One Year

In September 2009, my good friend James Martin and I started a band called No Island. It went pretty well for 3 years. We released two EPs. Played about 40 shows. Did a Western Canada tour. We learned a lot about ourselves as humans, as musicians and as songwriters. Near the end of 2012, we realized things needed to change, and we found ourselves going our separate ways with our original drummer and bass player. Things just had to change. As scary as it was...as much as we felt we were venturing into the great unknown...we knew it had to happen.

In December of 2012, James, Andy and Myself were without a full band, and we didn't know if we would find anyone to fill the spots. There were dozens of possible outcomes and scenarios that could have played out. The scariest of them being that it was the end of the band. The three of us didn't want that at all. We knew we had something really special. We had good songs, we had a bit of momentum, we were building a name for ourselves on the scene. We couldn't stop now.

There was only one person we wanted in the drum chair and we kind of, sort of put all our eggs in this one basket hoping that he would say yes and luckily he did. Max Ley joined the band, and we couldn't have been any happier. 

When we asked him to join, his face kind of looked like this...

But the bass player situation was pretty much up in the air. The chemistry had to be right. A lot of things had to be right. At the time, we didn't know if we'd find anyone. In hindsight, there is really only one person on this planet that can stand there and that's Jay Esplana. We were overjoyed when he said yes.

So why am I writing this blog? Well I've just returned home from our final rehearsal of 2013, and while it's not that huge a deal, I'm overcome with joy when I think about what we've accomplished this year. When we started rehearsing in January, there was an enormous amount of ground to cover to get everyone on the same page. It was seemingly insurmountable, but we did it and in March, we played our first show at the Railway Club and then it really didn't let up. The very next day we played in Victoria. Two weeks later we did a successful mini tour to the Kootenays and Jay learned how much he loves Sun Peaks. We did our very first show in a theatre to a really incredible audience in Powell River. We played lots of shows in and around Vancouver. We wrote and recorded two new tracks for an EP called Off The Floor. In the summer, we hopped in the van and did 52 day, 40 show tour from Vancouver to Halifax and back. It was the most unrelenting, fun, draining, incredible, rewarding experience of my life. That tour was unlike anything I've ever been a part of and we all came out the other side relatively unscathed and definitely closer and tighter as a band and as a family. Since that time, we've written what I believe to be our strongest, most cohesive, catchiest and most interesting music to date. We've even given the older songs a facelift and some botox here and there. 

As it approaches 2:00am, I'm feeling pretty nostalgic on what has been an absolutely incredible year. I'm having the most fun I've ever had in my life. I grew up with two brothers, and now I have four more. We've accomplished things that I used to merely dream about. I also had bacon poutine in Montreal at 3:00am which, for anyone that knows me, is something that I hold close to my heart. (Literally. Because...arteries) Now I'm just excited for what 2014 has to bring. 2013 was about the re-birth of a band and showing off that band to an entire country. 2014 is where we are going to really make our mark. We are going to be recording a full length album that I just know is going to change things for us. The music that we've written (and are still going to write) is really special, and I hope that it moves people the way I think it will.

So thanks to Andy, James, Max and Jay for this incredible year. And here's to many more.

6 Shows Deep

So my band No Island has been on our Cross-Canada tour for just over a week now and we have been having an absolute blast. There is a TON of work that goes in to mounting a seven week tour of this magnitude. By the time we do our homecoming show we will have played 39 shows on the tour which is absolutely huge!! But so far everything has been going really well and the shows have been incredibly well received! I'll give you a bit of a break down of the tour so far...

Funny enough, we started with a day off! Our first gig was in Creston and that is a bit of a trek from Vancouver for one day so we were warmly welcomed into Max's Father's summer home in OK Falls where we were treated to incredible accommodations, a fantastic dinner, a swim and some wine. All in all, it was a great way to relax and prepare for the 7 week onslaught that was ahead of us.

