything else willbe okay.
The music might suck, but whocares?
We're having a good time and wehave a clubhouse.
We do have a clubhouse.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Well, let's go back to the music for a second, I
want to talk about another trackon the album Hollywood
Boulevard.
Jonas, you're known for a goodrant once in a while.
What's happening at the end ofthat track?
That's me ranting.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Literally with a megaphone.
That is a megaphone at the endof that track and I am ranting
and that list was pared down.
There were like 70 things thatI was yelling profanities about.
You've got like eight bars youcan't say everything that you
hate about the world Like fuckCanadian telecom companies.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
That one will go well , yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Man like yeah, let's talk.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Sing fuck Belle, fuck Rogers.
Most people like in Canadawould agree, but like that just
doesn't really have a good ringto it lyrically.
But yeah, that song is a bigold rant.
It's a good rant, it feels good, it feels cathartic.
(30:18):
It's also like our mostbombastic, sort of like over the
top, silly rock song.
But in many ways the characterin that story is just like it's
like me.
In many ways it's it could besort of anyone.
That whole vision of like Iwant to be the biggest rock star
in the world, like I want tofucking have my name in lights,
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
(30:39):
And it's kind of maybe just acritique of like just how stupid
this all is in general.
Like it's so absurd and weidolize people who are just
fallible human beings who makestupid mistakes and we love to
build them up and then as soonas they make a mistake, like
just rip them to shreds and thewhole thing of like the 27 Club
(31:00):
two being like there's like aromanticism around these people
dying in these horrific ways.
I was just getting sofrustrated with just being like
I just want to play music, tohave fun and yet, like this
industry and like the way theworld works is just so toxic and
even like my sort of wantedinvolvement in that is like
(31:22):
awful you know Well, I think theband leaned into that for a
while.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah, in the early ish days of at least when I had
first joined the band, that waslike kind of what we were trying
to do.
We were trying to be like big,bombastic rock and roll and like
, sure it's like that's fun andplaying shows is great and I
love that we put on a show witha lot of production, but like
the whole rock star ethos, thewhole like boys club thing, the
(31:46):
whole like showbiz baby, I guess.
Yeah, like I mean I think weleaned into it as a band, being
like oh yeah, we're going to bethe next big thing and that was
just like the worst thing forall of us, because then, when we
weren't, we all had to like gothrough an existential crisis
and do a lot of learning andlearn to like be nice to each
other.
So in many ways, like most ofthe songs on strangers I used to
(32:11):
love are like some sort ofletter to a part of one's past
and like I perceive HollywoodBoulevard maybe this is just me,
but I perceive HollywoodBoulevard to be like about the
band we thought we were fouryears ago and now we're a very
different band than that and Ilove that it's still ludicrous.
I love that it's got like somany saxophones and so many
harmonies and like I love thatit has all the candy on it,
(32:33):
because I love that kind ofmusic it just has jazz hands for
the whole song.
But but like, yeah,philosophically speaking, it's
like that is what a band couldbe, but that won't be us.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Something I've wanted to ask you guys about.
I saw I think it was about ayear ago I saw your show at the
Isabelle.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
Great show.
I really enjoy that.
I'd love the string section.
But something I've wanted toask any performer who's been on
that stage as an audience member.
I've seen many shows at theIsabelle and there's always a
moment where the performer justfeels really awkward by the
silence.
Oh my God.
Because it's such a quiet room.
(33:14):
And I think most performers arenot used to that.
Yeah, please, yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Well, I mean, like our sort of usual setting for us
to play a show is an allowedsweaty bar, yeah, where I mean,
especially in the early days ofour band, like the dive bars,
yeah, exactly Like we wereplaying like, you know, the
toucan and we were playing likethe Brooklyn every Friday and it
would be packed full of likesweaty, loud people and
sometimes you'd have to fightfor their attention.
This time we're in a silentroom where people have paid to
(33:42):
come and see us and they are andsit down, yeah, and they are
listening to everything inperfect acoustics.
So, like between songs, likeusually, like at a show, I have
okay-ish stage banter,especially at a loud bar.
And then here I was, like Iremember, like I watched the
video back recently and I waslike, oh man, like tough crowd.
(34:06):
Like not that the crowd werebeing tough, they were being
great but I was just being likeoh, everyone here, Well, you
guys are all pieces of shit, I'mall right.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Like it was.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
For the record, it wasn't quite like that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Yeah, Like I was trying to, I was trying to, like
you know, do the tongue andcheeks like stage stuff between
songs and like people were likelistening and that made me
really, really anxious.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
It honestly was such a trip Like.
So I went to Queens for music,right Like I played classical
concerts on that stage and I hadsuch a great time at the Isabel
because I was like I never gota recital or anything.
I wasn't that good at classicalsex.
I was like this is finally therecital that I get to do at the
classical hall in Queens, andall of these years that I've
spent rebelling against theclassical bullshit of sitting
(34:55):
there with your hands in yourlap and only clapping at the end
of the piece and being verystoic and all this stuff, I'm
like finally to hell with that.
And then we got there andplaying a rock show on that
stage was like such cognitivedissonance and there were lots
of like.
There were a few cool pluses,right, like because people are
sitting there listening.
(35:15):
Like there's some moments inour songs that like I've just
never heard before.
Like there's four beats ofsilence in where I roam after
the stick part and in everyother situation it's just like
okay, we're all counting in thatroom.
I heard the sticks go and justring out in that room Beautiful
In between the songs.
I was like, yeah, shit, what dowe do?
So that show was a trip, but itwas.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
It was awesome, that was one of the highlights of our
career playing that show thatwas great show, incredible.
Yeah, it was really, really niceand I feel like we really
leaned into it like by, like thesecond half of the show, like
because there was anintermission, which I don't
usually like doing.
But we came back for the secondhalf and I felt like by the
(35:58):
time we got there we were like,okay, we know where we're at
right now.
I will insult the audience less, turn it around, be more self
deprecating and when in doubt,nick can tell a joke.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Nick, I think I recall you slightly berating him
for calling the audience awfulpeople.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Okay so.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
I'm.
We didn't take it personally.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
No, I, I, I, I, I, I am so grateful that anybody
would even come to our showseven to this day.
You're not awful people, I amjust an awful stage.
It was all ingest.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
I'm going to share two quotes with you that are
mine.
That are not Jonas's quotes,that are my mantra when I'm on
stage.
The first I think you sharedwith me.
You were talking about,probably, clarence Clemens and
Clarence saying like I don'tplay saxophone.
My job is that I'm aprofessional.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Bruce Watcher or something like that.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
I do feel like that on stage as like a front person
adjacent role.
And the other quote that I willshare I think this was Kent
McDonald, who said thewilderness is a sick band
because there are two frontpeople and I do.
When we're on stage I'mwatching this guy like a hawk,
(37:13):
and it's not because I'm tryingto keep him from saying things.
It is that sometimes he's gotto fix a string or something and
like I'm like okay, we can chitchat.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Other times I'm like where's he going with this, yeah
?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Other times I do smile, and not a bit, but it's,
it's out of love, oh shit, Jonasis getting his manifesto out.
He's getting his manifesto outno, I trust you implicitly and
you know he's done the same forme.
There have been times whereI've been trying to talk on
stage and he's like all right,we're going to start this song
now.
Let's, let's balance each otherout, it's fine.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Thank you for listening to Kingston Live.
Be sure to subscribe on yourplatform of choice and follow us
on Facebook and Instagram Formore great Kingston music.
Check out the Kingston Liveplaylist on Spotify For show
listings, artist info and allthings Kingston music.
Check out KingstonLiveca.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Are you guys familiar with the music strategy?
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Yes, very much so.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Any thoughts on the music strategy at this point?
Boy, how do I have so many Infact.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
This is the other manifesto.
Yeah, yeah, this is actuallyI've been.
So I went to all of thosemeetings at the broom factory
and then I somebody from aconsulting firm reached out to
me and asked me a few questionsand then there was like a round
table discussion on zoom thatwas supposed to be with me and a
bunch of other musicians and Iwas the only one who showed up.
So I was actually kind ofpissed for a second but then I
was like, actually this is sweet, I have I have the floor.
(38:36):
Um, first of all, I think it'samazing.
I think Kingston is too good ofa music scene for it not to be,
like put on like the worldstage.
There are way too many peoplewho work way too hard for not
enough reward, be it likemonetary or otherwise, for it to
go unnoticed.
There are lots of people whohave their hearts in the right
(38:58):
place and there is like all ofthe opportunity to make it
happen.
I, my biggest sort of critiqueand feedback, without trying to
talk for 45 minutes on this, wasthat like, if you make policy
changes that just benefit thecommunity at large, it also
benefits the musicians.
Pay as many consulting firms asmany hundreds of thousands of
(39:21):
dollars, all you want, but at agrassroots level.
That's how things do well andsucceed is by supporting at a
grassroots level.
Austin, texas, is the perfectcase study.
In the 80s, all of these recordlabels and musicians were
moving there from Nashville andLA and New York because it was
more affordable and a lot ofthese record labels were just
uprooting.
And then the city of Austinwere like hang on a second,
(39:43):
something's really happeninghere.
We should talk to the moversand shakers in the scene and see
what's going on.
And they were like okay, we'rejust going to brand ourselves as
the music capital of the worldnow.
Okay, how can we keep you here?
And then a bunch of people formlike the Austin City Music
Coalition I don't know if that'sthe actual term for it, but
like a coalition of musiciansaboard.
And they went to the system.
They said here are the thingsthat we want, and we want free
(40:06):
healthcare if you work in themusic industry in Texas.
So if you not just a musician,but if you're a performer or a
booking agent I don't know ifyou work within the music
industry in Austin you get yourhealthcare paid for in Texas.
It's crazy.
There are incentives tolandlords who have vacant
properties to fill them withbands for rehearsal spaces.
