Interview with Ben Gleason of Source!

Once upon a time, in the U.S of A, I was a merch girl for

Photo: Randy Edwards

rock bands. While on a five-week run with a different band a couple of years back, I watched Boulder, CO-based prog-metal trio, Source play pretty much every night as they promoted their debut album Return To Nothing.

Despite the band's busy schedule (jumping from releasing their latest album Totality, straight into a six-week tour they are currently on), I got the chance to catch up with front man, Ben Gleason! 


Your single “Totality” off the namesake album sounds great! What are your favorite experiences working on the latest album? 

BG: I took a vacation to my parents lake house in the summer when I was writing the album. I ended up writing a lot of the music for Embodied, The Changes, Constant and Intimacy on that trip. My parents' beautiful little cabin on a lake in the Northwoods is where I spent a lot of my childhood. It's definitely my fondest memory of creating the new album. 


Sounds like a zen spot! The current lineup of the band sounds great! How did you all meet? 

BG: I met Justin at a show our old drummer was filling in on. He saw that Georges (former drummer) left the band a year later, sent us a video of him playing and I knew he was the perfect drummer for Source. My friend Andy recommended Riley to us after Dan (former bassist) quit 2 weeks after finishing the record to join (the band) Flaw. 

When I heard Riley's solo project Lightstory, where he plays pretty much every guitar, bass and drum part, I knew he was going to take Source to a whole new level.

Photo: Randy Edwards

Sounds like divine timing was definitely at play for you guys! How do you stay mentally and emotionally balanced while keeping up with the crazy schedules on tour? 

BG: I meditate, do lots of stretching and foam rolling, shower at the gym so I feel like a person, and try to find really good restaurants to eat at. It's easy to stay emotionally balanced with my new band mates. There is very little stress these days, which I am beyond grateful for.


Yes to gym showers- because the 'Whore Baths' just don't cut it when you want to feel like a person again! What are the highlights of the band’s career? 

BG: Touring with HELLYEAH and In Flames as well as working with producer Ulrich Wild for our new record. 


Legendary! Favorite part of performing live? Least favorite? 

BG: My favorite part of performing are the moments where I feel like the 3 of us are transcending reality. Sometimes we are so connected to each other, the music and the audience, that I feel like we are literally ascending to a higher plane of existence. 

My least favorite part of performing is moving gear. We need robots

Photo: Randy Edwards

to do it for us- that would be dope.


Maybe one day there will be an app for that. If there was a food dish at a restaurant named after the band, what would be in it? 

BG: The "Source Hash" would have fried potatoes, onions, mushrooms, turkey sausage and fried eggs.


If you were to form a dream tour with artists -dead or alive- who would be on it with you? 

BG: Source and Tool, that is the dream tour. We got to open for a well known Tool tribute band and their fans LOVED us! I want to play for as many Tool fans as I can!


Anything else you would like to add? 

BG: Get our new record Totality anywhere digital music is sold, you won't regret it!

Thank you so much for your time, Ben! Have a safe and successful the remainder of the tour, and I look forward to seeing what's next for the band! 

Want more from Source? Get social! Find their social media links here!

@thatchickkrys

Interview with Blair Ryan Barton of The Divided Line!

Photo: Glen Tinsdale

Sometimes, a gal's just got to get dolled-up, brave a snow storm on a Sunday and head out to remind herself of the awesome live bands her city has to offer.


I recently got to check out Toronto-based prog-rock band, The Divided Line at Rockpile! With their recently released video for their single Deja off their latest album Paramnesia, I noticed it's not their usual sound, so it peaked my curiosity.  

Here is my interview with guitarist, Blair Ryan Barton! 

The current lineup sounds great! How did you
guys find each other?

BRB: Rez and I have been playing music together for about 8 years now. We actually went to high school together, but we didn't play music together then. When I started the project, I I got him involved, we had a couple of different band members, then we saw Greg perform at one of my best friends' stag and he was just performing that night at the bar, so we snagged him up. Our drummer Luke was actually from Rumsfield before, so we were very familiar with him. He reached out to us when he saw we were looking for a drummer, we knew his work and figured he'd be a great fit and things have been going really well.

That drummer's sick!

BRB: Yeah he's great!

Like, I was just telling my sister 'Holy shit - that guy's sick!"

BRB: When we play in bars, we don't even mic him.

{both laughing}

BRB: We can't turn him down, so...

Photo: Glen Tinsdale

{both laughing}

I'm digging the new realease Deja off your latest album Paramnesia. Your song writing style seems to have changed with that one. What inspired that style for that particular tune?

