Episode 113: Interview w/ Lee Rose from Ace Of Wands

Friendoes: Hello. I have a special one for you golden G-towners today. Forged and led by the vision of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lee Rose, Ace of Wands has become one of Toronto's most creative and captivating bands since forming in 2017. Evoking the art-rock of PJ Harvey, the orchestral-pop of Kate Bush, and the alt-rock fuzz of Nirvana — Ace of Wands is known for their explosive and charismatic live performances, astonishing musicianship, and gothic-rock aesthetics. Lead vocalist Lee Rose alternates between violin and guitar, while simultaneously playing synth-bass foot pedals, joined by Anna Mernieks on guitar and Jody Brumell on drums. Together, they create a fantastical and immersive world of yearning, dread, euphoria, and insight — defining the essence of Dream Rock. Chatting with Lee was truly a flow state stopover, as both of us seem to have aligning views on the music world and the world at large, and we just had a poignant and pinging back and forth. Ace of Wands is sharing two stages with me (Graven) and my friend Melissa Payne very soon - March 20 at Hotel Wolfe Island in Wolfe Island and March 21 for my album release at House of Targ in Ottawa. Please come see all of us together!! Independent music makers rely on people buying advance tickets and coming out to their shows. Get your tickets to either or BOTH shows by clicking here:

My new album "Geographics" is out now on all platforms. You can preorder the digital, cd and vinyl versions of the album on my bandcamp page, (which helps me greatly) but I understand that cash is tight all over the map, so you can also order a five dollar Geographics sticker. 5 beans! This album is really special to me (as my friends Melissa Payne and Charles Austin played all over it) and I hope you'll come along for the supersonic ride. Follow me @gravencanada on all the socials, and check my website to see when I'm playing live in a town near you. Join Graventown today to support yours truly for only 8 clams a month. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:21

I'm mic checking for the podcast. Can you hear me? Is it good?

SPEAKER_02 0:27

And we're back at it again in Graventown. Thank you so much for being here. As you know, sometimes this is just the ramblings of my own neurotic mind, but sometimes I like to have guests. And today I have a very special guest. Before I get to the guests, just want to always tell you you can be a part of Graventown. It's only eight bucks a month, and it's something called Ko-Fi, which is like a Patreon. You go to ko-fi.com slash graven Canada and eight bucks. That's it. I mean, what can you get for eight bucks a month? Basically, nothing these days. So that's the level. And I send little updates and stuff from the road. And my new album, Geographics, is out. You can get it at uh graven.bancamp.com or graven.ca. Thank you for all the nice words, yada yada. And I have some uh shows coming up with a very cool, very awesome rad Toronto band. And uh they're called Ace of Wands. And I just want to tell you the Ace of Wands represents a powerful, energetic, and creative new beginning, signifying a spark of inspiration, passion, and potential. And uh kind of evoking a little bit of art rock of PJ Harvey. Ace of Wands is forged and led by instrumentalist, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Lee Rose. And I'm happy to have Lee Rose here today. Lee, welcome to Graventown.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Thank you. So nice to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Yeah, so great to have you. And I think that we actually maybe met through the uh tragically hip Dave Bookman benefit show. Is that the first time, I think? Maybe.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yes, that is the first time. I had been aware of you before that, but that was when we met in person. So that was that was such a fun night.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

Oh, sweet. Well, thanks for being aware of me. That means that means a lot. And no, I also heard great things about um you and your band from uh Steven Stanley, who we both know and love. And and uh also recently, just to give the the listeners some info, you and I were also at a was it Stephen Stanley's 100th radio episode up in the middle of the state.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yes, of his show, yeah, his show Northern Wish on uh on Huntsville, the the uh is it Hunters Bay, Hunters Bay Radio.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Hunters Bay Radio. That's it. Yeah, no, that was and that was such an incredible um day. I f I found myself, I don't know if you found this, but it was sort of funny. Like there was a room of like this small room in this station where and it was very, very cozy, and we're all just kind of in this front room of the radio station. There's some shirts and stuff hanging on the wall behind. And uh I, you know, I play a lot of shows as you do too, but um I found I felt more nervous there for some reason because it's like your audience is all like singer, songwriters, and touring and playing musicians who are you're you almost feel like they're watching you kind of like dissecting what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

It's true, it's true.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Did you feel that at all?