(40:27):
There are like sensible thingslike free parking, you know,
like really small things likethat.
Things actually benefit thegreater community at large,
which then help the music scene,and I think a lot of those
things could be implemented herein Kingston, like actually just
going and supporting what'salready happening.
There's a lack ofinfrastructure Since we lost
(40:48):
Roswell rehearsals.
That was a huge blow.
So the new multi-million dollarhousing developments downtown
have just evicted bands from thelast rehearsal space in
downtown Kingston.
And yet we're spending a ton ofmoney paying a consulting firm
to come up with answers insteadof listening to the musicians
themselves and I know themusicians in town and the people
(41:09):
who work in the industry have alot to say.
So I am glad that, like we'rebeing consulted, but like man,
here I go, I'm just talkingagain, but like, yeah, I think
you're good.
I think that we are in theperfect position for something
like great to happen.
I hope that the money and thefunds are managed correctly and
like equitably and I hope thatlike it doesn't just benefit the
(41:32):
musicians in town, because ifyou bring in affordable housing,
for example, or anyaccessibility pieces that
benefit the wider community atlarge, it also benefits the
musicians.
There's very little retentionhere.
Like a lot of people will startout in Kingston, they'll move
away, you know and I'm talkinglike Queen's students and stuff
and there's littleinfrastructure.
So if we can support theinfrastructure and, you know,
maybe not give bylaw tickets tomusic venues for hosting live
(41:56):
music and giving bands parkingtickets for loading at the
toucan if we can support thesethings from a grassroots level,
make it affordable and givepeople a reason to stay,
everything else will kind of,like you know, happen
organically, I guess, yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
I think it's important for Kingstonians to
acknowledge the relationshipthat they have with the city,
and especially Kingstonians whoreally, really love Kingston and
who want to call it a musiccity, because I believe Kingston
is a musical city.
I believe Kingston is a citywith a very rich music history.
(42:29):
But if I can flip the scriptand be the politically
opinionated one here in thisconversation, I think that if
the city of Kingston wants tocall itself a music city, then
it should be prepared to do thekind of stuff that Jonas is
asking about.
Talk to the people who areworking in the industry, at a
grassroots level.
Talk to the people who needthat infrastructure, be prepared
(42:51):
to put that infrastructure inplace, make working
relationships with the BIA, withdowntown Kingston, who I'm
going to call out for.
Asking for free work fromdesigners Right, I was going to
say it.
But hey, right, you know, wegot an offer from like, from a
some group at Queens, forexample, saying, hey, we want to
(43:12):
use your music in a documentaryabout Queens football.
We're all focusing on like,local music, local musicians.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
It's going to be nationally broadcast.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
It's going to be broadcast and then we're like we
don't have a budget for musicand I was like, great, try that
in Toronto, where there's peoplewho know what sync licensing is
, and they'll tell you to get inthe bin.
We are here in a small scenethat needs the infrastructure
needs, the education needs, thesame kind of industry.
Build up that like a place likeToronto or Montreal has.
And if this is my call toaction for the city of Kingston,
(43:39):
because I love Kingston, ifKingston wants to call itself a
music city and not just a citywith a lot of good musicians,
the city of Kingston as acorporation, as an entity, and
the following corporations thatwork with it should put time,
effort and money into talking tomusicians in town, learning
what they need and realisticallyproviding those opportunities
(44:00):
to grow as musicians and in themusic industry abroad.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
And it's not like I mean.
The other thing, like with likethe city as well, is like, stop
making it actively difficult.
You don't need to like giveevery musician in town $200,000
and say have a good life.
You just need to stop making itlike so difficult for musicians
and, quite frankly, just humanbeings, to exist in the city.
It's actually reallystraightforward, like, and there
(44:26):
were just so many like littlepunitive things and like red
tape, bureaucracy, things thatactually prevent the city's
music scene from going, and likebeing able to retain musicians
here and having like a retentionis so important because
otherwise we could just be thecity.
That's like oh yeah, we're amusic city.
The Tragic Lee hip and theGloria Sons are from here.
Yeah, they also fucking left.
You know like the Gloria Sonsand the Tragic Lee hip went and
(44:49):
played across Canada and acrossthe US.
You know like, and that's whenthe city or whatever says oh
yeah, we did that.
So no, no, no, like they didthat.
They went out, they tore, theyworked their arses off and their
bands from Kingston Shorts.
They're hometown.
But like you can't just likesee something being successful
and be like ah, we see, I wasasked.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Gold Star Music City.
Well, I'm glad you brought thatup because that's something
that I think I've brought up inthe podcast before.
And you can go back to theTragic Lee hip.
I remember as a kid when theTragic Lee hip were up and
coming and you know, I sort ofheard the name once in a while,
but it wasn't till fully,completely, and then they were
just everywhere and they shouldhave been a household name
(45:31):
before they broke everywhereelse.
And it happened with the hip,it happened with the sons and,
yeah, we need to have closerties with our own musicians in
our own backyard.
They shouldn't, they should behousehold names here before
everywhere else.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
For sure, and I.
There's a ton of really simplethings that can be done to just
help support the local art sceneDowntown Kingston.
Not wanting to pay for, likegraphic design, like, come on,
like it seems prettystraightforward.
I think this place has so muchpotential and it actually pains
(46:08):
me how little infrastructurethere is to support it.
I think Kingston Live is one ofthe very few pieces of musical
infrastructure that we have herethat actually supports the
music scene actively.
And Mark and Moira at KPP, whoare amazing and you know,
opening up the brand factory,yep.
I'm sure I'm forgetting someother people, but like these are
the things that are likeintegral to a music community.
(46:30):
It's not just having a ton ofbands and a couple of venues for
them to play.
It's about having aninfrastructure that can support
them from booking management,like physical space where bands
can show up to make music andpractice their art without
having to, you know, worry aboutgetting a bylaw ticket and not
just bands Like the studio we'reworking on, like the studio
we're working on, and also notjust bands either, because
(46:51):
there's way more to Kingston'smusic scene than just white guys
who play rock music.
Saying that as a white guy whoplays rock music, there's a lot
of other music in this town thatshould be supported and, like a
lot of other like genres thatcould be supported and, you know
like, attracted to come toKingston, make Kingston your
home or even to stop here on atour.
You know, fuck, I'm ranting.
(47:13):
I'm really glad it's happening,like thank God it's happening.
I just I'm Skeptical, to makesure, like, of whether money is
going to end up and how it'sgonna be used extably.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Yeah, we've had discussions about this, like
just our group.
Rob and I talk about it onoccasion and I think we're both
in the same position of let's,let's wait it out, let's see
what happens, let's see where itgoes.
Mm-hmm, yeah, it's, it's longoverdue, regardless for sure.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Yeah, public transport as well.
Sorry, fuck yeah.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
Bus, lanes, bike lanes.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
Yeah, wrap up the roads.
Oh, more bike lanes, all thebike lanes, please.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Yeah, I'm actually in the West End public transport
that would that runs late wouldhelp imagine being able to go to
overtime sports bar to See ashow and then being able to hop
on the bus at one o'clock.
I would go or tap on, tap offsystem.
I don't know if it thought I'mrunning for mayor of Kingston
you know it's wild is like.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
So the blue line in Toronto, the TTC bus that runs
all night.
You know what got that tohappen, paul Bernardo?
Wow, that's.
The only reason they startedrunning buses overnight Is
because there was a serialmurder rapist running around
that city.
I want to make it clear that'snot what I'm endorsing, but I'm
just saying we also need thatbus and it's sad that that is
(48:33):
the Qualification that makesthat happen.
Speaker 3 (48:36):
Yeah, I mean like, like, how about like saving the
planet or just like betterquality of life For everyone?
Like, for God's sake, we don'tneed a like a one of the worst
people of all time to likeinspire public transport.
That is terrible.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
She's gonna.
It's excellent.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
Yeah, let's.
Let's get back to the band andthe music.
What's, what's next for youguys?
What's?
Speaker 4 (49:04):
going on.
Let's talk about the tour.
Thank you the radio guy forthat lovely segue.
Yes, so non viable, my ass.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
So much great ranting tonight.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Okay, sorry, so strangers, I used to love.
The record comes out on April12th and we have a handful of
shows leading up to that.
On April 12th, we are gonna beplaying a really sweet show in
Kingston and then we are drivingstraight to Saskatoon.
I Really hope we get a gig inbetween here in Saskatoon.
We've driven straight toSaskatoon three tours in a row
right now in Saskatoon so far,but we're going on the road.
(49:45):
We're going on the road, doneit.
We're gonna play a bunch ofshows.
We're driving all the way outto the west coast of Canada and
then we're driving back throughthe states.
This will be the first timethat we've played in the United
States since 2019.
Wow, that the before times.
We're gonna be playing the heckout of all the songs on the
record.
I'm trying to think we got lotsof days.
Speaker 3 (50:03):
Are there like 30 something?
Speaker 2 (50:04):
something like that.
We've announced like 15 or so.
There's gonna be more by thetime you're hearing this.
In the future there willprobably be lots more.
But yeah, we're gonna play therecord for as many people as we
possibly can.
We have some big shows inKingston, in Cornwall, in
Toronto.
When are we announcing that one?
(50:25):
As soon as I make the poster.
We work hard down.
In this way you gotta wear alot of hats to be in a band.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
These probably be announced by the time this is
out.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
Okay, this is surely this will be announced.
Tell us about the Toronto shownow I'm like playing me.
We're playing at Elma combo.
Yeah which is so dialed,because it's such a legendary
space and I've wanted to playthere since I first played there
when I was like 17 in a metalband and when it was all tore it
up and really bad.
This would be the tramp.
And return to Elma combo.
(50:54):
I'm gonna invite my grandma.
It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 3 (50:58):
Yeah, lots of shows.
