Black Phoenix Orchestra

Darren McDade is waiting. The songwriter and vocalist is waiting for the inevitable to happen, for the road to get even remotely bumpy for his local band Black Phoenix Orchestra, which, since forming over 14 months ago, has been cruising along smoothly in something like a career commuter lane.

“It’ll come, man,” McDade says before laughing. “It always does. But I think a lot of (the smooth run) comes with experience, too, kind of knowing what to expect, and just going out and making it happen. I find most of the time you’ve just got to ask for something and people are willing to help.”

Actually, the point of needing to ask for help has probably long been surpassed by the quartet, who will attempt to keep their feet on the gas, with the release of a self-titled EP Thursday night at Dickens Pub. People are falling all over themselves to get on-board with the Orchestra before they get too far out front, and leave this city in their tail lights. And the album, which was recorded nine months ago, should give them that extra jump, featuring as it does a pretty confident blend of Anglo sounds ranging from, say, the more muscular pop of Oasis to the noisy psychedelia of Swervedriver. But as good as it is, McDade admits the eight-song sampling is just a hint of what they have to offer, more of a starting point that has got them to an even more refined and defined direction.

“The way we played back then to the way we play now, it’s quite a bit different. We kept changing all the songs on this album to try to get the feel of what we’re going for right now. That’s why it’s all over the place — because we were still trying to find ourselves at that point,” he says noting the BPO sound falls more on the dancey side of the powerful, noisy pop. “I like when people are just standing in front of you. And it just feels like you’re just being hit by the (music). I hate watching all of these bar bands because there’s nothing to them, right? I like having that wall of sound. That’s what I go for, anyway.”

It’s an appreciation McDade came to through his formative years growing up in Scotland — he and his family emigrated to Canada just over a decade ago. Immediately he began immersing himself in the music of his new city, eventually forming the local act The Lions. “We had a pretty good little following quickly. People dug the music — but that went all sour.”

It sweetened up considerably when he put the messy split behind and set about forming his current project, which also features bassist Devan Forster, percussionist Greg Brown and, the final piece, Erik Ermantrout, who replaced an earlier guitarist. McDade says the formation was seemingly as easy as the results have been, with him simply asking and the other like-minded musicians answering emphatically. “When we first started . . . we weren’t sounding good, we didn’t have a sound, we didn’t know what we were going for. But as soon as we got Eric in the band, it just seemed to click. . . . We’re definitely all on the same page now. We know where we want to go and we know how to make it happen.”

On the strength of a demo EP and a live album, the band racked up the accolades, even being named one of 10 area bands you need to hear by local weekly Fast Forward. “It kind of pushed us a little bit further, too, because now we had something to live up to,” McDade admits. They more than did that earlier this year with a well-received Horseshoe showcase during Toronto’s Canadian Music Week celebrations, and stepped it up even more to win the $25,000 grand prize of Xposure unsigned band contest from Calgary alt radio station X92.9, which also put the group’s sensational single Punchdrunk Lover into regular rotation.

But rather than idle and enjoy the view, BPO are getting set to head back into the studio next month to work on a new album for fall release. They’re also setting their focus on touring, including, aided by their X windfall, a swing through Europe, which, one can only assume, should aid that forward momentum further

“Everything’s been falling into place,” McDade says. “It’s been really good. We work hard, we know what we want to do.”

And on a side note: Perhaps because they feel like they’ve been given so much, the band are wanting to now give back. If you’re interested in checking out BPO’s show Thursday night, they’ve been kind enough to offer to hook a number of of-age Herald readers up with a spot on their guest list, room permitting — drop them an e-mail at blackphoenixorchestra@hotmail.com.



Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Black+Phoenix+Orchestra+just+keeps+rising/5013535/story.html#ixzz1RHAyhX2h - The Calgary Herald

