WCBG: How did y’all become a band?
Eric: I was previously in a band called Minority 905 and I had left the band. My old band played a show with
Jason’s band and I loved the energy his band had on stage. A year later Jason was looking for new members, so I reached out to him and it just worked out really nicely.

WCBG: Why did you choose the drums?
Eric: Rockband for Xbox. The drums for Rockband are a solid teaching tool for the actual drum set. It’s not
like you can learn the guitar from Rockband but the drums are pretty similar.

WCBG: What’s your writing process like?
Eric: For our EP, “Human Interference,” Jason, Matt, and I would jam a lot and we had a lot of songs that we
had come up with. We had to whittle it down to the ones we thought were the best. Actually, ‘Petrified’ came
about because we couldn’t agree on the last song for the EP. We wrote the song overnight in like less than 24
hours. It’s actually our biggest song off the EP. I really like listening to songs we record when we jam and try
to envision what the song could be. I’ll start planning out how the song might unfold and try to bring that to the next practice. The songs were lovingly crafted over some months.

WCBG: What is your favorite drum part to play on a song?
Eric: The drumming for ‘Summertime’; it is so hectic in the beginning, but it is so fun to play. Jason and I both have hectic parts to play in the beginning of the song. The lyrics on that track are also my favorite.

WCBG: What is one thing you would change about the music industry?
Eric: We play shows and we have our side jobs because we can’t live off this. Songs or someone’s art is
viewed as a product, I get that, it should be more than just the product. I don’t know how we should go about changing this.

WCBG: What is your opinion of streaming services like Spotify?
Eric: Before streaming services, we would have less than 50 listeners monthly listeners. Currently we have
about 10,000 listeners. People listen to us from all around the world. Spotify and iTunes have been a huge help for us to gain exposure. I do wish the pay could be improved for artists from streaming, but I am unsure as to how we can go about that.

WCBG: What is your favorite venue that you have played in?
Eric: Bovine Sex Club in Toronto. Outside are all these rusted bikes, it’s a super punk venue, like it looks
closed. It’s sick. An honorable mention would be Doors Pub in Hamilton, there’s a library in the band and it’s
a pretty intimate venue.

WCBG: What musicians inspire you/what have you been listening to?
Eric: Radiohead...Zach Hill, the drummer from Fugazi. The video of “Hella” from Japan is kinda insane to
look at. It made me want to be a better artist all around. My favorite band of all time is probably Death Grips;
I’ve also been listening to a lot of Duster (slow core from the 90s) and some local bands.

WCBG: What are the plans for Arcane Ghosts in 2020?
Eric: We are focusing on writing new music and we have some interesting things cooked up. Our plan is to
work hard and to continue on in 2020!

Go check out Arcane Ghosts music and support amazing bands like them!

Calling All Captains is a band from Canada that is breaking through the pop punk scene and changing the way we should define the genre.  The band is comprised of Luc Gauthier (Vocals), Brad Bremner (guitar), Connor Dawkins (guitar), Nick Malychuk (bass) and Tim Wilson (drums).  The band is singed to Equal Vision Records and released their EP “Nothing Grows Here” in February 2019.  Calling All Captains is in the midst of preparing for their first album release.  We spoke with Luc and had a wonderful conversation about the insides into the life of a budding signed musician.  ​

 
We spoke with Finnegan Bell, the lead singer and guitar player, from the band Love Ghost.  The band is comprised of Ryan Stevens (bass), Nicky Renard (lead guitar), Samson Young (drums), and Cory Batchler (keyboard).  Love Ghost’s music is a great blend of different genres, specifically with a focus on emotional alternative rock.  Their music sparks a deeper understanding between the connection of lyrics and riffs with overlaying beats.
 
Bell was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.  When discussing the formation of the band, he mentioned that the current line-up has only been active for about six months.  Bell was 14 years old when he decided to talk to people in his life who shared his love of music; from this Love Ghost was formed.  The drummer of the band, Samson Young, and Bell actually met at the school of rock music center in California. For those of you who do not know, School of Rock was filmed at Wagner College, so we always get excited to see the impact the movie has had on other musicians.
 
Sometimes the best music comes from areas where the scene is nonexistent.
 