The next day we drove to Creston for our first official gig. We LOVE Paul and Shelly at the Snoring Sasquatch. It's a fantastic, cozy little venue in a great town that seems to love and support music and the arts. The show was very well received by a very warm audience and we were invited back on August 22nd!!

 Another highlight of the Creston stop was of course Renee's Roadside Diner. We went for their famous breakfast and once again experienced a fantastic meal and astounding people. This is a place that comes highly recommended from 5 very hungry musicians.

Up next was another repeat from our last tour...we played the Fernie Hotel. Yet again, amazing people and incredible reception. Last year we played outdoors at their sort of tailgate party, but this year we were inside the bar on a very tiny stage that we, by some wizardry, were able to fit on. Fernie was yet another venue that booked us again for the end of our tour on August 23rd!

Following Fernie was a very cool day spent at the Canadian Scout Jamboree. No Island has played a Scout jamboree before but it was not nearly as big as this one. This had people from all over the country! We spent the afternoon giving 2 workshops on what it means to be in a band and what skills you can take from Scouts and apply it to music. These were a learning experience for us and were indeed a lot of fun. We met a lot of great kids who seemed so hyped by our music and were thrilled to meet us and have us sign stuff. Following that we played a full concert that evening. If we thought they were excited before, we weren't prepared for the pandemonium the ensued after we finished. We spent the better part of an hour meeting all these wonderful kids and signing merchandise, arms, legs, foreheads, hats, kool aid wrappers...everything! It was so nice to not play a bar or a club and to connect with the youth and to really see them get inspired.

After that we spent two days in the beautiful town of Banff, Alberta. We had a two night stand at the Elk and Oarsman. This is a cool restaurant/pub in the heart of Banff and we played two great, and very well received shows there. We even had repeat audience members the second night! They treated us very well with amazing food and even better accommodations. It was nice to be rather pampered. Oh...and did I mention they invited us back for the 16th of August?

Then it was off to Calgary where we played at the Blind Beggar Pub. There was a little confusion at first with the bands and who was playing and at what time but it was fine because we had a lot of friends that greeted us and kept us company which was really nice. By the time we got on stage, there was a huge audience that was so enthusiastic and welcoming and we played a really great and fun show! They said anytime we were in Calgary, we can play there no questions asked.

Since then we've been staying at my sister-in-law's Aunt's house where we've been treated incredibly well and have had an absolute blast. We've needed to stay in Calgary for a few days and do a bunch of errands, and have a bit of a recharge before the next show in Regina on Tuesday. We also got to experience the Calgary Stampede which was a lot of fun!

The only downside of this tour has been when our Road Manager/Jay's girlfriend Marianne had to go back home for work. She was an absolute life saver. This tour, without a doubt, would not have been anywhere near as successful as it has been without her. So we were very, very sad to see her go and we miss her already!

So that's a little look into the tour thus far. I hope to maybe do this once a week if I can to keep everyone updated, For day to day stuff, check out our webpages:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Cross Canada Tour

I'm so excited to announce that my band No Island is hitting the road in July and August for a trek across this great country. There are still a few more dates that are yet to be announced but check out the poster below and most importantly, please share this news with people that may be interested in checking us out! That helps us out more than you can possibly imagine.

See you on the road!!!

Summoning the Rock (New Guitar Day)

Today I finally received my custom ordered Carvin Guitar. The model is an ST300 and I couldn't be happier with it. It's absolutely beautiful and it plays and sounds like an absolute dream. This guitar represents a couple of things to me. First off, it screams rock and roll and being in a rock and roll band, that's a good thing to have. Secondly it represents a side of me that I maybe haven't gotten in touch with in a while. On my 15th birthday, I got a G3 DVD with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen. This was a big turning point in my guitar playing. No longer was it just Clapton and the Eagles, there was this whole other world of playing that was incredibly enthralling, alien and just plain fun and I think this guitar exemplifies that spirit. Also, I've always wanted a maple fingerboard on a guitar ever since I first started listening to Clapton because I loved the look but I also loved the wear on the fretboard. Oddly enough, I found myself attracted to the wear and tear that happened when you spent years playing on that fingerboard. You could actually see how much that guitar had been loved. You could see the bends, where he favoured playing and it was almost as if you could the speed of his hands as well. Even though this is a beautiful flame maple fingerboard, I look forward immensely to wearing it out!!

