JUSTIN

From the time I first heard a shredding guitar, pounding drum groove and a fat ass bass lick all come together to form rock, I've known what I wanted to do. Watching my idols on the television in some sort of subconscious study pattern became my routine. I soon discovered the pots, pans and array of different "mallets" in my mother's kitchen. They became my tools. Unknown to me, with every stroke, I was determining what my life's path would be.

It wasn't until I was twelve that I got my first real kit. I had already had lots of practice with my various homemade drum sets and at times, I was lucky enough to "play" my best friend's real drum kit. Now I was a drummer, or so I thought. I was always a natural but in the upcoming years of private lessons, forming and performing in bands with my brother, my eyes had been opened. I learned that the competition was fierce and I had to be the best I could be if I was going to make a mark on the music scene or more importantly, make my mother proud.

I'm twenty three and my music career has taken up more than half of my life. I take my music very seriously. Musicians and people in bands have to play several roles these days if they sincerely expect to produce anything tangible with their music.

Music has always been a part of my life. I started with musical theatre and choirs when I was a young boy. A few years later I added the guitar and never looked back.  I began playing in bands when I was about sixteen. My brother and I had a friend of ours on bass for our first three piece. We were appropriately named Primitive. Distance became a problem, so the band got put on hold. In my final years in high school a few buddies and myself formed a group called Footsoldier, as we were all "military brats". We had a routine of going to school through the week and running all over Northern Ontario on the weekends. These times were some of the most memorable parts of my life. I even got a tattoo of a Jester on the inside of my right forearm so that I would never forget the entertainer that lives inside of me.

Growing up in the early nineties I was influenced by the biggest bands of that era, Soundgarden, Nirvana, STP, and Bush to name a few. As I matured I became interested in others. I found Lennon, Hendrix and Zepplin absolutely captivating. I am drawn to artists not only for their work, but also their social conscience.

JEFF

SEAN

Rock music was the norm when I was in grade school. At talent shows there was this thing called air bands and the kids would "perform" their favourite track. At the time I thought this was the coolest thing ever but I didn't want to pretend.  I joined my first band in grade 7… I didn’t know how to play an instrument, so I sang. There is a VHS tape of my performance somewhere.  If you have it, contact me. At that time my sister could rip the guitar better than me. Once in a  while I would try out the Fender my uncle Kenny found for her.

I had a difficult time in grade school and I couldn't find myself. I picked up the bass to take my mind off my problems. Playing gave me confidence and people could feel it. The first riff, first band, first show, first recording was motivation to continue. I thought the best thing about being a bass player was I would never be out of  work. Bass players are in demand as it appears easy to find a solid guitar player or drummer but most bands can't find a bass player they vibe with. I discovered punk rock and got into bands such as Rancid, Minor Threat, Operation Ivy and Propagandhi. These bands changed the way I think about popular music. My first recording was with a Mickey Mouse tape recorder. I still have it in my room to remind me what music is all about. From the age of 12 I jumped around bands. The first actual show I played in was at the Spotlight Theater with a Band called, "All of the Above". Later, at the age of 15, I joined a local punk band called Suburban Underdog.