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102.1 The Edge interview with Dave Bookman
"A techinical prowess with a real passion"
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Mushy Callahan on Q107
Mushy Callahan Cover the Traveling Wilbury's on Q107
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Mushy Callahan's Video "Shot Down" Premiere
http://www.aux.tv/videos/mushy-callahan-shot-down/
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Mushy Callahan Edgefest 2012 Gallery
Mushy Callahan Edgefest 2012 Gallery
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Mushy Callahan at Edgefest
http://www.aux.tv/2012/07/photos-edgefest-12-at-downsview-park/mushycallahan-rileytaylor/
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CityNews anchor Tom Hayes stars in rock video
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By day he’s a reporter and anchor with CityNews, but in his music video debut Tom Hayes plays a leat...By day he’s a reporter and anchor with CityNews, but in his music video debut Tom Hayes plays a leather jacket-clad bad boy on a Harley.
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Mushy Callahan on the Examiner Toronto
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Alberta NativesMushy Callahan are taking the Toronto music scene by storm. A literal band of brother...Alberta NativesMushy Callahan are taking the Toronto music scene by storm. A literal band of brothers, Noah (lead vocals, guitar), Joel (drums, vocals) Lucas (lead guitar, vocals, synth-keys) and Jacob (bass) began making music together when they were children. Born to musical parents, they began learning their instruments together at a young age and were playing live events in the family band by their teens. Going their own separate ways for many years, playing and recording with different band in different cities, the brothers reunited in Toronto and are making their presence known. Their 5-track EP, Man on the Run, leans heavily on classic rock as an influence. Beefy bass riffs, arena-quality guitar solos, and booming vocals turn this into indie rock with umph. The boys from Mushy Callahan took some time before their show in Toronto tonight to chat with the Toronto Live Music Examiner.
1) How did the band start? And how you decided on the name for the band?
View slideshow: Mushy Callahan
Mushy Callahan
Photo credit: I AM PR Agency
We'll try and keep this short. The band started in 2010, Noah (Lead Vocals, Guitar) and Joel (Drums, Back-up Vocals) were playing in another band together at the time and were signed to an independent label in L.A. and ended up spending 3 months down there recording, Noah, who was only seventeen. That's when we first started talking about doing our own project. Either way, the old band didn't work out as planned, Noah and Joel ended up on two different sides of the country, both were stuck in a bit of a rut at the time. Noah ended up calling Joel out of the blue and played some songs he was working on, by the end of the call they agreed on meeting up in Toronto and starting a band, Jake (bass) flew out the day after high school graduation and Luke (Lead guitar, Vocals, Keys) was working on his Masters in Quebec requested a transfer to join the brothers in Toronto. The name Mushy Callahan was our grandpa's boxing alias, it was actually Mushy "The Kid" Callahan, but it was trimmed down and was a name we all agreed on.
2) What's it like being in a band with all your brothers? Does sibling rivalry or older vs younger brother dynamics have an influence?
We fight for sure, especially this year while things have been getting busier, we've been spending a lot more time together, sometimes it's like we're kids again. We've all had some pretty bad blow outs with one another, but it's nothing that lasts more than a couple days and isn't settled after a few drinks.
3) What would you say are your influences? You have a great sound that I can see reaching a really broad audience, how did you come about it.
Well we grew up listening to our dad's music which was a lot of Grand Funk Railroad, Hendrix, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, we still enjoy it and have tried to incorporate a lot of those sounds into modern rock. Our personal influences vary and we all take time to write, record and express our ideas which we believe gives us a diverse sound. We write songs that we like and think are catchy and don't worry if they fall into a certain genre.
4) Tell me about the recording of your EP. How did it come together? Is there a full length album in the works?
We were approached by producer Michael Sonier, he found us online and was very insistent on producing us, and that was one of the things we were impressed about, he wasn't taking no for an answer. He pushed to get our songs recorded and released sooner then later and ended up being the voice of reason on a lot brotherly creative differences. We've been in our home studio working out songs for our full length ever since our EP was cut.
5) Are you excited about your show in Toronto tonight?
We get excited about every show, we end up being our toughest critics. I think our biggest worry is the show getting hit with a blizzard, we've been getting great weather here in Toronto lately it almost seems too good to be true.
