Spotlight on Montreal Music Rascals : Frisky Kids
Frisky Kids
One of the most fun local bands to catch live is Frisky Kids. Vivika Ballard sat down to talk to them about how they got started.
Vivika Ballard (VB): I thought it was ironic that your EP is called The Beach and on Thursday you’re playing with The Beaches. Maybe you should just make it a beach theme.
Calum Glew Dowbiggin (C): Everyone can dress up in Hawaiian shirts.
VB: Cool. *Hotdogs arrive*, enjoy guys! So, how did you guys meet?
Matisse Gill (M): We’ve known each other for a while, since elementary school.
C: Ya like grade two but we only started playing music together in college. Just at the end of high school.
M: We lived together and started a band.
VB: Was Matt in your original lineup?
C: It was me and Matisse who started it and we got this other guy Mike. Then Matt we had played in a band with before so we asked him to join and he lasted with us about a year and a half then he moved on.
VB: And now it’s Alex?
C: Now it’s Alex.
M: Since about February.
VB: And he’s drumming.
C: Drumming and singing, we all sing.
VB: And you guys usually stick to your own instruments?
C: Ya, because we’re a three piece it’d be really difficult if someone just changed up. It would really alter the sound of the band.
VB: For sure.
C: And I don’t want Matisse to play my guitar.
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VB: Are you guys from Montreal?
C: Ya, well just off island, a little town called Hudson. We moved downtown September 2013.
VB: So you must have done CEGEP.
C: Yup, good times.
VB: What did you guys do at CEGEP?
C: Ah, Liberal Arts. What did you do at CEGEP?
M: Ah, I was slackin’ off. I was in a creative arts program.
VB: And your new EP came out last March.
C: Ya, we’re actually recording a new album right now. We’re aiming to put it out early summer late spring.
VB: How’s that going?
M: It’s going really great. It’s really, really fun. I think they’re the best recordings we’ve ever done.
C: We’re just learning how to hold down our instruments now.
M: On our last EP for certain songs Alex had just joined the band and we were still getting the feel for the songs.
C: So we feel really confident with this one *chuckles*.
VB: Is the new album going to be along the same lines as The Beach?
C: It’s going to be a little more polished, a little less low-fi but still pretty garage rock.
VB: And you guys recorded your EP at Seratone Studio?
C: Yup, and we’re recording the album there too.
M: It’s a great studio. Simon Petraki is a great producer, really fun to work with, super nice guy.
C: He saw us at a show actually and approached us and we tried a song out with him and we really liked it so we recorded the EP with him. He let’s us do things our way more than anything which is super important to us. He did really well, good for Simon!
VB: Is there any reason the EP is called The Beach?
C: It’s like where we want to be. It was in the dead of winter when we recorded that EP, gets ya down, and the songs are all kind of upbeat so it made sense.
M: And our jam space is called The Beach as well. It’s really grimy, so it’s nothing like the beach.
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VB: Who writes a lot of material?
C: We both do.
M: It’s tag team.
VB: Is there a lyricist between the two of you?
M: Calum’s a poet.
C: I’ve been called the poet of my generation.
M: Calum’s good with lyrics.
C: That’s not really fair to say. We help each other.
VB: What was your favourite band in grade five?
C: I’d have to say The Beatles.
VB: Would you say your sound is inspired by the Beatles?
C: A lot of people say that and it makes sense because we do love The Beatles a lot but honestly not one of the songs on the EP was written with The Beatles in mind. I think a lot of it is the image of Matisse with a Höfner bass but in terms of songwriting it doesn’t really come out that much except for maybe vocally because we try to do harmonies.
M: We can’t harmonize like they can anyways. We’ve tried. It doesn’t work.
C: Especially on our earlier stuff, we’re more influenced by early Stones and early King’s of Leon than anything. That was the reason we started the band actually because we got into the two first King’s of Leon albums.
VB: Cool. What are you guys up to for the rest of the day?
M: We’re gonna practice actually.
C: We haven’t had much time to practice with school but we’ll hash something up today.
M: We’re working on a Christmas song. Throw it up on the wall.
C: People love that kinda stuff.
VB: Alright guys, thanks for chatting! See you at the show.
C: Thank-you!
M: See you there.
The Frisky Kids open for The Beaches and The Mohrs at Divan Orange (4234 St. Laurent) on December 4. 9 p.m. $15.
