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Ready for the Next Step
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When P.E.I. drummer Danny Miles got a call from a booking agent asking about The Med’s availability ...When P.E.I. drummer Danny Miles got a call from a booking agent asking about The Med’s availability for a July 2 gig, he wasn’t impressed — at first.
“I told him that I wasn’t sure we could do it because we were booked the two days prior,” says Miles, a member of the post-punk rock band that includes Kyle Drake, lead vocals, guitar; Brendan Hansen, bass; Patrick MacDonald: lead guitar; and Iain McCarvill, keyboards, backing vocals.
Unfazed by Miles’ response, the caller pushed on with another question.
“He said, ‘Well, do you want to open for Meat Loaf at the 2011 Charlottetown SummerFest?’ Then I was like, ‘yeah!’ And I started getting butterflies (in my stomach),” says Miles.
He knew all about the legendary American rock star because his music was in his parents’ music collection.
“I remember listening to Meatloaf’s album, Bat Out of Hell, about 10,000 times when I was a kid. It’s one of the biggest parts of my music memory,” he says.
Besides being a mega fan, the idea of sharing the stage with what he calls a “living legend” was something he couldn’t pass up.
“Even more than our involvement will be the outside perception of us supporting an absolute music monster. It’s exciting,” he says.
This good news is the latest in a series of good things that has happened to the band, says the bass player.
“The timing is perfect. Because we’ve done some bigger shows, we have the experience,” Hansen says.
The Meds played for thousands during Canada Day on the main stage of Charlottetown SummerFest last July. And they performed for a crowd of 2,000 when they opened for Down With Webster at Credit Union Place in Summerside last August.
“Because we know what to expect, we’re ready for the next step — big time,” says the bass player.
This exposure will help band members as they prepare to put the finishing touches on their debut album, produced by Juno award nominee Matt Mays, expected to be released in early fall.
Their relationship started with this musical giant two years ago when Hansen handed the band’s demo to the rocker in a Charlottetown coffee shop two years ago. When Mays heard the punchy riffs and infectious melodies that The Meds are known for, he signed on to produce the Charlottetown based group’s debut album.
“And we’ve been in a working and creative relationship ever since,” says Hansen.
In December 2009, The Meds turned a cottage in Nova Scotia to a recording studio where, for 11 days with Mays in the producer’s chair, they hammered out much of what will become their debut release.
Later The Meds travelled to California to record vocal tracks at Mays’ home in San Francisco.
After these sessions, The Meds began to focus their creativity on developing their artistic talents.
“We’ve been working on our live show and Matt has really, really worked with us on our sound to make it something (special). With his involvement and the work that we’ve been doing we’re trying to work towards the bigger picture.
“We’re want to expand this so it will open up to wherever its potential can take it,” he says
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Talking Bands: The Meds
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The Meds
Talking Bands
by Fraser McCallum
When the Meds’ bass player Brendan Hansen handed his...The Meds
Talking Bands
by Fraser McCallum
When the Meds’ bass player Brendan Hansen handed his band’s demo to Matt Mays he hoped the Canadian rocker would react. He hoped Mays, a multi-ECMA winner and touring artist, would pass it along to the powers that be, and that just maybe some good fortune would come back the Meds’ way. Well it took eight months, but Mays reacted in a serious way to the sound of the Charlottetown group.
“Apparently he found the demo in the bottom of a suitcase while traveling in the States,” says a thrilled Hansen. “He was really impressed and got a hold of us a week later. He had been looking to produce something and liked the edginess of our stuff.” After a few beers with the full band on Victoria Row, Mays and the lads came up with a plan to record an album together in Nova Scotia and San Francisco.
The Meds began in 2006 and play a melody-first style of guitar rock, with three-part harmonies and big energy. Today, along with Hansen, their lineup includes Kyle Drake (lead vocals, guitar), Iain McCarvill (piano, backing vocals), Pat MacDonald (lead guitar), and Danny Miles (drums).
They had recorded before, at Sonic Temple in Halifax, but were understandably on cloud nine following the news of an album with Mays. After some hearty celebration, they hit their jam space for a few weeks of rehearsal. In early winter, The Meds, along with their new producer, and a rack of 17 guitars, went about recording an album, relocating to a beach-house in East Berlin (no, not that East Berlin), found in southern Nova Scotia.