We're stoked.
We're also gonna start a beefbetween the Cornwall wilderness
fans and the Labrador wildernessfans because so far, like they
have both been just incredibleand we want to.
We want to start a beef betweenthem in an attempt to get more
people at the show.
So if you're listening fromCornwall, you ought to prove
(51:18):
that you're better than peoplefrom Labrador, and if you're
listening in Labrador, you beststart driving, because we've
come to you twice.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
Nick, you and I spoke briefly at the musicie merch
market, yeah, several weeks back, and we talked about vinyl.
Is it gonna be vinyl?
Speaker 2 (51:38):
Yeah, album, yeah, there's gonna be vinyl of the
album, which Might be the thingthat I'm most proud of in my
entire life.
We can and will have it at ouralbum release shows, so if you
want a copy, you can pick one upthere.
I Designed the cover for thisrecord.
Speaker 3 (51:57):
This is me maybe bragging a little bit, but also
this man literally tore himselfat photoshop and lightroom and I
didn't see him away from hiscomputer for weeks.
He did all of the assets forthe vinyls and the album artwork
and everything by himselfbecause we couldn't afford to
pay anyone else To do it andNick was like hell.
Yeah, I'm on it.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
Questions like a little lot of stuff.
My partner, caroline, isactually a graphic designer so
when I got stuck I was likeplease help me.
But yeah, I designed the cover.
It's got my handwriting on itand when I hold one in my hands
I'm gonna faint because I putway too many hours.
Speaker 3 (52:33):
Make the time cover, that's gonna be great and now
all of the photos, for, like thealbum artwork and the single
artwork are all film photos thatwe have taken on Tour.
Like the front cover is thepicture of my mom's back garden
where Connie, my girlfriend,said if I have to make small
talk was range one more time I'mgonna lose my fucking mind.
So, like there's a lot of us,it's very us.
Speaker 2 (52:56):
It is like every part of it is us the visuals, the
music, the Like, all of it andthat is one of the reasons that
I am, like the most proud ofthis record, because we,
everything about it is the isthe most honest version of us
that we could possibly put outthere.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
Feels good.
It's also hilarious.
Our guitar tech and long time,dear friend, my candle is
features on more of the singleartwork and album artwork than
any of the band.
Speaker 2 (53:27):
Boy, yeah, also.
By the time you're hearing this, I'm certain you'll be able to
pre-order this record on ourwebsite, and the website is the
wilderness band comm.
Go to the section that saysshop and, if you feel so
inclined, paid $1,750 for adigital download of Christina.
That's still up there.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
We needed some 1750 dollars to pay rent at how
island once.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
Needless to say nobody bought one digital
download of Christina on ourwebsite for the price of our
rent and wrote in thedescription like do it, you
won't.
Speaker 3 (54:03):
Say it's just down to me that no one did that.
Speaker 4 (54:06):
You play.
They almost send it to MichaelWeckerley, isn't he a
billionaire?
Yeah, which maybe next?
Speaker 3 (54:10):
time I like get my rent bill, I'll just be like no,
no, no, this is.
Send this to Elon Musk.
You must have a mistake in this, everybody else.
Speaker 4 (54:19):
I've heard like this is a life hack I'm gonna throw
out there for literally anyone.
I've heard once that like ifyou're getting married or like
have a birthday or anythingcoming up, we're like you know
there's invites or whatever.
Find any list you can ofbillionaires, homes or at least
mailing addresses.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
I feel like I like where we go with, yeah, yeah,
like torches and pitchforks kindof deal.
Speaker 4 (54:37):
You would think so, but no, then send invites there,
because they probably havesomebody that just handles like
incoming mail or incomingmessages or whatever, and some
like it might just slip throughthe cracks or they're like
whatever.
Just send them a check for like, probably more than you know
your aunt lianna is gonna sendyou or whatever.
Right, like a billionaires justhave money to throw away at
whatever.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
Problem man I am gonna start an Enterprise right.
Speaker 4 (55:02):
Then we go with Everything we can, then
pitchforks yeah we just need toeat one, then the rest will fall
in line.
Yep.
Speaker 3 (55:11):
Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (55:12):
I'm really sorry but rules is rules.
You're a billionaire now itbrings me no joy.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
It really doesn't.
I like you anyway.
I feel like I'm gonna getkilled by a bunch of Swifties
now for saying that I'm a swiftymyself.
I don't know, but she's abillionaire now.
No, so I don't know.
I Like rass music, hey.
Speaker 4 (55:28):
What are you guys gonna get a private jet that you
can fly everywhere onunnecessarily?
Speaker 2 (55:32):
when this album blows up on Ticktock and we're
playing in the next Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
dude, I don't want to fly in a private jet, I just
want to like Go on a plane withthe band, maybe once you did say
you wanted a Hercules pilot tofly us to Labrador.
Speaker 2 (55:47):
You went out of your way to find the guy at the
military base in Labrador whoflies the Hercules and say what
the fuck, why didn't you fly ushere?
Speaker 3 (55:59):
Literally the most dangerous, desolate highways in
the world to go play a show forthem.
They didn't send a plane for us, unbelievable, we could have
driven our van right onto thatthing.
Yeah, I don't know.
Even if I, even if we mademillions of dollars, I've never
owe my own private jet.
I like the planet.
Speaker 4 (56:17):
I feel like if we shame Taylor Swift enough, being
a billionaire, taylor Swiftjust needs to like One time be
like boy.
I wish I could take ahigh-speed rail line from this
gig to this Finally, fucking getsome.
Speaker 3 (56:30):
Absolutely yeah, that's.
That's all we need bring.
I don't want a private jet, Iwant high-speed rail, that's it.
Speaker 2 (56:35):
I did have a very good dream once where there was
like an LRT that went fromK-beck City to Labrador City.
This is shortly after our tour,and I spent my entire dream on
the train to Labrador City.
You know that was a thing,because this is what we need.
Speaker 1 (56:51):
Anything else.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
Come to our show.
Come to our show by a record,by a record.
We really hope you like thealbum.
I am immensely proud of it.
I think it is our best work byfar.
It is the most us thing.
We got to work with someamazing people making it.
It's taken us a long time.
We're proud of it.
Steve Foley in Ottawa.
He produced and mixed thisrecord.
(57:15):
We owe him our lives.
This man, this album nearlykilled him, I swear to God.
Like he put hundreds andhundreds and hundreds of hours
Into it, like after we were gone, like we were recording it over
the space of six months and hewas working on it non-stop.
And we are so grateful for himand to everybody who was
(57:36):
Involved in this process and toeverybody who still gives a shit
about our band.
We're so grateful and we reallyhope you like the album.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
I like the album.
We got to hear it beforehand.
I love the album.
I'm looking forward to otherpeople getting to hear the album
, as I'm sure you are as well.
Yeah absolutely can't frigginwait.
Gentlemen, thank you so muchfor coming in.
This is great.
Thank you very much for havingus again.
Speaker 3 (57:57):
Sorry about the ranting.
No, I'm on your team.
I'm always down for more rant.
Speaker 1 (58:02):
I think we we've done this enough that I think we
kind of expected it anyway.
Speaker 3 (58:07):
Thanks guys.
Hello, this is Kingston Live.
I am Johnny San, I'm RileyDeBoer and we have with us from
the wilderness Jonas Lewis,anthony, hello, and Nicholas
Lennox Howdy.
Thanks for having us.
Well, welcome back.
Yeah, it's been a while.
I'm trying to remember the lasttime.
Like I remember the last time.
What was it like three yearsago?
It was summer 2020.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, I was in Skeleton Park because COVID was
still rife on big old lawnchairs and talked about our last
album.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
That was a good time.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
That was a great time .
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I like the outdoor podcast.
We can't do it right nowbecause it's winter, it's very
cold, but yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
I mean, it's barely winter.
It's like climate change.
It's the last winter, guys,yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Enjoy it while you can, because next winter will be
fire.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We've got a new album .
Yes, these strangers I used tolove.
Yeah, let's talk about thefirst single, the title track.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
So I'm from the UK.
I'm sure I've mentioned thatbefore Once or twice, not that
I've made it my entire identityor personality or whatever, but
yeah.
So during COVID, I didn't gohome for two and a half maybe
more years and I got to go homefor the first time in July of
2022.
And I took my girlfriend withme and it was my sister's
(01:18):
wedding and my mom's 60thbirthday party.
So I was so like just sick tomy stomach, homesick during
COVID, like I'd neverexperienced homesickness like
that before.
I think it was probably becausethe option to go home was
always there and then when itwas taken away during COVID, it
was just like I can't reallydescribe how homesick I was.
(01:40):
So, leading up to this trip, Ihad this sort of like rose
tinted color glasses, view andmemory of the place that I grew
up and I was so excited to gohome.
Don't get me wrong I had thebest time.
It was just so great to be homeand so wonderful.
But it was distinctly verydifferent from how I remembered
it because, a it had been twoand a half three years since I'd
(02:03):
been home and, b I'm a Iwouldn't say a grown-up, but
I've aged over that time and itwas the afternoon, it was my
mom's 60th birthday party and mygirlfriend and I were at my
mom's house and she was doing anexcellent job talking with
friends and acquaintances of mymom's most people who I didn't
(02:24):
know and I was like, hey, howare you doing?
You hanging in there?
And she's like, yeah, I'm fine,but if I have to make small
talk with strangers one moretime I'm going to lose my
fucking mind.
And I was like, okay, I'mwriting that down.
And then the idea basically likethat kind of became like the
thesis of the song, because Irealized that while I was there,
(02:45):
a lot of people who I was veryclose with I was not as close
with.
And that's just part of growingup, that's just time passing by
, and it was actually a reallyweird and kind of sad
realization.
I came to that like this isn'tmy home anymore.
These people who used to be soimportant to me I'm still are.
