Winhara

I feel as though being a stunt double or a special effects man for movies would take much of the “ooh and awww” out seeing a movie – simply because you know what is happening to really create the moment where a helicopter is ninja kicked in half by the hero.

Unfortunately I have the same feeling with music now. As a youngster (i.e. 16) I was living at concert venues and summer festivals. I just loved being surrounded by the music and being “this close” at the front of the stage to people doing what I only dreamed of. Everything seemed larger than life. But as time passed and I became more aware of things happening on and off stage in the music industry I was less and less impressed. That and a lot of music started to suck…

Anyway, what I am getting at is that there are very few bands that I get excited about when I hear an album is coming out or that they are going on tour. One such band is Brooklyn based White Rabbits. Although I don’t know everything and anything about this band, I do know that from what I have heard and seen (thanks YouTube) I love everything they do. Needless to say I was ecstatic when I realized they would be playing Toronto on October 24. And then I realized the bad news…WE were playing on October 24. What made it even more painful was that they were playing a venue on the same street as us…two doors down.

As the date grew closer I was joking with many people that I was simply going to run next door, watch the concert and sneak back in to our show before anyone was the wiser – which was totally undoable of course. Then this led to joking about both bands loading their gear in at the same because the venues were so close together and getting a chance to bump into them that way. It was all so LOL.

All these thoughts had for the most part left my mind by the day of the show, as I was more focused on our own show that evening. However, as we were beginning to unload our gear into the venue, what should come around the corner but a big white cargo van with a trailer that proceeded to stop two doors down. After our gear was unloaded (and much teasing from the other guys) I finally worked up the courage to go talk to them. Now, I have met my fair share of famous hockey players and musicians in my time and for the most part have kept things cool – but for some reason – mostly my unbridled love for the band, I was more like a 12 year old girl meeting the Jonas Brothers on this day. I came around the corner of the venue, saw the guys all standing around the van having a smoke and just started rambling at mach speed…

”Ummm yeah. Hi, my name is Stephen.” – extends for hand shake.

(Steve from the WR introduces himself as ‘also Steve’)

“Yeah anyway what time are guys on tonight because I REALLY wanted to see the show.”

(I think 11pm)

“Ahhh see cause I am also in a band that is playing tonight two doors down and…”

(Oh what band is that?)

“Winhara”

(Sorry?)

“Winhara, we’re a local band…anyway, that sucks cause I really like you guys and we have you at work on the mixed CD…”

(Sorry?)

“Oh, I also work retail and yeah they are a small Canadian company and it is usually just Britney Spears so when you guys came on I was all like (voice cracks) ‘Ohhhh no way this is on here!”

(Well that’s cool)

“Yeah, well and OH! I saw your performance on Letterman, man that was SWEET!”

(Oh well thanks, thanks a lot)

“Oh, sorry I realize I am rambling, I don’t usually get nervous when meeting people but… (trailing off)…you guys are really good”

(Oh no worries man, we are just dudes)

“Yeah but you are good!”

(Well thanks, anyway maybe cut your set short tonight so you can make it…haha)

“Yeah they don’t really need a drummer…acoustic set tonight boys…anyway, thanks, thanks – extends for hand shake again – and it was super cool to meet you guys, later!”

….And then I ran away…Didn’t leave a business card, didn’t try and pump up the band or mention our “after party”…Nope, I just ran away.

For a moment, I was a 12 year old girl.

P.

You can barely walk through it, but we're getting things done. (click to enlarge)

I will be the first to admit it.  I like it when things are neat, organized, logical.  But there is a sense of finality to organization.  You clean up.  You say “There, I’m done”.  And then you go watch TV.  Progress, I have learned, is varying levels of chaos.  The same can be said for Creativity.  Now maybe this is not universally applicable.  I am quite certain that my university lab instructors would disagree.  But I can tell you that our ‘band room’ has been in a state of barely navigable flux for the last month and we have written more songs, come up with more creative and ambitions ideas and learned and programmed more MIDI than we have in ages.  If you are trying to make the song lyrics look pretty instead of just getting them down, you’re missing the point.

August has been, and will continue to be a crazy crazy month.  We are not playing any shows until September, but are busier than ever working on the set, live show, writing and all sorts of thing I don’t want to tell you about.  Just come to a show in September.  I promise it will be worth it.

H.

In life we all have good days and bad days. It can be affected by weather, like a rainy sunday afternoon will leave you bummed out and feeling like shit.  Sometimes your feelings can be the direct result of a change in your day to day life such as a new apartment or a vacation somewhere warm.  Sometimes you will hear a song that takes you back to when it meant everything to you and you’ll have a little three minute flashback of the “good old days”. Your feelings and emotions might not be what guide you down the long term path of life but they sure as hell fuel the tank that moves you on a day to day basis.

Some people go through life trying to enjoy every moment and appreciate what they have.  Bad times are often softened with good family, kind friends and lots of distraction. Some people go through life sad or angry and often pointing out the obvious flaws in our messed up world, only elongating the down time.  Many of us are both of these people and we’re just trying to make sure that we steady the wings on this f$#%ed-up plane so that we don’t fly off into the atmosphere or crash into the ocean.