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Yeah, for sure, a little bit. It was uh it was definitely a uh an I've never had had an afternoon of music exactly like that with because there were because of what you're saying, just the one room and the recording is happening like in that room, like the microphones are live, so no one was the door was locked, like no, no one was coming in or out. It was just like this very uh concentrated little ecosystem of of musicians and uh poetry, and it was really cool.

SPEAKER_02 4:05

Oh, yeah, that's it really was like it was a special day, and I'm still in touch with um most, I think all of the people that I met. Nice and uh yeah, of course, you know, through Steven. Steven's such a great beacon for finding great musicians and great people.

SPEAKER_03 4:22

So definitely.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

Yeah, that's great. And so let's talk a bit about Ace of Wands. And right off the hop, I want to say, just in like you know, being more connected to you, obviously, uh full disclosure too. Um Lee, who I'm talking to and myself have a few shows together with her band Ace of Wands and me, Graven, at um Hotel Wolf Island on March 20th, and then House of Targ for my album release on March 21st. So those those shows should be a lot of fun. We we want people to come out, right, Lee?

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Absolutely. If you have nothing to do, or even if you have something to do, you should be canceling it and making your way to both of those shows. It's they're only three hours apart, too. So you could really do both. It would be easy. We're doing both.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

You know what with the ferry ride? So I will say it's kind of misleading. It's probably yeah, it's probably more like two hours and a bit because the ferry ride's about 15-ish minutes, I think. And then once you get to Kingston, it's only about an hour or 50 to Ottawa.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

So well then all the more reason.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Yeah, but you're right. No, it is technically three, and you and you you're coming from Toronto. Tell tell um me a bit about the Toronto scene because I've all I've found like I know scene is such a weird word, but I've found over time I really have loved going to Toronto, and I always find like I feel pretty welcomed. I find great people to play with. Like I know there's a lot of shows going on, and sometimes it can feel a bit competitive, but I find for the most part, it seems to be fairly inclusive. I don't know. Have you felt that or have you had different experiences? What's your Toronto take these days?

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Yeah, I've had I would say I've had different experiences over the years. Um, my I would say in general, as I've gotten older, my my feelings of inclusion and uh and just kind of camaraderie within the scene has has just gotten more. So that's really positive. I feel like the the competitive nature of the city, though, does impact just just the kind of everyday sensations of being a musician in Toronto. I think I think there's um there's a few a few different things about it. It depends on the kind of music that you're making.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

And I think that the the indie music, the indie rock scene can kind of be the worst for that kind of competitive, yeah, weird, like clicky um nature. Like I'm not, I'm I think like if I I I always uh lament to myself occasionally, like, why wasn't I like a hot hardcore musician or like a punk musician? Because I feel like that scene is like so like loving, supportive, and people should turn up for the shows no matter what. And uh and I think in the indie scene, and I I'm not exactly sure why that is. I think that potentially it has to do with just the the marketability of that music. And it's yeah, it is like you know, in a way, that's the mainstream rock and roll right now. And uh and I think like any time that there's kind of a monetary goal associated with something that it can it can kind of taint things a little bit, yeah, unfortunately. And uh my my best experiences within the Toronto music scene, though, I will say, are meeting people that who have had some some level of success for sure, like on a on a bigger scale.

SPEAKER_04 8:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

And they're using that success to like lift up other artists. Like Steven is a really great example of someone like that, or like Ron Hawkins, who I've known for years.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

Totally the same, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

And like people, people like that I really, I really love. And um, and then like as I as I said, as I as I've gotten older, I think it's it's partly that that's made the scene more loving to me. And and and that just goes hand in hand with like a level of maturity and like knowing what the what the realities of the music scene and try to make a living as a musician actually are. And there's just like we have a lot more compassion for each other as we get older because everyone just knows how hard it is.

