This week in the Dojo, we're joined by professional musician and 3x Juno nominee - Earl Pereira (The Steadies, Wide Mouth Mason).
We'll talk about finding creativity during lockdown, focusing on consistent growth, and finding yourself through difficult times. We'll chat about the business of music, life on the road, and even dealing with loss of family, friends and the breakup of a highly-successful band.
On the podium, we'll talk about some of our most influential albums growing up, as we're joined by previous guest Jordon West. He's not just a chef - but also a bit of a musician. We also put together a playlist of some of our faves for everyone to enjoy.
So, throw in those headphones and get ready to rock out with Earl as we learn about leadership and finding success through a musician's lens.
Visit Us
Intro courtesy of The Steadies: visit www.thesteadies.ca
The Biz Dojo - Podcast, Production & Professional Coaching
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
This week in the Dojo, we're joined by professional musician and 3x Juno nominee - Earl Pereira (The Steadies, Wide Mouth Mason).
We'll talk about finding creativity during lockdown, focusing on consistent growth, and finding yourself through difficult times. We'll chat about the business of music, life on the road, and even dealing with loss of family, friends and the breakup of a highly-successful band.
On the podium, we'll talk about some of our most influential albums growing up, as we're joined by previous guest Jordon West. He's not just a chef - but also a bit of a musician. We also put together a playlist of some of our faves for everyone to enjoy.
So, throw in those headphones and get ready to rock out with Earl as we learn about leadership and finding success through a musician's lens.
Visit Us
Intro courtesy of The Steadies: visit www.thesteadies.ca
The Biz Dojo - Podcast, Production & Professional Coaching
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
Welcome to Episode Five of The Biz Dojo, the end of a block as we're calling it, our first the first section of the season completed.
JP Gaston:It's an exciting end of the a block, do
Seth Anderson:you know we hit a lot of notes? It's gonna be a pun.
JP Gaston:I like it. I really like it.
Seth Anderson:Oh, you have a lot of notes in the episode, but also just in the first part of the season, the diversity of our guests just in their background and industry. It's like it's, it's almost crazy to kind of piece it all together. It's
JP Gaston:funny that diversity in their background, but the commonality between all of the industries in between all of their success stories, and all of their lessons learned
Seth Anderson:transcends the industry, right? Like, it doesn't really matter what you're doing great leaders, that entrepreneurial spirit exists across, everywhere. And it's just, it's so fun to kind of hear how it comes out, no matter where these people are, like, it's a similar feeling or vibe, I guess you would call it and we got to learn about storytelling, storytelling, chickens, starting a basketball league from scratch, nonprofits and
JP Gaston:working with kids. That might be the broadest range of topics on a podcast in five episodes.
Seth Anderson:And then we threw this one in there a little, like, what it's like to actually run a band and, you know, be part of a mega successful band, like, you know, wide both bass and if you were to ask pretty much anyone in our age range, have you heard a wide mouth? Mason? They would say yes,
JP Gaston:yeah, absolutely. Three times, you
Seth Anderson:know, nominee, that's pretty big. And so having URL, I don't even know if we've ever we haven't. We're Yeah, we're yammering on URL Pereira, frontman of the steadies, which in their own right, man, I really like what they're doing.
JP Gaston:I have had, and we talked about this a little bit. I've had text messages from Seth. Almost every day since Earl came on, he was on an episode of chopping it up. Just before the holidays, he was on our holiday episode and played a little Christmas reggae for us, which was amazing. And I have had consistent messages from Seth about how he's jamming out to the steadies, which is amazing. But
Seth Anderson:it hits a lot of my favorite genres. Like I like reggae and ska, like those are, I don't know if this is really Scott, per se, but it's in that sort of family, and rock. And it's just good feelings from it. I like it.
JP Gaston:It's all positive, too, which is great. I love music that feels positive. Yeah, it's one of the reasons I get turned off from some of the rap and whatnot that's out there these days is there's just the messaging behind it just doesn't hit with me. And so I turned to this type of music and Earl does it better than anyone else, or have
Seth Anderson:girls awesome. And it was really cool to like, see him sort of embrace the spirit of the interview if you know and, like get into the business side of things, and admittedly not his favorite part of the gig but a necessary part in order to be successful. And you know, I thought it was pretty cool to kind of get a glimpse at that and just kind of see where he's coming from with this whole thing.
JP Gaston:I think people just see the front end, they only see and product and they don't get like when they go to a show especially they don't get all the work that goes if you want to experience the work that goes on try and book a vacation with your wife or husband or significant other for two weeks in a location that is not an all inclusive, so you have to actually come up with plans,
Seth Anderson:well, a different location every night. Yes,
JP Gaston:and go to a different location every single night and plan out your trip and see how well that goes with one person, let alone You know, three bandmates manager, it's not easy.
Seth Anderson:Let's try to do that in Calgary over like four days, it'd be like no,
JP Gaston:I'm done. It's tough. Like and I've, I've done it before I've played in some bands, we've you know, set up some little mini tours and whatnot. And I booked three, four or five shows in a row. And that drove me insane. And there's a lot that goes on on the business side. And it's not all the fun and games of just you know, picking up a guitar and jumping on stage and away you go.
Seth Anderson:Yeah, no and, and he definitely gave us a taste of that and just also how his world has changed in COVID and how he's embraced having, you know, a little bit more time to be creative, you know, maybe different routine, mentor mentoring, you know, given back a little bit helping out musicians who are on the come up and are just kind of getting into music. I think it was a very inspiring conversation and a lot
JP Gaston:to take away for a leader. It's music focused. But there is a lot in here that
Seth Anderson:once it though, like I mean, like it had a musical undertone for sure. But like
JP Gaston:thunder pads are thick today, huh? I was trying to avoid saying that but it sure
Seth Anderson:No, but I mean, you could like listen to this, though. And it's really about entrepreneurship and leadership and overcoming and mindset, like all the things that we would talk about with anybody about about this, it all comes through. It's just you know, the backdrop is music, which a lot
JP Gaston:of people know, almost everybody understands at least the end product of music. There's definitely a connection there. So why don't we get into it.