It’s been a busy few months for Black Phoenix Orchestra since it was named a must-listen emerging act in Fast Forward Weekly’s fall music issue. For one, it completed its eight-song debut EP, which had been stalled due to funding issues, giving its monstrous psych tracks the glisten of professional recording. Next, the local orchestra walked away with $25,000 as the recipient of the X92.9 Xposure contest — and, as a result, is vying for a spot playing with Jane’s Addiction at XFest. Then, there’s the touring: Beyond crossing the mountains for numerous coastal shows, it also logged 18-hour days in the van to travel to Toronto for Canadian Music Week.
Call the Phoenix’s rise meteoric (har, har). But guitarist Erik Ermantrout, on this day languishing in the sun with his guitar, isn’t taking any of this for granted. In fact, his enthusiasm is audible when he speaks of headlining a show at The Horseshoe, that hallowed ground of Torontonian rock ’n’ roll.
“We were playing to a whole crowd of strangers — it was the best. Nothing beats that feeling,” says Ermantrout. “You can feel the energy when you walk in. The fucking Rolling Stones played there — they still do, for secret shows. Jack White played there. To be standing on the same stage as them.... It’s fucking amazing.”
But that’s not the only gift Ermantrout and co. took from Toronto. In fact, the spoken-word opening track of BPO’s eponymous EP, “Rock ’n’ Roll Don’t Pay the Rent” — a passionate diatribe on the transformative powers of, well, rock ’n’ roll — was penned by Toronto music journalist Brian Banks, who caught the band’s set at the Horseshoe. After an interview with singer Darren McDade, Banks shared some of his poetry with the band — and, as Ermantrout describes, an immediate connection was made.
“Every word [in that poem] was the truth. And we’re not paying our bills with music, but you gotta accept it,” he says. “Like Brian says, the adrenaline keeps you going. The music keeps you going. Leading off into [second track] ‘No Guarantees,’ it was perfect — as there’s no guarantees in music. You roll the dice and see what happens.”
Ermantrout’s right: Records aren’t pressed on smiles and hugs. But that open-ended approach, and willingness to gamble, is also evident in its music. While giant rockers such as Kasabian and The Verve still serve as valid reference points, BPO’s sound — perhaps the influence of jazz-trained drummer Greg Brown or bassist Devan Forster’s love of Quest for Fire and Dead Meadow — has become harder to define.
Ragged, dust-bowl blues? Check “Waitin’ in the Water.” Free-form psychedelic histrionics? “Swamp Song” covers those bases in eight minutes. Muscular, stadium-ready bangers? “Punch Drunk Lover,” complete with fuzz-drenched bass tone, is likely more effective than most 5-Hour Energizers. Ermantrout, for his part, just calls it rock ’n’ roll.
“I’m really influenced by early blues. I’m into Robert Johnson and Lightnin’ Hopkins. There’s so much heart and soul into how they play guitars,” he says. “We owe rock ’n’ roll to them. Guys like Robert Johnson — how they wrote their songs, you feel their pain. You feel their joy in everything. That’s what I really fall into.”
There’s that enthusiasm again. Not a band to rest on its laurels, Ermantrout says BPO will take a staggering 30 songs into the studio this summer, hoping to hammer out a cohesive LP. And, they’re hoping to squeeze in a wilderness retreat to refine a few gems from the band’s tie-dyed psychedelic haze.
“The EP is a sample of our different songs, and a lot of it was rushed. When we were in the studio, I was trying to figure out some of those songs,” says Ermantrout. “We don’t know how to describe our sound. We’re constantly changing, constantly writing. We’re thinking of getting out of the city and renting a cabin in the middle of nowhere — [somewhere with] no influences.”
- FFWD Magazine

The Gig: Black Phoenix Orchestra (part of Canadian Music Fest 2011)
Where: The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario
When: 9 March 2011
In One Word: Legit


It’s 12.30am at the ‘legendary’ Horseshoe Tavern. It’s the opening night of Canadian Music Week 2011. The room is full of pretty girls and nerdy guys. Some bright and annoying boy band just played. They sucked… the oxygen right out of the room.

Yawn…

I was ready to write the night off.

BUT THEN…

THEN CAME THE STORM!

Black Phoenix Orchestra.

From the moment they took the stage I knew something was on. As they plugged in, I had a feeling I was about to see a real rock band and not just another imitation. They looked like a real rock band – a rag-tag mob (big burly frontman, lanky mop-haired smiler on bass, clean-cut lead guitarist and a whippersnapper drummer), wearing various shades of black. More importantly, they sounded like a real band too. And by real I mean good.

Boom!

Calgary, Alberta’s Black Phoenix Orchestra delivered, right from the off. The band had clearly prepared well – including their efforts in creating the mood for their music, with a smoke machine and lights – and seemed focused and fully in the zone. By the second song “I’m In Love”, a unanimous feeling of agreement could be felt inside the Horseshoe as Black Phoenix Orchestra played rock and roll that rocked with it’s own broody, badass cool vibe.

Blending psych, garage and hard rock sounds, a very competent rhythm section provided the thumping ambiance for the guitarists to blend in their tones over, with the cleaner lead guitar often contrasting that of singer Darren’s more effects-heavy, and wah-pedal driven tones.

I like my rock music to have some kind of pulse: Black Phoenix Orchestra have one, and it’s is thumping, kicking, sometimes racing, and always bringing life to their music. Sometimes you hear a band and the music is just dead, hanging in the air -it doesn’t touch you, doesn’t move you, it’s nothing – but with BPO there is definitely something there, something to move you. Something worth remembering. Or, as with my closing notes after a night of enduring frustratingly mediocre bands: “Finally something legit”.

© Brian Banks, Music Vice

- www.musicvice.com - Brian Banks (author)

Black Phoenix Orchestra-
Calgary band playing their very first Vancouver show. People were sitting down really not knowing what to expect and as soon as they started playing everyone in the crowd had this look of "I didn't expect this" across their face, the crowd got up and grooved. It was great to see this reaction! I loved every moment of their set, with songs that they just let move naturally. Having seen them live 3 times you are definitely in for a different and awesome experience every time!
Song to listen to: SMS - www.theshowloner.com

Full of hard-charging drumbeats and dry-mouthed blues grooves, Black Phoenix Orchestra’s closest brethren comes in the form of its psychedelic West Coast acts: Black Mountain. Kyuss. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. While such associations don’t bother singer Darren McDade, he’s still irked by the comparative creativity of certain music pundits.

