A Widescreen Sunrise, from left: Jon Harquail, Chris Cowan, Sean Ryan.
Longtime school friends and musicians Sean Ryan (vocals/guitar), Chris Cowan (drums) and Jon Harquail (bass) of Riverview, N.B. have joined forces in recent months as a new trio, A Widescreen Sunrise.
A pop/rock band with a polished, radio-ready sound, the band has been rehearing non-stop and recording for an album they’re hoping to get out in the not-too-distant future.
The group sort of grew out of the ashes of Ryan’s previous band, Chapter Four, but the members of A Widescreen Sunrise have big plans, as they fill us in on today …
1. Tell me about the new band. How and when did you guys form?
Chris: The band started in the early months of 2010, right around the end of March. Sean and I had been talking about putting together a side project for months and we were very interested in having Jon be a part of the group as well. Right around this time Chapter Four, which was Sean’s last band, was going through a rough patch, they were heading for Cape Breton for the ECMAs, when two members (who will remain un-named) dropped out with only a few days remaining.
With that being said, this gave the three of us a large gap to start putting together this side project, which became A Widescreen Sunrise.
Jon: The band is a great fusion of an aggressive underground sound with a mainstream appeal. It was actually Chris’s idea to layer the rock sound with digital sampling and effects, similar to the likes of Lady Gaga or Kesha. All which will be performed live through electronic drum triggering and digital tracking.
2. What’s the status of Chapter Four these days?
Sean: Well to tell you the truth, this was a hard topic for me to touch on for awhile, with all the time and effort I had put into Chapter Four. To be frank about it, Chapter Four will always have a place in my heart, but it has been on the back burner for so long that it’s kind of lost its appeal and in reality, A Widescreen Sunrise blows my fucking mind! I love it.
3. As I understand it, the new band has been writing and rehearing. When are you guys hitting the stage?
Jon: We have been writing since day one, and rehearsing like mad men. We really haven’t stopped since the beginning. From day one the three of us had perfect chemistry and before we knew we were ready with a full roster of great tunes and immediately hit the studio. As for shows, we would like to hit Moncton hard sometime within the next month. Certainly no later than the end of August. We feel what we have is big … something unheard of, and with this new band we are focusing a lot on the entertainment aspect of things … we won’t hit the stage until we know we have a show that will tear the roof off of any venue in Moncton … or any city for that matter.
4. What are the plans for this band? Do you guys plan on sticking to the Moncton area or are you looking to tour outside the region as well? What about a record?
Sean: Obviously with any band, you have to start out in your home town… or nearby, to gather a fan base… it’s like any standing structure… it’s nothing without a strong foundation. We feel we have what it takes to build one, and quickly.
Jon: The one thing we have said from the start is that we cannot over expose ourselves, especially in our own city… by playing a lot we will just drown ourselves.
Chris: Yeah, we want to come into Moncton with a bang, and hit every other city in the Maritimes, and eventually work our way across Canada. Maybe even venture to the U.S. or Europe.
Sean: As for a record, we are currently fine tuning one right now. We are actually taking a break from mixing to do this interview. This album has become very hands on for all of us. We are doing a lot of it from the comfort of home. Chris especially is learning a lot from it.
5. What song(s) or album(s) have you been listening to most lately?
Sean: I think everyone in the band is extremely open-minded when it comes to music. Myself, when it comes to getting inspired for lyrics I will listen to anything from country to rap, R&B to screamo… right now in my truck I am listening to David Gray and Kings of Leon.
Chris: Right now I have been listening to a lot of pop/dance . Anything with big beats, synth, and crazy effects.
6. What are your thoughts on the music scene on the east coast?
Sean: I think I’ll take this one on. I know Jon and Chris have spoken their minds about the Moncton scene in the past and have stirred up a little shit with some people. But I think that’s the problem with a lot of people in the Moncton scene. No one is open-minded these days. Everyone is set in their ways and they will not step outside of the box. This is the exact opposite of what we are. We strongly believe in pushing boundaries. Being original. Taking things to the next level. We aren’t scared to just go with it and have fun. Don’t get us wrong. We have been playing in Moncton and the Maritimes for awhile now, and the cities are great, the people are great and we have always been accepted in one way or another. There is just always a few rotten apples that have to spoil it for everyone else.
7. Anything else you’d like to add about the new band or anything else?
Sean: We would just like to mention that we are actually launching our MYSPACE page today actually, and we encourage everyone to visit it, drop us a line, and let us know what you think. Let us know who you are. We would like to get to know our fans. We appreciate everything and anything they do to helps us make this happen. Our first single is called “Without Warning,” and is set to be on air sometime towards the end of summer. The song was actually strongly influenced by the unfortunate car crash the killed three young adults earlier this summer. We hope with this song you can take comfort knowing that our support is here for you in words whenever you need it!
Last week, we lied and said we’d have Petunia this week. Well, check back on EastCoastNoise.com for that very chat with Petunia!
