(Halifax’s Broken Ohms, from left: Peter Hubley, Stephen MacDonald, Paul Nickerson, Troy Wilson.)

“Too metal for the indie scene and too indie for the metal scene,” is how Broken Ohms describes its heavy rock sound.

The band, Peter Hubley, Stephen MacDonald, Paul Nickerson and Troy Wilson, have garnered a great reputation themselves performing around the east coast and at festivals like the Halifax Pop Explosion, Maritime Tattoo Festival and Nova Scotia Music Week.

The band’s 2008 album Nocturnal Emissions netted the band a few weeks in the Canadian college radio charts and rave reviews from all over the world.

Most recently, the album was nominated for Music Nova Scotia’s Loud Artist Recording of the Year (won by Shelter with Thieves for Confessions of a Toxic Generation).

As Stephen MacDonald, Broken Ohm’s bassist, tells us, the band is storming into 2010 with a new album in sight and no signs of slowing down …

1. What are you up to these days, musically or otherwise? (Feel free to plug whatever you’ve got coming up.)

Broken Ohms are currently working on songs for a new album that will come out later this year. We’ve got about eight new songs and about 15 half-finished songs in the works. We’re all excited about every one of them, so it’s gonna be hard to pick and choose which ones make the final cut. I can’t wait to start recording!

2. How did you get into the music business and what was the first major lesson you learned once you got your feet wet?

We did our first tour outside of the Maritimes in October. In Montreal our van was broken into TWICE! I lost two basses and Troy lost a guitar. We learned a major lesson the hard way: someone ALWAYS stays with the gear!

3. What song or album have you been listening to most lately?

Them Crooked Vultures and the new Priestess album have been taking up most of my listening time lately. Both are such awesome new rock albums. Lots of Thin Lizzy too. They’re like the classic rock band that I never really got into until the past few years … so they’re kinda new to me.

4. What’s your favourite way to waste time or relax?

Sitting on the couch with my girlfriend drinking beer/wine and listening to records is my favourite way to relax. Definitely not a waste of time though!

5. The Internet and social media are allowing artists to get closer to their fans than they ever were in some respects. What are your thoughts on this?

I think Facebook and Myspace are extremely useful for both independent and established musicians. Everything is instant and everywhere. DON’T DRINK AND USE FACEBOOK!

6. If you weren’t in the music industry in some capacity, what would you be doing today?

I’d be sitting around wishing I was in a rock band.

7. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

Geezer Butler wrote almost all of Ozzy’s lyrics in Sabbath!

8. If you could hit the “delete” button on anything related to music (a song, artist, trend, whatever), what would you delete?

Scarf rock.

9. What’s your favourite thing to drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

Propeller IPA!

10. Finish the sentence below and please elaborate on what you mean:

The east coast music scene … is like a phoenix rising up from the ashes. Whatever that means … There are a lot of great bands here that are getting the attention they deserve. There are a lot of crap bands that are getting the attention they don’t deserve. For the most part the east coast music scene is better and more exciting than it ever has been. It’s a lot LOUDER now too!

11. What’s the next thing you want to accomplish, musically or otherwise?

Musically, I’m very excited to make the next Broken Ohms album. I’m very proud of our last one, but this new one is gonna be far superior I think. We just wrote one (recently) that gives me chills just thinking about it. I also plan to start doing more design work this year. I’ve got a few album covers in the works right now for other bands as well as Ohms. To me, the album cover is as important as the music itself. Let me help you make your music look good!

Check back to EastCoastNoise.com next Friday for a chat with: The Motorleague and Something Delicious’s Jonah Hache

John Poirier has been the Warner Music Canada representative on the east coast of Canada for “decades.”

Poirier handles requests from east coast media and ensures record stores here get their product, in addition to the many other hats he wears.

Over the years, Poirier has taken on several pet projects, including releasing a series of albums that gather up some of the Atlantic region’s top traditional music talent under the Atlantic Standards banner.

Last year, he expanded on this series with an album called Atlantic Voices, compiling songs by some of the top female singer-songwriters in the region. The album featured Julie Doiron, Rose Cousins, Christina Martin, Ruth Minnikin and many more.

These projects are a labour of love for Poirier, who has the full support of Rhino Records, who release the albums, and Warner, who distributes them.

Poirier is already considering his next compilation, but in the meantime he took a few minutes to answer some questions for our Fridays with … feature.