Voiceover:Let's do it. This week on the pod. We have a new intro brought to you by the steadies. This has ghosted. We'll talk to the front man for the steadies professional musician and three time Juno nominee, Earl Pereira. We'll talk about routines and finding creativity, overcoming setbacks, and mentoring others for success. Then on the podium, we bring back a very special guest, not just a chef, also a musician, Jordan west to talk about some of the music that influenced us along the way. So welcome to season two, Episode Five of The Biz Dojo. Here they are. Seth Anderson, and JP Gaston.
Seth Anderson:All right, welcome to the dojo this week, we've got Earl Pereira. Earl, welcome. It's good to see you again. Thanks, boy. Good to see you both been a little while in a bit. It's been a few weeks, we've done a few things. Since then, yes. It's been very exciting. And you know, for those of you listening who don't know, Earl Earl, is the founder and front man laying down the base for the steadies Canadian rock band that's doing pretty well you guys have you're working on new album, as I understand it,
Earl Pereira:yeah, now I'm working as much as we can, more so come up with ideas and then sending them to everybody, because that's kind of how you got to do things these days. So then everyone gets their input and sends back it another idea. So a lot of file sharing, but at least I have one guy in the band still here in the city, that we can get together and jam on ideas, the only only needs, you have to have at least one I hate doing it all by myself,
Seth Anderson:you got the home studio, they're all set up. So makes it makes it easy to confines a home that's been going well, that's awesome. And, you know, just sort of leads me to my first sort of thought, you know, everybody sees sort of the finished product when it comes to music, whether it's the album or the the cover art or you up on the stage. But it's a it's a full time, full time job, probably multiple full time jobs to be the frontman of a band and to run the whole thing. And when you sort of look back on your journey, you underestimate how much work this was going to be like, when you when you got into it
Unknown:didn't so much underestimated. I welcomed it, you know, I wanted the challenges. I felt like, I'd always been a leader in sports, and then group activities and that thing growing up, right, like captain of the team type of person, right? I just like, I like making sure if there's something's gonna screw up, then it's gonna be on me, I don't want it to be on anybody else, right. But then at the same time, you know, there's good at holding people accountable. And just making sure you know, we hit our goals and win in sports, when growing up, it's just all about winning games and, and getting better as a team game to game and music is sort of the same, right? You're trying to get you get your band to the next level all the time. And there's always another level once you hit that level. So I think through my years in wide mouth, Mason, a lot of learning for sure. I didn't have to be the leader of that group. You know, we all sort of took the reins in a way. But by the end of it, I did feel like I wasn't given enough responsibility. You know, it just it just seemed like I had more to offer than what I was being used for. So once I finally got to, like, have my own dad and start my own thing, and it was a lot of work, because you're just like, Oh, geez, what did I What did I ask for? No, cuz now I'm no, I'm doing managing I'm doing the bookings, and was doing everything you know. So, yeah, it's, yeah, be careful what you wish for sometimes. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being the leader of the group, for sure.
Seth Anderson:In those those early days coming up, was there a moment when you were like, wow, we really made it. And then sort of maybe later on a corresponding moment where you're like, I have to do all this work. And like, you kind of know the path but it's kind of overwhelming to think of what it's going to take to get to that level again,
Unknown:for sure. And that's the one thing about having so much experience in the music industry, you kind of see what it takes to get there. And for me to personally have have success and quite a bit of it early on, you know, it does take a group effort, it takes people pulling their weight. And it definitely helped to have a big machine behind us back in the day doing things that we didn't even realize what they were doing, you know, all the marketing and, and all the money and time that goes into that. So yeah, I think overall, it's it's been still a learning experience for me, I still had to grow in to that leadership role. I think it's taken until recently, for me to feel like I've got to get handle on it now on what needs to happen. And we're taking steps towards it. And so far, so good, you know, we were getting, adding people to our team, building that, that machine for the steadies. To have, because you need it, you can't do by yourself. I mean, everyone knows musicians aren't very good at business. You know, I can only add so much of my guys, you know, they're all they're all smart, capable guys, but we are musicians, and we'd rather just be what we do best is playing music. That's what we should be focused on, you know, which is so great, even though it's COVID. And world's gone crazy. To be able to be my only job right now to make music is a blessing, like, there's one good thing to take out of this whole crap that we've been dealing with is that I finally have some time to be be creative, consistently, not just trying to find a few hours here and there, you know, from touring, and all the planning and all doing all the business, like great, all that stuff is like, I don't have to worry about it right now. I can just do what I love,
JP Gaston:do you find that you're getting more deeply creative? Or are you just getting a chance to explore the things that you probably would have explored anyways? Or is it actually, you know, contributing to you being even more creative than you were in the past,
Unknown:I think it's more volume, you know, it's quantity now that I'm starting to hit, because I'm so used to having to be so efficient, with the limited time that I had to be creative. Now that I have all this time, I'm still using my, my routines of efficiency. You know, it's, it's just helping pump out songs, I'm excited about one after another, so easily, and so effortlessly, you know, it's just kind of flowing out. You just even have songs to like ideas to bring to the table, you know, I've had just make sure I had a good stockpile of them. So that when my guitars come over, he only has so much time, he works and stuff, and, and plays music with other people as well. And as a girlfriend, you know, we know what that's all like, right? It's all about you know, you don't have all the time in the world to do music. So we got to like maximize our time. And at the same time, having a set day, even once a week, for us to get together to know we're gonna make music this day makes it so that we've been pumping out a song a week that I'm really excited about for like the last seven or eight weeks now. So it's, it's been really cool. And then of course, having a recording studio, which I'm never really like a luxury almost no way, but to know what you're doing behind the board, to the point where even at just the demo stage, it's sounding like sounding pretty deadly, even with just a drum loop and the parts we're making. And then and then of course, you know, using your, your skills that you've honed over the years, it's for me, it's been the arrangement side of things. I don't know, for people out there, who knows, arranging and music, it's just being able to the structure of the song to make sure that every single part of it is, is what it should be, you know, and, and it's great because then we got now all these instrumentals compositions, front to back arranged, you know, verses choruses bridge. And now we just, I can just listen to them at any given time I want when I'm going for a walk or doing the dishes, whatever I'm doing, you know, cooking, and hear these songs over and over again driving. And then I can just come up with the melodies and the lyrics on top of it. So that's a good, a good flow, good routine,
Seth Anderson:what would you say is maybe change, like JP and I have talked about this quite a bit, you know, how important sort of morning routine, even nighttime routines, like getting those routines down so that you're sort of performing. So when you get those periods when you can create, you're sort of in the right mindset to start with. And we're kind of going through that with the podcast, right? Like, we're both working full time jobs, we got young kids, but we carve out these little niches that otherwise would have been spent, I don't know watching TV, or something. But we're like, we're being really intentional with our time and it's giving us the right mindset to create. So yeah, what have you done with sort of your routine through COVID and maybe not even consciously but when you think about it, to make sure that you're in the right mindset, when you do get in those creative spaces?