SPEAKER_03 8:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

And uh, and like really, if you're stepping over someone to get to a goal, the goal is not worth getting. I think.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

Totally. Yeah, I fully agree. That that and thank you for that answer. I I feel so on the same page as you. Um, it's funny how the things you're outlining about Toronto, me being from Ottawa, I feel a lot of the same here. And and the competitive nature, I mean it's something I've been thinking about in the last few days, just walking when I go for my walks at Bruce Pitt. I just I've been thinking about, you know, it's too bad that music at some whatever level, like let's say you or I or other friends of ours are at, becomes for some stupid reason a more about competition than it does about collaboration. And I it would wouldn't it just be way better, right? Instead of it being so competitive, like you wouldn't believe the number of people just in the last week trying to get people to come to this album release show, and I'm sure in the end it'll be great and people will come, but even just talking to different musicians who I know and who've asked me at times, right, to promote their shows and to come out, and I'm like, hey, if you wouldn't mind mentioning this, you know, whatever, that would be great. And from a couple of them, just this you know, quick response of, oh, sorry, got a show that day. And it's just like, you know, I get it, and I get that other people have shows going on, but if it was like a big thing, like this is like an album release, and I'm you know, and I'm want you guys to come and have a great show. Like I wish people wouldn't think so much with their lizard brain, I guess you'd say, in music, and think about the big picture and be like, oh yeah, this is kind of a big show. Whatever, I'll tell people about it. So I'm not asking you to post a ton, but I feel like, yeah, that competitive nature of like, no, I want all the people to come to my show. Like it's just so lizard brained. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Yeah, totally. And uh, and I don't know if there's um like how how to kind of change that aspect of it. Like I think one one obvious way would be if like if we were getting some kind of like we were getting more return on our investments in terms of this whole industry is like just sucks you dry on so many fronts. And if there was a little bit more return on investment, even if it was just like more community spaces were uh able to stay open so that people or like the music, live music is like a cultural thing, people were more interested in. Like I think so often, like you know, and I I'm guilty of this too. Like if I'm if I'm going out to meet a friend and I'm going into a place and there's live music happening, I'm like, oh shit, there's live music in here.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

I don't want to because I want to talk to my friend.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

But it's like some of but like, and and that's like kind of a a small thing, but I think that like just um welcoming this kind of culture into our mainstream would help just I don't know, it would decompetify it, if that's a word. Yeah, because everyone would just be like living it a little bit more normally, like regularly.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Yes, totally. I agree. I think that, yeah, um decompetify, a great word too, by the way. Yeah, I think that um I I totally agree with you, and uh I feel like sometimes too, just exactly what you just said about going into a bar and being like, oh shit, there's music playing. Like I felt that too, but honestly, it's different because you or I, I don't know how like full-time is you do it, but I I mostly do this full-time, and so it's like you and I play a lot of music, so it's kind of like our job. It would be like someone who works on like a factory floor, like when I work for Bo's beer, putting putting beer away, and then someone's like, Hey, I want you to come over to my warehouse where I put beer away, and you're like, Oh man, no, I do that all the time. You know what I mean? Like it's my that's the thing with us, is like we're in those spaces often, and it's sort of like our workplace. So I think you know that's totally okay to have that reaction. Like you can't all we can't always be expected at like 10 o'clock on a Thursday, you're just randomly meeting someone to be like, oh, what's this band? Oh my god, I'm so into it. No, sometimes you might want to get out of here. For sure, yeah. But it's hard, it is hard, and I wonder too, if maybe post COVID, um post-lockdowns, I should say, like COVID's still around, but um if it's part of a culture of like people feeling what their mood is like, you know? Because a lot of people won't know, right, until maybe a couple days leading up to it, like how they're gonna feel about going up, like mental health too, is just at an all-time low as well. I don't know. Do you think that has partly to do it?

SPEAKER_01 13:35

I do, I do, yeah, for sure. Um, I think, and also like people are struggling financially more so than they were, you know. So if you and that's not the case for everybody, but if you like, you know, have to think about what you're spending your money on in any given week that like if you buy something, a ticket for something, and then day of you're like, oh God, I really can't handle being social, then you know, you've spent the money, and still you're supporting the artist. I mean, that money is going to the artist, so it's not like it's a it's a bad thing, but uh, but uh it's like you know, people have that consideration to make for sure.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Yeah, for sure. And so well, let's get into some of your musical background and we can talk a bit about um Jody and Anna who play with you in the band too. But your um so you guys have released two full-length albums and an EP, and then but now is Future Wave, it is out now that came out, or no, it's coming out, it's out on April 28th. Oh man, so soon. That's so cool. And so uh I want to talk about the the first single, I think, which is off there's the Edge of the Edge that's off of that, yeah. So I really love that song. It's so great. Thank you. Yeah, and it really like just busts out of the gate with this awesome um guitar riff, and then the song just picks up right away. Is that song kind of like looking at the lyrics like at the edge of the edge, the spiral in the canyon where the future lives, the same old worlds will be different? Are you talking a bit about like the current day and age, like politically, geopolitically, or what are you kind of speaking about there if you don't mind talking about it a bit?