Some of them have kind ofbecome strangers and like I'm
(03:06):
struggling to figure out what wecan talk about and 10 years
prior we would be talking aboutthings like no problem, you know
.
So that was kind of the longwinded version of how that song
came to be.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Have any of these people heard the song?
Yes, they have.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
And what was the reaction?
Pretty positive.
Yeah, a lot of people thinkit's a banger.
Yeah, the second verse I had todo some explaining, but we
figured that out.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
But I mean Do you want to explain that here, to
save yourself some conversationslater?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
It's a really good line.
It's just a line that probablygets people in trouble, namely
Jonas, mostly me.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think I know what we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, do we want to go there.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, my dad's probably not going to listen to
this anyway.
So while we were writing thesong like and we wrote it and
rewrote it like a thousand timesand on the last iteration of it
being rewritten I felt likethat the verses just didn't tell
like a good enough story.
So it was one of the firstsongs that got written for the
(04:19):
album in some regards and one ofthe last, and we rewrote all
the verses like a week before wewent to the studio and we were
in Nick's living room and I wastrying to like sort of tell the
story about like my girlfriendIconi, we're back home, we had a
leaving Canterbury for a while,which is where I grew up, and
we like to get away.
We went on this like nice driveto Wales and I was showing her
(04:39):
all these places I grew up.
And then part of the story ofthe song is you bump into
Somebody who you used to know,used to be really close with,
and you start having aconversation.
And it's strange because at onepoint in time you would have
had like meaningfulconversations with them and at
this point in time you'reliterally talking about like oh,
what's the weather like inCanada?
So the second verse is life hasbeen good, nothing too crazy.
(05:01):
My sister got my act justhaving a baby, you know, like
boring small talk and I didn'tknow how to follow up.
And then I was like, oh, it'sso good to see you.
How have you been lately?
And then Carl goes, my mom'sdoing well, but my dad fucking
hates me, and I was like, oh man, I can't say that.
But everyone was like that'sthe line and I was like oh,
(05:22):
fucking, it's a pretty memorableline.
Yeah, it's gonna get me in a bitof trouble.
You know, those are the thingsthat you would say with a close
friend, not somebody who you arenow in acquaintance with and
the idea of that versus it waslike a conversation between two
people and one of the people isoversharing a bit and the other
one is being reserved and justbeen like yeah, you know, like
life is fine, you know that kindof thing.
(05:43):
So I had some explaining to doaround that line.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
We can.
It's ambiguous, right?
We can each deferresponsibility to everybody else
in the band for writing thatsong, so nobody comes after us.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Well, yeah, I did even have a conversation with an
old friend who I know had avery contentious relationship
with his family and he alludedto that.
So it's his fault.
Yeah, so Dan Love well, danloves dad.
If you're listening, go speakto your boy.
Speaker 6 (06:38):
Well, I thought you'd ask me where we were going, but
you slept in the backseat, Irolled down the windows and
drove across the country.
There's some places I want youto see the house in the hills
where I spent my summers.
It's harder than hell and itkeeps getting harder.
(07:00):
There's a tower in the valleywith cobblestone streets.
I'll skip rocks in the riverwhile you lie next to me and we
bump into someone who reminds meof something that I can't
explain, because now it meansnothing.
Speaker 5 (07:18):
I make these walks over strangers.
You are used to love up ourCanadian winters, and how much
it hurt to get those tattoos onmy fingers and boarded in these.
Do they see a stranger whenthey look at me?
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Life has been good, nothing too crazy.
My sister got married.
She's having a baby.
It's so good to see you.
Have you been lately?
My mom's doing well and my dadfucking hates me.
We talk about someone whoreminds me of nothing.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
I try to remember.
Am I supposed to feel something?
There's a voice in the air andI've heard it before I spill my
guts and out the anger's not thesame anymore.
I make these walks overstrangers.
You are used to love up ourCanadian winters and how much it
(08:21):
hurt to get those tattoos on myfingers and boarded in these.
Do they see a stranger whenthey look at me?
I'm carrying on my blare stainsand cutting my losses.
I'm letting go of anger and thetime that it cost me felt.
It left me like a breath.
I'm seeking the shame.
(08:42):
I'm living free and screaming.
I'm carrying on my blare stains.
Do you need me here?
(09:04):
She has come home.
Do you need me here?
Speaker 1 (09:14):
She has come home.
Do you need me here?
I make these walks overstrangers.
You are used to love up ourCanadian winters, and how much
it hurt to get those tattoos onmy fingers and boarded in these.
Do they see a stranger whenthey look at me?
(09:35):
Having said all this, where ishome for you now?
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Home's here 100% Like .
I feel like a tourist when I gohome now.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Because that's kind of the vibe of the song.
That's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
The whole thing is like this is where I grew up.
These are the people that wereimportant to me, this is the
place that I used to spend mysummers as a kid, and I just
don't fit here anymore.
It's like a weird sort ofnowhere space that I feel like I
land in.
I'm not quite Canadian enoughto be Canadian and I'm
definitely not English anymore.
And being so desperatelyhomesick during COVID and then
(10:16):
to go home and to have thisrealization like okay, this
place is just not home anymore.
It was kind of sad for me.
I still love it.
My family are there, some of myreally good friends are there,
but here is home now.
My whole life is here.
My friends, my community, mygirlfriend, my dogs my entire
life is in Kingston.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Well, and I like to think that in a multicultural
society, you talk about feelingCanadian.
It should be said that youshouldn't have to feel like you
should be something If youconsider yourself Canadian, oh
yeah for sure.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I mean it's less about like, do I own a pair of
skates and play hockey and wearplaid, and it's more of like I
don't know.
I feel like a lot of peoplewould probably feel the same way
if they move from one place toanother, like you leave some
parts of you behind and you,like, take new parts of the new
place with you.
And I mean I think that's oneof the great things about Canada
(11:08):
is how there's people from allover the world and that very
much seems like it's identity.
But you know, sometimes peoplethink I'm Australian all the
time because they're like youknow, you're not from England.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I promise you, I am.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I just don't have a Canadian accent, but I say how's
it going, bud sometimes.
So it can be quite confusing.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I mean, if I can relate to the thing you're
saying, like I didn't move toKingston from England, so I
definitely don't have the sameexperience than you.
But I feel the same way aboutGuelph.
I grew up in Guelph, ontario,which is three hours down the
401.
I like the way that you rootyour songs and your identity and
like you talk about what itmeans to be like an expat.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
But it's immigrant.
Yeah, ex-pats just do not knowwhat that like that like white
people use when they don't wantto be called an immigrant.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
They're gentrified immigrants.
Yeah, thank you for that.
No, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I like that you talk about your experience that way
but I relate to that, even beingfrom another town in Ontario
Like it's still like thatLeaving home.
There's a universality to it.
I think that speaks to a lot ofpeople.
So credit to you and Carl.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Well, even if you want to look at the music
community, there's a lot ofpeople who've come here, like
you said just, from out of town.
But they're here and they're inthe community and it's some.
People become part of thecommunity very quickly.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, and like, I think a big part of that is like
you have roots and you pullthem up and that takes a
considerable amount of effortand when you put them back down
again, having already beenthrough like the whole, like
movement things, like geez, Idon't have the energy to like
dig up all those roots and gosomewhere else again.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think there's somethinginteresting, especially what you
just said about moving fromlike wealth to Kingston, where
it's only three hours.
I think even the small, likethose micro differences in like
England to Canada, where I thinkit was like an interview with
Frank Turner I heard once wheresomebody said in Canada 100
years is a long time, but inEngland 100 kilometers is a long
(13:08):
distance.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
And it's so true.
Yeah, Frank Turner also sidenote said quote he's obsessed
with this song.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
Oh, that's right, I forgot about that.
Oh my God, where did that comefrom?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
My Frank Turner musical hero of mine.
I have loved Frank Turner foras long as I've been playing
music.
My brother-in-law sent himstrangers.
I used to love Frank Turner.
It replied to him like on anemail saying wow, that's a super
great song.
And I was like okay, I'm goingto email him and say thank you.
So I emailed him this longemail being like thank you so
much, I'm so glad you liked themusic.
And I sent him Christina,because he's from Winchester,
(13:42):
which is where my friendChristina, who the song
Christina is about that's whereshe's from.
And I sent him the link to thewhole album.
I was like give it a listen.
And he replied saying a lovelyemail and was like I'm actually
kind of obsessed with that songand I was like, oh my God.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Oh my God, that's great to hear, I love the album.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
There's a great energy about it and I found
myself comparing it to theprevious album until tomorrow
which had, I'd say, some darkermoments on it.
This album, I got the feelingthat the band felt re-energized
somehow.
Is that correct, correct?
I would totally agree.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Yeah, I think the four years that have passed
since until tomorrow since weput that one out, which is
August 2020, have been thehardest four years of our not
just careers but, like, I think,our lives as a whole.
We went through some really,really rough times as a band and
as a group of friends and we'veput a lot of weight and a lot
(14:41):
of stock into the making of thisalbum and I think the process
of writing it and the process ofmaking it not only saved the
band but definitely saved ourfriendship for sure, and I'm
glad that comes across it feelslike writing this album helped
us be like a capital B band.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
You know what I mean.
We've always been a band andI've always had this joke with
the guys that our shtick as aband is that we're a band.
Who's a band?
You know, we're not like aViking metal band or anything.
The shtick is like we play rockand roll and that's it.
When we recorded until tomorrow,it was such a creative process
because it was all happening inthe moment.
(15:23):
There were songs that we had,like never played before, that
we were just hashing out at theback house making it happen as
it came to us, whereas with thisrecord we were like what even
is the wilderness at all?
What do we sound like?
What do we want to sound like?
What are we supposed to soundlike?
