Aug, 2002
Toronto'sKnacker (formed 4 years ago) is one of those bands you just got to love. Their music is just simply good. You get the feeling they never try to be anything but play a good song. They are known for their melodic - infectious - noise -pop , & that is excatly what it is. Kind of like Radio Head if they could be Canadian & show a little happy side.
We interviewed Pete ( Bass, Vocals ) to get the scoop on the Canadian Indie scene . After , visit out Canadian bands Link page to visit their site & definatley buy their Cd. It is full of great kick-back tunes that is refreshing from the intentional commercial crap on the radio. Not that radio's all bad , just about 80% of it !

INDIERAGE : What is your home town music scene like right now ?
PETE/KNACKER : Oakville has a small punk scene, but not much more. Toronto is Toronto, there will always be a scene there.

INDIERAGE : Is it easy for your band (or genre) to get gigs or does it take some scoping out ?
PETE : We mainly play T.O. It's pretty easy to get shows at any club in T.O. The hard part is getting enough people out so that the club will have you back.

INDIERAGE : What are some of the good places to play in your town ?
PETE : We usually play The Horseshoe Tavern. I think it's one of the best sounding clubs in T.O. and it isn't super big.

INDIERAGE : How often does the band rehearse ?
PETE : 3 times a week

INDIERAGE : Do you guys work day jobs or is this your main focus right now ?
PETE : Three of us have day jobs right now. One guy in the band currently has the luxury of focusing on music full time.

INDIERAGE : Has anything come about from out side Canada ?
PETE : We have publishing interest from the U.S. We have also licensed a fair amount of music to MTV shows.

INDIERAGE : If there is 1 thing you want your fans to know about you, what is it?
PETE : We need our fans to buy or CD's and go to shows so we can keep doing what we do. Stop downloading songs off the web.

INDIERAGE : what are the plans for the band right now ?
PETE : We are writing music for our next album. Doing some demo's and stuff like that.

INDIERAGE : What seems to be the bands biggest disagreement?
PETE : We are a pretty tight unit. We don't disagree about much at all.
INDIERAGE : What is the one thing the whole band always agrees on ?
PETE : That we need to get some financial support.

INDIERAGE : We know the radio & TV dictates what the average Joe listens to, but what are your personal favourite listens ?
PETE : If you were to look at my CD case in my car right now you would find the following bands: Jimmy Eat World, Juliana Hatfield, Pixies, Eric's Trip, American Hi-Fi, Less Than Jake, Cold Play, The Beatles and much more.

INDIERAGE : Do any of the members have any other jobs that are music releated ?
PETE : One guy in the band works for a music trade paper. You'll have to guess which one.

INDIERAGE : Is there any strange or interesting hobby you guys do in your spare time to keep you sane...?
PETE : We like to play Led Zepplin cover tunes and watch porno.

INDIERAGE : Who does your booking & how to you get most of your shows ?
PETE : I do the band booking. For the most part I just call up clubs and they will give the band a chance. It's not always the best night of the week but it's a start. Just make sure you bring as many people out as possible. Some times you have to send a package. If you do make it look professional and follow it up with a call. Also, make sure you call the club before sending the package and get the correct contact and address.
When you do start booking shows. Don't over saturate yourself in one area. We play Toronto once a month at the most. This way we can maximize the crowd we bring out to the show. The one time you don't draw well at a show is the last time you'll likely play there.

INDIERAGE : How important is an email list to the succes of your band ?
PETE : It's important. We have a fairly large mailing list. We send out to it for every show. We have about 300 or so people on our list. It helps get the news out to your fans but you can't rely on it. You also have to get the word out by networking and postering.

INDIERAGE : What is the biggest sham you ever recieved by the music industry ?
PETE : As of yet we have been very lucky. I won a battle of the bands once and didn't get our prize. But that was with another band.

INDIERAGE : Do you have any tips for young bands on how to efficiantly get their music heard by A&R reps etc ?
PETE : Find a music lawyer who likes your music. Get that person to send it out for you.

Thanks to Pete & Knacker for doing this interview. If your in a band & have any cool stories to share with Indie Rage , please let us know.