Interview with Tim, of Wintersleep

Let’s start things off by asking how things are going?

Things are going great, exciting times for us… We are finished tracking our new record and we’re going to mix the record in Glasgow, Scotland at Castle of Doom studios starting on Jan 10^th. We’re playing some free shows in and around Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games, which is going to be insane. Hopefully we’ll be able to catch a hockey game…

Who are some of your musical influences? What about local bands?

We have tons of different musical influences, too many to name. As for local bands that I used to go see a lot in Halifax, The Burdocks/Dog Day (Seth is an amazing songwriter), North of America/The Plan/The Motes, Elevator to Hell, Burnt Black, Thrush Hermit, Julie Doiron, The Guthries, Made in the World, Jon Epworth/Dean Malenkos…

What got you into music?

I’m not sure exactly what got me into music. I’ve always been into music as far as I can remember. Nirvana probably was the first band that made me want to buy a guitar and learn how to play it though.

Outside of music, what are some things you enjoy doing?

I enjoy watching and playing (occasionally) hockey, skating outside in random parks in Montreal, Ping Pong, making fun of Jon for supporting the Maple Leafs (we’re all Habs fans except Jon…).

What’s been your weirdest band related experience?

Probably walking down red carpets at awards shows like the Juno’s or MMVA’s. Everyone is looking at us saying who in the hell are these dishevelled awkward dudes.

You guys toured a bit with the Aussie band, An Horse, what was that like?

An Horse are a great band and super nice people. I learned that Australian dollar bills are impossible to rip because they are made of some super strong fibre plastic(y) stuff.

What were some of the bands you first got really into and were like, wow, this is actually some good stuff?

I guess I was quite into the whole grunge thing when I was first getting in to rock music, so bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Melvins, Kyuss, Tool. I don’t really listen to that much anymore but if someone throws it on, I still like it… a lot. J

What inspires you to make music?

I have no idea really….it just happens.

If you never got into making music, what would you be doing instead?

I would probably still be trying to figure that out…

What was it like when you first saw a Wintersleep CD in a store like HMV?

It was secretly awesome. As in, I didn’t want anyone to see me looking to see if our CD was stocked yet but I did it every Tuesday until it finally showed up.

Being a band from Canada, and from a smaller province like Nova Scotia, did you find it harder to break out into the music scene? What about the USA and UK, was it harder to break out in those scenes then here in Canada?

I guess with NS and the rest of the Maritimes being so far away from the rest of the Continent, it is definitely a little more difficult to get out there and tour because of that god forsaken 12 hour drive from Halifax to Montreal. It also kind of works to your advantage in that you can play the shit out of Atlantic Canada and develop a strong following back home(and hone your live skills) and then tackle the rest of Canada, the USA, Europe.

In the next 5-10 years, where do you see Wintersleep?

Hopefully with a few more albums and tours under our belt(s).

What is it like to know that you will be part of some Olympic events, like LiveCity Vancouver and the Surrey 2010 Celebration?

It’s great and it’s an honour to be asked to do this type of thing. We said yes immediately, and asked for Hockey tickets, but I doubt we’ll get them…

What advice do you have for bands trying to make it in the music scene?

Keep touring!

What bands are you currently into?

Lately I’ve been listening to Spoon’s new EP Got Nuffin’, Dog Day’s Elder Schoolhouse (that they recorded with Rick White!), Smog/Bill Callahan, The Maccabees, Kurt Vile, Hot Snakes/Obits, and many more….

What would one thing you would change about the music industry?

Remove Simon Cowell from anything to do with the music industry.

When you do interviews, what do you hope the interviewer never asks?

What certain lyrics mean…

Any last words?

Gosh Yeis…

Anyone you want to thank?

Just you, Ryan. Take care.

Thanks,

Ryan Rose!

January 5th, 2010 - Tegan and Sara Show Review

Well, January 5th was two nights ago. It was also the night that Tegan and Sara kicked off their North American headlining tour with the first, of two shows at the Orpheum Theatre, which is beautiful by the way, in Vancouver, BC. This night was also the night that I got to tick off a goal on my to-do list before I die list. That was photographing Tegan and Sara! I do not know why that has been a goal of mine for awhile, but it was and I got to complete it, finally!

