Interview with Scott Carruthers of Northern Heirs!

L-R: Braeden, Scott, Kevin. 
Photo: Boris R. Aguilar

There are storytellers, then there are storytellers that paint vivid memories of an ex-lover you've never even met. 

Paired with music that makes you want to slow dance outdoors -in brisk weather- at sunset (with said ex-lover you've never met), Toronto-based indie band, Northern Heirs epitomizes the latter. Here is my interview with their singer, Scott Carruthers! 

Scott- I must say you’ve got quite the buttery-smooth singing voice. Any tips on how you’ve maintained it over the years?

SC: Thank you so much - that means a great deal to me! A few years ago I blew my voice completely because I wasn't taking care of my throat or myself. It ultimately lead to me leaving music entirely because I couldn't sing. I didn't want to write, play guitar or even go to see live music. Even in 2017- when we released Northern Heirs' first EP- I was barely getting by in the studio. Sometimes it physically hurt to sing; it was a frustrating and emotional time. However, the EP was a start and it inspired me to quit smoking, reduce alcohol intake, get in shape... then last year I committed to recovering and getting back into playing again. 

Photo: Boris R. Aguilar

In the past 13 months, I've been patient and disciplined. I'm now at a point where I'm surpassing my previous ability in terms of tone, range and confidence. 

For anyone going through voice issues: I just want to say that I'm always here to listen and help in any way I can. In my case, I don't expect my vocals will ever feel or sound the same as before, but with time and patience I've found that it is possible to navigate around the issues and to rediscover your artistic practice. Sorry for rambling, but I appreciate the compliment and I'm glad you enjoy the sounds I make.

No apologies necessary! It is great to hear you've found the solutions vital to your return to music! I noticed there’s a more mellow vibe musically compared to your previous band, Here Below.  What inspired the transition?

SC: Actually some Northern Heirs' songs predate Here Below, so it wasn't a linear transition from heavy to melodic. Most of my songs start just with me and an acoustic, so it's more a question of arrangement whether they become a folk tune or a hard rock number (or anything in between). 

I think the new sound is just a result of having a more balanced palette and working with different people. That said, if you see us live I'll still be throwing my guitar around and there are select moments where I'm kicking on the drive. Lower lows make for higher highs.

How did Northern Heirs meet/form as a band?

SC: It started as a studio project between myself and Producer, Michael Norberg. We were working on a record at Mushroom Studios (which, sadly no longer exists) and when we had some downtime, I played some songs from my back catalogue. Mike convinced me it was worth recording, and together we set about

Photo: Boris R. Aguilar

creating what would become Northern Heirs' first EP. After we released the EP we decided to take the project to the stage and recruit other musicians. I've since brought in Kevin O'Leary on bass, and Braeden McMillan on drums, respectively - they're awesome multi-instrumentalists and have a background working together as a rhythm section.

What is your favorite part of performing live? Least favorite?

SC: The start and the end. There's no substitute for the challenge of performance and establishing a feedback loop with an audience. When you really connect with a crowd, there's no other feeling that compares. I suppose the logistics of it all might be my least favorite, but I weirdly enjoy carrying equipment and loading vehicles efficiently, so... I have no negative feelings, generally.

Being in a band that is inspired by our beautiful country of Canada: if a restaurant were to name a gourmet poutine after the band, what would be in it?

Photo: Boris R. Aguilar

SC: Well, we're all about storytelling, discovering new things about the places and people around us, and we want to share personal stories in our music and live show. So, I'd say the Northern Heirs Poutine would be a straight-up traditional dish, brought out by a bardic server regaling you with a human-interest mystery involving their home town. Moose meat optional. Thick-cut East Coast spuds and maximally squeaky Quebec curds. You'd say, 'Hey thanks, that was interesting, and the music was delicious, and let me just go dust-off my photo albums and hit up the local reference library cause this gravy is inspiring me to follow a path of ancestral self-discovery'.

You've definitely painted quite the picture for me with that description *Toronto poutineries- take note!* Which one of your own songs is your favorite and why?

Photo: Boris R. Aguilar

SC: Stone Song is my favorite we've recorded so far because it's heart-breaking and epitomizes our style in terms of presenting simple melodies with hidden rhythmic complexity. That said, my favorite song will always be the latest one we've written, which you'll usually be able to catch at the live show!

If you were to collaborate with other artists of your choice- dead or alive- who would you work with?

SC: My 90s heroes - either Jeremy Enigk or Allen Epley. Do yourself a favor and go listen to SDRE and/or Shiner/The Life and Times. Or like, Adrian Belew... but that would be crazy.

Anything else you would like to add?

SC: I just want to say we appreciate all the love since we started the live band late last year. Would love to hear from folks and if you've got an interesting story we're all ears.

Thank you so much for your time, Scott! 

