Interviews
Canadian Music Week Spotlight: The Details
- by Terri
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Add to del.ico.us.(2008-03-03)
Terri: The Details are based out of Winnipeg. Do you think bands in smaller Canadian cities face any particular hardships (or advantages) due to being based away from the major centres of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto?
Jon (The Details): I think that's always been sort of a double-edged sword. Geographically it's probably somewhat of a disadvatage. I mean, Calgary and Edmonton are the major cities to the west, and they're 15 hours away by van. Toronto is the closest major city to the east and it's 24 hours away. So playing a lot outside of Winnipeg in a major centre is kind of a large task... On the other hand, I think it's easier to make a bit of a name for yourself in a smaller town. A lot of bands get lost in the sea of music in Toronto, whereas in Winnipeg, any decent band can gain some noteriety in quite a short amount of time...
Terri: Aside from your hometown, what's your favourite Canadian city to play in, and why?
Jon: Hmm... We've had some pretty fun shows in some of the prairie cities. Calgary, Edmonton, and Regina specifically. It may be because we've played those cities a little more than others...or maybe it's just that our prairie sensability isn't lost on them...
Terri: Where in the country have you not yet gotten the chance to play that's on your list to hit ASAP?
Jon: SASKATOON! It's eight hours from Winnipeg and we've still never played it! Not sure what's going on there...I blame the government.
Terri: Tell us something about the Winnipeg music scene that might surprise Torontonians.
Jon: Even when it's 35 below, Winnipeg music fans will still pack a venue to see a band they love. The bands don't want to play when it's that cold, but the kids will still show up...
Terri:You recently had a song featured on "Lipstick Jungle" -- how'd that come together for you?
Jon: A little over a year ago we played a showcase for a rep from NBC/universal. We sort of kept in touch with her, and the Lipstick Jungle thing came of it.
Terri: Ten years ago only major bands were of interest for these placements, and now an emerging band like The Details can benefit hugely from it. How important are placements like the appearance of songs in television shows and commercials for bands today?
Jon: I think they're important for a few reasons. The exposure's great for sure, some placements are obviously way better than others. But the one thing that all new bands have in common is that they ALL NEED MONEY! Placements like this kind of help on that front...
Terri:You guys are headed to SXSW this year, right after your time in Toronto -- can you give us a few details about your schedule there?
Jon: Our showcase is at a place called the Wave Rooftop. It's on Wednesday night at 11pm. Other than that i think we'll just be meeting new people, watching amazing bands, and soaking up the sun. Well, it might not be that relaxing... we kind of have this "work until you drop" policy within the band that takes the fun out of everything...
Terri: "Draw A Distance. Draw A Border." has now charted in the United States -- are there any plans to tour south of the border?
Jon: Yeah there definitely are. We're hoping to get down there this fall for some shows. It's all still being worked out. Charting in the U.S. was slightly unexpected, and we always wanted to do a U.S. tour sooner rather than later, but I guess now we have a little extra encouragement.
Terri: What else do you have in the works for recording and touring in 2008?
Jon: Well, we have an April/May Canadian tour planned...we should start releasing dates for that soon. We hope to hit a couple of festivels in summer, and then go back on tour again in fall. Exactly where we're going in fall is still a little uncertain, but Europe and the U.S. are very high on our list of priorities...
Terri: And finally, who are you hoping to check out at CMW this week?
Jon: Wow. Well, we're all excited to see Sloan and The Meligrove Band at the Murder Records showcase. Our friends from Calgary Hot Little Rocket are always great, as well as Hexes and Ohs from Montreal. I'm sure that list will grow quickley as the week goes on...