Happy New Year everyone! woah! music is excited about the year ahead and the concerts and parties already booked. Our concert series begins this Friday January 6 and Saturday January 7 at The Drake Underground. Check out the interviews and photos of the bands performing.

THE JESSICA STUART FEW
performing Friday January 6, 2012 @ 10pm.
The Drake Underground.



In two (2) sentences, or less, describe your band.
Stereolab throwing a party with Joanna Newsom & Erykah Badu at Led Zeppelin's house. In Japan.

As musicians are you very conscious of the direction your music takes?
Yes and no - It's very important to me that the songs I write are genuine to my style and honest in lyric, so I do steer the music so that it will be authentic and never a put-on. That being said, I leave space for interpretation when writing parts so that each performance is a bit different from the last - so it's improv friendly, for sure.



What can people expect to hear at the upcoming show?
We'll be mostly playing tunes from our upcoming album, Two Sides To Every Story, as well as a few favorites from the last album, Kid Dream. We'll be doing half of the songs on "koto" (13-stringed Japanese floor-harp) with double bass, drums and vocals & the other half with electric guitar. I'm especially excited to play our latest new addition called "How To Ride A Bike", which becomes sort of an anthem by the end of it.

Can I find any snippets from your new album online yet?
YES - bandcamp has a free download of the first single, "Don't Ya" and other samples too: http://jessicastuartfew.bandcamp.com/

Who/what has inspired you as musicians?
Classic rock (Jimmy Page, Cream, Jimi Hendrix), jazz, especially modern stuff, 90's music from hip hop to grunge and seeing the work of amazing local musicians is very inspiring too.

How would you describe your experiences as an independent band over the past years? Have you experienced any major challenges and/or significant moments?
The challenge is balancing the workload while not sacrificing creative time. It's great to be independent, but I'm hoping to expand our team over the course of the year.


If there was one musician that you could work with, who would it be and how would they be involved?
It would be Bjork I think - her arrangements are wacky, which I like, and her electronica know-how would be a great compliment to my writing and arranging. I'd want to write music together. I can dream, right?

Albums you’re listening to at the moment.
Little Dragon - Ritual Union, The Donefors - Award Winning Album, God's Gift To Yoda - This Album Is Not For People, Joni Mitchell - Hejira, Tune-Yards - Who Kill

Favourite restaurant in Toronto. Why?
Enoteca Sociale. yum yum & they have a cheese cave.

Favourite independent coffee place in Toronto. Why?
Crafted - close to my place, and has my favorite espresso beans.

Favourite independent musician/band in Toronto. Why?
Too many to choose one so here's a couple: Jane's Party, Words Around The Waist, Stop Time, Peripheral Vision

Favourite card game. Why?
Slapjack. Cause it's a speedy game and you get to slap people's hands.

What does the Winter/SpringFall of 2012 hold for your band? Any tours, recordings, special events?
YES - mini tour to the US in Feb, playing at the Millennium Music Conference in Pennsylvania & NYC, new album release, summer 2012. Cross-Canada CD release tour. We also have some very cool music video ideas in the works...

How can people get more information on your band?