1. What are you up to these days, musically or otherwise? (Feel free to plug whatever you’ve got coming up.)

Preparing for the  Wilco (Halifax) show in March.  Also, Warner Music Canada is gearing up to  promote Meaghan Smith’s new record, The Cricket’s Orchestra .

2. How did you get into the music business and what was the first major lesson you learned once you got your feet wet?

I started importing and selling records that did not have a domestic release from the U.K. and U.S. when I was in university. First major lesson was not to promise what you cannot deliver.

3. What song or album have you been listening to most lately?

I have been listening to the latest releases by The Magnetic Fields, Charlotte Gainsbourg and The Low Anthem.  I’m also enjoying  some Atlantic & Blue Note jazz reissues as well as The Beatles mono box set. I’ve started to acquire vinyl again.

4. What’s your favourite way to waste time or relax?

I like to read computer (Mac) magazines and study Greek and Roman history.

5. The Internet and social media are allowing artists to get closer to their fans than they ever were in some respects. What are your thoughts on this?

Anything that allows the artists to interact and inform their fans is a valuable asset. Forward thinking record companies realize this. Twitter, Facebook and MySpace have ushered in a new era in marketing.

6. If you weren’t in the music industry in some capacity, what would you be doing today?

I’d probably be a veterinarian or a history professor.

7. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

How not to electrocute myself while installing a new doorbell.

8. If you could hit the “delete” button on anything related to music (a song, artist, trend, whatever), what would you delete?

The “boy band” era…very annoying.

9. What’s your favourite thing to drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

Single-malt scotch.

10. Finish the sentence below and please elaborate on what you mean:

The east coast music scene ... is the most vibrant and diverse scene in Canada. When music professionals from outside the area visit Atlantic Canada they are always blown away by the amazing amount of talent emerging from a region with such a small population.

11. What’s the next thing you want to accomplish, musically or otherwise?

Release another compilation of East Coast music for Rhino Records, this will be the fifth volume.

Check back to EastCoastNoise.com next Friday for a chat with: Broken Ohms’ Stephen MacDonald

Hey all … Fridays with … has been delayed this week. I’ll try to get it up over the weekend, but can’t promise anything at this point.

Check back soon!

Apologies,

Eric

(We, The Undersigned is, from left, Jai Sadler, Andy Stevens, Chris Gatza and Tyler Feeney.)

In a fairly short period of time, We, The Undersigned has made quite a name for itself on the east coast metal scene. Touring relentlessly with everyone from Protest The Hero, Fuck the Facts, Cancer Bats and a variety of fellow east coasters, the band hasn’t stopped.

As we reported yesterday, the four-piece (Jai Sadler, Andy Stevens, Tyler Feeney and Chris Gatza) is part of a tour of loud showcase shows leading up to East Coast Music Awards 2010 in the next few weeks (dates are reprinted below).

Since signing with busy metal label Diminished Fifth Records of Halifax, the band has released its full-length record Bleed The Constants, which is nominated for a 2010 ECMA for Loud Recording of the Year.

Band bassist Jai Sadler was kind enough to join us this week for our e-mail Q&A feature Fridays with …

1. What are you up to these days, musically or otherwise? (Feel free to plug whatever you’ve got coming up.)

Well my current musical project is my band We, the Undersigned. We just put out an album on Diminished Fifth Records, toured Canada and most recently shot a video for the song Burning Bodies (in the Distance) that should see the light of day come mid-February.

WTU will also be part of the ECMA’s Loud Nominations Tour before we head to Sydney for a few showcases. Besides that I’m working three part-time jobs, paying off some debts and saving cash for the plans WTU have for this coming year, which include more touring, hopefully outside of this continent.

2. How did you get into the music business and what was the first major lesson you learned once you got your feet wet?

I start booking and promoting shows in Sussex, N.B. with a close friend of mine from high school. I was in a band at the time and throwing shows was something we did for fun, once a month, to kill a Friday night.

This operation was completely do-it-yourself and with next to nothing in terms of guidance or advice from others. We were 16 and 17 at the time, so we were ripe with ignorance. I can remember learning about riders and contracts pretty quickly.

We had booked Silverstein into Sussex for a show with a few other bands, but I had not properly handled the contractual obligations and we didn’t make enough money at the door to pay them their guarantee. They’re weren’t happy. I came home that night to their booking agent more or less screaming at my mother over the phone.

