(Cord Magazine's questions are in blue. Artist responses are in grey.)


First of all, the Beauville Motel?? [the name of the band's van] That's awesome. Have you had any insane van-related touring woes, as many of Canada's finest seem to have in common?

Gus Harris: The Beauville Motel has never let us down. We give her lots of love and appreciation and she goes the distance while thirstily downing impressive amounts of oil. She also provides a roof over our head and cozy sleeping quarters in various parking lots and roadside stops. We have, however,(and it's not Beauville Motels fault) got her stuck on top a set of train tracks in the snow outside a venue in Regina. At first, it was frustrating trying to push a spinning van filled with gear off the tracks. The situation became a little more frantic when someone who worked at the club walked out to help us and answered a question we were about to ask saying, "I don't want to freak you guys out but... trains still use these tracks and... I have seen other bands vans get hit..."

Who was wearing big pants (according to the band's bio discussing the halls filled with designer clothes)? What kind of high school did you go to?

Chris Levoir: People who were 'inspired' by Fred Durst tended to wear large pants with wallet chains, largely jocks pretending to be musicians, tourists, angry misguided misinformed youth (ever seen two rams charge each other?). Our school was filled with clique segregation between jocks, shop kids, and whatever was left. there were obviously pockets of cool people from whatever walk of life but largely no one wanted to be on anyone elses side.

Some killer bands have come out of your neck of the woods (Whitby Ontario). Yet you talk about how there was no scene to speak of back in the day. What do you think about the possibility of any town NEEDING a stagnant point in order to infuse unrest and create great music and a solid scene where once there was top forty and lame teenage-angst-punk?

Gus: I certainly agree that in some cases in music the lack of a scene does tend to foster the opposite. But, in saying that, I also feel that the opposite of that holds some truth as well. On a grand scale, things have to get really bad before people revolt and create revolution or some type of resurgence. The sense of revolt can act as a great burning muse. On the other end, I think, existing in or around a great scene inspires more of the same helping to sustain what already exists.

Chris: Usually recognition comes from places outside your own environment anyway (grunge broke in the U.K., early punk was largely hated in the States until the Ramones and Stooges records started making it to other communities everything has to comeback secondhand before the original community gets excited, its kind of fucked up. A scene eats itself if there is no outside opinion, its a tightrope walk.) But yes there is need for stagnation a sense that you are proving someone wrong or right all the biggest social movements have happened as such.

I saw you at CMW - good stuff. A lot. Quite impressed thanks. Are music festivals and partaking in them important to you and your development? How about to the industry in general? What role do they play ?

Chris: Our best shows have never been at festivals they are largely industry and community oriented. It is about the music and it isn't; a chance to be labeled as something - I don't know if that is good or bad.

You talk about being primarily a live band. Is that the music industry's saving grace, so to speak, these days? With the internet and downloading and all that sort of thing, is it going to be more challenging or less for bands in a live environment?

Chris: People want everything delivered to their door these days, hands off no interaction, its very exciting to tear down the walls in a live environment (you ain't in your safe world at a show) I think its harder to get people out to shows these days and if you get some people sacrificing their thursday night television schedule to come out and watch you play you better damn well put everything you got on the line and hope they bite.

The video for "Carousel" is already on high rotation on Muchmusic. How does that feel??!

Gus: It feels as though I've devoted too much time to channel 29 on my televison to no avail. It only seems right that we would be close to the last ones to actually witness it, so I've taken a seat to those higher powers that be.

You appear to share a common web search with sailing terminology. Have you ever tried your hand at sailing?
< br> Chris: Once upon a time I was a sea man (clever huh?).

Elsewhere

By Andy Scheffler
Photos : The Mark Inside
Published : June 2005.