Unknown:Well, first of all, it's it's designing a space where I can just get away and not be distracted. And a space that's kind of inspiring to to be in where you want to be creative, you know, and also gives you the ability to be like for me being in a studio and I'm making music better than just having a music room, right? Because I can now I can record everything I want and get things a little further along a lot quicker. So yeah, that's my routine. I like I gotta have my coffee, can't be in the studio. I can't be making music without it. You know, when I was telling you The turning the voice memos into full blown songs. That's that's your routine. I mean, you've got to stockpile even if even if it's just song titles, because to me, all the great writers out there swear by it, you know, you could write a song off the title of a really cool title. So I'm trying to gather ideas from just everything I do during the day or in the evening. So if even even something as simple as at the end of the night watching show, documentary, or a movie, or anything like that, there's gonna be some lines, and there's going to be some things they talk about, that are great song titles, and I jot them down, you know,
Seth Anderson:I have my phone here, just always kind of like on the look for inspiration with
Unknown:the look. So that way, I've got more than enough to work with one out whenever I want to, I can pick and choose, I can scroll around and be like, Ooh, I like that title. I like that title. I don't like that one. Or I like this song idea. I'm gonna mess with this today. I'm kind of feeling that by and then you're never kind of blocked. Right? You know, you don't have that block where you sit there being like, Huh? What?
JP Gaston:Do you ever get the opposite block or you've just got so much like I find, I'm the type of guy who, you know, I'm sure people have seen that I have a few guitars. So I play stuff. I record some stuff. I get two or three quarters done a song and then I step away from it for a little bit and then I forget about it. And I started another one. So now I've just got this stockpile of like 75% completed songs. And And honestly, I've got so many of them. I don't even know where to start. Like do you ever find that you that you get to that stage where you're just like, man, I just got I just got so much. I want to be at that place then that's that's a uniquely me problem. Dammit. I don't know how you do it, then. Don't you have a wife and stuff? Yeah, I stay up to like four in the morning. I'll go to bed. Yeah, exactly. Never get any.
Seth Anderson:I'm getting up at four in the morning so that I can read and get educated on things. And he's playing his
Unknown:plate too. I mean, I can't help it. That's the life I'm just used to it. You know, after a gig last time I get home and settle down. I might want to pick up the guitar and still want to keep playing. But by that point, it's like three in the morning, right? So that's what I'm used to. That's kind of what I've been doing. You don't get a lot of daylight with the life like that. But hey, man, it's it's minus 50 here for for a week straight now. So I don't need to be anywhere other than home, writing producing for other people. And now they're doing some mentor sessions as well. I sprinkle those gets sprinkled in throughout the week for me and then and actually podcasts. I've been doing at least one a week. Ever since I've last time I talked to you guys. So it's been kind of busy, but in a good way that busy that where you kind of control how busy you want to be, which is what I like, my speed.
JP Gaston:Do you find that that time after a show like you've always I always got a rush, right? Like you play your show, you've always got this rush being on stage and you're like super energized, which is why musicians stay up till four in the morning. Really? Do you find that that's a really creative time for you? Or is it just you're just so wide awake.
Unknown:That is that is the that's the naturally creative time any other time of the day, I'm sort of forcing it to happen, you know, which I can do to like, it doesn't take me much to you know, you take an idea and then you run with it. But at that time of night after you've, you know, been inspired, you just played you still have your journal and you're still coming down from it. It's hard not to just be creative, especially if you've got a guitar kicking around or where I've got my laptop and I can mess around on a track that had maybe started earlier or lyrics actually are a thing that usually pops up for me late at night like that. I can't count how many times I've been trying to go to bed. lights are off
JP Gaston:and eyes are wide open. Yeah,
Unknown:yeah, yes, queued up out of bed and you're like looked for like your notepad and your songbook and then just going crazy right writing so that's that's a good time. I've also noticed that which I don't get to do much. Although I'm not really at the lyric stage. I mean, I you can start lyrics at any point in time sometimes people love starting with lyrics to I've done that. Right now. It's been music first. But traveling when I'm in a moving vessel, like whether it's on the ferry, you know, or on a plane. A lot of times back in the day was on a tour bus can't really write when you're just in a car van. That's it sort of makes me sick to do that. But any kind of like transportation I've written like probably 80% of my lyrics on no moving So
JP Gaston:that's funny because, like, I actually find like I listen to music all the time. But what I'm most I find when I'm most inspired by music is when I'm traveling, like, I will sit in an airport and hear the same song that I heard sitting at home. But for some reason at the airport, something about it hits me and I just it, it speaks to me in ways that it never did before. It's really
Unknown:yeah, I'm not sure what it what it is, I had a theory that it had something to do with the being in motion, maybe that's something to the creative side of your brain, maybe maybe it's like a push start almost, you know, like in Karate Kid, when they hit the push, mom stationwagon punch it, then all of a sudden, you know, and and let's say like I was telling you guys before having like an arranged phone or even just a demo of something instrumental man, you all you need on a plane, you put that on your headphones and a pad and paper, you can easily write to that because you can already picture what the next verse is going to be musically, it's going to be sound pretty much like the first one, right, and then just map out your song and fill in all the lyrics and all the melodies. It's a cool process, then a songwriting has been a business of music, all starts with the phone. Mate, that's, that's, that's it, that's where the blossoms out of everything comes from that, you know, you can't play gigs without having great songs can make fans so having songs. So, you know, no one will ever know who you are with without them. So the I need to be in that place where I can. I'm always so envious of songwriters and musicians who, who say that, say what you say, oh, I've got I've got way too many ideas. You know,
JP Gaston:I didn't say any of them were good.
