Tag: canadian singer songwriter

BGS 5+5: The Bros. Landreth

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Bros. Landreth
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Latest Album: Come Morning

Answers provided by Joey Landreth

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

The answer to this question is different for Dave than it is for me. Dave came to music when he was a little bit older. Myself on the the other hand, I knew that I wanted to play music from a very early age. I remember telling my kindergarten teacher that I was going to be a keyboard player in a band when I grew up.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I struggle with writing a lot. I am very proud of our catalog of songs but I find songwriting to be the hardest thing about being an artist. Dave and I both got our starts in music as for-hire musicians. Side people. As such, I think we are more fluent expressing ourselves musically through our instruments and performing than through writing. So, I guess the short answer is the toughest time writing is every time writing!

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

We always do vocal warm ups. It’s something we started doing pre-show back in 2014 and have kept going since. Sometimes we’ll warm up for 15 minutes or sometimes for 45 minutes but we always do a little warming up.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

The best advice I ever got was from one of my mentors, Steve Bell. He said to me in the early days, “Don’t worry about making music for a particular person in mind. Make music for yourself first and then put your energy into finding likeminded folks.”

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Not that often actually, though I do understand the impulse to do that! I write almost exclusively from the first person. As I mentioned before, writing songs is not my first language and I feel like telling stories about my own experiences or slight dramatizations of my own experiences to be far easier to tap into than stories that exist outside of myself. Or at least that’s how it feels for me!

Photo Credit: BnB Studios

BGS 5+5: Phöenix Lazare

Posted on by Editor

Artist name: Phöenix Lazare
Hometown: Salt Spring Island, BC
Latest Album: Gold
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Fawkes, Bean, Peanuts, Peanuts & Popcorn, Pheen

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I’m from a small island off the coast of British Columbia, so I’ve always spent the most time with the Pacific Ocean. From a young age, whenever I needed space I would bring myself to the beach and let the sounds of crashing waves calm me down. Often I’ll bring a journal to do some free writing or even a guitar to explore song ideas, but I find that even the silence inspires me to go home and create. I’ve even used voice memos I took of birds and natural sounds to open songs before, including the album’s first single, “Against All Odds.” I took this particular voice memo recording at my grandmother’s house right after COVID hit, when the transition of winter to spring felt bittersweet.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Joni Mitchell has undoubtedly influenced me the most as an artist, songwriter and human. When I started taking music more seriously in adolescence, my parents bought me one of her biographies and I thought to myself, “Who is this crazy lady?” It took me a few years to finally pick up that book, but once I did I never looked back. I started listening through her discography and learning about her journey as a songwriter and performer. I was instantly captivated by her character; I admired her authenticity and radical unwillingness to conform to standards that the music industry pushes artists. The diversity in her music between albums is a beautiful reminder to create what feels good and not look back.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

My song “The Other Side” took years and a lot of growth to complete. It’s a very vulnerable song that reflects on my first love, looking back with gratitude rather than regret. I was hesitant to record and put it on the album because it’s so personal, but I decided I want to be an example for songwriters that it means more when a song comes from a place of true authenticity. I’ve had a few audience members come up after shows and tell me how deeply they connected to it after a breakup, so I’m glad I set aside my doubts to write and share it.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

This is a very interesting question… as someone who is an enthusiast of both music and food, there are so many answers I could say. But for some reason, as a nod to my English roots, the one that sticks out in my mind is pairing Will Champion (drummer for Coldplay) with a classic Indian curry dish — my favourite is aloo gobi. I would love to share an order of garlic naan with Will and listen to his thoughts about his journey as a collaborative band member in the music industry. Coldplay has influenced my music and my life so heavily and their music would pair well with a spicy meal.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

Although it might not be the very first moment, it’s the most memorable — years ago back in 2014 I brought together family, friends and community members to host a farewell concert at my hometown’s local theatre. It was a fundraiser to support the transition to my first year attending Berklee College of Music in Boston and the house was packed. Even though I was young and was still finding my sound, I performed alongside my dad, brother, and so many other talented friends. It meant the world to feel so supported in the pursuit of my dreams and in that moment I knew that music was what I was meant to do.

Photo credit: Stasia Garraway