6) What does the future hold for Mushy Callahan?
We are planning our LP release this year along with a western Canadian tour and the Ontario festival circuit, a lot of the songs on the EP were written in the course of the past 3-4 years, so we're excited to get our new material out there.
Catch Mushy Callahan tonight at the Velvet Underground (510 Queen Street West) tonight with the Drop Dead Pinups and Modern Twist.
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Mushy Callahan: "Man On The Run" (mini-review)
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After pulling up stakes and moving from Northern Alberta to Toronto (good move guys), the four broth...After pulling up stakes and moving from Northern Alberta to Toronto (good move guys), the four brothers who comprise Mushy Callahan have been able to release their debut EP Man On The Run.
The 5-track record leans heavily on classic rock as an influence. Beefy bass riffs, arena-quality guitar solos, and booming vocals turn this into indie rock with umph.
Somehow they manage to pull it all off without sounding cheesy or coming off as some sort of satirical act.
Verdict: Buy It
Mushy Callahan play Hard Luck Bar in Toronto tomorrow night.
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MUSHY CALLAHAN VIDEO RELEASE PARTY
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On the heels of their successful performance at Edgefest this summer, and recently released debut EP...On the heels of their successful performance at Edgefest this summer, and recently released debut EP, Man on the Run, Mushy Callahan are following up with a performance and premiere of their music video, “Shot Down”. Here’s the trailer:
The release party will take place on November 17th at the Velvet Underground at 8 PM Tickets are $10 with proceeds going towards the Spinal Muscular Atrophy charity FightSMA. Tom Hayes from CityTV (who is uncharacteristically featured in the music video as a treacherous bounty hunter) will also perform with his band, The Twisters.
The hard-rocking, guitar-riffing quartet is a family affair from northern Alberta. Noah (lead vocals, guitar), Joel (drums, vocals) Lucas (lead guitar, vocals, keys) and Jacob (bass) range in ages from 19 to 28, and have played music together since they were children. After performing separately in various groups throughout Canada, the siblings have taken root in Toronto with a mission to “take the city by storm.” Their music obviously strives to do something very similar to our ear drums. It’s a fiery, classic brand of rock-and-roll that is forceful, yet melodic. They blend distorted electric guitar chords, rollicking drum patterns, and driving bass lines with appealing vocal melodies.
Dave “Bookie” Bookman from 102.1 The Edge spoke highly of the band and their chops saying, “these guys can play… a real technical prowess with a real passion.“ The release party will be an excellent chance to see the boys in action and will doubtlessly leave you feeling energized, still bobbing your head to the up-tempo rock rhythms as you leave the Velvet Underground. Be sure to check out the debut EP before you go to the show. In addition, Tom Hayes and Twisters will fit in wonderfully with Mushy Callahan’s sound.
-Brian Katz
Katuwapitiya.com Contributor
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Here’s an up and coming band originally from Calgary who are currently making waves on the Toronto music scene: Mushy Callahan!
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Here’s an up and coming band originally from Calgary who are currently making waves on the Toronto m...Here’s an up and coming band originally from Calgary who are currently making waves on the Toronto music scene: Mushy Callahan!
The boys are playing @ the Black Betty on May 31st with guests, so go check them out this Thursday! These guys are doing what they gotta do (make great music among one of them) to be heard across Canada. Check out the video above, and also the Mushy Callahan video channel for more of the good stuff.
Their debut EP album “Man on the Run” has been recently released too, so check out the Mushy Callahan website to get your hands on that asap
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Mushy Callahan
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Following a year of false starts, the brothers that make up Mushy Callahan have pulled together thei...Following a year of false starts, the brothers that make up Mushy Callahan have pulled together their debut EP, Man on the Run, and garnered attention in their new hometown of Toronto.
"This year's been a big year for us: we put out our EP, which took longer than it should have," drummer Joel McCann explains. He says the band deliberated about whether to hire a producer or complete the album themselves, which stalled the process. But once they started working with producer Michael Sonier (Jully Black, Liz Coyles), who found the group online and pushed them into the studio, things really started to roll.
Now the band has a set of tour wheels and a busy summer schedule, which will bring it home to Alberta. Forming a band was always a possibility for the brothers, who grew up making music together and only recently regrouped in Toronto.
