If Canadian labels continue to ignore promising locals like pop-punk upstarts Tuuli, enterprising U.S. indie operators like Long Gone John will gladly continue siphoning off our top talents. Those glammy gals of Tuuli have remarkable progress since convincing aspiring accountant Dawn Mandarino to strap on a guitar. The bashing brood's Rob Sanzo-produced "Rockstar Potential" EP (SFTRI) lives up to its cheeky claim.
So how did you wind up with those other 3 terrible Tuulis?
I placed an ad on a musicians-wanted website and they answered. I learned 10 songs in two days, and by the weekend I was in a car heading for New York to play my first show ever. Yeah!
Any strange applicants for the Tuuli drumming job?
I was chatting over the phone with this one guy who was talking about his past experience, when suddenly he stops and says, "I'm naked in the hallway and my roomate is watching me". umm, the position has been filled, thank you.
How did Lbertine's Belvy K. wind up drumming on your new record?
Ex-boyfriends are good for something.
Was there any divine intervention in your choice to play a Gibson SG?
We actually went to Joshua Tree in California and I was going to ask the tree what kind of guitar I should get. But then when we got there no one knew anything about the tree - it doesn't exist. So I choose the SG myself.
Have you run into any celebrities on your recent U.S. tour?
After our show at CBGBs, we were in the van and Jenny yeeled, "Hey, that guy looks like Matt Dillon." I looked, and it was him! He walked right by our van, past the velvet rope, right into a club. Ohhhh..... Matt Dillon!