For upcoming announcements, new music, and shows near you, get social! Follow Northern Heirs on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!

@thatchickkrys

Jersey Girl in Canada in a Music Video!

Hey readers!

  If you ever wondered what your favorite Jersey Girl in Canada looks like when fed up with my preoccupied musician boyfriend (in a calm, cool, and collected manner), check out this beautiful video from Aurganic for their song "The Lost and The Found" featuringScott Carruthers, the angelic-voiced frontman of Here Below! Directed and shot by the talented Matvey Stavitsky!  Be sure to listen carefully to the lyrics, as well- they may give you goosebumps.

Video screenshot: Scott singing to the camera, me on the left.

  Just for the record, I just play Scott's leading lady in the video, no real-life romantic involvement.  That's good news for the ladies out there! :)

  Tune into the Jamsterdam Top 10 countdown at 10 am EST and midnight EST for Here Below, and 9 other awesome new bands, and for the top 10 best tunes you've never heard!

@rockdinthe6ix

Interview with Scott Carruthers of Here Below!

Hey readers!

   Recently, I landed a role in a music video as the singer in the video's fed-up girlfriend for an awesome tune

Here Below: L-R: Michael Kossov, Scott Carruthers, Steve Song, Kyle Carruthers.

 called "The Lost and the Found" by Aurganic featuring Scott Carruthers.  As the day of the shoot progressed, of course I'd mention your favorite radio station, Jamsterdam Radio, to new and talented artists.  The discussions of music opened, and I learned my 'video ex-boyfriend' happens to be the lead singer of the Toronto-based band calledHere Below, which consists of Scott Carruthers (rhythm guitar/vocals), Steve Song (percussion/drums), Kyle Carruthers (lead guitar), and their bass player, Michael Kossov, who also happens to be 1/2 of Aurganic.  

Here is my interview with HB frontman, Scott Carruthers.:   

JGIC: What inspired you to get into music?

SC: I can’t speak for the other guys, but for me, I’ve always been a huge music fan.  My whole family is musical – I grew up listening to my parents, grandparents, uncles, and cousins playing the guitar and writing songs.  I think this kind of early exposure helped me find an appreciation for music; I knew I’d always be searching out and discovering new music, and even as a kid I’d be coming up with vocal melodies and writing songs in my head.

  I guess I started writing music to hear songs that I wanted to listen to. It’s almost like a backwards process. I mess around with a tonne of guitar riffs, drum patterns and vocals, and most of them are discarded. Every once in a while I’ll play something for myself that somehow rings true to me as a listener, and I’ll start developing the concept.

  In many ways I don’t feel like a song writer – I think good songs just sort of fall into your lap.  The inspiration to work at music comes from wanting to take those simple concepts of songs and melodies and turning them into a grand finished piece that other listeners can enjoy…hopefully, haha.

  I do remember writing my first song. I was watching the Wedge on Much Music and I saw a video by Chore for the song “The Hitchhiker”. It was so dark and it had a cool off-time feel – I thought to myself, wow this is really different and resonates with me. I can definitely write more of this kind of thing for listeners like me.  I couldn’t play guitar at the time but I picked one up anyway and started making up chords till a song came out.

JGIC: How did you start?

SC: Well I grew up with Kyle – he’s my cousin.  I guess we always knew that we’d be in a band together, haha. We’d be rocking out on top of climbing frames, in the back of the pick-up, on backyard decks – everything looked like a stage to us.

Here Below started when we both moved to Toronto, it was our first opportunity to kind of see each other on a regular basis. In retrospect it was pretty much set in stone that we’d start a band.

Here’s the goofy part: at the time I was writing a fantasy novel and I had written a bunch of songs based on the story. It was pretty much an all-out geek fest…elves, dragons…I played a lot of D’n’D, haha. So Kyle and I thought we’d write a concept album based on it and we started looking for musicians.

I have no idea what the appeal was to Mike and Steve. “Come play in our fantasy concept album project”, haha. But Steve was the first drummer we auditioned and Mike was the second bassist we tried out. It was like, poof, here’s your band.  We immediately started writing a bunch of cool progressive songs…and then we decided to drop the whole concept album thing, haha.

JGIC: Songs about elves and dragons?  That's awesome- I hope to hear them one day!  How did you come up with the band name "Here Below"?

SC: We struggled with a name for a really long time. One day, Kyle and I were just hanging out.  We were listening to “No One Knows” by Queens of the Stone Age.  There’s this part in the song where Josh Homme says: “Heaven smiles above me, what a gift, here below,” and then there’s a background harmony that does this angelic “ahhh”.  In my memory, there was a shaft of light that came through the window and the warm glow of the universe filled the room – probably didn’t happen that way, but we had the band name.

  I think it works as a name because people can take it to mean many different things. For me it’s about being under the weight of this huge reality that is so much bigger than our understanding. It’s about being insignificant and grasping at straws trying to make sense of the size of space.  In a way it’s very depressing to me, but hey, I think we write pretty depressing stuff, haha.