“We collectively wrote some new parts,” explains lead singer Drake. “Matt helped trim the fat and tailor the songs for a more mainstream crowd. We all brought the songs to a new level.”
Lead guitarist Pat MacDonald, a St. FX jazz graduate, collaborated with Mays on a lot of the ideas for the bed tracks. MacDonald and company worked nighthawk hours for ten days yielding eleven songs and some good-natured cabin fever. From there, Drake and McCarvill flew the coop to record the vocals, joining Mays for an unforgettable week at a studio in San Francisco.
“We had a few days to mess around and explore the city…which is incredible,” recalls Drake. “The recording was the most intense vocal session I had ever done. Matt pushed me to try different approaches. He is an extremely knowledgeable, professional person. That said, he’s still a laid back guy from Dartmouth and acts no different.”
The Meds are now aiming for a summer release of their full-length, which is in post-production at Sonic. They have plans to tour across Canada with Mays, who is set to release his own album around the same time.
“Its awesome to have this kind of momentum,” asserts Hansen. “We know if we keep putting in the work, we can push this a lot further.”
Drake agrees, “We’re passionate but our feet are still on the ground. We would love to do it all full-time and know what kind of commitment it will need.”
The Meds will be playing regularly at local venues this summer. Check them out on online at themeds.ca or myspace.com/themedsonmyspace
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The Meds Light up The Guild Stage
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The Meds light up The Guild stage
TODD MACLEAN
The Guardian
Last weekend was just one of th...The Meds light up The Guild stage
TODD MACLEAN
The Guardian
Last weekend was just one of those hip and happenin’ Charlottetown weekends where it seems like everything’s all going on at once and everyone and their pet marmot is out on the town.
And last Friday night, one of the premier events taking place on the scene was a night of boombastic indie rock at The Guild, starring Charlottetown’s The Meds, and the now Halifax-based (but originally from P.E.I.) ensemble, The Gypsies.
At about 11 p.m., I took a solo walk up to Queen Street (I left my pet marmot at home this weekend), heard the sounds of charged rock ’n’ roll pouring out onto the street and dipped into The Guild, where a buzz of bopping energy greeted me as I waltzed through the door.
Climbing up the stairs, I made my way through smiling minglers, sipping drinks and nodding to the groove, and found my own little spot along the wall to stand and take in the night’s opening act.
With a feel I could perhaps best describe as head-shaking-blissy-tinged-noble-vintage-pop-rock, the four-piece band of rollicking dudes known as The Gypsies played a really well-received 40-minute set to start off the shindig.
With Mike Walker on bass and vocals, Jeremy Butler on guitar and vocals, Aaron Turner on drums and, filling in for Dan Egilsson (their other guitarist/
vocalist), Kyle Drake of The Meds, the band performed with the kind of giddy-up gusto that has been helping to establish its name on both the Halifax and Charlottetown indie scenes over the past two years.
Sweet harmonies, shiny melodic bass lines, a bit of hootin’ and hollerin’, and an always kicking vibe accentuate The Gypsies’ overall sound. And through a good handful of songs from its new CD release, Modern Love, the Charlottetown crowd got a long-awaited Gypsy-fix, on this hometown return.
And with that, it was time for a med-fix.
It has only been since this past fall that this four-piece indie rock ensemble has been rampaging onto Charlottetown’s music scene, but in its short existence, The Meds have certainly established a firm foothold on the bar stages in this town.
Led by Drake on lead vocals and guitar, with Andy Keith on lead guitar and keyboard, Danny Miles on drums and Brendan Hansen on bass, the group seems to have very early on found its creative territory niche in the land of indie music, garnering new fans with each new live performance.
And certainly, last Friday’s presentation at The Guild was no exception, as the band played an hour-long set of original tunes that soared in intensity, flowed with melodic intricacy and rocked with solid grooves of well-thought-out parts.
Through crowd favourites like Rubberband, Sidelines, and the last song of the night, Fall, The Meds got the 200-plus audience up and going, winning over an encore as they finished off the show with a newly-forged treat that has yet to be named.
Reaching a point in their creative process now where they are prepared to go into the studio and put these songs to a CD, The Meds are set to record a debut album starting this month.