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Sure. I mean that specifically that I'm speaking about um it's uh it has to do with like a uh forming of a new relationship.

SPEAKER_04 15:30

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

Um, but I feel like the the nice thing about those lyrics is that it's kind of in the eye of the beholder. And I'm I I like to write lyrics in that way that aren't too specific or too like you know, referential to specific things because I like um that empathy that can happen in song listening where the per whoever's listening can just insert their own lived experience into it. So um, so yeah, it's it can be it for for me, it was about that when I was writing about uh a new relationship. But uh but absolutely I think that the the idea behind it about um you know leaping off the edge into an unknown future, but having some hope that it will be whatever you make it, yeah, can apply to so many different things.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

It really can. I and I find that too. It's funny how I can write sometimes from a very specific perspective, and then you play a show or or play the song live, and someone will come up and be like, Oh, that song really reminded me of my uncle, and you know, and you're just like, Wow, I would have never, you know, but it's true, people infer their own meanings all the time, which is a which is the great thing about music, right?

SPEAKER_03 16:49

So absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

And like you guys with the name Ace of Wands, do you ever find because when you Google Ace of Wands, you get a lot of tarot stuff because uh it it is a tarot card, and I want to kind of talk about that. I have a lot of friends who are into tarot and and me being you know getting older and growing more and more hippie uh by the day. I I definitely uh am interested in in that world and like but do you find it funny when people are like, oh, ace of wands, they're a great band, I'm gonna look them up, and then they Google you and they just get tons of tarot stuff without finding the band. It's the same thing with Graven, by the way. It's like old biblical word. So do you ever find that sort of funny?

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Totally. And I I think that the uh if they're if someone is Googling Ace of Wands and they don't put band as well in that search, then they'll they'll their world will be opened up to a whole new set of ideas to do with the Ace of Wands tarot card, which is not a bad thing.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

Yeah, for sure. So did you were you into tarot? Is that where the name came from? Or uh have you learned for yeah? Okay, so we'll talk a bit about that.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Yeah, it was my my interest in tarot started probably just before the well, just before the band really took off. So that was 2017. And um I used it it was a very like comforting thing to have the tarot deck at hand. I I would say like I'm one not an expert and don't um don't follow it like, you know, religiously or anything like that.

SPEAKER_04 18:26

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

But uh but it was I was getting into songwriting. I was in a period of very, you know, difficult mental health at that time. And the tarot was a very sort of comforting tool that I had in my various, you know, coping mechanisms in terms of how to process difficult emotion and um these different things that were coming up for me at the at that time. And um the the the you know, the cards and the books that go with the cards, they they were very nice kind of prompts for meditations or if I was going to like just even prompts for songwriting, like the ideas behind the cards had me, you know, go on rabbit holes about certain ideas that I may otherwise not have thought of. So it was a it was like a really helpful both like creatively and emotionally, just like a support system at that time.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

Yeah. And and do you find like um I have a few friends up near the Blue Mountains, like Collingwood area, who are very much into tarot and it's like a daily practice for them. Uh sometimes, you know, multiple times daily. I don't know, but they're um they're lovely people and friends who I really connect and vibe with. And uh do you find there's like a spiritual element in there for you too?

SPEAKER_01 19:55

Um I have found that at times for sure. I I think um you have to have a certain openness to your countenance to to be willing to like look at the tarot and and think that you're that you're getting something out of it. Um and I think like I'm not always in that state of mind. I can be, you know, kind of my like logical brain is maybe turned on to too high a degree to to kind of take it seriously. So I feel like it's it's when I'm I'm feeling at my like most um like creatively uh sensitive to myself is like when it's when it's gonna work the best for me. Um if I'm feeling like really self-judging or um feeling yeah, like self-critical, I that's when the tarot is like not gonna work for me.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

Yeah, I I I am with you 100% because I have a logical brain that's pretty grounded and uh pretty neurotic at times too. And um, so yeah, it's hard to like let go and be in the space of like, oh yeah, I can fully believe and accept that and be open because um yeah, it's like the steam, the steam energy inside the tank is constantly going, you know. Um, but yeah, so uh I wanted to ask you a bit about so connecting with Jody Brummel. Is that how you say his last name? Brumel. Bromel. Brummel and Anna Werniks?