Bell states that, the local scene in Los Angeles is fascinating because there are so many different genres of music prominent. When discussing the direction the band’s sound is heading in, he says that their unreleased material can be considered trap-rock.  The tracks created were influenced by 90’s rock bands, like Alice in Chains and Nirvana, as well as Suicide Boys, Little Peep, and JuiceWRLD.  The juxtaposition between rock riffs with track beats sampled over the song allows listeners to experience a different type of vibe that sets the young band apart from others.
 
This is our era.  This is our age.
 
When discussing their newly released song, “Let It All Burn,” Bell mentions that the song was created when the members were jamming out.   “Sometimes a song is created by laying down a guitar riff and the other members and I work together to create our own parts.” This is a great way for the band to create exciting arrangements. Bell worked with a producer to create beats that would overlay on to the existing track.  He says that the process for “Let It All Burn” lasted around 2 days. The music video is actually filmed at a foundry in Southgate; he mentions that there was iron swinging and it was like 110 degrees.
 
Bell was inspired to learn the guitar because of musician Kurt Cobain. When he was around 7 years old, he saw a video of Kurt and said that he wanted to be able to do exactly what he did.  So, Bell just ran with this dream.   We asked Bell what message he hopes people see in his music and he replied that “I want my music to help other people. Anyone can make music and you don't know who will relate to it.”  To put music out there into the world is a positive experience regardless. The influence of the music industry has definitely been a positive one for the band, Bell mentions that when he was a senior in high school, he released his song and over the span of 3 weeks it reached over 100,000 views listens.  This best represents the important of the connectivity across the world and the importance of streaming services for budding artists.
 
The odds aren't necessarily in your favor it's super cool to just make a difference
 
Music is always open to interpretation. Bell says, “What I hope people get out of our songs is that they don't have to feel alone.”  He also believes that you can't predict where your life will end up. He finds it funny that the lyrics he sometimes writes tend to predict the future.  Sometimes he just wishes things will happen and then maybe they will one day come true.
 
In 2020 we can expect a lot from the band Love Ghost. They're planning on releasing 13 or 14 songs within the year. The band is also big on creating music videos. Bell's favorite concept utilized in one of their videos is stop motion.  He loves making films since it shows another side of the song the band is releasing. On January 24th, the band will be releasing a new song and music video titled “Dead Brother.” Go check it out and listen to the amazing songs that they have created thus far. We can't wait to see what they do next!

Follow the band on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
Check out their music on Spotify

Paul Grant, known by the moniker Eyelid Kid, is a young artist reinventing the way our generation listens to music.  He is making strides in the industry by releasing music we love. His songs focus on the aspects of production that we might not always remember to listen to.  These nuances paired with the fundamental layering of his tracks is intriguing and represents the music of a new decade.  He will be on tour at the Sultan Room in New York City on Saturday 18th at 7pm.
Click here for tickets!
 
His interest in music started at a young age, while growing up Grant was surrounded by different instruments.  His father was a musician so picking up an instrument happened pretty naturally.  When he was in middle school, he and his older brother started to pick up instruments like the piano and the guitar.  As a self-taught musician, Grant states that he originally learned standard rock and roll songs but would later use this knowledge to move into the genres of electronic, hip-hop, and pop.  This collective makes his music stand out among others since the influences he has shown in his tracks make the listener focus on the nuances that add to the depth of his music.
 
When asked what his favorite instrument to play is, Grant mentioned that he is currently using a drum pad with vocal samples.  Though he says he is best at the guitar, there is just something special about the drums.  During his shows you can catch him playing a floor tom, which leads to a different aspect of instrumentation we don’t normally see.
 
Currently Grant is in the midst of recording a full-length album that is mostly produced and mastered.  His focus has been on finishing a song before adding aspects of production to the track.  For Grant, one of the most important parts of his writing process is the inspiration.  To prep for writing new tracks, he chooses to not listen too much music since it may influence the direction the song was initially going in.  When writing a song, the track starts as an instrumental piece with scat words scattered throughout—these are placeholders for the lyrics we will later hear in the track.  For his latest album, he hopes that the lyrics will speak for themselves before the layering in production kicks in.  This is prominent in the single he released, “Rosegold,” that focuses on the instrumental parts of the song and places an emphasis on the lyrics that are present.
 