And we put in a lot of effortwith one another as songwriters,
with one another asinstrumentalists, to be like
(15:44):
okay, like here's where we canfit all these sounds together,
like Max's guitar parts on thisrecord, for example, like really
, really shine for me because,like, his sound as a guitarist
is so present across all ofthese tunes and they really
elevate the tunes.
We shared responsibility forwriting some of the songs like
Strangers I Used to Love.
There's a tune on this recordcalled Hold Back the Daybreak
(16:06):
which we like literally wrote ina room, shouting like two words
of a sentence of at a time ateach other, trying to figure it
out.
Different people have come intodifferent roles.
Carl is singing more, liam isreally zoned in on the keys
thing, I'm playing more acousticguitar than I ever thought I
would in my life and alsoplaying saxophone.
We all really helped oneanother carve a place for
(16:29):
ourselves and each other on thisrecord.
I think it is like so muchdifferent of an effort than
until tomorrow, but it feelslike where we want to be, if
that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
I love that phrase, capital B band, that's a great
way to put it.
And you also mentioned, likethe creation process of until
tomorrow versus this.
You were in the bathhouse foruntil tomorrow and this record.
You guys, you did a lot of workin your jam house in uh on how
Island and now you've got yourown recording space, that that
you're setting up in kind ofSouth Frontenac.
Do you want to tell us a littlebit about that?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Sure, about the about the place in South Frontenac.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
Anything and everything, all of this, the
whole story.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Yeah, I mean like until tomorrow.
You know we put out an EP priorto that, uh, and a few singles,
but until tomorrow was our firstalbum, and maybe it was Dave
Grohl who said that, likewriting your first album is easy
because you've been doing ityour entire life and then this
is your second one, that'sreally hard, god damn.
He was right.
Like until tomorrow, there wasa lot of us just being like so
stoked that we were recording atthe bathhouse and throwing
(17:27):
every idea we had at the walland seeing what stuck and some
of those songs, the first timewe played them as a band.
Well, while we recorded themand we did 12 songs in nine days
, this album has taken us thebetter part of three and a half
four years because COVID notmuch else to do other than write
songs.
The first song we wrote forthis album was, uh, november
(17:49):
2020.
2021,.
We got together and werehearsed a bunch and when we
could, and then there were a fewfalse starts and they're you
know, like then it was like,okay, are we going to tour this
album cycle?
Because we feel like we shouldtour this album cycle, but we
already kind of already kind ofmoved on for it but we hadn't.
It was this really weird likegray area of our lives where we
(18:09):
didn't really know what we weresupposed to be doing.
We did a few more demos in 2022and, like 2022 was just like
the worst year for us.
It was so difficult, like I wasjust certain that we were just
done and I didn't know what Iwas going to do with myself.
If that was the case, why didyou think that?
Uh, I feel like just life hadbecome really, really stressful
(18:32):
Stressful.
Covid.
That was challenging foreveryone for many different
reasons and it also occupied alot of space in our lives.
It was hard to sort of carveout the time for the band.
Again, I was our own worstenemy.
I would have driven us off acliff if I'd been allowed to be
at the helm of everything.
You know, like it was just likeit was a lot.
There was interpersonal stuff Iwas like insufferable to work
(18:55):
with.
I was just being fuck, thisit's the band versus everything
Like blah, blah, blah, blah,like anyway.
So that was it was.
It was a difficult time and wewere all we were really
struggling personally with eachother as a band.
I the analogy I said was liketrying to keep this band
together is like trying to likekeep water in like your hand,
like cupped hands, you know, andit was just like I was like
doing anything I could to notlet it slip through my fingers,
(19:17):
kind of thing, but anyway.
Um, we went on tour in 2022.
Yeah, in the summer, and it'sreally funny too, because from
the outside, looking in, like2022, like our best year yet and
in many ways it was and in manyways it was the fucking worst
time.
And when we got back, we werelike, okay, we need to like
figure something out, and theprocess that we took, uh, to
(19:40):
write until tomorrow, I mean, orsome of the songs, like we were
just all in a house in a roomtogether and I've always thought
like we do our best work whenwe're together as friends.
Our two biggest enemies arenever having enough time and
never having enough money, andthe two are so interconnected.
So, scrolling Kijiji one dayand I see this listing for a
(20:01):
place on how Island and it'sempty.
A huge house.
It was ridiculously cheap andit was only available for six
months and I was like there'sgot to be a catch.
But I guess the catch was itwas an unfurnished rental on an
island for six months over thewinter.
Like how many people are reallygoing to go for that?
And we put in an applicationand they said sure.
(20:22):
And we told them like we wantto work with.
The plan was to record thewhole album there because you
know now we will be able to.
If we don't have the money, atleast we'll have the time.
So we moved in all of theequipment that we could, we
begged and borrowed and stolesome.
We got like Nick and Liam weredriving around town getting free
furniture from like Facebookmarketplace and stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
We lifted couches down a lot of stairs.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
And then we just kind of dug ourselves in for like
six months and we wrote a ton ofsongs and we demoed even more
and that process I know itsounds dramatic, but I really
think it like saved the band but, more importantly, our
friendship, because it was justa space where we could just be
friends and there was no liketimeline of like it's go time,
(21:09):
like we've got to get this thingout by you know next week or
whatever it was like there wasnone of that.
It was just like we're going togo and go at our own pace, which
is a really tough lesson for me, because my impatience was
certainly like a big issuewithin the band, because I am
the most impatient person ever.
So, you know, we like reallytook our time with it and taking
our time was the best thing wecould have done and it meant
(21:31):
that like I didn't dread bandshit anymore.
It was like I just wanted to bethere all the time and
sometimes we'd get there on likea Tuesday night.
We had like a little ritualWe'd get there on a Tuesday
after work, we'd make dinner,we'd hang out, maybe we'd play
some music, maybe we'd just hangout, and then we'd have a fire
in the evening, have a couple ofbeers and we'd all have a
sleepover in the living room.
There was like five bedrooms inthe house.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
We never slept in the bedroom, nobody.
Everybody crashed in the livingroom together.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Like, just like six dudes in the living room would
usually fall asleep to like bandof brothers or saving private
life, which is, in retrospect, abad thing to fall asleep to.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
That was why you were so stressed out.
You had to break it down.
It's like the sound of guns onthe floor Guns on the floor.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
And yeah, and then we'd wake up on Wednesday and we
were like, ok, let's play somemusic, and we were just doing it
for the sake of doing it again,which we hadn't done.
Since, like we first started,I've been telling like a really
long story, but like they'reasking about the studio we're
building.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Right, that's it.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
OK.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Anyway.
So this process was just like.
I mean, it was probably thebest six months of my life.
I loved every second of it.
I love the process.
I learned so much.
We were more collaborative thanwe'd ever been because we were
all in the same space at thesame time.
Like Nick said, we were likeall writing songs together and
then, you know, we always knewit was going to come to an end
(22:53):
and when we moved out of thatplace, like I was bereft and so
I was like like this was thebest thing for us.
I want to be able to do thismore and I also want to be able
to share it.
So a couple of months later, wefound this another place on
Kijiji.
It's not quite, as it'scertainly not a mansion, like
the how I own place was, andit's not even as cheap, for
goodness sake, but it's justnorth of Kingston and we decided
(23:19):
that we wanted to carry on thatlike how I own the dream and
just make it accessible to othermusicians in the scene.
So we built our own studio upthere and we're kind of like
soft opening it right now.
Then again, we've done it withnext to no money and we got a
loan from Home Depot.
So we're actually we did it onminus money and we don't know
(23:39):
anything about constructioneither.
We just learned as we went.
But now we have a studio that Iit's.
I'm really proud of it, and wewant to basically like extend
our experience on how I went tolike other bands in the in the
scene or musicians or anyoneWhether you want to come out
here and just bang some drumsfor a couple of hours, or you
want to record an EP or anaudiobook or whatever it is Like
(24:01):
.
We just wanted to kind ofcapture that magic from how I
let it just sort of make that goforward.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
I think one of the themes that kept coming up, as
you like told that story, andsomething that I've always felt
like is an over over arching,just a very prominent theme with
the wilderness is friendship,as you guys are a band but you
also seem so forward as just abunch of dudes that are friends,
and I think that's like thetrue, that you really live the
true dream of any like group ofdudes that are just tight where
(24:29):
you're like we should have aclubhouse.
Yeah, you really.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
We really did, that's so true, oh boy, but it is the
thing I mean, so I'll share thiswith you.
Like I said, I moved here fromGuelph.
I saw the wilderness playbefore I was in the wilderness.
I keep telling people there's aposter in my office that has
you guys before.
I was in the band, and the bandthat I was playing with at the
(24:54):
time called the Royal Driftersand Basic White.
They were on the build to.
Yeah, I remember that show Well.
I was like, yeah, so I've seenyou guys play and that's, that's
always been the vibe that I gotand like sort of the
interesting thing for me joiningthe band a little later, which
is still like five or six yearsago now.
Good Lord.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Dude, it was seven years ago, don't?
Speaker 2 (25:11):
tell me that, oh boy, the interesting thing is that,
like that has been like thebiggest challenge and the
biggest asset to the band.
People tell us this when weplay shows.
They're like, ok, we can tellthat you're having a good time.
And we're like, yeah, becausethis is the only thing that we
want to do.
If we were doing this with ournemeses, this would be miserable
(25:32):
, and sometimes we've been ourown nemeses.
You know what I mean.
Like you get bogged down in the, in the business stuff.
You get bogged down trying tobook tours or make show graphics
or budget for rehearsal spaceor whatever, and like balancing
that with being friends isincredibly tough.
Right, like that's part of whyit was hard in 2022 was because
(25:53):
we were all reckoning with thefact that, like, we're on the
cusp of turning 30.
Most of the band already is.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm not like three months, yeah, you know, like
then it's game over.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
We're all like we're all working people trying to pay
our rent.