SPEAKER_01 21:30

Merniax.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

Oh, Mernix, sorry, I saw that I thought it was W. Uh so talk about playing with Jody and Anna and how did you connect first with them?

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Yeah, um, playing with them is such a joy. I'll just say that first. They're both such wonderful people, very um kind and funny and extremely creative in in very different ways. And both of them are are bringing something very unique to. the music that that I'm bringing to them. And I I've I've often thought that these songs that I'm writing, if they weren't given to Anna and Jody to then collaborate on, it'd be very different sounding music, I think. Like if I had a different guitar player playing with me and a different drummer, for sure. We'd be a very different band. And so their their contributions are amazing. And so yeah, I met Jody um back in back in 2017 when um he and I were part of Ron Hawkins' Do Good Assassins band that was opening for Blue Rodeo across Canada.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Oh yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Yeah. So he was drumming and I played violin in that band. And um we just really hit it off and had a wonderful time. Struck a great friendship. And uh it was it was I always remember like when that happened was it was the first night of the show of the tour. We were in Thunder Bay and all of the venues along that tour were these like soft seater, you know, 2000 capacity places sold out. And that was by far the biggest like tour I had ever been on um up till that point and since and try to recapture that moment again. But uh but we were standing kind of in the wings before going on for our first night and I was just like buzzing with nerves and I was just like to the to the band around me like I need a hug. Someone I just need a hug before we go on. And Jody's like come here. And so we had this great moment of like you know shared uh comfort before going on stage and I was just like this is a great person who like can pick up on you know some needs and like just be a great friend. So uh we were we were really good friends since then and um and then Anna and I met because her her own band called Beams Yeah I love Beams band by the way they're amazing. We had played a few shows together Beams and my previous band Rival Boys um which which broke up in 2014. So I had known Anna for a lot of years prior to that. And then um when I wanted to start writing my own songs after that band had finished um I just reached out to see if she wanted to collaborate because I knew I just knew what an incredible singer and and player she was and and wanted to see what it would sound like if we could do something together.

SPEAKER_02 24:35

That's so cool. I I I love that story about you and Jody like in the wings and yeah he he seems like that kind of guy like a I'd never met him before the the hip benefit show that we both played at where he was in the house band and um it's like I had to talk to him about oh Steven connected me with him before the show to say like if you're thinking of doing that song like maybe just you know check in with Jody to see that he knows the band knows it or whatever. And immediately in talking with him I was just like oh you know what I mean like we had this instant vibe where I was like I love this guy. Yeah. And uh and it's always like you know nice to meet musicians who can actually crush and do their uh instruments and performance so friggin' well which he really can but they're also nice people and not stuck up and not like you know high on their own supply like that's always really lovely. I love that for sure. Yeah so I I loved yeah that whole night was a lot of that people and um but yeah um Anna so it's funny when I think early on in the um lockdowns I did some live stream thing with with the Rivoli maybe yeah maybe the yeah the Rivoli was like reaching out to different people and they were like oh do you want to live stream and then we have this other band named Beams and then another uh another singer songwriter forget his name but um I remember finding out about beams and I was like holy cow like I love I love their songs and I really listened intently for a while and I used to comment on their posts all the time I would go beams equals dreams like I was just like obsessed with writing that over and over because I just I got stuck on like a phrase that I need to keep called like a rhyme or something and then I'll just keep on doing it. So uh awesome but yeah they're I I loved beams so that's that's so cool it'll be uh it'll be fun and uh oh I was gonna say this fun fact about you and I and our our well I have a full band at Targ at um with Melissa Payne also who's awesome and has never met any of you guys I don't think but she's uh a fan and such a wicked musician. So I think this tour has been like almost uh maybe partially divinely or spiritually inspired in a weird way because when I was back in Halifax recording with Melissa in October um I was looking to get a new vinyl distributor. So um Frank who works in the studio out there with Charles at Ocean Floor he does some engineering he was like oh you should talk to this guy um named Kevin who works at this place called Microforum and he gives good rates so I started anyways chatting with him back in October anyways skip ahead to today and my vinyl it's being done by them and I talked with Kevin for a while on the phone and we we definitely got along too I I liked him and he was like when's your release show what's going on like who are you playing with or whatever he's asking all these questions I'm like oh I'm playing with this band called Ace of Wands and he's like Ace of Wands I did their vinyl and I was like it's so funny right like the music like that was I mean that can happen in the Canadian music world but I just found that was like oh that's another another sign that maybe this will be really good. So yeah for sure yeah um and so when you're playing those those huge shows with like do good assassins and uh Ron and all of that like what was your like did you eventually get to a place where going on stage just became sort of second nature or was it always a bit of a struggle with nerves and uh anxiety no it did it did I was able to get uh to get there.

