How do you take your coffee/tea?
Black as night.
What is something that you haven’t done by noon, your day is going terribly?
Slept enough!
What would it be if there’s one thing you could change in the Canadian music industry?
A better distribution of funds.
Most-missed defunct music venue?
The BIG BOP! Or The Silver Dollar.
Who should they do a music biopic about?
No one, please god. I abhor biopics!
Dream creative collaborator, dead or alive?
John and/or Alice Coltrane. Alive: Laraaji.
Best place to people-watch?
Barely know how to make eye contact, let alone watch people.
Artist you wish would make another record?
Spacemen 3.
One year from now you will be?
Where I’m supposed to be.
What homegrown band/artist should everyone know and love?
Syrinx from the early seventies were pretty incredible and ahead of their time. Daniel Lanois. Gordon Lightfoot. The Sadies. Or how about that Rick White / Elevator / Eric’s Trip!? I guess every generation has someone they call home. I’ve always loved Caribou too. Do Make Say Think!
If you were on City Council, what bill would you table?
Efficient rent control.
Quintessential Toronto or Canadian song?
Rush – “Subdivisions” feels very Toronto to me. Martha and The Muffins – “Echo Beach”! “Ambulance Blues” by Neil Young. Canadian? Anything by The Hip! Haha, maybe “Bobcaygeon.”
Where would you move if you could live comfortably anywhere in the world for a year?
Probably Europe. London or Berlin.
What book is on your bedside table?
Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu. Ray Bradbury – The Golden Apples Of The Sun (and other stories). Haruki Murakami – Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End Of The World.
What’s one song by another artist that is stuck in your head today?
Nothing in my head today. I cherish these days.
Best stress reliever?
El’ spliffo.
Vinyl or streaming?
Vinyl forever.
Yoga or the gym?
Nope.
Indie flick or Netflix binge?
Love a good binge.
Do you have any stories you want to share of memorable, formative, or inspirational experiences in the Toronto music community during the last 20 years?
Oh so many. MIMICO opening for DMST at The Danforth Music Hall for their LP release a couple years back was extremely memorable. How about 2004/05 playing Wavelength at Sneaky Dee’s with our shitty budget instruments falling apart, Nick and I get in our one-and-only ever fight on stage! I end up throwing my guitar down in disgust and drunkedly ripping down those awful black curtains haha. Or how about all the love and opportunities given to our various projects over the years by a number of local promoters like Dan Burke, especially starting out. Was really formative learning to perform at The Dollar and Rancho Relaxo in those days. Playing Lee’s or The Horseshoe or the old El Mocambo for the first time was definitely a treat for this hometown kid.
Don’t miss MIMICO at the Wavelength Winter Festival, Saturday afternoon, at our FREE all-ages matinee February 15 at Sonic Boom, 1pm!