"We've talked about it for a long time," says McCann. "We've played in projects when we were kids, but all went our separate ways as teenagers. We always joked about it, but it never seemed like it would really be something that happened. Then when Noah and Jacob moved down, Lucas realized it was actually going to happen, and he didn't want to miss out on it."
The group's stayed true to its rock roots, a taste each of the four brothers share from their childhood, although Lucas chose to shift gears for a time.
"Lucas, went on his own path—he actually played in a metal band once, that was quite successful. He's got a wide range of music tastes that he likes. I think it's just the rest of us that are snobs when it comes to music," McCann says.
Beginning next month, Mushy Callahan will be working on the video for the single "Shot Down." The foursome is excited about the anticipated appearance of a local celebrity who McCann cautiously left unnamed, saying he didn't want to jinx anything pre-production.
"We ran into the star of the video, through a couple of friends and he liked the song," McCann explains. "And we joked around, 'Why don't you star in the video, because you're a pretty big name around here,' and we thought he was just going to laugh it off, but he agreed to because he really enjoyed the song."
Though the band is often compared to the Replacements and the Strokes, one comparison the McCann brothers tire of are the inevitable references to pop bro sensations the Jonas Brothers and Hanson Brothers.
"Not quite our music," says the rock-bred drummer.
Sun, Jun 3 (7 pm)
New City, free
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Release Party for Mushy Callahan’s New Music Video Starring Citytv’s Tom Hayes
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TORONTO, ONTARIO (Oct. 31, 2012) - Mushy Callahan announced that it is hosting a music video release...TORONTO, ONTARIO (Oct. 31, 2012) - Mushy Callahan announced that it is hosting a music video release party, benefiting FightSMA Canada, for its new single “Shot Down”, starring Citytv’s Tom Hayes at the Velvet Underground on November 17, 2012 at 8pm.
Mushy Callahan Video Release Party Ft. Citytv’s Tom Hayes
The Velvet Underground -
November 17, 2012
Doors - 8pm
Tickets - $10 – All proceeds go to FightSMA
@mushycallahan / mushycallahan.com
The video release party will feature a performance by Mushy Callahan and special guests Tom Hayes and The Twisters. All proceeds will go towards the FightSMA Canada and fans are encouraged to donate to the cause by visiting www.fightsma.ca.
Mushy Callahan’s video release party for Shot Down, comes as a climax to the bands recent successes after playing with likes of Billy Talent, The Sheepdogs, The Darcys and Yukon Blonde at this year's Edgefest in Toronto. Dave "Bookie" Bookman from 102.1 The Edge talked enthusiastically about the band saying, “these guys can play... a real technical prowess with a real passion."
Mushy Callahan’s new music video features Citytv’s Tom Hayes in an uncharacteristic role of a dangerous bounty hunter pursuing his prize. Tom Hayes and his band, The Twisters, will join in the celebration by playing all the best hits after his alter ego takes the big screen. Mushy Callahan will end the night in what is sure to be a memorable and energetic performance.
“We were pretty pumped to have Tom on board as he fit the part perfectly, being a guitar playing, motorcycle enthusiast. We are also really excited to share the stage with Tom and his band for the release of our video and help FightSMA Canada in the process,” said Joel McCann (Drummer, Mushy Callahan).
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a disease of the motor nerves of the spinal cord and brain stem that affects 1 in 6000 babies and is the number-one inherited cause of infant death. SMA impacts the muscle we use for crawling, walking, head and neck control, swallowing and breathing. FightSMA Canada was created to accelerate the search for a treatment and cure for SMA. For more information and ways to help FightSMA Canada please visit www.fightsma.ca.
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Mushy Callahan at Rancho Relaxo
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In between we have Mushy Callahan! Mushy Callahan are a Toronto outfit making their debut at the Ran...In between we have Mushy Callahan! Mushy Callahan are a Toronto outfit making their debut at the Rancho Relaxo. They have a classic sound to them. Somewhat laid back rock with subtle country influences throughout. Been anticipating seeing this live show for a while.
