Ivory Faces

 

"This new album swings from absolute thunder to quiet whisper at the drop of a hat."
Exclaim (exclaim.ca)

"Four blood brothers creating infectiously catchy rock n roll laden with synth textures, dynamic rhythms, contemplative lyricism and luscious guitars. That is the genius of Saskatoons post-pop rockers Foam Lake. Equally at home with swirling keyboard tones as jagged driven guitars, they far exceed the sum of their individual parts."
North by East West (nxew.ca)

"Another prairie super group!...expect instrument swapping and multiple vocals, spacey synths and guitar–driven, anthemic songs."
Planet S - Saskatoon SK

"This is only the first you'll hear of Foam Lake; a band whose viens run thick with the pulse of music."
The Sheaf - Saskatoon SK

 

 

This month I had the great pleasure of getting to know Paul Ross from the amazing Saskatoon based band Foam Lake. A band of four brothers they take on the music world with catchy Rock and Roll laced with synth greatness. Another triumph to come out of Saskatoon, Canada.

 

With the release of their new album  'Force and Matter' Paul takes time out of his busy schedule to answer a few of my questions. So carry on reading to find out more and then click on the links to see what all the fuss is about.

 

Q. Hi there. How are you today?

I'm doing just fine thank you.

   
Q. Who is FOAM LAKE? Give us a little insight into the band.

The band is comprised of myself and my three brothers. After the band Barrett and I were in abruptly broke up, I started recording a few demos and thought why not ask my brothers onboard? Barrett and I joined forces with our other two brothers and formed Foam Lake. The band is named after the town our mother grew up in.   
Q. I understand you have an album due for release. How was the process of making the album?

Yes we do have an album coming out on November 15th (today). The album took a while to make. Our initial plan was to record it with a producer at his studio, but that fell through when the producer moved to Vancouver. With his move, the cost of working with him grew exponentially, so we looked elsewhere. When working with others meant waiting or paying more to record our album, we decided to track the record ourselves. Doing it ourselves required building a studio, so we built a studio in a church and recorded the album.   
Q. As a band of brothers. Has there been times when this has caused problems?

Being brothers has its advantages, but it does make things difficult at times. All of us are stubborn, and we sometimes have to spend time coaxing each other to try new things. Nevertheless, that gets easier the longer we work together. We have a long history, and sometimes it rears its ugly head. Other times, being brothers makes things a whole lot easier than working with pals. We can cut through the BS quickly, but that can sting sometimes.  
Q. What influences helped you come up with the name of the album 'Force and Matter'

It's the name of one of the tracks on the album, and the song is about enduring adversity and pulling yourself out of it. When the song was written, Barrett and I were without a band, and the implosion of the band knocked the wind out of us. The words of the title have a bit of a double meaning too. The title just seemed to fit the over-arching theme of the record.
Q. This year you did a tour across Canada and even parts of the USA. How was this?

It was great! We played New York a few times and made it to NXNE and played a really fun showcase there. We were touring with our buddy, Shuyler Jansen; we consider him our adopted brother. When we tour, we often support him by being his backing band.  
Q. What would you say was the highlight of the tour? Did you have any moments when you just couldn't stop smiling?

I love playing New York, but I can say without hesitation that our showcase at NXNE (in Toronto) was the best show on the tour. The room was packed with people and there was a lot of energy. There were also a few Saskatoon folks there and it made for a really fun and exciting show. I couldn't stop smiling. Another moment was when Tyler couldn't shut off the clock-radio alarm in our hotel in North Dakota--that was fucking hilarious. After trying to smother it with pillows, he ended up rolling it down the hallway. It think it took two hours to stop beeping/whining.  
Q. I understand you are all in other bands as well. (Slow Down Molasses) How do you find the time to keep up with everything?

Well, that's a good question. It's really about fitting things in where we can. For me, I always record with Slow Down, Mollasses (SDM), but I haven't been on any lengthy tours with them yet. My focus right now is Foam lake, but whenever I can play shows with SDM, I do. I always play the local gigs (I think I've missed one because I was busy with FL). I love all my buddies in SDM, so it's hard to say no to shows with them. I don't have time to go out and socialize much. I'll either be at home, work, rehearsal, or the studio.    
Q. If you weren't in the band, what would you all be doing with yourselves?

Hmm, it's just me answering so I would have to say I would be finishing /or have already finished my Phd. I would likely have a full-time teaching or research job, if they would have me. Otherwise, homeless.

 
Q. What can we hope for from the band after Christmas?

Lots of gigs and broken new year's resolutions. But seriously, we're hoping to have a video and perhaps play the UK. Fingers crossed!  
Q. If you could play a gig anywhere, where would it be and who would your support be?

Well, do the bands have to be alive or can they be (mostly) dead? If we were to go on tour with an old band we admire, I would say The Beatles, or The Who. At the moment, we would love touring with Radiohead, Neil Young, the Pixies, or Magazine (just to name a few). Any gig in the UK with either of them would do for us!

 

Q. Lastly. If you could use one word to describe the band what would it be?

Determined

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