Writing music is not one of my favorite things to do.  I enjoy the end result of writing a song and I even enjoy moments of putting a song together.  For the most part writing a song can be mentally and emotionally draining, that is if you’re working hard on it. Where your head is at when you’re creating and assembling a song usually directly effects what you’re doing with the song and where you want to take it.  Writing a song with another person or a group of people is really a helpful way to bounce ideas around and reassure each other about vocal melody, drum beat, key changes, song structure and all the rest of it. The downfall to writing with other people is pride.  Good constructive songwriting comes from working together, knowing how to approach suggesting change to the song and knowing how to accept change to the song. Pride enters the picture when one person is unwilling to change something or they want something done there way.  Good songwriting chemistry is hard to find…overly proud songwriters are not hard to find.

Some say music is art but what’s art if the artist is the only one who wants it?  If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear, does it make a sound???  If a shitty song is written and no one listens to it, is it really art???

Starting NOW until August 30th we are running The GREAT Hold Back Light Show Scavenger Contest.  Up for grabs is the new HOLDBACKLIGHTSHOW t-shirt (pictured below) and a $20 gift certificate to iTunes or HMV (your choice)!  It’s easy!  Here’s how you get into the fun:

Head to our new site www.holdbacklightshow.com.

Hidden on the backs of 10 of the photos you see there are items of information you need to find and send to us.  Some of these things will test your wit (answering questions), some will let you show off your life experience, some won’t prove anything at all but we hope you have fun!

Once you have gathered all you can, e-mail your snippets of information to winhara@winhara.com.

You’ll notice that for some questions you have to include some visual evidence as well – pictures and/or scans for example – and you can do this any way you like: attach it in an e-mail, give us a link to your Facebook or Flickr page, you can even snail mail them to us if you want.  Have your answers in by August 30th.  The winner will be announced shortly thereafter and sent the most excellent grand prize mentioned above (we will get in contact with you about sizing etc.).

Happy scavenging!!!

Recently a very traumatic thing happened. I was reading Marvel’s Civil War series and was saddened to see that Spider-Man was convinced by (his now mentor…wtf?) Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) to unmask on national television. I won’t go into details as to why this happened, or why it seemed important to the “cause” at the time (because really, do you care?) but it certainly started my brain in motion. I often relate very closely with the trials and tribulations (okay…so I want to be Peter Parker) of the story line throughout the Spider-Man comics. Not the good versus evil, or the whole super-powers thing, but the life of Peter Parker – the nerdy, scrawny, often maligned by his own good intentions, wallflower kind of guy. I often joke about the fact that no one ever sees me in the back because I am hidden behind the drums / three tall guys, but for the most part I also make myself scarce before and after shows – protecting my secret identity. It’s something I work hard at, much like Peter Parker worked for so long to conceal his identity. The difference is that I intend to continue to play things close to the vest – the fact that this blog is out is almost an unmasking in its own right
For the most part this was just to let people know that if you ever tried to say something or get my attention (pre or post show) and I failed to acknowledge it…it wasn’t a shun or cold shoulder, I was just trying to protect my secret identity

We hit the Queen and Spadina neighborhood last night armed with acoustics, glockenspiels and electronic gadgets to busk for the NXNE concert goers.

Before we had even settled in to play a tune, a traveling minstrel struck up a conversation and told us he had been playing the streets since 1984.  He thought it would be a good night if the rain held off.  He played us a song about skinny-dipping in Halifax and in exchange we played him ‘Science’ which is not about skinny dipping or Halifax at all.

At times we had a crowd cheering for us and sometimes we were playing to each other and curious passers-by.  But all in all it was a great night.  Plus we sold CDs which was completely unexpected.  We were mainly out to promote our upcoming show at the Mod Club (event details).

Perhaps this was the highlight:

An excited young gentlemen raved, “These guys are better than Lady Ga-Ga… and they’re free… and they’re all mine!!!  (We had set up next to a MMVA party hosted by Lady Ga-Ga which makes it a little less random).

Hugh snapped this shot while taking an all-natural iced tea break.

I’ve spent my Sunday (the first day off with no obligations in two weeks) working on my Pro Tools chops.  They’re still not good but damn that program is fun.  If you’re one of those people who don’t like Pro Tools I’m sorry…but damn it’s fun. I haven’t been working on Winhara songs because we’re not yet to the recording stage with any of our new stuff.  I did mess around and come up with a terrible “Hip Hop-ish” song I’ve entitled “pajamas” because it is the least “Hip Hop-ish” name I could think of.  OK well I’ll let you know if this makes it on the next Winhara album…that was a joke…seriously, even if I joked Dano would hit me with a blunt object, haha.  Well enjoy!

6′ 1″, White, Male, 135lbs

Has been known to play drums, read comics, sleep and not do his dishes.

This man needs to write a blog.  Soon.

I’m reading a book on being in an Indie Band.  It reads:

Not everyone is cut out to be an independent musician.  Before making the decision to go after an independent career, you-as a musician-must ask yourself:

*Have you done everything you can to be as good as possible?

*Can you trade dreams of being a star for the reality of making a living from your music?

*Are you willing to bend with suggestions from others?

*How much time are you willing to devote to your music career, including touring?

*How big are your balls?

Indies should never assume anyone will do anything for them that they aren’t willing and able to do for themselves.  No one will ever care as much about your music and career success as you do.  The only helping hand you can truly depend on is connected to the end of your arm.  Don’t expect others to do it better than you can do it yourself!

“I Don’t Need A Record Deal!-Your Survival Guide For The Indie Music Revolution”