SPEAKER_01 28:29

I like it was funny because normally I don't have um I don't have stage fright it's not something that I that I struggle with particularly anymore. I definitely had it when I was younger. But I think it was um that just like a very different uh kind of show when you're uh on that level the the it's nothing's nothing's casual about it in terms of just like the timing and the um the setup has to be identical from night to night and everything everything to do with it. So by the end of the tour it was I was for sure comfortable. And uh yeah like I said been trying to been trying to get back to something of that level ever since but it's a goal.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Yeah you know it's funny so similarly um one of my mountaintop experiences was definitely opening for Ron Hawkins on a few shows like in I think it was 2024 and we played um did a couple shows well no we did one at the Rivoli and then a couple in Burlington um where else did we go? Oh Wolf Island London and then went to um Buffalo and I'd never never played in Buffalo New York before but that was so huge and it was like you know this um oh what's it called the town ballroom yeah and have you been there before played there? Yes we yeah we've played there with the lowest of the low actually so so the the person um booking the show I'm blanking on her name right now super lovely and she's like Ron Hawkins walks on water in Buffalo and I was like but it was crazy there was like 300 people there that it was packed like kind of similar feeling to the garrison type vibe and uh I was just opening for Ron I played like eight songs but you know people were kind of chatty like they were sort of sort of talking a bit through my songs but then when I'd finish like big applause like people was really into it and I was like oh that's so cool and then coming off stage from that just like walking through people I felt this real sense of connection probably like you did with the Do Good Assassins where people were just like who is this guy? Oh we like him want to talk to him and stuff like you felt I don't know you just feel this new weird level and so for me it's like I've been chasing that since nice so it's funny Ron Hawkins gave us both uh two two of our mountaintop experiences what a guy yeah he's the best and I love um like just getting random texts from him and uh just jokes like I like I like the fact that though he he and Steven are very different people I can almost joke with either of them at any given time and it's never the wrong time to joke. Like I love that they just love jokes. Yeah yeah um yeah so talk about playing like have you guys as Ace of Wands like you've toured in the USA as well?

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Yeah we have toured a lot in the USA. Um we started doing that in I think 2019 was when we went down for the first time or 2018 I was around then um and uh we we definitely did a lot of stuff we kind of concentrated our touring in the northeast and midwest kind of area. But um but yeah ever since um last year we just we haven't been back and it's not really in our plans to go back which is sad. But uh just feeling like it's it's not really feasible like from the from the political standpoint I feel quite strongly about Trump and his you know horrendous destruction of so many human rights and it's and I but at the same time I know so many friends and know like there are so many Americans who who hate Trump and so it's like it's difficult. But at this but then you know there's the practical aspects of how how difficult and expensive touring is and and you know all of us are getting a bit older and Anna has a um a child now and there's just different different life things that that I've come to kind of be but a little more practical about how we're going about our touring in the future and wanting kind of quality over quantity uh at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 32:57

Yes. I'm I so it's interesting you use that phrase because I use that so often now just in terms of friendships, in terms of like meeting people like I don't I don't really want um much quantitative data in my life. And you and I being in the music world like we know it's run by that shit a lot of the time. And it's so sad. Like people are like oh what are your Spotify numbers or whatever right at festivals and it's just like God again with this stuff. But uh yeah the quality over quantity I I love that and that is something that I feel like anyone who comes to your show or comes to Ace of Wands like they're gonna get that and you you guys are so like intentional and like rad and right there in the moment on stage. Do you do you guys have like a pre-show ritual that you do do you do like a you know go team for anything?