Unknown:It's good to have, I don't know what I'd have. But I'd rather have, you know, a few really good ones, or a whole bunch that are okay. And then I got to sort through them. All right, my old guitarist and sort of music partner who passed away Justin juice Lee, he was like that he, he stockpiled so many ideas. And then, and then sports have to sift through those as is. Because there's just there's too many. And I don't like working that way at all. I'd rather have. If they're gonna be too many than making really good. Then it doesn't matter which one I I started to listen to. But then I started thinking about, oh, how does he have all these? And I don't like, I'm like, Oh, right, he doesn't do any work. All the time in the world to make music, whereas I'm messaging, emailing freaking agents, and coming up with the next bio and, man, just ridiculous stuff.
JP Gaston:So and it's all this stuff I think people don't think of with the band, right? Like, like Seth was saying earlier. You know, there's, there's what people see, which is that end product, but then there's all this extra stuff that you're doing, and not even just creating the song or booking the gig, like, there's a million other things that need to get done. Creating merch, and getting the merch ready planning, like even just planning out a tour is, I mean, I've planned out, you know, five or six stops. And not much more than that, that's about the limit of my musical, five or six stops at a time. And that, like, past two is tough.
Unknown:Yeah, for sure. I mean, and then try booking, you know, a full month tour, it's, you can see a lot of work. And it's never ending because you're always working on the next one. And the next one, three months from now, let's whatever the next shows. So it's definitely a lot easier right now to not have to deal with that. And just, you know, like we talked about earlier, just, you'll get to do what, I actually love you because I don't love doing that. I do it because I have to do the business because I want to make sure you know we're things are in place for us to be able to grow and get to that next level having management now help, you know, although it's it's even been it's been challenging for even her because she's busy with her day job. She works at GM place, or they call it Rogers Arena in Vancouver now. And since hockey started, he's been like, working away more and she's been having to be there like all the time. So we don't get as many meetings as we had been earlier, which is okay. isn't a normal year, that would be a problem. But right now with us not being able to play shows or even book shows yet, or tours anything like we're not even close to having to get into that point yet. It does, it does take it a lot of the pressure off of the business side right now. There's things we can still be doing. Of course, like you were mentioning that sorting out merge, having a good online store and all that stuff. And you guys know anybody because I don't want to do it. I'm in the mode of hiring people that are really good at what they do. I don't mind paying them, if they're, if they're good at it. So
Seth Anderson:JP is currently figuring out how to sell merchant coffee on our website. So
JP Gaston:yeah, I'll let you know how the coffee from our website. Good. There you go.
Seth Anderson:Hey, Earl just wanted to kind of double back. You mentioned the mentoring that you do. And I'm just kind of curious, is the inspiration there just to sort of give back to sort of the youth in Saskatchewan and kind of help them get started on their own journey? And I guess how would you describe your coaching style? How do you how do you approach that I'm sure you've learned a lot in doing that and sort of figured out who you are as a coach and just curious what that looks like.
Unknown:It's, you know, if we use the sports analogy, I'm definitely like a player's coach. I don't like the drill sergeant type of tough love, I like to I think I get the best out of people just by trying to you know, speak their language and understand where they're at. And try to unlock something in them. That's that's potential greatness in something, the identify some kind of skills, that what they do best and try to bring that out more. And, and then of course, work on their weaknesses at the same time. Even with my bandmates. There's no bickering or yelling anymore, not in not in this band, not with this lineup, because I just find that that's not conducive to making good music, or at least having get the right energy, because it's all about vibes and energy. So when you're an artist, that's everything and something throws that off. It just kind of darkens the mood. And yeah, it works for some people, for sure. I like to be coached hard, mainly, because with my experience, I just like pressure, right? I think I can rise to the challenge, it brings the best out of me. So it's hard, I mean, puts pressure on me. But it doesn't work for everybody, I think you need to kind of gauge who you're dealing with. And, and for me, it's it's not just use, it's it's artists that are at all stages. And all ages. Right now, if anything, if there's anything kind of young about it, if it's maybe they're young, early in their career, but they might be my age, you know, but just just getting going and wanting to do pursue music. Finally, right?
Seth Anderson:Is there a student that you've had, or a story of someone who's sort of maybe blown you away that like, really took your coaching and ran with it, and, you know, maybe you weren't expecting them to kind of do what they did and just really impressed you.
