WATCHING OUT FOR ALEXISONFIRE

Updated: 11/16/04

Breaking out of Canada in a big way, Alexisonfire has been making friends all over the world with their lively shows and hardcore anthems. Watch Out! is their latest opus on Equal Vision Records. Here is an email interview we did with the band after their Hellfest performance.

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Alexisonfire, and how long the band has been together.
George is leaning over my shoulder right now and my name, who is mastering the keyboard right now is Jesse. If Alexisonfire were different 80's movies, George would be "Twin Peaks" and I would have to be "Conan The Destroyer" hahahaha, oh wait, lets roll with "Ghostbusters". Our band Alexisonfire has been together since 1984. Once that Van Halen album dropped and Kiss took off their make-up, we knew what we had to do. Get our parents to have sex and make us. OK, we have been together for 3-4 years but were in bands well before that in our early teens.

Where is the band from and what is the music scene like there?
We are from Canada - Ontario - Southern Ontario - Niagara Region - St. Catharines. That is basically the break-down of where our band is from, however George is getting pissed that I didn't mention his home town Grimsby, however what he doesn't realize is the question is "Where is the band from" and that answer is St. Catharines until we have a band practice in Grimsby, hahaha. The music SCENE in our area is amazing. In South Ontario we got Boys Night Out, Sleeper Set Sail, Raising the Fawn, Moneen, Jersey, Billy Talent, Broken Social Scene, Bedouin Soundclash, Closet Monster, Hostage Life, The End, Abandoned Hearts Club and so on and so on and so on. Our manager runs a festival call SCENE Music Festival and a e-zine called Bedlam Society both reflects our smaller area and Canada. So to answer that question a little more simple, George says it's astonishing!

The music on Watch Out is a gigantic leap from your previous record? Was this a conscious choice to be more melodic this time around?
This is going to sound cheesy or not cheesy but I know George will start yappin in my ear about this one. But we were like 17 when we wrote our first album and in that time leading up to our new album, we have toured North America a few times and have been coming into ourselves. With all these experiences you make mistakes, you learn, you mature and when we wrote our new album, we were simply different people from our last album. George just gave me the "good answer!" So anyways, I don't think it was overly conscious, it's just where we are at right now. It is more melodic and that’s because we are becoming better writers I would like to believe. Have you seen or listened to the bass on this? Steele is a maniac!

Who did the artwork on Watch Out and how much input did the band have on it?
Our dude Justin at Belmont Tattoo's did the actual drawing of the album and then Garnet Armstrong, our other dude, did the art direction and layout. As far as input goes regarding the artwork, we had full input, we have a small team of people and we roll with the utmost respect of everyone’s opinion that is part of our family. Both albums we have been in full control of the direction of the packaging. Most bands like to be hands off, however we know that the CD is a big part because we are fans as well and wanted to create something that made you want the whole package. So we would like to thank Justin and Garnet for making our album look amazing and capturing our idea.

A lot of the lyrics seem to deal with some pretty serious subject matters. Where do you get the ideas when you write?
George may want to take this question.
Hey, its George, I don't really come up with ideas, they are more feelings. I know that sounds corny but its true. I or we write about how we are feeling through observing our surroundings. No one was like, "Lets write an anti drug song and call it White Devil. Basically being on the road and in the entertainment industry we have been witnessing and observing that people are finding it fashionable to be addicted or pretend to be addicted to Cocaine. Not that this is new by any means, but new to us and to be honest, we think it's very un-fucking fortunate. Why not concentrate on being a better human, or making your surroundings positive? Why not do something constructive versus blowing shit up your nose and throwing your life away? But we understand that is our stand and it’s not for every body but it’s our album and we will write about it. What’s great about that song is our manager has received emails from parents thanking us on our courage to actually take a stand and says their kids really developed their own opinion on drugs because of that song, which we thought was the most amazing thing ever. As far as other social issues and such, it's just life and how you look at it. We would like to believe we are breaking it down simple and positive.