We're all like we've all gotjobs and relationships and dogs,
cats, whatever no kids yet Allof that makes it so that you can
just spend ages working and notrelating or making music, which
is the important part and issuch a driving factor of the way
(26:25):
that we relate, because beingon stage together is such a
moment of community for all ofus, and writing these songs was
that for us, right.
Like having the vulnerabilityto bring your ideas forward,
like trusting your friends toplay your feelings for you,
which is something that I had towork on desperately.
Jonas can take accountabilityfor being maybe very demanding
(26:47):
of the band.
I can take accountability forbeing the nitpickiest person
alive.
Yeah, the music making momentreally is where the community
feeling happens for us, and so Idon't think that this band
would be what it is if we didn'tlove each other, and I think
that, like, learning to loveeach other more has made us a
better band.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
The thing is is like you're balancing this like
really delicate line of businessand friendship and the business
doesn't pay you any money, soyou can't even say, well, we're
making the best businessdecision right now because it's
going to benefit everyonefinancially.
It's like sometimes we werelike I wanted to make what I
thought was the best businessdecision there was actually
terrible for us as individuals.
(27:28):
Like hey, yeah, like I don'tcare if you're broke, we're
fucking going on tour and suckit up by the cup.
You know like the world justdoesn't work like that anymore.
You know like bands used to goon tour and would make money.
Now bands go on tour and, ifthey're lucky, they sell
t-shirts.
That's the sort of the way themusic industry has gone, and so
like a tough lesson to learn was, while trying to balance this
(27:53):
act, like sometimes the bestdecision for the band wasn't the
best business decision, but itwas the best.
Like we had to choose thedecision that was the best for
the friendship and we'vedefinitely shifted towards that
over the last year and a half orso, making like the friendship
the most important thing.
If that's all working, theneverything else is going to fall
into place and again, like 2022was like awful.
(28:13):
Like I was like sounds dramaticto say grieving, but like I was
a fucking mess.
I was like I was like I've justI've lost this thing.
That's my whole fucking life,that's my entire identity, is
wrapped up in being in this bandand like if these guys can't
stand to be in the same room asme, what the fuck am I going to
do with myself?
It was awful.
It was so awful.
(28:34):
I'm just really grateful thatwe got to work through that
together and it took a lot of ussitting in circles sobbing Yep
Multiple times, many times.
But man, like fuck, how gooddoes that feel that you can just
sit in a circle with a bunch ofdudes and cry until things just
feel better?
The friendship, to me, is likeit's more important than even
(28:55):
the music.
You put the friendship first,everything else will fall into
place and everything else willbe okay.
The music might suck, but whocares?
We're having a good time and wehave a clubhouse.
We do have a clubhouse.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Well, let's go back to the music for a second, I
want to talk about another trackon the album Hollywood
Boulevard.
Jonas, you're known for a goodrant once in a while.
What's happening at the end ofthat track?
That's me ranting.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Literally with a megaphone.
That is a megaphone at the endof that track and I am ranting
and that list was pared down.
There were like 70 things thatI was yelling profanities about.
You've got like eight bars youcan't say everything that you
hate about the world Like fuckCanadian telecom companies.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
That one will go well , yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Man like yeah, let's talk.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Sing fuck Belle, fuck Rogers.
Most people like in Canadawould agree, but like that just
doesn't really have a good ringto it lyrically.
But yeah, that song is a bigold rant.
It's a good rant, it feels good, it feels cathartic.
(30:18):
It's also like our mostbombastic, sort of like over the
top, silly rock song.
But in many ways the characterin that story is just like it's
like me.
In many ways it's it could besort of anyone.
That whole vision of like Iwant to be the biggest rock star
in the world, like I want tofucking have my name in lights,
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
(30:39):
And it's kind of maybe just acritique of like just how stupid
this all is in general.
Like it's so absurd and weidolize people who are just
fallible human beings who makestupid mistakes and we love to
build them up and then as soonas they make a mistake, like
just rip them to shreds and thewhole thing of like the 27 Club
(31:00):
two being like there's like aromanticism around these people
dying in these horrific ways.
I was just getting sofrustrated with just being like
I just want to play music, tohave fun and yet, like this
industry and like the way theworld works is just so toxic and
even like my sort of wantedinvolvement in that is like
(31:22):
awful you know Well, I think theband leaned into that for a
while.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah, in the early ish days of at least when I had
first joined the band, that waslike kind of what we were trying
to do.
We were trying to be like big,bombastic rock and roll and like
, sure it's like that's fun andplaying shows is great and I
love that we put on a show witha lot of production, but like
the whole rock star ethos, thewhole like boys club thing, the
(31:46):
whole like showbiz baby, I guess.
Yeah, like I mean I think weleaned into it as a band, being
like oh yeah, we're going to bethe next big thing and that was
just like the worst thing forall of us, because then, when we
weren't, we all had to like gothrough an existential crisis
and do a lot of learning andlearn to like be nice to each
other.
So in many ways, like most ofthe songs on strangers I used to
(32:11):
love are like some sort ofletter to a part of one's past
and like I perceive HollywoodBoulevard maybe this is just me,
but I perceive HollywoodBoulevard to be like about the
band we thought we were fouryears ago and now we're a very
different band than that and Ilove that it's still ludicrous.
I love that it's got like somany saxophones and so many
harmonies and like I love thatit has all the candy on it,
(32:33):
because I love that kind ofmusic it just has jazz hands for
the whole song.
But but like, yeah,philosophically speaking, it's
like that is what a band couldbe, but that won't be us.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Something I've wanted to ask you guys about.
I saw I think it was about ayear ago I saw your show at the
Isabelle.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
Great show.
I really enjoy that.
I'd love the string section.
But something I've wanted toask any performer who's been on
that stage as an audience member.
I've seen many shows at theIsabelle and there's always a
moment where the performer justfeels really awkward by the
silence.
Oh my God.
Because it's such a quiet room.
(33:14):
And I think most performers arenot used to that.
Yeah, please, yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Well, I mean, like our sort of usual setting for us
to play a show is an allowedsweaty bar, yeah, where I mean,
especially in the early days ofour band, like the dive bars,
yeah, exactly Like we wereplaying like, you know, the
toucan and we were playing likethe Brooklyn every Friday and it
would be packed full of likesweaty, loud people and
sometimes you'd have to fightfor their attention.
This time we're in a silentroom where people have paid to
(33:42):
come and see us and they are andsit down, yeah, and they are
listening to everything inperfect acoustics.
So, like between songs, likeusually, like at a show, I have
okay-ish stage banter,especially at a loud bar.
And then here I was, like Iremember, like I watched the
video back recently and I waslike, oh man, like tough crowd.
(34:06):
Like not that the crowd werebeing tough, they were being
great but I was just being likeoh, everyone here, Well, you
guys are all pieces of shit, I'mall right.
Speaker 5 (34:15):
Like it was.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
For the record, it wasn't quite like that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Yeah, Like I was trying to, I was trying to, like
you know, do the tongue andcheeks like stage stuff between
songs and like people were likelistening and that made me
really, really anxious.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
It honestly was such a trip Like.
So I went to Queens for music,right Like I played classical
concerts on that stage and I hadsuch a great time at the Isabel
because I was like I never gota recital or anything.
I wasn't that good at classicalsex.
I was like this is finally therecital that I get to do at the
classical hall in Queens, andall of these years that I've
spent rebelling against theclassical bullshit of sitting
(34:55):
there with your hands in yourlap and only clapping at the end
of the piece and being verystoic and all this stuff, I'm
like finally to hell with that.
And then we got there andplaying a rock show on that
stage was like such cognitivedissonance and there were lots
of like.
There were a few cool pluses,right, like because people are
sitting there listening.
(35:15):
Like there's some moments inour songs that like I've just
never heard before.
Like there's four beats ofsilence in where I roam after
the stick part and in everyother situation it's just like
okay, we're all counting in thatroom.
I heard the sticks go and justring out in that room Beautiful
In between the songs.
I was like, yeah, shit, what dowe do?
So that show was a trip, but itwas.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
It was awesome, that was one of the highlights of our
career playing that show thatwas great show, incredible.
Yeah, it was really, really niceand I feel like we really
leaned into it like by, like thesecond half of the show, like
because there was anintermission, which I don't
usually like doing.
But we came back for the secondhalf and I felt like by the
(35:58):
time we got there we were like,okay, we know where we're at
right now.
I will insult the audience less, turn it around, be more self
deprecating and when in doubt,nick can tell a joke.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Nick, I think I recall you slightly berating him
for calling the audience awfulpeople.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Okay so.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
I'm.
We didn't take it personally.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
No, I, I, I, I, I, I am so grateful that anybody
would even come to our showseven to this day.
You're not awful people, I amjust an awful stage.
It was all ingest.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
I'm going to share two quotes with you that are
mine.
That are not Jonas's quotes,that are my mantra when I'm on
stage.
The first I think you sharedwith me.
You were talking about,probably, clarence Clemens and
Clarence saying like I don'tplay saxophone.
My job is that I'm aprofessional.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Bruce Watcher or something like that.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
I do feel like that on stage as like a front person
adjacent role.
And the other quote that I willshare I think this was Kent
McDonald, who said thewilderness is a sick band
because there are two frontpeople and I do.
When we're on stage I'mwatching this guy like a hawk,
(37:13):
and it's not because I'm tryingto keep him from saying things.
It is that sometimes he's gotto fix a string or something and
like I'm like okay, we can chitchat.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Other times I'm like where's he going with this, yeah
?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Other times I do smile, and not a bit, but it's,
it's out of love, oh shit, Jonasis getting his manifesto out.
He's getting his manifesto outno, I trust you implicitly and
you know he's done the same forme.
There have been times whereI've been trying to talk on
stage and he's like all right,we're going to start this song
now.