So enjoy these pictures and if you see me at a No Island gig, come say hi and maybe I'll let you play it. That's a big "maybe."

Also for all the guitar players out there, I highly suggest that if you're looking for a guitar that is immaculately built, completely custom to your wants and needs and at an outstanding price, I implore you to check out www.carvinguitars.com

Change

Unfortunately No Island had to part ways with our beloved rhythm section of Mike and Sara. This was a really tough, painstaking conclusion that we all had to come to but I think it needed to happen so the band could do what it needs to do. We love those two like family and want nothing but the best for them.

And in life, it's hard to dwell on the tough stuff. Everyone needs to move forward to bigger and more positive things and we now have two unbelievably amazing musicians joining the family. Max Marceau Stockton-Ley on Drums and Jay Esplana on bass. We couldn't be more thrilled. Rehearsals with Max have been going amazingly well because that guy is an absolute monster. And when Jay auditioned for us, we knew instantly that he was the guy. He made it feel like home for us, but just, let's say, redecorated.

We have lots of shows already booked and huge plans for 2013 and beyond. So go to www.no-island.com to check out what we have coming up and check out our Facebook page and click the "Like" button to stay in the loop on what's going on with us.

We really appreciate your support through this transitional time.

You. No Island. Railway Club. March 8th. Be there.

Reflections

The grass is greener

but the water's deeper 

and you can't go home again...

I wrote those lyrics well over a year ago for a song called 'Home Again' done by my band No Island. These words really relate to how I'm looking back on 2012. The lyrics to that song talk about the angst of wanting to change your life. You no longer want to be stuck in a rut going no where. You want to go out and escape, explore, grow and transform...but with these changes comes great risk. Although the grass may indeed be greener, the "water's deeper" meaning, the stakes are higher and you may never be able to go back to that comfortable shelter you call "home." Reflection on this past year has shown me that those words were somewhat prophetic to my own life...

I have a very hit and miss memory, so in my looking back at this year I may miss a thing or two but I'll get the good stuff.

I said goodbye to 2011 (a year of great depression and then triumph) and hello to 2012 by doing what I do and love best; playing music. I played a fun gig at a restaurant called Cin Cin which is located on Robson Street. I love bringing in the new year this way. Playing music is what I'm meant to do. I'm not good at anything else so it's nice to celebrate a milestone like that by doing what you love. 

                                  Here we are in a hilarious predicament...having to 

                                  eat in the back room. It was...weird.

2012 saw a great period of growth for my band No Island. We played a great show in January at the Railway Club after a 4 month writing/rehearsal/growth/hibernation period and then in February, we went into Blue Wave studios to record 2 tracks that would later appear on a release called The Waiting Game EP <--(Download there) In the following months the band continued to play many gigs around town and develop into a formidable force of rock which I am proud to be a part of.

Some of the greatest musical experiences I've ever had took place this year. Getting to play guitar in the premier Capliano Vocal ensemble, NiteCap, was an incredible honour. In January we played a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie. In February we played with the unbelievable Jason Marsalis. It was one of those gigs where you probably learned more in that 45 minute set than in one year of school. And in April we finished our concert series with a fantastic vocalist named Karrin Allison. The following week we traveled to Banff, Alberta to be a featured act at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival. This was an unforgettable trip.

                                         NiteCap with Karrin.

As I said, 2012 was a big transitional year and none was bigger than graduating Capilano's Jazz Studies program with a Bachelor's Degree. Academically I did quite well but in all 5 years of my schooling I cared infinitely more about how I was developing as a player and I think my grad recital reflected that passion. I spent months preparing and stressing for the show and it ended up going quite well. My band was better than I could imagine. The phenomenal Mili Hong on drums. The incredibly solid Alex Dobson on Bass. And the mind-blowing Sax playing of Geoff Claridge. 

