LUCID FORGE

Guelph’s own Speakeasies are out to speak their mind and are enjoying every bit of the lifestyle that goes with being a musician. Consisting of four members Steve Simmons on guitar and vocals, Liam Bible on drums, Kenny Phelps on bass and vocals, and Rick Thompson on guitar, this band is plugging through the hard times of the indy rock life for the ultimate goal of making it big. This Guelph quartet is obviously a well known band in their hometown with the small Guelph e-Bar being packed on Thursday June 20th for one of their many scheduled shows.

Definitely a busy group, this band has many scheduled shows this summer including the big Hillside Festival in Guelph and the Toronto Festival of Beer at Fort York. They have had many songs on the radio, opened for the Trews and have even been voted on Echo weekly as the band most likely to make it, this band has something going for them that definitley needs more recognition. I had the opportunity to sit down with them before the show on June 20th for a chat. Here is a transcript of it:

Lucid Forge: How long have all of you been together?

Steve Simmons: Three years, this is the first album. We did two demos the first was recorded at a gas station, one in my living room, and this was recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton.

LF: What do you enjoy about being a band?

SS: Playing music, most of it is pretty fun.

Liam Bible: Playing live and the writing.

Rick Thompson: I love touring actually and the partying lifestyle that comes with it.

Kenny Phelps: Playing music, and doing something often that is your passion.

LF: Is this what you all want to do with your life?

All the members replied yes then turned to each other with a grin.

LB: Right now we are paying out of our pocket to have a part time job.

LF: Tell me about the album. SS: There are 10 songs on it which were written over the past three years, and it’s been on the radio across the country. KP: It was a cool experience recording it. We recorded it in a church at a studio called Catherine North Studios in Hamilton Ontario. The guy that ran the studio is in Cowboy Junkhouse. The whole experience was amazing, it didn’t really feel like a digital process but it was all digitized. LF: Do you have any current projects going on? KP: Just new songs. We are going to a friends studio to record them soon.

LF: Being involved in the upcoming hillside festival, do you feel that there is enough variety in musicians that make an appearance to perform?

This is the third time at the hillside festival, they do a good job. Actually, we are playing at the Toronto beer festival on Fort York this year.

LF: Are you planning on touring outside North America anytime in the near future?

SS: We want to go to Europe we just need sponsors.

LF: How do you find the Canadian Music Industry? Is it difficult to get your foot in the door?

SS: It’s tough, most of us are poor so if it’s an industry it’s not really working...it’s a tough life to live.

KP: Even bands that are constantly on the road and touring a lot they still want part time jobs, even the ones that are on the road all the time they are struggling.

LF: Do you want to make it big or do you enjoy smaller venues?

KP: We all just want to be working musicians and we want to be making a salary people can live and survive on. The goal is to live a normal life while doing what we love!

SS: The same things that you would say about being a writer that you would ideally like to have, same applies to a musician.

LF: How do you feel about the whole idea about rock and roll rebels?

SS: I just do my thing

LB: There is a little bit of rebellion anyway because we are near 30 year olds acting like we are 18.

KP: No bar wants people messing the place up unless you are so huge that you can afford to do that. If we could pay to smash an instrument we probably would, but we are professionals. We will do a good job, we are serious we are not just a bunch of jerk offs!

LF: How do you feel about rock and roll and the rebel vibe? Do you think they go hand in hand?

LB: It can but it defiantly does not have to. You have to be responsible before you throw things out; it’s a working vacation when you are on tour.

SS: A lot of people that put on that show are just pretending to be something when you just should really do your own thing. You don’t have to be crazy to be good, but when you are on tour you drink more so things get a bit crazy.

LF: Do you think rock and rollers are generally rebellious people?

SS: It’s not rebellious. What am I rebelling about? I’m just having fun!

LB: We are rebelling against the 9-5 job. If we were given a gig that was like 9-5 we would probably do it, it takes a different person to be in a band.

LF: What’s in store next for the Speakeasies?

SS: We have a lot of good new songs and we are just trying to write better songs now.

LB: I would like a second record, more touring, getting on the radio and of course sponsors would help.