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Mushy Callahan on Guitar Shop TV
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A retro rock outfit from northern Alberta, Canada, Mushy Callahan is comprised of four young brother...A retro rock outfit from northern Alberta, Canada, Mushy Callahan is comprised of four young brothers with an ear for hooky vintage guitar riffs and toe tapping melodies. Singer Noah McCann has a voice that recalls a roughed up version of Bono, which glides smoothly over the band’s Detroit-inspired retro rock riffs.
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Mushy Callahan is an original, neo-vintage rock n’ roll band based in Toronto, Canada comprised of musicians from across the country.
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Mushy Callahan began all playing together as children over a decade ago in Western Canada during the...Mushy Callahan began all playing together as children over a decade ago in Western Canada during the early 1990’s. The musicians split-up to play with other hard, pop, and alternative rock bands in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Québec. After years of writing, touring and performing nation-wide, they were reunited to form a new the project after over a decade that has now caught the attention of the Toronto music scene.
Noah (lead vocals, guitar), Joel (drums, vocals) Lucas (lead guitar, vocals, synth-keys) and Jacob (bass), all four of them brothers in their twenties, have renewed classic rock with their ear-catching hooks, elaborate musical layers and stage presence. All four musicians began learning their instruments together at a young age; born performers, they are driven to write, record and perform album after album. Their music reflects the essence of 60’s and 70’s rock while boasting three-part harmonies, and incorporating dirtier guitar sounds and solid yet edgy drums that will entertain music lovers from different generations.
Mushy Callahan has played a wide variety of venues at various festivals, and events, and band showcases most recently placing in the top-five at Toronto Events Showcase out of over 30 Toronto bands of wide ranges of music. All the while, Mushy Callahan have been in the studio crafting their newest, heavily anticipated full-length album at The Pocket, Toronto CA. Mushy Callahan have collaborated with various, internationally recognized producers and engineers. The album, which features the single Burn, was produced by Michael Sonier (Jully Black, Liz Coyles) under the supervision of Mike Turner (Crash Karma, Our Lady Peace) along with Shot Down, which was engineered by Chris Fudurich (Nada Surf, VAST) at Chemical Sound in Toronto.
Mushy Callahan debut EP, Man on the Run is set to be released in November 5th this year before they kick off the Eastern part of their CD release tour. For bookings, please contact J.J. McCann @ 416-882-3968 or booking@mushycallahan.com
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Ucombo Interview
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1) Introduce yourself
Mushy Callahan. A Neo-Vintage rock n roll band based in Toronto, transplant...1) Introduce yourself
Mushy Callahan. A Neo-Vintage rock n roll band based in Toronto, transplants from Alberta.
2) How did you come up with your stage name?
Our name came from our granddad, who used to box when he was much younger, his name in the ring was Mushy “The Kid” Callahan, we are paying homage to family in a way. The name sounded cool when we started out, and has stuck ever since. I think we had a name before the project before any songs had been written, and started this band was just an idea being thrown around between us.
3) What sets you apart from other aspiring artists?
Our sound and band dynamics. Most brother bands we can think of (that don’t even deserve mention) are so pop oriented, we don’t fall into that category. We have a vintage inspired sound, and have always stuck to our roots of 60's and 70's rock classics, which we grew up on.
4) What single or project are you currently promoting?
We are still promoting our debut EP “Man On The Run”. Gearing up to release our first single and video for “Shot Down”, available online and on iTunes.
5) What is the philosophy by which you live by?
Stick to our roots. We can think of countless bands that stray away from the initial idea of making good music. Too many bands are dishing out records without any respect to their craft. Of the few bands that haven’t sold out this way, we are loyal fans of.
6) Which artists have inspired you to pursue music?
We grew up on The Doors, Supertramp, and Grand Funk Railroad etc… I think by the time we reached our teens we had all stretched our influences a little into the grunge and rock genres. Favorites now include Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Tame Impala, and early Kings Of Leon.
7) What concert did you last go to?
I think the last concert we all saw was The Black Angels and a Montreal based band called Suuns, both great bands we saw in Toronto. We already have some tickets to see some great bands this year, one of them being Kasabian.
(8) What is your opinion of the current state of the music industry?
A lot has changed, I think artists just have to be a little more creative with how they market themselves, and make their living. I really think the internet has opened the doors to a lot more bands and music, that’s where we have had a lot more of our success. The fact that the listener is now in complete control of what they want to hear, when they hear it is a blessing.