Unknown:There's been definitely, people I've worked with that are that are still working hard, and that are still trying to make a name for themselves. I keep thinking of the one I keep thinking of the opposite ones are the ones that always stood out to me, the ones that are just like, just the worst to work with, and, and, you know, trying to cut every single corner to get ahead. Those I don't know why those everyone's remember. Because maybe because it's a lesson. I've learned to just not work with people like that. And he tried to identify that early on. Yeah. Because it's, it's, I love helping people. But I've come to a point where it's just kind of a waste of your time. If it's an attitude thing that you're not going to be able to fix. Or, you know, they they're actually they pretend they're listening, but at the same time, they're actually doing the opposite of what you're trying to get them to do. Yeah, but I can't wait to see there's there's, there's a lot of you know, I think covers that, depending on how hard they work. Who knows, right? They could they could blossom into a legit bar. So we'll see what happens. There's definitely been been artists over the years, I still trying to think of like one specific there. There are some from the peak performance project. Jesse Roper is doing really well. He's a guitarist from the island. He's like, like a wild man on guitar. He seems to be really running with with all the advice not just I gave him but everyone that mentored during that conference. More it was more of a boot camp, actually,
Seth Anderson:I guess in that vein, was there any, you know, artists when you were coming up that really inspired you that you learned a whole bunch from and help you maybe take your game to the next level?
Unknown:There were some people pretty generous with their time and advice, especially early in my career. One in particular, ended up being a co manager of our band back in the day, although he was had the role of more of an artist, creative manager, and the other one was more of the business. So he was such a respected musician that I looked up to phenomenal guitarist like Eric After level good, and he had a lot of experience in the music industry and bands have done LA for a long time. But I started, I think I got my first boost of confidence when he told me how well I'm doing and how much I've improved. And what I'm doing on stage is, is taking the band to another level type of thing with my, just my energy. And I guess he said, he said things about just my, my groove that just is nice and locked in little ways. And then the ability to be able to, you know, sing, entertain the crowd, get people connected. And then I just took off after that I just, you know, that made me so happy to hear. And I hope that that happens for people that I've worked with. So let's just hope it it works works for them. It's all it's all attitude. You know, it's depends on your personality, too. Like I said, there's the bad apples. Just trying to be famous or something. I don't know what right. And it's hard to tell who they are. Because there's they're they're also really nice to you at first and wanting to soak up as much information as they can from you. But anyone who's willing to, I'm going to be always willing to, to help Moses, for the right reasons, right? For the love of it. Not to be famous. Because if you're doing this to be famous, then you're gonna be sorely sorely mistaken. You're by the end of the day, not all it's cracked up to be.
JP Gaston:Was there anything that you picked up? Like, you know, you had a pretty successful career with wide mouth Mason and you to read around a lot, you know, you're on muchmusic, you're playing big shows all over the place, huge festivals. Was there anything that you in particular that you picked up from there that you've been able to implement with, with the studies? Oh, of
Unknown:course, experiences everything in this industry. And I think that's a big part of my leadership abilities. Whenever one's turning to me for stability, almost right. So we could be playing a big show and, and the nerves could be a little bit higher, because of the amount of people that are going to be attending. If you want to treat every show like the same if there's just some that aren't this letter different? No. And that's when experience on a big stage comes into play. I'm never scared to be on stage. Right? Nothing. Nothing scares me. So I was even like that, in my younger days, being on the big stage, I couldn't wait to get up there and open for like an AC DC or Rolling Stones or something like that, right? It's just like, get me up there. I felt like, like a hockey player just like can't wait for the puck to drop, right? They don't care who they're playing. Right? they're just they're ready to go. I just want to skate for those that I'm like. So we get on that, you know, we get backstage and I just try to calm everybody down by letting them know that says have fun. Like the more fun we have, the more fun everyone else is going to have. And the more relaxed you're going to be and the better it's going to go. So it's it's a pretty, it's pretty easy advice. Someone's telling you to just go out and have fun. Like,
Seth Anderson:loosens everybody up a little bit?
Unknown:Yeah, instead of feeling tight now you're feeling loose, right? Yeah. And that's and that's, that's, that's it? I can't imagine what it would be like to be in a band that didn't have someone with that experience. It would be scary. Because you wouldn't know what to do. They wouldn't be able to tell you that advice. Yeah, guys, just go and get this, don't worry about it. Just follow me. You know, it'd be like, it would be like this, man, I'm freaking out. And they're like, I'm like, I'm freaking out.
JP Gaston:You're freaking out.
Unknown:You want to hear where you go, you get up and playing the biggest show of your life. You know on something calm and and and for me back in the day it was that like I have a first name is Ross rust immunity still around. He lives on Island now playing guitar. And we stay in touch. He actually came to see the steadies for the first time. Last summer not this past summer, we played Victoria scarf Fest in summertime. And that was the very first time he saw us play. And again, he did the same thing. He sent me a message after that was just almost I almost felt like I was 21 again, from what he was telling me, you know, and and that got me that got my confidence up. And that was, you know, a year and a half ago now. And it's really cool because even at this later stage in my career, I still finding things I meant I'm getting better at improving on it. And that all comes with attitude. Like I was saying before, if you're open minded, you're going to grow, you're going to become as great as you can possibly be not as great as comparing yourself to someone else. I just mean as great as you can be. And that's the best of teaching and coaching, I can give like people are so hard on themselves musicians, especially, because you're comparing yourself to the next artist who may be the same age as you, let's say, doing so much better is like, like, I'm easy to get down and start thinking like, I'm never going to be where that person is. Because they're already there. And I'm, I'm nowhere near just like Matt. No
Seth Anderson:he got there. He got to where they are the way they were supposed to your follow your own path. And sometimes it isn't what it appears from the outside looking in either, right? You can sort of make it seem like it looks really good, but maybe they're not even what you think they are like, maybe they're actually struggling. Yeah, though, I think. I think Matthew McConaughey I think it was in his book, or I saw a video or something. And he was talking about I just got the book.
Unknown:I just got it. I really don't ruin the book for you just want Madani talking to me all day. Oh, man. Girl.
Seth Anderson:It's such a good book. But actually, I don't think it's in the book. I think it was in his Oscars acceptance speech, where he talks about how his hero is himself 10 years from now. So he's always sort of chasing that instead of someone else. And I don't know, that's just kind of, yeah, a good way to look at it.
