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How did you first start playing music?
I remember it like yesterday, we were sitting at ‘the duca’ (one of our fav spots to skateboard) in St.Catharines ON…we picked a name, and THEN we all picked which instruments we wanted to learn hahaha. Couple months later, after learning power chords and punk beats, we had a show at The Hideaway. I puked before and after and im pretty sure we got boo’d. I think we were like 17
How did the Joshua Wood Orchestra form?
I was recommended to go see Felix Fung by a couple of friends of mine; R.d Cane and Bruce Wilson. I wanted to make a record and i knew it was a diff path for me so i was looking for the right people and place for it to happen. After we started talking it became pretty clear id be tracking there. The magic 8ball on the table said “it is decidedly so” and so we booked it and Felix provided the players.
What influenced the sound and songwriting for your recent single ‘Bad Way’?
I wanted to make something that felt good to listen to while at the same time touching on the bad place i was in. I wanted people to dance and forget for a moment and holy hell i needed that too. The thing is my previous acoustic songs flow in a similar vein but the music is more of a ‘sit back n smoke a cigarette after sex n maybe cry a little’ kinda music. Apposed to this new path im on being more of a ‘smoke a cigarette during sex in the middle of the dance floor’ kinda music. But simply put, it was the band behind me that really crafted the sound.
How did you go about writing Bad Way?
This one came running into my arms like a sad child. I was going through a tough breakup and learning to cope with a new reality while really learning how to love myself for the first time and be open about my weaknesses.
Where and when did you record and who with?
Little Red Sounds Studio with Felix Fung, Max Sample, Kyle Schick, Jaydon Bunney, and Blake Greer sometime in August 2019. Suite Sound Labs did the Mastering.
What programs/instruments did you use?
Pretty normal stuff like drums, bass, electric guitars, grand piano, djembe, harmonium, triangle, guiro.
Please tell us about the making of your EP:
Once the team was formed, we all met up at Little Red Sound Studio and just took it song for song by walking in blind. Bad Way was the first song we tracked and it really set the tone for the whole album. We’d sit in a room and id play the song through on acoustic, and like dough the band would knead it til it was ready. When that moment of ‘this is it!’ came, wed get behind our instruments and hit record til we were happy. Took us the weekend of all night recording to get the 5 songs live off the floor. Slept on the studio couch each night and probably stunk like shit but man i loved every moment of it. It was a really beautiful time for me and a whole new way of chasing a song.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding throughout the process?
Trying not to smoke too much and making it through without losing my voice even though i def did smoke too much hahaha.. Nahhh, Id say giving my songs over to others to help mould. So damn rewarding.
What motivates you?
Id say love, heartbreak and all those beautiful madnesses of the mind.
What is your impression of the current state of music in BC?
A lot of fuckya. A bit of fuckno.
What do you have planned for 2020?
This album getting out is a big part of it. Next single drops early May with a music video and then the rest of the album. After that I was hoping to get on the road with it but we’ll see how the Covid19 situation pans out. At this point Im just super happy to be able to get it out there right now and have people get to hear some new music during this time.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
In my truck its usually Bacil Kill (an indonesian hip hop group) or this John Prine cd i got orrrr maybe some Rancid or Sound Garden. At home ive really been into The Tesky Brothers and Monophonics. But then ill get these really odd moments where i just listen to The Killing Moon by Echo and The Bunnymen on repeat all night.
What do you like to do away from music?
I dig photography, scribbling in notebooks, building houses and things, good conversations and driving around in my truck forgetting where im going.
How are you holding up during the Covid-19 crisis?
It’s strange and a bit surreal but im grateful to be where i am during this. Hardest part id say is being so far away from my family and not having an option to fly home if they needed me there.
Favourite food and place to hangout (when out of quarantine)?
Fav food? Holy moly..Umm all things between bread and all things under cheese.
Fav place to hang? The Heatley, Lana Lous and this cute and weathered little breakfast joint in China Town I forget the name of.