Compare your audience in Canada to the one you have in the States. I understand you guys have quite a following in Canada.
WE ARE GODS OF CANADA!!!!! Hahahahaha, just kidding. Our audience is the same people but in Canada it's just 20 times bigger. We are lucky to live in a country that supports it's fine arts and culture. We are on an independent label so we are able to get grants for videos and other fun things. We have utilized those to our best and we are doing well and very fortunate that people are liking it here. It's crazy, we played a side stage on the Warped Tour up here for 3 shows and it was insane. We had 8000-10,000 people watching us on a side stage in Barrie and we had to stop the show twice because it was so crazy. When we walked on stage we were nervous as shit, it's our home town area, it was great. Then before that we played another festival with our best friends Moneen to the same sized audience and before that was Edgefest with Billy Talent and others and that was like 17,000 people. So it's been very surreal to be honest, and we are so god damn happy the way everything is going. We come to the States and it’s amazing! We are still a developing band and we love it. We see the crowds getting bigger and we are finally getting some decent tours, so we are all moving forward and enjoying the ride in every country, no matter how big or small it is. We are touring with Hot Water Music this Fall and to be honest we are so excited for this. We really love that band and have heard that they are amazing human beings, so we're looking forward to hanging and seeing them every night. As well as Planes Mistake For Stars!!! Come on!!!!!

Where you surprised at all the people that turned out for your show at The Roxy with Silverstein?
Yeah that was rad! We have played Cali a few times now and those Cali Cats seem to really dig what we are doing. We can't wait to go back there with Hot Water Music, that is going to be insane. But yeah we are always stoked when kids sing back our songs, as a nerd in a band that is one of the greatest feelings you can have.

What did you think of Hellfest this year and how did your appearance there go?
George will field this one…
We are going to get in shit for this but we thought it was bullshit. Outside of tons of border problems, which was our problem not Hellfest's, it was just the beginning of a downward spiral. The negativity and vibe of that whole day was completely not our thing at all. They were selling hate and to be honest that is just not how we roll. Our set was alright - we drove for 15 hours to play 4 songs - hurray! We said hi to our labels, some friends and Bear VS Shark and got the fuck out of there. Our manager and Greg who runs our Canadian label went and said the same thing - our manager really hated it. He came home angry and couldn't believe that bullshit and told us all the fun we missed like fights, and the dude from Eyeball Records getting his ass whooped for no reason at all and just tons of shit that shouldn't happen when kids are paying money to go to a concert. So all in all, it simply wasn't our thing.

So you’ll be going to Australia soon. Are you looking forward to all that kangaroo hunting and have you ever been to Australia before?
I am actually looking forward to dipping my hand in that pouch the Kangaroo's have and feeling all the mucus inside. Well I don't think outside of some fishing, which we let the fish go, any of us will be doing any hunting. As far as Australia goes, we are so so so so excited. Come on, we get to the see the world and play music for a living. It's very hard work and I know people don't understand how hard it is and who really cares if they do. We work hard and get to experience so many amazing things. Australia will be one of them and our label Shock over there seems to be rather amazing.

So how many people have referred to your band as Alex Is On Fire?
Our name seems to cause confusion all the time. Call us what you will, it's simply a small extension of what we do.

Are there any Alexisonfire groupies wandering around this great continent?
If there are we have yet to meet them, hahahahaha. We don't have that groupie style of crowd, or if we do, we don't recognize it at all. We have tons of fans, new friends and family that we enjoy seeing at every city. As far as groupie is concerned, will leave that to the pop stars and will hear all about it on MTV or Much Music - and hear it from the source once their career's start to fade.

Which member of Alexisonfire is likely to leave the band and join up as the newest addition to the Backstreet Boys?
Dallas, but I am sure he would prefer NSYNC.

Any final words of wisdom?
Always think positive and move forward in life. Life is a privilege and too short to fuck around and waste it. Put yourself in a dare to be great situation and be great, exceed great. Just do your best to make yourself happy and happiness is contagious - other people will appreciate what you pass along. As well as make sure you pull out in time even when you are wearing a dome. Keep those condoms on kids!

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