3. What song or album have you been listening to most lately?

There’s a few albums:
Everytime I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
Genesis - Foxtrot
Fall of Troy - Manipulator
Andy Stevens - The Awakening
Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal

4. What’s your favourite way to waste time or relax?

Loud music mixed with either Mario 64, Super Mario All Stars or Super Mario World - I’m on a retro kick.  I generally need music going all the time though, that’s really what keeps me relaxed.

5. The Internet and social media are allowing artists to get closer to their fans than they ever were in some respects. What are your thoughts on this?

It’s good and bad, for a lot of what I think are obvious reasons. It’s great for bands who truly want to get to know their fans, and for those fans who have been truly touched and inspired by the artists music.

On the other hand, it leaves the door wide open for bands and musicians who are simply there to play the business game and propel themselves forward by taking advantage of the sites and systems.
With everything that comes about to help musicians connect with their fans there seems to be a new aspect of image that comes along with it.

An obvious example would be the customized MySpace sites. A great tool, and it’s neat to see everyone’s ideas, but at the same time there are many bands out there who are being judged solely on how their MySpace looks and navigates. It’s just another thing that takes away from the actual music that is created.

It also makes it a lot easier for bands to connect with other bands in terms of booking tours. Again, this is good and bad. Touring is essential, but having it be easy to book a tour means that the scenes can become overwhelmed and oversaturated relatively quickly.

6. If you weren’t in the music industry in some capacity, what would you be doing today?

I honestly have no idea. Since Grade 9 it seems as though everything I’ve done has been centered around music in some aspect, be it learning to play bass, forming my first bands, promoting shows, recording albums. Even my post-high school schooling was in audio engineering so I don’t think I have much other choice then to try and stay afloat, financially, with music in some respect.

7. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

We just recently shot a music video for the first time so that was an interesting learning experience. I can’t really sum it all up in a couple sentences, but knowing what goes into that sort of effort was really neat. We’ll be even more prepared when we shoot our next one.

8. If you could hit the “delete” button on anything related to music (a song, artist, trend, whatever), what would you delete?

Two things come to mind: the Loudness Wars - brought on by digital mastering - and the abuse of pitch correction.

Melodyne’s latest, or I believe it’s their latest, pitch correction invention - DNA (Direct Note Access) - could be considered pretty neat, but it should also be considered pretty scary.

9. What’s your favourite thing to drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

Water is probably my favorite, followed by Hochtaler wine (Right now anyway - my preferred alcoholic drinks switch up every few months.) And then chocolate milk … though I can’t remember the last time I had any. A few years ago it was my favourite drink, hands down.

10. Finish the sentence below and please elaborate on what you mean:

The east coast music scene … is an awkward thing.

The Maritimes feels like a big small town. Everyone knows everyone, and it feels like there’s a lot of unhealthy competition going on.

I can only really speak on the metal scene though, and more so the Fredericton scene. Bands dissing bands, no one going to each other shows, no one supporting other bands’ accomplishments - it’s weird and frustrating. The strangest thing is that all of the metal bands basically fit into a different genre. There’s really no band that sounds like their neighbour’s band, yet everyone is worried about not being the best and feel the need to diss the others.

It’s odd. I could understand that if all the bands sounded the same, competition would then make sense, but they don’t.

11. What’s the next thing you want to accomplish, musically or otherwise?

I’d like to tour Europe for at least a month, and the same goes for the U.S. Getting another full-length record underway also ranks high on the list.

Check out We, The Undersigned at the following dates:

Wednesday, Feb. 24 – Fredericton @ Nicky Zees
Thursday, Feb. 25 – Halifax @ Gus’ Pub
Friday, Feb. 26 – Moncton @ The Manhattan
Saturday, Feb. 27 – Saint John @ Sun Star Lounge
Friday, March 5 – Sydney @ Maxwells

Check back to EastCoastNoise.com next Friday for a chat with: Warner Music Canada’s John Poirier

(Jill Barber. Photo by Matt Barnes.)

The last time we spoke with singer-songwriter Jill Barber, she had just released her latest album, the sultry, jazzy Chances. Since that time, Jill has continued to tour to promote the album, which was recently named one of Spinner.ca’s top 10 Canadian albums of the decade.