I shared the evening with one of my best friends and brother, Andy Rice who had an equally successful recital. It was fitting that we played on the same night seeing as how we've been playing in a band together for over three years now. 

Upon graduating, I received a life-changing email from an organization called MusiCounts. They are all about music programs in schools and I found out that I was one of 12 winners of the MusiCounts Fred Sherratt Award. They picked 12 outstanding music students from across Canada who are nominated by their teachers. There is a cash reward and an amazing, whirlwind trip to Toronto. It was just incredible to get to hop on a (free) plane and fly to Toronto and get treated like royalty all because you've just been doing what you love to do. Can it get any better? I got my own swanky hotel room. I got to perform at Much Music. Meet INCREDIBLE musicians and people. Tour the Bell Media building and see Toronto all on someone else's dime. Yep...I could get used to that.

                                          Pretty certain Tanya Kim was into me...

Chor Leoni had a fantastic season which was all capped off with a European tour. To show you how crazy it was, this was my schedule. On the last Monday in June, I did the last 2 Bard shows with Chor Leoni. I then hopped on a plane the next morning for Toronto. Came home on Thursday. Then EARLY Friday morning, I jetted off to Bosnia with Chor Leoni. That tour was simply unforgettable. The first week and a bit was spent touring and playing shows in Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Then we went to Gorizia to compete in the Seghizzi International Choral Competition. We saw and met some astounding choirs and even better human beings. On the second to last night of the competition, there was a big open air party where all the choirs got together to mingle and sing for one another. Needless to say, 50 Canadian men doing synchronized dance moves to Indian music was a huge hit for everyone involved. All the choirs took turns leading the festivities and it was just one of those nights that reminds you what music can do for the soul. It was just amazing.  

                                          Man was I glad there was a guitar there...

Chor Leoni basically swept the competition. We won a dozen awards (far more than any other choir) and came in 2nd in the Grand Prix to an incredible choir from Indonesia. It was an experience which I can (and may) write many blogs about but I wont go into it here.

Coming home from tour, I wasted no time and went on a two week vacation to Osoyoos with my family. After that I spent some quality time with friends...

...bought my dream amp...

.

...and then I hopped in a van with my band and we went on the road.

We had a very successful tour all over Western Canada. We saw many beautiful places (and some not so great places) and played many fantastic shows. We melted faces and left a firm implant on those who were there. Unforgettable.

Coming home from there, the band continued to play shows and I continued my teaching work. In early December, I lost someone very important to me and the world lost an incredible human. Diane Loomer passed away on December 10th 2012. She was much more than a choral conductor. She was a major player in bringing the world together. I will write about her in an upcoming blog after her celebration of life. There's simply far too much to say.

2012 was a year of transition and transformation. I know that the grass is greener on the other side but the water is definitely deeper and the stakes are much higher now that I am in the real world. And once I finally leave this house that I've lived in all my life, there may very well be no returning. 2013 is looking to be an enormous year. No Island has some humongous, enormous, ridiculous plans. We will unleash so much rock into the world we might as well be Geologists...

There are big things happening. I'm going to make a mark in this world with my music. I hope you can come along for the ride.

#1

I've toyed with the idea of doing a blog for a while now. Mostly because there are many things I'm intensely interested in and I've wanted a platform to talk about those things.

I decided to make my first post an introduction to me by answering the Bernard Pivot questionnaire made famous on the program, Inside the Actor's Studio. I've always wanted to answer this so I'm doing it now.

What is your favorite word? Gorgeous

What is your least favorite word? Random

What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]? Talent - Especially creative talent

What turns you off? Lack of class

What is your favorite curse word? Fuck - Almost any feeling you can experience can be expressed by using the word, "Fuck"

What sound or noise do you love? A suspended chord with the third

What sound or noise do you hate? Any sound that wakes me up


What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Television writer/actor


What profession would you not like to do? Stripper

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? "You can stop being stressed now. Oh, and the buffet's over there."