When asked what his artist of the decade is, Grant mentioned that it had been Drake.  Artists, like Frank Ocean, were also in his top five.  As Grant says, “Frank Ocean is an insane artist and his songs have a lot of depth to them.”  Ocean is also an artist Grant would love to collaborate with based on the emotion placed behind the lyrics.  Currently Grant is listening to Brockhampton, an American rap collective formed in San Marcos, Texas.  The format of groups like Brockhampton is interesting; Grant is actually part of a project, known as Home Remedy, that is similar in nature.  He believes this is a future format other groups will utilize since it is a way to pull inspiration from so many other people. 
 
Since Grant hails from Austin, Texas, we asked him about the local scene in the area.  He states that it is full of “hometown support.  The people in the local scene are so supportive.” Grant joined an art collective when he finished high school and ended up headlining shows, which was a momentum gaining experience.  Though the scene tends to focus on psych-rock he is proud to see that venues are opening up to other genres like pop and electronic.
 
When asked what he does when he is not making music, Grant discussed the importance of the outdoors in his life.  “In Austin, there are springs, and camp-grounds that I would go to a lot when I was younger.”  He states that he enjoys rock climbing and that during tour there will definitely be some moments where he can enjoy the great outdoors. 
 
In 2020, Grant will be releasing a new album and going on tour!  He is also hoping to book a more prominent role in the acting world.  One thing he hopes his fans get out of his new album is the story he is hoping to tell.  “I want to put out music I am proud of.”
 
Don’t forget to check out Eyelid Kid’s music and get tickets for tour!  

Follow him on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
Check out his music on Spotify

Echosmith is a band I have listened to since middle school.  Their music is inspiring and expresses what it is like to be growing up in today’s day and age.  Once I heard they were dropping a new album, Lonely Generation, I was ecstatic to see their growth.  The introduction of new forms of layering, more intricate baselines with the same upbeat enthusiasm that was present in their first album is alluring.  The progression the band has experienced over the years is striking yet true to who they are.  I spoke with Sydney about the writing process as well as her goals for the future.
​
When discussing Lonely Generation, Sydney said that, this new album is like a diary, it represents what the band has been through the past couple of years.  The good the bad and everything in between.  We wanted the album to feel right to us.  Everything was so intentional and felt good to us.

She also mentioned that the music industry has become something where everything happens so fast and the band wanted to keep the art of the full-length album alive, which makes the process and the end product so much more personal.

Drinking from a broken glass, don’t realize

I asked her about the title track of the album and Sydney said, “We have been feeling this way and for lonely generation it felt important to talk about the balance between real life and social media.”  She believes it is important to find a connection between others through music because we aren’t so alone in the world.  This new album is so much more personal.  The first album came out when she was about 14 to 15 but to now, she has experienced so much more life in a deeper way. 

Songwriting is about telling a story and we have so much more to say.

Echosmith will be going on tour shortly!  On the topic of tour Sydney mentioned that, “Tour is such a fun experience since we get to meet our fans and have that face to face interaction.  We love meet and greets because give our fans some real hugs and real love.”  One of the best parts is that the band is able to meet people who they may have been talking to on Twitter for years and finally see them in person.  The tour is going to incorporate a super dynamic show with new layers.  One of Sydney’s hopes is that people will leave their show feeling happier.

Sydney wants Echosmith to be remembered as leaving a great impression on those who listen to their music.  As a band they want to give people a little more hope and love to feel like they can get through whatever it is they are going through.  The impact they hope to have, and one of their goals is to help people out through our music.

Sydney believes inspiration comes from everywhere.  She mentioned artists from Coldplay and the Killers to Imogen Heap that have sparked some inspiration for their new album.  At the end of the day, music is about whatever melody and bass line and synth sounds come out naturally based on things they love or are completely new.  The opportunity to have an album released that was completely hands on and reflecting Echosmith’s hopes and dreams for the future by discussing every day life makes them such a dynamic and memorable band.

Echosmith’s new album, Lonely Generation, drops tomorrow so be sure to check it out!  They will be on tour and in New York on February 13th at Le Poisson Rouge at 7pm!

Follow the band on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
Check out their music on Spotify