9) If you could change one thing about the music industry what would it be and why?
I wish more people would come out to see indie artists, what is going to drive the success for the independent music industry is the support of other like-minded artists. We need to embrace the local indie music scene.
10) Are there any bands that you would like to collaborate with in the future?
It would be cool to jam with the guys from Tame Impala or B.R.M.C., just to hang out with them would be a cool experience, we would love to hear some of their road stories.
11) What producers would you like to collaborate with in the future?
We’ve had the pleasure of working with some great ones already, but other than the obvious hit makers it would interested working with some artists who have self-produced, like Ryan Adams or Peter Hayes.
12) What Is your favorite movie and favorite book?
A book our father handed to each of us all at one point in our lives is “The Peaceful Warrior” – Dan Millman. One of our favorite movies is a great Canadian cult classic called FUBAR.
13) What is your favorite part of your live show? How has It evolved?
Playing new songs. We get really excited to perform the new songs on stage, even if they have a few kinks. I think our live show now show feels at such a level of comfort that we feel like we’re playing in our jam space without a worry.
14) What is your Lp going to be like?
Our LP is going to
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Put Me In The Picture Interview
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-Introduce Yourself:
We are Mushy Callahan, a four-piece rock band that is based in Toronto CA. W...-Introduce Yourself:
We are Mushy Callahan, a four-piece rock band that is based in Toronto CA. We are musicians that have been together for over a year, we have just released our debut EP in late 2011. We are releasing a video for the single “Loose Lips” set to be released later this month. Now, we are back in the studio hashing out the demos for our LP release later this year, and have a cross Canada tour in support of the LP in the works.
-How did you get your start?
The band has roots that began when we were all children, we played together when we were kids. Eventually we all moved on to different projects for about ten years, which led us to touring and recording with different groups. Then as destiny had it, we all ended up back in Toronto, from different parts of the country to work on a completely new project. Since, we have taken all our experiences and new found talents and applied them fully to Mushy Callahan as it has come to be known today.
-Who are some of your influences?
Everyone brought different influences to the table but now we have homogenized our tastes somewhat to things we can appreciate equally while we’re riding in the van or getting ready for a show. We listen to all of the big names in rock form the 60's and 70's, especially groups like the Small Faces and the Allman Brothers Band, which were huge in the those times, but other classic rock fans that are our age generally overlook.
Today, we will put on Kasabian, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or even Tame Impala and everyone will be happy.
-How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Many bands have so much trouble with this question as they try to throw as many fused labels at you as possible. Our sound is well-defined and is simple to pin-point. A friend used the term Neo-Vintage rock to describe us, and we’ve used that because it gives the feeling of a new spin on an old sound that has proven to be time and generation tested.
-Do you have any music available for purchase, & if so where can people go to buy it?
Absolutely. Anyone that wants to get their hands on the album can be pointed to the online store on our website www.mushycallahan.com. We’re also on all the big digital distribution sites like Amazon/iTunes etc.
-Fav. song to perform?
That would have to be Burn. The songs builds up over a few bars to a punchy, gain drenched rock tune that continually has guitar and vocal layers added as the song progresses. Its available on the album.
-What is the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you while performing?
We’ve been pretty lucky, we haven’t really had anything too crazy happen to us. Minus broken strings and some other equipment malfunctions, but those things just come with performing. There was one show where a drunk guy got on stage mid set and was trying to convince us to let him play this new song he learned on guitar, it was Oasis’s Wonderwall. He was pretty adamant about playing it, all the while the audience looked on.
-Who is someone you would like to work with or play a show with in the future?
We would really love to get to work with Michael Patterson. He is such an influential and talented producer that has proven his success rate across the different genres. The work he has done with everything from Beck to B.R.M.C. speaks volumes about what he can do. Either him or Butch Vig who needs no introduction, both of whom would surely get us right away.
-Fav. band/artist of all time:
I (Lucas) wouldn’t be the same person or a musician without Trent Reznor’s work. Everything about how he writes his lyrics to the sounds and arrangements of his music, though not really the genre of Mushy Callahan. He’s been able to recreate his sound and apply it other genres.
-What is something people may be surprised to find out about you?
Many people fail to realize the similarities between us, but
supersonic