Unknown:I love that. That's exactly what I was talking about. So, amen. He says it's gotta be right. Gotta be
Seth Anderson:gotta be. Gotta be, you're in for a treat. I read that book in like, three or four sittings. It's, it's really good. Oh, man, I can't wait to just sort of back on that topic of your career and, and sort of where it's come from just doing a little reading. And you've described sort of leaving wide mouth, Mason is, you know, something of a divorce and, you know, emotional and a lot went through that with a bit of time and space between here and there. Have you sort of rationalized all that and been able to move on yourself? So that kind of put that behind you? Or do you still
Unknown:absolutely, yeah, I mean, it's, it's it took a long time, you know, you always you never think things are gonna go that route when you're when you're in it. And when, you know, you're trying to climb to the top. But it's hard, it's hard to get there. And when it's hard to stay there when you get there in this industry, especially. So I looked at it more as just positive, right, I learned so much. No, it was for me, it was like getting my masters in music in Iraq. So it's great, because I can apply that to now, even my relationship with those guys is a lot better. We actually communicate, again, not all the time or anything like that. But it's, for example, like our 20th anniversary of stew, or our third album came out on vinyl a couple months ago, we had to kind of chat about that ahead of time. And because we wanted to release the song, they wanted to release a song that we never released that was recorded during that same time, that wasn't on the record, they have to kind of get my approval for that, too. So you're kind of forced to talk a little bit. But at the same time, having lost people kind of has made us all sort of step back and, and chill out. Like they know, I lost my guitarist and music partner a few years back now and Shawn, the guitarist of wide enough, and I kind of patched things up a lot while ago. And then it was just basically between me and the drummer kind of trying to find a common ground. And it was under sad circumstances, both our dad's passed away this year. So we gave us something to talk about, we mainly just talked about our dads and, and how we, you know, we felt bad for each other and for each other's families. And you know, sometimes like having to deal with that loss and death can put things into perspective quite a bit, because the last thing you want is any kind of regrets and, and be there at the end of your days, or someone being taken away from you so quickly, like that can happen. And then and you have been on bad terms with them when that happened would be awful. It did take a while to get to that point. And I think I got to the point where I'm at peace with it, because it was all supposed to go the way it did. No, I think people wouldn't people struggle with with hardships like that and having a deal especially a bad breakup of that kind of magnitude. It's an engine really mess you up to know that it's like, you know, this was actually supposed to go this way. You know, this is the path that I'm on right now is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I wouldn't be the musician and the person and business person I am now if I hadn't gone through that, and I'm so glad I did because I like where I'm at. I'm better at almost every everything, every aspect of what I do, to do music for a living, I'm better at everything. So you know, you can't really Say, with a condition earning anymore, right. And with that,
Seth Anderson:I mean, I guess that's your advice really to anyone because whether it's it's a bad breakup, like you said, or a divorce, or you lost your job, or you're just going through a rough patch, like, you know, be stay positive look for the positives and kind of work through it, you know, good times are ahead. And, you know, great to see that you've been able to find that piece for yourself. Thanks,
Unknown:man. Yeah, yeah, there's definitely some dark times, not gonna lie. It's a kick kick out tough. And it's still there still is. But you just got to know that it's part of life, losing something, whether it be your job or a relationship, a person in your life, you know, that's going to happen. And we just, you just got to be able to accept it, and take something from it, you know, and move forward and grow. It's been quite a journey for me to get to where I'm at right now. And I'm, I'm pretty excited with, with what's going to happen in the coming. coming months in the coming year. lots of exciting things are happening with the band. I got to talk to you guys a bit about last time and it's all official now. And
Seth Anderson:I guess for all the people now waited with bated breath. What what is on the horizon? What do you guys What? what's what's ready to go here? Now?
Unknown:We, we are assigned banned. So the studies fine. Yeah. It's kind of fun, our 10 year anniversary of starting the band. So you know, it took it took this long for it to happen. But like I said, it was supposed to know that this was all meant to be, I like to think my dad and my and my bro my bandmates have something to do with it somehow, you know, they're they're working their magic wherever they are. It's just feels good to have people believe in, in the band, and believe in me and my abilities and being you know, the leader of this band and writing beam to write songs and make great music that they feel that a lot of people are going to love. They just need, they just need to hear it.
Seth Anderson:I promise. Like from when we first talked a few months ago, I guess two months ago now like it's been in my rotation like ghosts, My kids love that jam. It's It's good stuff, man. Thanks,
Unknown:man. That's great. Hey, man, when the kids love it, that's a good sign. Everything.
JP Gaston:And they'll be honest about it Do they will let you know when they don't.
Unknown:Yeah, that means a lot. So Bristol records, Vancouver based record label, they are people that run that label are from the film industry. So there's a lot of connection to the film industry as part of our deal. So there's gonna be like getting into the details. That's just getting your music into like film and television and things like that is really hard to do. So that's kind of their job that they that's what they do well. And so that's great. that bodes well for not just the music we have now. But the music we're going to write and the music that we've made in the past all of its open season, to be used for something to get into some type of movie or or show or whatever it is. So that's great. And then their partner labels are Sony, Toronto. So there are all of our music right now is being transferred on to Sony's digital music platform. So in a sense, they are releasing our album that we have out right now. I'm just waiting to hear on the date. Once we have the date of when it's being released, we will be posting all about it about all of this, but I'm just telling you guys, so it's a lot, you know, to take in there is there's still some uncertainties about it. No one knows when this thing's gonna hand. Right? So we've got to, we can't play we can't tour. It's just kind of a bit of a waiting game right now. But to be able to put music out for them to kind of start building the marketing behind it and strategizing how they're going to get the masses to hear our music is stuff that can be happening behind the scenes right now. So um, I'm hoping by summer fall, you know, we'll have a new record. We're gonna have a couple more singles come out off of this record. One fairly soon, it'll be ghosted, actually, just we're just trying to figure out a video for it because we were all separated right now. So it's been like, do we do stuff where we film it all? where we are? Is it gonna be disjointed? You know, like, do we get some Juju just I'm getting really creative, that we're not even not in it at all. You know, those, those things are being discussed right now. And then the next single for the summer. We already shot the video for it. So that thing's ready to go. Soon as some pitch, and then that'll carry us over to the fall when we'll have in theory, a new album out. So that's it. actually great because now we've got people behind us that are that are not only believing in us, but they're also holding us accountable. They're like, we expect you to have a new album by fall 2021.