Now, the night started off with my waiting for the doors to open around 7:00 to get into the seated area. I say this, because we had to wait inside the Orpheum from the time the doors opened to get inside the building, but we couldn't actually go to out seats. Now, around 7:45, the first opening act went on stage. He was, Astronautalis, who is a one man hip hop/rap artist who is originally from Florida. His set was short, but was filled with greatness. Definitely recommend anyone to check him out.

Next up after him, was a two piece band based out of Australia. They were An Horse, whom are a huge up and coming band that are hitting the scene hard, with help from Tegan and Sara. Their set was a bit longer then the previous one from Astronautalis, but again it was very good from only a two piece band with Damon on drums/back up vocals and Kate on guitar and lead vocals. They are also touring with Tegan and Sara for the rest of the Canadian part of the tour, and if you are attending any of those shows, you have a lot to look forward too!

Now, Tegan and Sara were up, and finally playing their own headlining show at the Orpheum compared to the year before(well actually less, as it was in February), where they co-headlined with Broken Social Scene for the Cultural Olympiad. They started their 27 song set list, with a song from their new album, Sainthood, which was Arrow. The crowd was way into it, despite not standing up(I always feel weird sitting down at a concert). Tegan and Sara have come along way since they started, till now. Their set-list flew by, which was around 2 hours long. They then, played an encore which comprised of acoustic songs, except for the last one. They even played an acoustic version of Feel it in my Bones, which they made with Tiesto.

Full set list from Tegan and Sara's set:
Arrow
Don't Rush
The Ocean
Walking with a Ghost
I bet it Stung
Burn Your Life Down
Where Does the Good Go
Speak Slow
On Directing
Red Belt
The Cure
Paperback Head
Nightwatch
Soil, Soil
Knife Going In
So Jealous
Nineteen
Northshore
Alligator
Hell
Sentimental Tune
Someday
The Con

Encore:
Back in your Head (acoustic)
Feel it in your Bone (acoustic)
Call it Off (Acoustic)
Living Room

Here is a youtube video of Feel It In My Bones done from the show:



Now photos!











An Horse Photos:







Click them for bigger!

Peep my flickr for the rest!

Thanks for reading,
Ryan!

New Year!

Well, Happy New Years! It's finally 2010, and hopefully things will start to get a rockin' for my blog. With this, I shall finish this post with a great song that is relevant to this year.

Year End!

With 2009 coming to a close, and it being such an amazing year for me, I thought I should do a year end blog post. There has been many new opportunities that I faced this year, as well as many awesome shows and new music that have come out. With that, I shall recap some of these events I've been too and due my top 'whatever' lists.

Top 10 Upcoming Bands of 2009

Jets Overhead
Jets Overhead have been around since 2003, but have recently exploded on the scene with playing shows like Rifflandia. This band, from Victoria, BC, has opened for LIGHTS on her Canadian tour and they are opening for Tegan and Sara and AFI at AFI’s Victoria show today!

Them Crooked Vultures
All members of this band have been through and back the music scene many times. This super group, with a member from highly rated band, Led Zeppelin, have sprouted onto the scene in 2009, and are awaiting high anticipation for their studio release with all their teasers they have been releasing on Youtube, and playing live.

Dead Weather
Jack White’s new band has hit the music scene hard this year, in 2009. With their unique sound, and making an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show and fan’s loving their live shows, is why they made it on to this list.

Blame the Television
Blame the Television is a brand new band to come out of Winnipeg, Canada. With their unique pop-punk sound, they have been coming into the scene hard with playing a bunch of shows, and winning Supernova’s Battle of the Bands, you’ll be hearing more about this band in the future.

Eye Alaska
This highly rated band has exploded onto the scene, it seems. They toured with many great artists, such as Lydia, and are also on the PacSun tour. Fans love this band so much, that they voted them enough to get to be a main contestant to be apart of the Alternative Press Tour in 2010. Critics gave high ratings for this bands album, so obviously they are doing something right.

Four Year Strong
This pop-punk band has been around for a while, but recently has been making it bigger on the music scene. They’ve toured with bands, such as Cancer Bats, on the Taste of Chaos tour, and have opened for Alexisonfire on their UK tour. Their 90’s cover album, “Explains it All” peaked on the Billboard Top 200 charts at 115.

Matt and Kim
With hitting the music scene in 2006, with their first self-titled record, Matt and Kim have come a long way. With their most recent CD, Grand, they seem to become more popular and achieving the success they deserve. Their music video “Lesson Learned” can be called controversial; some fans applaud them for being different.