There are no religious connotations. There is a Christian band in the states called Here Below, but fuck those guys.

JGIC: If 'Here Below' is a depressing band name, I wonder why that Christian band picked it as well... I'm won't going there. lol.  What are your top 3 fondest moments being an artist?

SC: 1. Our reunion show after a year and ½ hiatus while I was off recording and touring with A Primitive Evolution. It was an awesome show here in Toronto, HB came back with a bunch of new tunes and we shared the stage with APE – it was a great moment. The crowd sang “I’ve got a robot master” with me at the end of our song “Deep Machines”.

2. Finishing the album. It took long enough – we sat on the instrumental mixes for two years, haha.

3. Number three is still to come – we’re booking a bunch of festivals and showcases.  I’m going to reserve this slot for when that comes to fruition.  The big one coming up is Indie Week, Oct 19th at Cherry Colas.

JGIC:  What do you find is the toughest part of being an artist?

SC: The marketing and promotions are the hardest part.  I wish we could just write and record all day long and kind of send songs out to a waiting, slavering audience…that just doesn’t happen.  It’s 20% writing and that’s something that’s difficult to accept for some people. I’m kind of learning the ropes now, haha.

JGIC: Favorite bands?

SC: This is my favorite question.  I feel like Here Below reaches back in time to pay tribute to all of our favorite artists.  Maybe the songs don’t sound like it, but the inspiration from other bands shines through in different ways like structure, tone, emotion, energy.

My personal favs: Oceansize, Shiner, Failure, Sunny Day Real Estate. I also still love me some good hardcore / metal: Dillinger Escape Plan (the old stuff), Between the Buried and Me, Ion Dissonance, The End, etc. etc. At the same time I’m big on classic Canadiana: Tragically Hip, April Wine, Max Webster, and Colin James. I also love folk, jazz, classical, hip hop, country….I’ll listen to anything.

As for the other guys: Kyle is really inspired by classic rock and 90’s prog. Steve loves punk, hardcore, jazz, he’s got a hard on for the Deftones, Poison the Well, and shares my love of Death Metal. I introduced him to Reuben and he friggin loves it. Meanwhile Mike is pretty eclectic, but he’s got a big appreciation for electronica and anything with a cool production. He’s big on Massive Attack, modern jazz greats, but he’s not opposed to throwing on some Soundgarden when he’s feeling nostalgic. Mike also used to play in a metal band, haha. I’m actually really surprised we haven’t written anything with a breakdown or a blast beat…maybe that’s next.

JGIC: Oh- I see a few of my faves mentioned in there!  I have seen one too many musicians with jealous girlfriends because the stereotype about musicians is that chicks dig them, so of course, there would be potential for groupies hanging around them.  If you are/were in relationships, how would you deal with groupies?

SC: First off, groupies are awesome.  I’d like to encourage ladies to listen to HB, come out to shows, collect locks of our hair, tell their friends, etc.  Personally though, I’m not a very promiscuous person – I’m a bit shy and not really receptive to that kind of attention.  But really, groupies are important; they’re fans and that’s fantastic. 

  If I were in a relationship it wouldn’t change the way I act around people at our shows.  We all try to be really friendly, we encourage people to come and talk to us about the music and the performance – it shouldn’t matter if it’s a guy or a girl.  We’re not about being “mysterious” or anything like that.  My hypothetical girlfriend would have to just trust me. Maybe she’d be proud that other girls want to bone the singer.  

  But yeah, I’ve never comprised how I act at shows or around groupies because I’ve been in a relationship…it just comes with the territory.  Ladies: if your man is a musician and he’s getting touchy feely with fans, he’s probably just a crappy boyfriend.  At the same time, just because you’re a musician doesn’t mean you’re a man whore.

JGIC: *I actually snort-laughed out loud at the 'locks of hair' statement because I seriously just pictured it!* 

 If you could form a “dream tour” with any musicians of your choice, deceased or living, who would you choose?

SC: Oh man, just put me on a bill with Mike Vennart (Oceansize, British Theatre) and/or Allan Epley (Shiner, The Life and Times) and I’d be happy as a clam.

JGIC: Any shout outs?

SC: We love our fans! Big shout out to anyone who has ever seen HB live – you’re the heart and soul of the band.

JGIC: Anything else you would like to add? (Upcoming shows, etc..)

SC: Watch out for Here Below at Indie Week 2013 in Toronto! Our showcase is on Saturday October 19th at Cherry Cola’s. We’ll be on stage around 10:30pm!

JGIC: Awesome- thank you for taking the time for this interview, Scott!

  Here Below is new in the Jamsterdam rotation, so keep an ear out for them!  Keep it locked!

@rockdinthe6ix