Let's, let's balance each otherout, it's fine.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Thank you for listening to Kingston Live.
Be sure to subscribe on yourplatform of choice and follow us
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Check out the Kingston Liveplaylist on Spotify For show
listings, artist info and allthings Kingston music.
Check out KingstonLiveca.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Are you guys familiar with the music strategy?
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Yes, very much so.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Any thoughts on the music strategy at this point?
Boy, how do I have so many Infact.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
This is the other manifesto.
Yeah, yeah, this is actuallyI've been.
So I went to all of thosemeetings at the broom factory
and then I somebody from aconsulting firm reached out to
me and asked me a few questionsand then there was like a round
table discussion on zoom thatwas supposed to be with me and a
bunch of other musicians and Iwas the only one who showed up.
So I was actually kind ofpissed for a second but then I
was like, actually this is sweet, I have I have the floor.
(38:36):
Um, first of all, I think it'samazing.
I think Kingston is too good ofa music scene for it not to be,
like put on like the worldstage.
There are way too many peoplewho work way too hard for not
enough reward, be it likemonetary or otherwise, for it to
go unnoticed.
There are lots of people whohave their hearts in the right
(38:58):
place and there is like all ofthe opportunity to make it
happen.
I, my biggest sort of critiqueand feedback, without trying to
talk for 45 minutes on this, wasthat like, if you make policy
changes that just benefit thecommunity at large, it also
benefits the musicians.
Pay as many consulting firms asmany hundreds of thousands of
(39:21):
dollars, all you want, but at agrassroots level.
That's how things do well andsucceed is by supporting at a
grassroots level.
Austin, texas, is the perfectcase study.
In the 80s, all of these recordlabels and musicians were
moving there from Nashville andLA and New York because it was
more affordable and a lot ofthese record labels were just
uprooting.
And then the city of Austinwere like hang on a second,
(39:43):
something's really happeninghere.
We should talk to the moversand shakers in the scene and see
what's going on.
And they were like okay, we'rejust going to brand ourselves as
the music capital of the worldnow.
Okay, how can we keep you here?
And then a bunch of people formlike the Austin City Music
Coalition I don't know if that'sthe actual term for it, but
like a coalition of musiciansaboard.
And they went to the system.
They said here are the thingsthat we want, and we want free
(40:06):
healthcare if you work in themusic industry in Texas.
So if you not just a musician,but if you're a performer or a
booking agent I don't know ifyou work within the music
industry in Austin you get yourhealthcare paid for in Texas.
It's crazy.
There are incentives tolandlords who have vacant
properties to fill them withbands for rehearsal spaces.
(40:27):
There are like sensible thingslike free parking, you know,
like really small things likethat.
Things actually benefit thegreater community at large,
which then help the music scene,and I think a lot of those
things could be implemented herein Kingston, like actually just
going and supporting what'salready happening.
There's a lack ofinfrastructure Since we lost
(40:48):
Roswell rehearsals.
That was a huge blow.
So the new multi-million dollarhousing developments downtown
have just evicted bands from thelast rehearsal space in
downtown Kingston.
And yet we're spending a ton ofmoney paying a consulting firm
to come up with answers insteadof listening to the musicians
themselves and I know themusicians in town and the people
(41:09):
who work in the industry have alot to say.
So I am glad that, like we'rebeing consulted, but like man,
here I go, I'm just talkingagain, but like, yeah, I think
you're good.
I think that we are in theperfect position for something
like great to happen.
I hope that the money and thefunds are managed correctly and
like equitably and I hope thatlike it doesn't just benefit the
(41:32):
musicians in town, because ifyou bring in affordable housing,
for example, or anyaccessibility pieces that
benefit the wider community atlarge, it also benefits the
musicians.
There's very little retentionhere.
Like a lot of people will startout in Kingston, they'll move
away, you know and I'm talkinglike Queen's students and stuff
and there's littleinfrastructure.
So if we can support theinfrastructure and, you know,
maybe not give bylaw tickets tomusic venues for hosting live
(41:56):
music and giving bands parkingtickets for loading at the
toucan if we can support thesethings from a grassroots level,
make it affordable and givepeople a reason to stay,
everything else will kind of,like you know, happen
organically, I guess, yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
I think it's important for Kingstonians to
acknowledge the relationshipthat they have with the city,
and especially Kingstonians whoreally, really love Kingston and
who want to call it a musiccity, because I believe Kingston
is a musical city.
I believe Kingston is a citywith a very rich music history.
(42:29):
But if I can flip the scriptand be the politically
opinionated one here in thisconversation, I think that if
the city of Kingston wants tocall itself a music city, then
it should be prepared to do thekind of stuff that Jonas is
asking about.
Talk to the people who areworking in the industry, at a
grassroots level.
Talk to the people who needthat infrastructure, be prepared
(42:51):
to put that infrastructure inplace, make working
relationships with the BIA, withdowntown Kingston, who I'm
going to call out for.
Asking for free work fromdesigners Right, I was going to
say it.
But hey, right, you know, wegot an offer from like, from a
some group at Queens, forexample, saying, hey, we want to
(43:12):
use your music in a documentaryabout Queens football.
We're all focusing on like,local music, local musicians.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
It's going to be nationally broadcast.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
It's going to be broadcast and then we're like we
don't have a budget for musicand I was like, great, try that
in Toronto, where there's peoplewho know what sync licensing is
, and they'll tell you to get inthe bin.
We are here in a small scenethat needs the infrastructure
needs, the education needs, thesame kind of industry.
Build up that like a place likeToronto or Montreal has.
And if this is my call toaction for the city of Kingston,
(43:39):
because I love Kingston, ifKingston wants to call itself a
music city and not just a citywith a lot of good musicians,
the city of Kingston as acorporation, as an entity, and
the following corporations thatwork with it should put time,
effort and money into talking tomusicians in town, learning
what they need and realisticallyproviding those opportunities
(44:00):
to grow as musicians and in themusic industry abroad.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
And it's not like I mean.
The other thing, like with likethe city as well, is like, stop
making it actively difficult.
You don't need to like giveevery musician in town $200,000
and say have a good life.
You just need to stop making itlike so difficult for musicians
and, quite frankly, just humanbeings, to exist in the city.
It's actually reallystraightforward, like, and there
(44:26):
were just so many like littlepunitive things and like red
tape, bureaucracy, things thatactually prevent the city's
music scene from going, and likebeing able to retain musicians
here and having like a retentionis so important because
otherwise we could just be thecity.
That's like oh yeah, we're amusic city.
The Tragic Lee hip and theGloria Sons are from here.
Yeah, they also fucking left.
You know like the Gloria Sonsand the Tragic Lee hip went and
(44:49):
played across Canada and acrossthe US.
You know like, and that's whenthe city or whatever says oh
yeah, we did that.
So no, no, no, like they didthat.
They went out, they tore, theyworked their arses off and their
bands from Kingston Shorts.
They're hometown.
But like you can't just likesee something being successful
and be like ah, we see, I wasasked.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Gold Star Music City.
Well, I'm glad you brought thatup because that's something
that I think I've brought up inthe podcast before.
And you can go back to theTragic Lee hip.
I remember as a kid when theTragic Lee hip were up and
coming and you know, I sort ofheard the name once in a while,
but it wasn't till fully,completely, and then they were
just everywhere and they shouldhave been a household name
(45:31):
before they broke everywhereelse.
And it happened with the hip,it happened with the sons and,
yeah, we need to have closerties with our own musicians in
our own backyard.
They shouldn't, they should behousehold names here before
everywhere else.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
For sure, and I.
There's a ton of really simplethings that can be done to just
help support the local art sceneDowntown Kingston.
Not wanting to pay for, likegraphic design, like, come on,
like it seems prettystraightforward.
I think this place has so muchpotential and it actually pains
(46:08):
me how little infrastructurethere is to support it.
I think Kingston Live is one ofthe very few pieces of musical
infrastructure that we have herethat actually supports the
music scene actively.
And Mark and Moira at KPP, whoare amazing and you know,
opening up the brand factory,yep.
I'm sure I'm forgetting someother people, but like these are
the things that are likeintegral to a music community.
(46:30):
It's not just having a ton ofbands and a couple of venues for
them to play.
It's about having aninfrastructure that can support
them from booking management,like physical space where bands
can show up to make music andpractice their art without
having to, you know, worry aboutgetting a bylaw ticket and not
just bands Like the studio we'reworking on, like the studio
we're working on, and also notjust bands either, because
(46:51):
there's way more to Kingston'smusic scene than just white guys
who play rock music.
Saying that as a white guy whoplays rock music, there's a lot
of other music in this town thatshould be supported and, like a
lot of other like genres thatcould be supported and, you know
like, attracted to come toKingston, make Kingston your
home or even to stop here on atour.
You know, fuck, I'm ranting.
(47:13):
I'm really glad it's happening,like thank God it's happening.
I just I'm Skeptical, to makesure, like, of whether money is
going to end up and how it'sgonna be used extably.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Yeah, we've had discussions about this, like
just our group.
Rob and I talk about it onoccasion and I think we're both
in the same position of let's,let's wait it out, let's see
what happens, let's see where itgoes.
Mm-hmm, yeah, it's, it's longoverdue, regardless for sure.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Yeah, public transport as well.
Sorry, fuck yeah.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
Bus, lanes, bike lanes.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
Yeah, wrap up the roads.
Oh, more bike lanes, all thebike lanes, please.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Yeah, I'm actually in the West End public transport
that would that runs late wouldhelp imagine being able to go to
overtime sports bar to See ashow and then being able to hop
on the bus at one o'clock.
I would go or tap on, tap offsystem.
I don't know if it thought I'mrunning for mayor of Kingston
you know it's wild is like.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
So the blue line in Toronto, the TTC bus that runs
all night.