Rachael Cantu
Rachael Cantu has opened for many various popular music acts, such as Tegan and Sara, B.B. King, and The Get Up Kids. She’s released a few EP’s, and one full length which have been liked by critics, and she has released her recent full length which is out now. She has recorded a song with Tegan of Tegan and Sara, and has songs featured on Private Practice.

Ten Second Epic
They’ve been around since 2004, but really haven’t blown up until recently. Their most recent album “Hometown” reached number 16 on Canadian album charts and also features Canadian artist LIGHTS on the track “Everyday.”

Everlea
Everlea is a pop-rock band out of Kingston, Ontario. They’ve been voted best song, or best band many times in the indie scene, and their songs have topped college radio play lists many times. Though, they are unsigned currently, I think that will change soon.


Top 10 Album's of 2009

Lights- The Listening

Tegan and Sara- Sainthood

Alexisonfire- Old Crows, Young Cardinals

Paramore- Brand New Eyes

Silverstein- A Shipwreck in the Sand

Them Crooked Vultures- Them Crooked Vultures

Metric- Fantasies

Matt and Kim- Grand

Yeah Yeah Yeah's- It's Blitz!

Tiesto- Kaleidoscope

There is no real reason as to why I choose these particular albums. There has been so many good albums released this year that it is actually really hard to choose. These albums are solid though, and it is why I choose them. Other solid albums are albums like AFI's new album, and Rakim's new album as well.

2009 has been a great year for shows as well, which shows like Warped Tour, Lights, AC/DC, Blink-182 and Keane, but I have not been to that many shows this year to make a top 'whatever' list. Next year, that may hopefully change! 2010 is looking to be a promising year, in which things will be even better for this blog.

With that, I shall close this post with my favourite photo I shot in 2009!

Thanks for reading,
Ryan Rose

Busking For Change Event

Busking for Change Vancouver: Check it out please!

Stereos Concert

December 9th was the night of The Envy, The Artist Life, The Midway State and Stereos show, and it was a pretty good show. At around 6:30, I arrived at the venue with a friend of mine. We head down to will call to pick up my media pass that the wonderful people at Underground Operations provided me with, and the two tickets that I won from Much Music. We get those, and go back in line. Doors opened, and then we went in and waited until the Envy came on stage, as they were the first band.

The Envy came on, and put on a good show. Though, they did remind me of Panic! At the Disco when they opened up for Blink-182, with the whole cross the fingers thing. The girls were crazy into them though! So crazy, that I got squished in the pit. Being small and having no photo pit was not to my advantage.

Next came The Artist Life, the band I was looking forward to the most as I heard a lot about them from fellow photographer friends, who are also friends with the band. The Artist Life put on a great set that was full of energy, and excitement. They were my favourite to shoot that night, and I can not wait till another show of theirs comes through soon!

The Midway State came up on stage after, and by then I got pushed completely out of the pit. No worries though, as I found another spot to shoot photos from that provided me with a better view! I was stoked on that finding. About 3 songs in, The Midway State invited Carly Rae Jepsen onto stage to sing along with the song she recorded with them. The best part about their set was when a chick through an empty beer can at another chick, and called her a skank. It was pretty hilarious actually!

After them, Stereos came on stage and put on a show! The girls(they were the majority tonight), were going right nuts! I only stayed for half of their set, as I wanted to get home before Midnight, but the half I did stay for was absolutely great even though it's not 100% of my kind of music. They are full of energy, and get right into it with the crowd and you could feel the energy pulse back and forth between the crowd and the band.

I recommend you check out all the bands by clicking these links:
The Envy
The Artist Life
Midway State
Stereos

Big thanks to Underground Operations for all the help they have gave me!

Check the photos out below!

Update

Well, a little update as I have been lacking. I will do a review of the new Tegan and Sara CD soon, even though it's been out for a little less more then a week. In December I'll be shooting the Stereo's concert here. Also performing with them is The Artist Life, and Midway State. Also, sending out media requests for the Olympics, well actually shows that the two cities here are putting on. Hopefully can cover that, and provide you with updates and happenings of the music concert series that is on during the Olympics. Also, hopefully getting my actual website up in a few months. Which will most likely be: www.ryanrose.ca Until then, have fun!