BRB: Typically, I would do most of the writing, the original writing and everyone contributes to the completion. Usually I would come up with the idea. This one - our singer, Greg wrote- the base
of the song, we kind of wrote around that. It was a last minute song- it actually wasn't supposed to be on the record. We kind of came up with it a couple of days before we went into the studio and we just nailed it in the studio so it's like, we captured lightning in a bottle - we like it- we have more like it coming.

That's rad! What's your favorite thing about performing live and your least fave?

BRB: I don't like anything about playing live.

{both laughing}

No, but really!

BRB: Playing live scares the shit out of me. Petrified. No- but the best thing I like about playing live is getting lost in song, you kind of escape that (fear). The thing I'd say I don't like is it's not perfect every time. {laughs}

But that's part of the charm!

BRB: Yeah, exactly. Yeah- I guess if I'd have to choose, it'd be that it's not perfect every single time and I'm a perfectionist so.. {laughs} So that's my downfall.

You know- every show has quirks and something different to add to the experience that make each show unique- which could be a good thing!

Photo: Glen Tinsdale

BRB: Yeah I get it- because if every band can play perfect, then that wouldn't separate the greats from the decent.

Exactly.

BRB: In the past, we would just run through the shows and now we're working on incorporating different aspects into shows. Right now, we're working on a light show as well; co-ordinating lights with the music.

With ego boxes and all that?

BRB: Everything.

Whaaaat!? That's awesome! Looking forward to seeing that! So if you were to go on tour with any artists- dead or alive- who would your dream tour be with?

BRB: That's a tough one because we all have very different tastes in music, believe it or not. Obviously, people say we sound a lot like Tool, and that's a common influence throughout the band. Other than that, we don't really listen to the same bands.

{both laughing}

BRB: I guess we would say Tool, Incubus is a big influence, Finger Eleven.

You mean Rainbow Butt Monkeys?

{both laughing}

I saw them live last year at Sound Of Music (in Burlington) and I was like "Whaaat!?" (laughs) So, what are the highlights of your music career so far?

Photo: Glen Tinsdale

BRB: The first time hearing ourselves on the radio - it was with a different lineup but in 2014.. you know.. I cried...

{both laughing}

BRB: I've played music my whole life so to finally get that recognition was great. But I think the thing I'm most proud of would be the release of Paramnesia. Once that came out, it all just fit together. We were all a little worried going into it..

Why?

BRB: Because we (this lineup) have only been in a band for like 8 months at the time when we recorded it and some of the songs were really old, and a lot of them are pretty new, like Deja, like I said we wrote it last minute.


Yeah- but that song is so sick! What were you worried about? {laughs}

BRB: I wouldn't change anything on the record, even the way it looks- I love everything about it. We're still doing more music videos for a couple more of the tracks, so I'm looking forward to that.

Awesome! So, if a distillery were to make a beer named after the band, what kind of beer would it be?

BRB: Oh, it would definitely be a session IPA.

Noice!

{both laughing}

Delicious! {in a heavy lisp}

BRB: Something like Detour, with a more citrus-y hops.

Photo: Glen Tinsdale

Oh my Gahd- you're speaking my language! Holy! There's this beer I tried like that, Heavy Seas Tropicannon Citrus IPA- it was something like 7.3% alcohol. So good!

BRB: Yeah I love that stuff!

Anything else you would like to add?

BRB: Right now we're taking care of management- we have a candidate that we feel great about, so we're meeting with him in the next couple of weeks, setting a game plan- we're getting ready to record our next album.

Already? Wow! Whaaat!

BRB: Well, we did Paramnesia two years ago so it's time! We got a lot of stuff to do and it's just a matter of narrowing it down to the best 6. We've got like 20.

(both laughing)

So sick! Well, thank you so much for your time, Blair! I look forward to your future endeavors!

BRB: Thanks so much!

For announcements, upcoming shows in your area, new releases, etc. get social! Follow The Divided Line on their social media!

@thatchickkrys

#NewMusicMonday "Event Horizon" by Polarity!

First blog back in Toronto, and anyone who knows me has heard me go on about Toronto-based progressive rock band, Polarity, and how incredibly stoked I have been about their upcoming album "Action Potential" (produced by David Bottrill/ Chris Creglia) they have been working hard to perfect.

Polarity consists of Jasmine Virginia (vocals), Jason Swait (guitar), Mike Sitana (guitar), Matt Hamilton (bass), and Eric Zimmerman (drums).

Here is their freshly-released music video for "Event Horizon", directed and edited by their bassist (who is also a filmmaker), Matt Hamilton. Enjoy and happy Monday!!