Seth Anderson:Awesome. You'd like the pressure, right?
Unknown:doing what I'm doing right now, you know, pumping out a song a week and, and so we have more than enough for an album to choose from, we can just pick the best,
JP Gaston:the best. Awesome. Well, thanks for coming in today. All right. Thanks again and Cheers, guys. Have a good one.
Voiceover:Thanks to Earl Pereira, for joining us today. And to the steadies for the great new intro and outro music. Now, stay tuned for the podium. Brought to you by beyond the beaten path visit beyond the beaten path.ca.
Seth Anderson:Welcome to this week's edition of the podium brought to you by beyond the beaten path. Very. I don't know if a contentious topic is the word but I think this is a topic we could have a full podcast on.
JP Gaston:We could probably do a three part
Seth Anderson:series we could do like a documentary HBO documentary coming your way on top Canadian bands or artists like we're leaving it a little bit loose there. And we had a great debate prior to hopping on. That's Episode One of our main episode one.
JP Gaston:Artists are
Seth Anderson:joining us absolute pleasure to have him back in the in the dojo very quickly, actually, Jordan West who is not only a chef, but also something of a musician. That's right.
Jordon West:I'm a self taught guitar player, singer. I've been singing all my life. pleasure to be back. Thanks for having me back. Very excited to be here.
Seth Anderson:Well, awesome. You know, it was so it went down so well having you on the first time. And we're like, who knows a lot about music, particularly canadiana music and you're the first person who came to both of our minds. So thank you,
Unknown:I've got what 15 years and you guys still I mean, my genre music is a bit different than
JP Gaston:Canadian music. Probably the best. That's just my point.
Seth Anderson:Before we dive into the top three list, which I'm going to venture a guess that you know that three is going to be a little loose for there might be a couple of runner up mentioned. But we had one that was on all of our lists. And at the top of all of our lists. The Tragically Hip gore Downey. And so we have decided to move that out of the list and just, you know, give a little recognition to the guard and the hip. I think they were influential on certainly all of our lives. And probably most of the people who've listening have at least some memory or something associated to the hip, or every song that they've ever written. Like, I have a different memory for every single song that comes on the radio. Whenever I hear that hip, I'm
JP Gaston:like, Oh, this song reminds me of that time in my life or this thing that I was doing or this cottage that I went to once it's it's crazy how diverse and extensive their catalogue is and how I have something specific for each one.
Seth Anderson:Yeah, it's funny when you walk through a campsite, right, you'll as you walk from trailer to trailer that almost every trader sites got tragedy of playing, but just different songs as you walk through there. You know, it's crazy. So that's awesome. And it was kind of amazing how we all got to kind of experience the end of the hip. I mean, obviously terrible circumstances, but it's not often like you get the band sort of comes full circle and get everybody gets to embrace them that one last time. So anyway, tip number one across the board, and we'll get into it now. I think I'll go first I usually think I've been going on
JP Gaston:usually pass it off. I would like you to go Yeah,
Seth Anderson:I'm gonna I'm gonna dive right in. So my runner up, actually, this is like a budding love, if you will. The guest on the show Earl Pereira. Like, man, he slaps obviously being a bass player, but I love the studies and it's a mix of like reggae and and you know, rock and all of that coming together. But I think I think they're really onto something with the steadies. Like, I think that's gonna be a thing. I mean, obviously, they're signed in their event, and it's a thing but like, under the radar right now? I think.
JP Gaston:So. Yeah. It's Creeping, creeping their way onto people's top three list everywhere.
Seth Anderson:Yeah. So I just got to give a shout out there. Number three, for me, I'm actually gonna go with a band that I've been listening to a lot, probably the last couple of years, and especially that campfire chords album, they just put out the Arcalis. And I don't know, I just I really dig what they're up to. It's pretty cool. What's their lead singers name again,
JP Gaston:the whole release of that album was amazing. Like just the marketing behind it, and how they released little bits at a time and even like, the imagery that they put to their Facebook posts and Instagram and stuff. Just incredible.
Seth Anderson:What's it on? I can't remember who it was on Spotify, where they're like the fire was actually like burning it like I think Yeah, it looks awesome. Yeah, so I got our kills number three number two a very influential man and I could I could rattle off like 50 right here but I just narrowed it into our lady peace in particular the clumsy album that is like when I think of like the soundtrack of my youth if you will, that's like that's what comes to mind so I was a huge Our Lady peace fan and actually got a chance to see them when they played Stampede a couple years ago back in olden days when we could go to concerts and that was pretty cool.
JP Gaston:So back in back in the day I can Naveed was my album
Seth Anderson:was I hear that was your jam.
JP Gaston:Yeah, yeah, I was totally into that. That whole album was great. I saw them when they came through Calgary and they're still
Seth Anderson:on there was awesome during Have you heard of Our Lady peace? Oh, yeah. Every time every time
Unknown:we tend to star seed comes on and crank up like my, my radio my truck.
Seth Anderson:I think like clumsy though, like that album, like from end to end is. It's just phenomenal. And they've had a lot of other great songs as well. So for me Our Lady peace. Totally. Yeah. And then number one, I mean, obviously because he's in multiple bands. I couldn't narrow down just one but Dallas green city and color. I'm drawing a blank on the Alexisonfire. I wanted to say Arcade Fire there. You know, I've, you know, the last few years, especially city in color has been something I listen to a lot. And I think he's an amazing musician, and artists and all of those things is insane. Just an insane guitar player. Like he was just unbelievable.