You know what got that tohappen, paul Bernardo?
Wow, that's.
The only reason they startedrunning buses overnight Is
because there was a serialmurder rapist running around
that city.
I want to make it clear that'snot what I'm endorsing, but I'm
just saying we also need thatbus and it's sad that that is
(48:33):
the Qualification that makesthat happen.
Speaker 3 (48:36):
Yeah, I mean like, like, how about like saving the
planet or just like betterquality of life For everyone?
Like, for God's sake, we don'tneed a like a one of the worst
people of all time to likeinspire public transport.
That is terrible.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
She's gonna.
It's excellent.
Speaker 1 (49:00):
Yeah, let's.
Let's get back to the band andthe music.
What's, what's next for youguys?
What's?
Speaker 4 (49:04):
going on.
Let's talk about the tour.
Thank you the radio guy forthat lovely segue.
Yes, so non viable, my ass.
Speaker 1 (49:22):
So much great ranting tonight.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Okay, sorry, so strangers, I used to love.
The record comes out on April12th and we have a handful of
shows leading up to that.
On April 12th, we are gonna beplaying a really sweet show in
Kingston and then we are drivingstraight to Saskatoon.
I Really hope we get a gig inbetween here in Saskatoon.
We've driven straight toSaskatoon three tours in a row
right now in Saskatoon so far,but we're going on the road.
(49:45):
We're going on the road, doneit.
We're gonna play a bunch ofshows.
We're driving all the way outto the west coast of Canada and
then we're driving back throughthe states.
This will be the first timethat we've played in the United
States since 2019.
Wow, that the before times.
We're gonna be playing the heckout of all the songs on the
record.
I'm trying to think we got lotsof days.
Speaker 3 (50:03):
Are there like 30 something?
Speaker 2 (50:04):
something like that.
We've announced like 15 or so.
There's gonna be more by thetime you're hearing this.
In the future there willprobably be lots more.
But yeah, we're gonna play therecord for as many people as we
possibly can.
We have some big shows inKingston, in Cornwall, in
Toronto.
When are we announcing that one?
(50:25):
As soon as I make the poster.
We work hard down.
In this way you gotta wear alot of hats to be in a band.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
These probably be announced by the time this is
out.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
Okay, this is surely this will be announced.
Tell us about the Toronto shownow I'm like playing me.
We're playing at Elma combo.
Yeah which is so dialed,because it's such a legendary
space and I've wanted to playthere since I first played there
when I was like 17 in a metalband and when it was all tore it
up and really bad.
This would be the tramp.
And return to Elma combo.
(50:54):
I'm gonna invite my grandma.
It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 3 (50:58):
Yeah, lots of shows.
We're stoked.
We're also gonna start a beefbetween the Cornwall wilderness
fans and the Labrador wildernessfans because so far, like they
have both been just incredibleand we want to.
We want to start a beef betweenthem in an attempt to get more
people at the show.
So if you're listening fromCornwall, you ought to prove
(51:18):
that you're better than peoplefrom Labrador, and if you're
listening in Labrador, you beststart driving, because we've
come to you twice.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
Nick, you and I spoke briefly at the musicie merch
market, yeah, several weeks back, and we talked about vinyl.
Is it gonna be vinyl?
Speaker 2 (51:38):
Yeah, album, yeah, there's gonna be vinyl of the
album, which Might be the thingthat I'm most proud of in my
entire life.
We can and will have it at ouralbum release shows, so if you
want a copy, you can pick one upthere.
I Designed the cover for thisrecord.
Speaker 3 (51:57):
This is me maybe bragging a little bit, but also
this man literally tore himselfat photoshop and lightroom and I
didn't see him away from hiscomputer for weeks.
He did all of the assets forthe vinyls and the album artwork
and everything by himselfbecause we couldn't afford to
pay anyone else To do it andNick was like hell.
Yeah, I'm on it.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
Questions like a little lot of stuff.
My partner, caroline, isactually a graphic designer so
when I got stuck I was likeplease help me.
But yeah, I designed the cover.
It's got my handwriting on itand when I hold one in my hands
I'm gonna faint because I putway too many hours.
Speaker 3 (52:33):
Make the time cover, that's gonna be great and now
all of the photos, for, like thealbum artwork and the single
artwork are all film photos thatwe have taken on Tour.
Like the front cover is thepicture of my mom's back garden
where Connie, my girlfriend,said if I have to make small
talk was range one more time I'mgonna lose my fucking mind.
So, like there's a lot of us,it's very us.
Speaker 2 (52:56):
It is like every part of it is us the visuals, the
music, the Like, all of it andthat is one of the reasons that
I am, like the most proud ofthis record, because we,
everything about it is the isthe most honest version of us
that we could possibly put outthere.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
Feels good.
It's also hilarious.
Our guitar tech and long time,dear friend, my candle is
features on more of the singleartwork and album artwork than
any of the band.
Speaker 2 (53:27):
Boy, yeah, also.
By the time you're hearing this, I'm certain you'll be able to
pre-order this record on ourwebsite, and the website is the
wilderness band comm.
Go to the section that saysshop and, if you feel so
inclined, paid $1,750 for adigital download of Christina.
That's still up there.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
We needed some 1750 dollars to pay rent at how
island once.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
Needless to say nobody bought one digital
download of Christina on ourwebsite for the price of our
rent and wrote in thedescription like do it, you
won't.
Speaker 3 (54:03):
Say it's just down to me that no one did that.
Speaker 4 (54:06):
You play.
They almost send it to MichaelWeckerley, isn't he a
billionaire?
Yeah, which maybe next?
Speaker 3 (54:10):
time I like get my rent bill, I'll just be like no,
no, no, this is.
Send this to Elon Musk.
You must have a mistake in this, everybody else.
Speaker 4 (54:19):
I've heard like this is a life hack I'm gonna throw
out there for literally anyone.
I've heard once that like ifyou're getting married or like
have a birthday or anythingcoming up, we're like you know
there's invites or whatever.
Find any list you can ofbillionaires, homes or at least
mailing addresses.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
I feel like I like where we go with, yeah, yeah,
like torches and pitchforks kindof deal.
Speaker 4 (54:37):
You would think so, but no, then send invites there,
because they probably havesomebody that just handles like
incoming mail or incomingmessages or whatever, and some
like it might just slip throughthe cracks or they're like
whatever.
Just send them a check for like, probably more than you know
your aunt lianna is gonna sendyou or whatever.
Right, like a billionaires justhave money to throw away at
whatever.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
Problem man I am gonna start an Enterprise right.
Speaker 4 (55:02):
Then we go with Everything we can, then
pitchforks yeah we just need toeat one, then the rest will fall
in line.
Yep.
Speaker 3 (55:11):
Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (55:12):
I'm really sorry but rules is rules.
You're a billionaire now itbrings me no joy.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
It really doesn't.
I like you anyway.
I feel like I'm gonna getkilled by a bunch of Swifties
now for saying that I'm a swiftymyself.
I don't know, but she's abillionaire now.
No, so I don't know.
I Like rass music, hey.
Speaker 4 (55:28):
What are you guys gonna get a private jet that you
can fly everywhere onunnecessarily?
Speaker 2 (55:32):
when this album blows up on Ticktock and we're
playing in the next Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
dude, I don't want to fly in a private jet, I just
want to like Go on a plane withthe band, maybe once you did say
you wanted a Hercules pilot tofly us to Labrador.
Speaker 2 (55:47):
You went out of your way to find the guy at the
military base in Labrador whoflies the Hercules and say what
the fuck, why didn't you fly ushere?
Speaker 3 (55:59):
Literally the most dangerous, desolate highways in
the world to go play a show forthem.
They didn't send a plane for us, unbelievable, we could have
driven our van right onto thatthing.
Yeah, I don't know.
Even if I, even if we mademillions of dollars, I've never
owe my own private jet.
I like the planet.
Speaker 4 (56:17):
I feel like if we shame Taylor Swift enough, being
a billionaire, taylor Swiftjust needs to like One time be
like boy.
I wish I could take ahigh-speed rail line from this
gig to this Finally, fucking getsome.
Speaker 3 (56:30):
Absolutely yeah, that's.
That's all we need bring.
I don't want a private jet, Iwant high-speed rail, that's it.
Speaker 2 (56:35):
I did have a very good dream once where there was
like an LRT that went fromK-beck City to Labrador City.
This is shortly after our tour,and I spent my entire dream on
the train to Labrador City.
You know that was a thing,because this is what we need.
Speaker 1 (56:51):
Anything else.
Speaker 3 (56:54):
Come to our show.
Come to our show by a record,by a record.
We really hope you like thealbum.
I am immensely proud of it.
I think it is our best work byfar.
It is the most us thing.
We got to work with someamazing people making it.
It's taken us a long time.
We're proud of it.
Steve Foley in Ottawa.
He produced and mixed thisrecord.
(57:15):
We owe him our lives.
This man, this album nearlykilled him, I swear to God.
Like he put hundreds andhundreds and hundreds of hours
Into it, like after we were gone, like we were recording it over
the space of six months and hewas working on it non-stop.
And we are so grateful for himand to everybody who was
(57:36):
Involved in this process and toeverybody who still gives a shit
about our band.
We're so grateful and we reallyhope you like the album.
Speaker 1 (57:43):
I like the album.
We got to hear it beforehand.
I love the album.
I'm looking forward to otherpeople getting to hear the album
, as I'm sure you are as well.
Yeah absolutely can't frigginwait.
Gentlemen, thank you so muchfor coming in.
This is great.
Thank you very much for havingus again.
Speaker 3 (57:57):
Sorry about the ranting.
No, I'm on your team.
I'm always down for more rant.
Speaker 1 (58:02):
I think we we've done this enough that I think we
kind of expected it anyway.
Speaker 3 (58:07):
Thanks guys.
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