SPEAKER_01 33:53

No we don't we really don't although Jody always say um we'll give each other a little hug and he'll say do a good show right like from uh Spinal Time Spinal Time I love it.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

Oh my god I think that is one of our favorite movies that's such a great movie and then I'm a huge huge fan of Almost Famous um oh yeah it's one of the best and there's one time I tried to get this band from Winnipeg I was shooting video for and uh they're called Doc Walker country band and I was like shooting videos back back in the day in a different life and uh and um I was like hey guys get together in the circle I think it was four of them or no I think maybe five in the full band and they I was like get together in the circle and I'll film up from the middle of you guys and just sing that's it's like a song called Get on my back for a piggyback ride. I don't know I don't know whose song it is but it's just the band does that a few times before they get on stage and almost famous but it didn't work at all and they were almost like they couldn't sing it or they were like what song I don't know anyway. So yeah it's definitely got to feel right for uh yeah whoever's going to be good for whoever's going on stage. Yeah and um okay so talk a bit about as we're getting closer to the end here but talk a bit about um future wave uh coming out April 28th and what what people can expect from that.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

Um well I am just so excited about it. So it's um it's the this music is I think the best thing we have ever recorded. I'm the most proud of this music. And uh it's we did it we recorded it with Ian Blurton and he was such a joy to work with um is like such an incredible producer. He engineered the and mixed the record as well um incredibly like creative presence in the studio and I think like the production on the record is insane. Like there's it's so he was he kept you know saying to us that like we're trying to we're trying to distill the sound that you're calling dream rock and defining what that is with this music. And I think that we've we've really been able to do that because it to me it doesn't sound like anything else. Oh cool wow which is really awesome and uh it's very varied the album it's 13 songs um love it just over 40 minutes and uh the songs are you know they vary from a song like Edge of the Edge like a kind of very like two minute 13 second like punk banger to like epic uh orchestral art rock um with lots of strings and um synths and beautiful harmonizing vocals and it's just it's it's a wild ride and it's very intense. You if you listen to it all I recommend actually listening to it on vinyl because you can have a little breath before you flip to side B.

SPEAKER_02 37:03

Wow I love that. Okay so I'm first of all super excited to hear it uh I loved playing with Ian Blurton at the at the hip benefit show that we played at and it was really fun doing uh not to toot my own horn but I think the that's that song um uh that I did that's escaping my mind right now is the one oh um in view so Ian really I think like he had fun just like rocking out in that song because he was like doing leg kicks and stuff beside me and I never really seen him do that before but I felt like maybe it was one of the first like louder rock songs where he got to like rip and I just love that. I was like oh man yeah express yourself man go for it I love it he's yeah so incredible but I I'm so excited to hear your new record and like like your album Future Wave I find that like Geographics the album I just put out that's getting out there now similarly like I really feel it's some of my best stuff and my friend Melissa Payne I'd never had another vocalist on any other record always just been me so it was so nice to have someone else to like take some of that burden a bit if that makes sense. And uh and she didn't you know sing on everyone but it was just great the stuff she came up with and nice yeah I I love isn't that a great feeling to feel like yeah at this age at this stage like we're putting out probably our best stuff ever like that's a good feeling.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

It is a good feeling and knowing that you know there that at this like with given the industry as it is right now like you have to do it for love. You do and if you don't love it then what's the point?

SPEAKER_02 38:45

I know I go through phases uh Lee where I don't love it. And uh I I mean I do overall I really really do and then I I struggle at times and I'll I'll like you know sometimes post about that and I find that you just being open sometimes about that uh especially as a man sometimes I think like a lot of dudes don't uh are very open with their feelings. So sometimes when I do that it's therapeutic for me and then I and then I get through it and I get to the other side and I go okay yeah okay that was just like a moment where I was feeling that and I'm allowed to feel that and now I can move past it instead of it bubbling up and bubbling over right so totally yeah um but super psyched for the shows coming up friends if you want to get uh tickets for either Wolf Island March 20th or an Ottawa at House of Tarq for the album release on March 21st you can do that at graven.ca um or you can go to the hotel Wolf Island or House of Tarq websites and they have ticket links there.

SPEAKER_04 39:48

Lee thank you so much for coming on Graventown and thanks for just being generally awesome thank you so much for having me it was uh really nice to talk to you and the other thing that you're gonna get a little bit of a little bit of a