“Someone once compared us to the Stereophonics!” he says in disbelief. “That’s gotta be the worst thing you can say to me. I want to get that wall of sound like Nick McCabe from the Verve — it sounds like he’s not playing anything at all, but at the same time, it’s like he’s playing 100 guitars.”

McDade’s fine-tuned ear to all things British, however, isn’t coincidental. Born in Scotland, he moved to Calgary 11 years ago, and, as he admits, he still hasn’t shaken his anglophile tendencies. That was evident in his previous band, The Lions — which drew plenty of Oasis comparisons — but Black Phoenix Orchestra, McDade says, is exploring new sonic terrains.

“It’s all about the grooves. I like to screw around; I don’t like straightforward shit,” he says. “When I started this band, I wanted it to be more mellow, to concentrate on soft riffs and to be more vocal-oriented. But (we got) a little more psychedelic, a little more into background sounds. I think the visual aspect of a show is really important, too — we don’t want to be a regular little band playing a regular little show.”

While McDade says he “never envisioned it being this heavy” — he credits bassist Devan Forster for any Black Mountain tendencies — and he likely didn’t envision the Orchestra being this prolific, either. Formed five months ago, the band cut a rushed demo — something, McDade says, the band submitted to X92.9 and that the band “doesn’t even sell anymore” — and a live album, along with videos for “Oh Why Me?” and “Punch Drunk Lover,” both directed by Vancouver filmmaker Curt van Woerkem.

As for future releases, the band is preparing another EP with producer Brad Taylor, set for a tentative release in the winter of 2011. While still “in the production stages,” he says the young group will be expanding its sound and scope — expect to hear timpani drums, orchestral flourishes and standup bass added to the mix. That, and it hopes to take its psychotropic groove-show on the road.

“I’d love to be on tour six months of the year,” he says. “Being on the road, in a cramped van, drinking beer and playing a show every night. It’s the best thing.” - FFWD Magazine

Black Phoenix Orchestra
Check out Black Phoenix Orchestra
A 5 piece band from Calgary.
Taking over British Columbia Aug.3 to Aug.9

Aug 3 Voodo's Pentiction, BC
Aug 5 Morrisey (Listening Party) Vancouver, BC
Aug 6 Pat's Pub Vancouver, BC
Aug 8 The Railway Club Vancouver, BC


1. When did your band form?
We formed March 2010 after most of us were kicked outta our old bands.

2. What inspired you to make music?
Darren- Richard Ashcroft from The Verve inspired me to make music, listening to him sing just blew my mind, I wanted to be that good, and Micheal Jackson but lets not talk about that haha.

3. What genre of music do you consider your music to be? Who are some influences?
Lick your ticket haha, our music isn't always stuck within structured lines, we give it room to move and let it take shape. Our influences are Black Rebel Motorcycle club, The Verve, Kasabian, Dead Meadow, Oasis and 100's more.

4. Who writes your songs? Is there a main theme or topic for your songs?
Darren- I write majority of the songs but Chris also helps with writing, We are very open minded everyone, adds there own parts. I don't want to tell people what to play, they can play whatever they want. The main topics for my writing are the struggle with Religion and love I guess. I don't believe in writing about shit I don't know.

5. What has been the best moment as a band so far?
Devan- The coolest thing to see is how the music so quickly takes a life of its own on stage. We have a handful of songs that always just kind of go where they wanna go, and we’re getting better at giving the music space to move and take shape.

6. How has your music evolved since you first started playing music together?
The band is very young, and while most of us have all played in bands before we’re definitely still easing into how we all work, on stage and off. We've been working on some higher energy songs lately but who knows where things will go. I would like to get into the psychedelic sounds more. I think that's what we will start focusing on. As long as we continue enjoying what we play, we're happy.

7.How can fans access your music? Do you have any albums out?
We just released an demo EP, which will be available at our upcoming vancouver shows. We start work on the new album in late Aug. you can check us out on myspace and facebook. If you like what you hear you can send us your email address and we will send you some free tunes every month.

8. What song are you currently listening too?

Greg Yukon Blonde- Trivial Fires

Darren Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-Sweet Feeling

Tyler Woven Hand- Kicking Bird

Devan Earthless- Sonic Prayer

Chris Interpol- Lights

9. Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge?
We have had a bunch of help from so many people; X92.9fm, Paige Woodbury, Paul Gervais , Aaron Crook, The Nix Dicksons, Beth Bannerman, Chelsea Kindrachuk, Mark Mills, Telly, Lionheart Radio, Kirstin Jar, Calgary bands, The Dog and Duck Pub, Darren Ollinger (the new black center), and the most AMAZING friends.
- www.theshowloner.com