Now in talks with Sonic Temple in Halifax, the band is hoping to use this highly-renowned recording studio to bring their promising creative labours to a recorded fruition.
Tomorrow night, the band will be playing abroad, with friends Battery Point, at The Cellar in Fredericton. You can catch the group next on P.E.I. opening for Paper Lions (formerly Chucky Danger) at Hunter’s Ale House on May 2.
Check out www.myspace.com/themedsonmyspace and www.thegypsies.ca for all the info on these two fine products of Charlottetown’s booming independent rock scene.
Next week: It’s still up in the air, but I’m sure you’re gonna’ like it.
At a glance
n What: A night of Charlottetown indie rock.
n Who: The Meds and The Gypsies.
n Where: The Guild.
n When: Friday, March 28.
n Why: Yo, this is how they do it in Skinton.
Each week, Todd MacLean brings his readers into the experience of a new musical event, from Island ceilidhs and festivals, to the city’s bar scene and rock concerts. When he is not writing or playing music, he can often be found strolling throughout the streets of Charlottetown philosophizing and eating cookies. He loves to hear feedback and suggestions for future musical endeavours. He can be reached at tmaclean@
theguardian.pe.ca or at 626-1242.
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Off to a Good Start
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Members of the Meds, are excited about their debut CD launch party in Charlottetown tonight. From ...
Members of the Meds, are excited about their debut CD launch party in Charlottetown tonight. From left are Danny Miles, Pat MacDonald, Iain McCarvill and Kyle Drake. The show will be opened by the Love Junkies. PHOTO BY ROZON MEDIA
Members of the Meds, are excited about their debut CD launch party in Charlottetown tonight. From left are Danny Miles, Pat MacDonald, Iain McCarvill and Kyle Drake. The show will be opened by the Love Junkies. PHOTO BY ROZON MEDIA
Sally Cole
Published on January 11, 2013
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Sporting a new album and coming off a tour with Matt Mays, The Meds return to Charlottetown for a CD release party tonight
Topics :
Ale House , Phoenix Concert Theatre , Toronto , Charlottetown , Canada , Vancouver
It’s been an amazing year for The Meds.
First, the group recorded its six-song self-titled debut CD.
Then members of the band took to the road in October when they were the opening act for rocker Matt Mays during his six-week, 22-show tour of Canada, ending up in every province except for P.E.I.
“It was an amazing experience. As a band, it was a great opportunity to show our stuff,” says Patrick MacDonald, a member of the group that will play its first show of the year tonight at Hunter’s Ale House in Charlottetown.
Not only was it an unbelievable opportunity to showcase The Meds (made up of MacDonald, Kyle Drake, lead vocals and guitar, Danny Miles, percussion and vocals, and Iain McCarvill, bass and vocals)and the debut EP to national audiences, the tour gave the band the good fortune of playing sold-out shows in top Canadian venues, including the Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver), the Starlite Room (Edmonton), the Pyramid (Winnipeg) and the Phoenix Concert Theatre (Toronto).
“We were pretty excited. It’s a great experience to have under our belts,” says Drake.
In between gigs, it was also a chance to make some lifetime friends.
“Looking back (at the tour) we realize how special it was travelling across the country in close quarters with some good buddies,” says MacDonald.
Specifically, Drake liked working with Mays, a seasoned musician and an exceptional role model.
“He’s a great guy to look up to and learn from. Watching his band on stage was powerful,” says Drake.
The band plans to take that same energy to the stage during tonight’s show in Charlottetown.
“We’re pretty excited. It’s nice to finally have some new material to share with our P.E.I. audience. It will be great to finally have a CD release party on P.E.I.,” says Drake.
“We’ll play most of the songs from the EP plus some new ones,” says MacDonald, adding they will be available for sale at the event.
Produced by Matt Mays, the six-track EP was recorded during dozens of studio sessions in San Francisco and various locations in Nova Scotia.
The first single is Master Planet, a joyous pop song filled with harmonies that lends itself to the dance floor.
“In addition to our recorded songs, we’ll be performing a new song, Running The Edge. It’s written about our time on the road (with Matt Mays). It’s about things like learning to cope with very little sleep, burning the candle at both ends, falling into the stream of things and actually starting to like touring.
“It was quite the experience,” says Drake.