JP Gaston:Well, yeah. Oh, yeah. And he was amazing. He used to live not too far from where I lived in Ontario. And so we got to, we got to meet up an occasion and you know, played with him at the radio station. We had him on the air. So we had him in for interviews and stuff. local radio station, local artists, always in there. He's just a great guy. And when I saw him on Sesame Street, I'm like, Man, you wouldn't think a tatted up screamer of a singer at the time because he was you know, he was really known for for that but he goes on Sesame Street and he's just like, the perfect person for Sesame Street. It was amazing.
Seth Anderson:That's awesome. So there you have it. My top three. Mr. West, what do you got?
Unknown:Well, this was a you know, when he when I first heard I was coming back I was told there was both bands so I focused mine on bands because you know when you start pulling individuals made a list could potentially change is when you get to know how you'll leave Celine Dion or Joni Mitchell or Neil Young out of that list. But I decided to focus my list on pure bad. So in third place, I'm gonna have to give it to Loverboy. And my second one, which we talked about a little bit before which is Rooper sometimes I get confused as to which is the trooper song, which is an actual Loverboy song, but everybody's working for the weekend and almost got ruined for me because I can't hear anymore without thinking of Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze on SNL doing the Chippendales dance. Jeremy here I'm going to rip my shirt off of the slip through my legs and give myself the blocks right. So So yeah, Loverboy I think for sure. I think like I said second one was was trooper and every time I hear we're here for a good time. I turn I turn it up. It's just a great party tune right just a just a really clean nice party tune those
Seth Anderson:those bands are very on brand I will say for you Mr. West, though. I would I would associate you with both of those.
Unknown:Right in my wheelhouse. Yeah, high school did feel the monster mullet
Seth Anderson:looks pretty muddy right now. I don't know.
Unknown:And in first place that isn't even close to my friends. Because I still actually actively listen to this band. Although they are 4040 years old is April wine and ruler. Build a band now. All right. I mean that this sounds good to open guitar raft right? It is just as I hear it, I turn it up real loud and sing my brains out. So
JP Gaston:they've got a that's another band with a laundry list of hits.
Unknown:Oh, yeah. Like it's it's one of those bands. If you don't know, April wine, your goal? Let me go look it up. And then you have like, there's 30 songs that you know and probably know really well, right. Like they're there. They're great. I just love them.
JP Gaston:So that's my list. Awesome. Well, I too had massive issues creating so I'm gonna I'm gonna pull a Seth and have a have a little runner up thing here. But I was thinking through things like you know, the weekend was just on Super Bowl halftime show. I thought he did a great job. He's
Seth Anderson:got a lot of bangers like oh,
JP Gaston:yeah, like a was hit after hit after hit. It was like a it's not some people's type of music. But even if it's not your style of music, you have to see the amount of talent that that guy has.
Seth Anderson:I mean, really, you could kind of probably put him in a category with like, the biebs and, and Drake just for like global influence coming out of Canada or For the last 10 years, and it's amazing.
JP Gaston:Yeah, absolutely. So there's them and then there's, you know, the kind of niche bands I had, you know, marvelous three band at Montreal, they had a hit or two, back in the 90s. What I landed on for number three, a good friend of mine, Graham Greer is actually the singer for the, I guess somewhat defunct, they played a few shows recently, but barstool profits, they had a couple of hits back in the day, but just the, the songwriting capabilities on in that band, just if you ever if you haven't heard them, Go take a listen to their songs. They are just incredible. Number two, and sorry, Jordan, this isn't an artist who's been a part of multiple bands. But Tom Cochran, just in 2011, had a had an album come out, I think it was called no limits, but did a cover of Spirit in the Sky. And man is just a rock and cover Spirit in the Sky. heaviest version I could ever imagine. And I was not thinking that would come out of you know, life is a highway of Cochran and then number one for me, because it was just so influential. I Mother Earth, couple of brothers, you know, kind of classically trained jazz style musicians who have come together and formed a band with just an amazing mix of like jazz and funk and heavy rock. And that scenery and fish album was permanently in my five disc changer as disc number one. So no matter what took over the other spots, that one was like super glued in there
Unknown:was one more one more astronaut on that was that song on an album? Yeah, man, I totally agree with you. I played that relentlessly.
JP Gaston:I played it used to be all right. The two that I used to play all the time were used to be all right, and one more astronaut and they're just
Seth Anderson:I remember at the beginning of the COVID lockdown, and we were doing some Facebook album thing and you put that one up and I listened to it. I was like, oh, man, this is good. This is really good.
JP Gaston:Yeah, just that those those jazz undertones with rock for some reason get me every time. I do like jazzy undertones.
Seth Anderson:So there you have it. There is somewhere between nine and 15 bands or, or artists that we listed there. And we got through that whole thing without Nickelback which we had a little bit of a debate before this. Like I think that they get hated on but man they got some good tunes. I don't know why they get hated so much. It's their formula.
JP Gaston:It's their it's their formula and their voice and maybe their face, but it's
Unknown:Chad Krueger that's the way he looks. He's a goofy looking guy. Right? I think if he did do a really super handsome dude that maybe get a lot more notoriety and popularity. Yeah.
JP Gaston:Earlier, like, if you if it was Nickelback with Jason momoa singing, they would just be rocking it. Everyone would love them. You would hate their music and love their singer or their hate their singer and love their music.
Seth Anderson:I don't know. Anyway, that was fun. Jordan. Pleasure. As always.
Unknown:Thanks for dropping by. Pleasure to be here. And thank you for your time. Yeah, it was great. Totally fine. And maybe now I'm now I'm putting together a greatest Canadian means.
JP Gaston:Maybe we'll put together a little Spotify list of our top tunes here. I like release it with this episode. Right. Oh,
Seth Anderson:perfect. Thanks, Jeff.
JP Gaston:Thanks, Jordan. Awesome. Thanks, Jordan.
Seth Anderson:Later, everyone next week.