The multi-time East Coast Music Award winner and Juno nominee was born in Ontario and now lives in Vancouver, but it was on the east coast that her artistic talents were first noticed and Jill will tell you the east coast still holds a special place in her heart.

Jill was gracious enough to join us for our Fridays with … series in advance of her upcoming Maritime tour dates (see dates below).

1. What are you up to these days, musically or otherwise? (Feel free to plug whatever you’ve got coming up.)

I am shooting a new video for a song that I recorded in French, Tous Mes Reves, in Montreal … then I am doing a tour of Quebec and the Maritimes with dates in Saint John, Truro, Lunenburg and Halifax. On Valentine’s Day I am playing The Confederation Centre with Symphony PEI. I’m also writing for my next album which is due out at the end of 2010.

2. How did you get into the music business and what was the first major lesson you learned once you got your feet wet?

My older brother (Matthew Barber) played guitar. I taught myself a few chords, wrote some songs and started putting on basement shows back when I was in high school. Before long I graduated to club gigs. In my twenties I decided that I wanted to devote my life and career to music and haven’t looked back. The lesson I learned is that making it in the music business takes a lot more than just talent; it takes a lot of energy and ambition.

3. What song or album have you been listening to most lately?

My two favourite albums of late are Bahamas Pink Strat and Melody Gardot’s My One and Only Thrill.

4. What’s your favourite way to waste time or relax?

Sitting by the fire with a glass of wine and good conversation.

5. The Internet and social media are allowing artists to get closer to their fans than they ever were in some respects. What are your thoughts on this?

I think it’s a great way for people to connect with their fans and for fans to “follow” their favourite artists. I’m not a fan of Facebook really, it’s too complicated and I came into it too late. I missed the boat. But I am a Twitter girl. I like being forced to be concise.

6. If you weren’t in the music industry in some capacity, what would you be doing today?

If I spent my days imagining plan Bs then I would get much done, would I?

7. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

That there are more pyramids in Peru than Egypt.

8. If you could hit the “delete” button on anything related to music (a song, artist, trend, whatever), what would you delete?

That’s a bit harsh don’t you think?  I admire everyone who makes music and stands behind it. That said, I will hit the mute button from time to time

9. What’s your favourite thing to drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

A really lovely pinot noir from California or an Australian shiraz.

10. Finish the sentence below and please elaborate on what you mean: 

The east coast music scene… will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where I found a musical community to be a part of.

11. What’s the next thing you want to accomplish, musically or otherwise?

A new record.

Check out Jill at any of the following Maritime dates:

Feb. 7 - Saint John, N.B. @ The Imperial Theatre
Feb. 10 - Truro, N.S. @ The Marigold Cultural Centre
Feb. 11 - Lunenburg, N.S. @The Pearl Theatre
Feb. 12 - Halifax, N.S. @ St. Matthew’s Church
Feb. 14 - Charlottetown, P.E.I. @ The Confederation Centre

Check back to EastCoastNoise.com next Friday for a chat with: We, The Undersigned’s Jai Sadler

(Static in Action are, from left, Hector Smith, Harry Doyle, Alicia Penney.)

Welcome to a new feature here on East Coast Noise, Fridays with … . This will be updated every Friday, and I already have a handful of them banked, so count on visiting us each Friday for some news and chatter from the east coast.

My hope is that I can help introduce you all to many of the players in the east coast music scene – not only musicians (though they will be featured in the bulk of these), but also other journalists, record label folks, photographers, promoters and so on. The idea is to shine a spotlight on someone new every week. Some you’ll have heard of, while others maybe you haven’t.

I’ve e-mailed dozens of folks in the industry the same 11 questions – some music related, others not – and they can simply fire back their answers at their leisure. I’m happy to report that this feature has been supported already by several fine folks, so I expect this to continue for some time.

Anyway … kicking off this little feature is none other than Cape Breton singer-songwriter-musician Alicia Penney. You may know Penney from the now-defunct (and greatly missed) rock group Yellow. The band toured the east coast for a time and put out a few releases along the way. Penney also served a stint in The Tom Fun Orchestra and she’s now playing bass with punk rockers Static In Action.

Links to Penney’s various projects are below. But enough from us … here’s Alicia:

1. What are you up to these days, musically or otherwise? (Feel free to plug whatever you’ve got coming up.

I am playing bass in a punk rock act called Static in Action. We recently released our self-titled debut double album! It has the same 9 songs on each disc, the B-side is all-acoustic alternate versions of the regular songs. We are currently in the process of  booking a tour to southern Ontario and Quebec for the spring.

