Music
Press
Austin John have been featured on CIUT radio. Songs from our cd were played and Todd was interviewed after the show's host August Ozolins had seen us play live. During the interview August said we were:
-"one of the best bands in Toronto".
- University of Toronto Radio
Songs from Austin John's debut Cd have been played on CBC radio programs across the country. Letter from Mark Rheaume to Factor and the Ontario Arts Council in support of our upcoming recording project:
It was with great interest that I received the news from Todd Elsliger that Ontario band Austin John is working on a new, full-length recording. The group’s self-titled album picked up dozens of spins on CBC radio stations all across the country, including programs originating in Thunder Bay, Whitehorse, and Regina. Furthermore, the Ontario-wide weekend morning show “Fresh Air” has also seen fit to feature the band’s music.
Given this airplay, and the overall high quality of Austin John’s music, we think a new album by the group would be a project fully worth funding.
Here in Music Resources, we receive dozens of CD submissions every week from artists looking to get their music out to our listeners. As you would imagine, not all of these efforts are quite up to par. Recordings like the debut release from Austin John, on the other hand, are exactly what CBC Radio is after.
We greatly anticipate the release of the band’s next recording.
Sincerely,
Mark Rheaume
CBC Radio
Music Resources
- CBC radio
Who The Hell Are You? Austin John
Wednesday July 04, 2007 @ 05:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff
Austin John
It's Wednesday, and that means another installment of Who The Hell Are You?, where we profile indie bands, labels and organizations. This week, we're talking to Austin John's Todd Elsliger.
Who are you?
Our band is named after my middle name, Austin John, because my last name is such a pain in the ass. The band are Todd Elsliger (guitar, vocals, songwriting), Carlie Howell (bass), Dave MacDougall (drums) and Stu Harrison (keyboards).
Where are you from?
All of the band's musicians reside in Toronto. However, Todd is originally from Montreal and Carlie is from Winnipeg.
How did your group start?
We have all been studying and playing music for many years. We met in the jazz performance program at the University Of Toronto, from which we have all graduated. We have been playing together in various bands and jobbing/jazz ensembles for the past few years. This particular band started playing Todd's original rock music in 2006.
Describe your music in 100 words or less.
Cole Porter meets Paul Westerberg? We try to balance the raw simplicity of pop with harmonic and rhythmic structures that are less cliche. The subtle twists and turns can be enjoyed by casual listeners and pop music connoisseurs alike. Did I mention we rock?
How was your recent release recorded?
We came into contact with David Hermiston, an apprentice engineer at Inception Studio. He offered to record us in the overnight hours at the studio for a reduced rate. We recorded over a few days in the fall of 2006. The recordings are bare bones, with very few overdubs. Despite our limited budget, we learned a lot and have a five-song EP to show for it.
How committed are you to making music a full-time career?
Everyone in this band is a full-time musician. None of us are relying on the three chords we knew in high school. We dedicated many years to formally studying our craft, and now we are living the glorious life of struggling musicians.
What are your day jobs?
Collectively, we do many musical things to squeak out a living: giving private lessons, playing in the circus, performing standards at weddings/bar mitzvahs/corporate functions, writing, arranging and copying music for various bands, selling pianos…
Where can people find your music, either on the web or in stores?
Our EP is available at CD Baby, Soundscapes at 572 College St. in Toronto or, best of all, directly from us when you come see us play live. We also have a MySpace page.
What's something we haven't asked that you'd like our readers to know about your band?
It is unlikely we are going to invest time schmoozing over a dozen beers at the Horseshoe every night. "Cool" to us means working hard to make our songs interesting for those of you still looking for great pop/rock music. On a heavier note, we frequently use my dog Travis as the band spokesmodel/logo.
- Chartattack
Discography
In March 2007, Austin John released its first independent self titled ep. We are preparing to record a full length Cd is the spring of 2008 with Juno Award winning producer Chad Irschick (Lorena Mckennitt, Susan Aglukark, The Rankins). To hear songs from our first Ep and soon: demos for our upcoming full length cd, check out myspace.com/austinjohnmusic.
Photos
Bio
3 chord grunge bands and cool haircut posers beware; we’re bringing great pop/rock music back! You know, songs with layers that both casual music fans can enjoy and aficionados can sink their ears into; chords, rhythms and melodies that you can’t see coming from a mile away; lyrics that don’t rhyme love and above…unless it really fits the song well or there’s no other choice.
Seriously; Dave, Stu and Carlie are a songwriter’s dream come true. They don’t have time for drinking all night at the local indie bar, or digging for hours in thrift stores for “vintage” clothes. They’re up until the wee hours of the morning practicing super-locrian scales and polyrhythms so they can be prepared for whatever I throw at them. So I throw a lot at them…emoting as much as I can while the going’s good. But make no mistake… our songs about feelings still ROCK!
In the fall of 2006 we recorded our first Ep, which is for sale at Soundscapes (Toronto) and online at Cdbaby and Itunes. The band has been featured in chartattack.com and interviewed on CIUT radio. Songs from the Ep have been played on several CBC radio programs across the country, and Noteborn music is licensing tracks for television and film. Our t-shirts featuring my fantastic dog Travis are super popular…(all the cool kids are wearing them). Most importantly, the band has really hit a stride with our live performances at venues such as Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo, Clinton’s, The Reverb, Healey’s Roadhouse and The Rivoli; and Montreal’s Divan Orange and Petit Café Campus. We are recording a full length Cd with Juno Award winning producer Chad Irschick, demos will be available soon in the audio section, and gigs are always posted on our myspace page.
Book Austin John today. There might be a cool t-shirt in it for you! Todd
Links