I play solo sets in Sydney every once in a while too. Oh, and I play in a Decemberists cover band called The Novemberists, which is incredibly fun to do.

2. How did you get into the music business and what was the first major lesson you learned once you got your feet wet?

Phewf. That is a big question. I guess I started with playing in bands when I was in junior high / high school; I don’t know if that’s considered “the biz” or what. But I guess my first real band I was in was a rock band called Yellow. We recorded an EP and a demo, did a bit of touring, and suffered through lots of lineup changes until half the band moved away and I gave up.

Then I played in the Tom Fun Orchestra for a while, also did a bit of touring, recorded a fancy album and then the band and I parted ways a little more than a year ago.

All the while I was playing either solo or with my Responsibility band - I put out a little demo myself and tried hard to record a real album but it never panned out. Still have my fingers crossed with that one.

I’d say the most important lesson I ever learned about music and the music business is when it starts to feel like work - RUN! Continuing to play in a band when you’re not having fun is a really bad idea. And I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna make enough money to make it worthwhile as a touring musician - oh wait that’s two lessons.

3. What song or album have you been listening to most lately?

Lately I have been listening to All of Our Names by Sarah Harmer a lot, Bear Music by Mark Bragg and The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists because I am trying to learn it.

4. What’s your favourite way to waste time or relax?

I read a lot of books. I’ve even been getting into graphic novels lately. I also really enjoy National Geographic magazine. I like to just chill out by myself and watch TV shows on my computer (Do you know House M.D. is based on Sherlock Holmes?), and I also like to bake. Last night I made a killer baklava.

5. The Internet and social media are allowing artists to get closer to their fans than they ever were in some respects. What are your thoughts on this?

I love it. I absolutely love the fact that I can follow my favourite artists on twitter and feel like I know something about their personality. I find that feeling kind of enhances the way I feel about music much of the time.

As an artist it’s a little daunting because there are so many tools available to you at any time that you can get overwhelmed and worry you’re not using them to their full potential. And if you have access to these then all of the other bands out there do too. But it works the other way too; I mean, some guy from England found my band’s myspace and asked if he could mail order a CD, which was incredibly cool.

6. If you weren’t in the music industry in some capacity, what would you be doing today?

I would probably be a scientist.

7. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned recently?

I learned in National Geographic that doctors in the states are making these prostheses now that sense your nerve impulses and move accordingly. Before they can fit you with one they do surgery and rearrange your nerves into bundles so that they are in the right spots for the impulse receptors. The next step is to make the prostheses so that they can sense heat and pressure and figuring out a way to send that info back into your nerves. They think that soon they will just be able to put a remote transmitter in the brain stem or something like that and it’ll wirelessly tell the prosthesis to move, and receive sensory information which it then relays to the brain. That is freakin’ interesting.

8. If you could hit the “delete” button on anything related to music (a song, artist, trend, whatever), what would you delete?

Indie rock bands making music videos featuring people dressed in animal suits. What is up with that?

9. What’s your favourite thing to drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

I enjoy a “cold one” now and again, preferably of the Oland’s variety. For non-alcoholic, I would have to say, I do like to drink not-from-concentrate grapefruit juice. Zingy.

10. Finish the sentence below and please elaborate on what you mean:

The east coast music scene … is a pretty special thing, if you get into it from the right angle.  There are a lot of really awesome, dedicated people who play in bands and put on shows. I think the feeling of being outside of central Canada and having smaller populations makes people feel more camaraderie with each other.

The other side of that coin is that it can be pretty clique-y and exclusive if you’re from outside of it or are trying to break into certain circles.

11. What’s the next thing you want to accomplish, musically or otherwise?

So many things. I want to do a lot of touring with Static in Action. I want to record a real solo CD. I want to write a lot of really awesome songs.

Non-musically, I want to go back to school. Get started on that scientist thing.

Catch up with Alicia’s many projects here:

Static in Action: www.staticinaction.com or www.myspace.com/staticinaction
Solo stuff: www.myspace.com/aliciapenney
Yellow: www.myspace.com/yellowmusic

Check back to EastCoastNoise.com next Friday for a chat with: Jill Barber