Feast or Famine

On the eve of their "Canadian Dumpstar Tour," Matt Kerby and Kevin Klemp show the familiar band-on-the-run mentality about their upcoming four-month journey: Where will they sleep? Will they play to empty rooms? Will the promoters pay? Unlike a lot of bands, however, the ska-punkers in Feast or Famine seem less than worried about what they'll eat. They even have food for the road set up.

"A lot of bands go on tour and have a really hard time sustaining themselves—those costs add up," says co-vocalist Klemp. "If we can dumpster dive as well, the only thing we have to pay for is gas. It makes it a lot easier."

Dumpster dive. Sounds pretty much like it is. After hearing the inspired, optimistic members of the Edmonton band talk about their passion for finding the best food and best grocers, however, it doesn't sound that repulsive.

Having embraced the freegan lifestyle about a year ago, every member of the shared-household foursome is dedicated to cutting costs and being self-sustaining—as a way of life and a way of their band. Don't look at it as tumbling through litter for a quick bite; think of it as watchfully sifting through commercial toss-outs and taking what was improperly misused.

Having built a solid reputation and following in the Edmonton scene, Feast or Famine is excited to leap into a far-reaching tour that will base the group in Toronto, touring the Greater Toronto Area for several months. With food concerns settled and a dwelling established, the band is happy to take its winning attitude on the highway.

"So far in Edmonton we've been building a scene organically. It's really, really positive," says Kerby, who drums. "We plan on doing what we do here, over there. I think it will be really successful—meeting people, sharing our food and just being outgoing, personable and positive."

Sat, Jun 4 (2:30 pm)
With the Joe, the Old Sins, Noisy Colours, the Weekend Kids
Wunderbar
- Vue Weekly

feast or famine
an interview with two members of the band feast or famine
22.05.11

I can honestly say one of the pleasures of being in this industry is meeting people. Each and everyday I am inspired by those in the arts community who are truly dedicated to their craft, and execute it with grace and passion. It is even more special when you come across those who are genuine and enthusiastic to share their talents and are not purely driven by fame, networking and money. On this note, it is my pleasure to introduce to you one of my favorite bands who embody all of the above-mentioned characteristics. Meet Matt Kerby, and Paddy Sperling, members of the punk/ska band, Feast Or Famine.

I was able to catch them on Skype for an interview in between their busy schedule of planning gigs, preparing for their Canada wide tour, and dumpster diving. That’s right, not only are they committed to their band, they are also committed to a conscious lifestyle.

The band is formed by Kevin Klemp (Guitar, Vocals, Piano, Banjo), Kyle Shabada (Guitar, Vocals), Matthew Kerby (Drums), and Paddy Sperling (Bass, Vocals). All four members, who are roommates living in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, dumpster dive for food. They also all own bikes and can be seen cycling to school and work in staggeringly cool -25 degree weather! By all living under one roof, FOF has fully dedicated their lives to benefit the band. This involves managing the band, producing and writing their music, practicing, performing, and busking as much as possible.

I guess one could say, FOF is pleasantly obsessed with music, consciousness, and living in the moment! The following are some highlights from this enlightening interview:

Question: Briefly how would you describe the members of Feast Or Famine?

Paddy +Matt: We are positive and enjoy living in the moment. Being genuine with music, people and life is very important to us. We try to have real in-depth connections with people and are dedicated to getting to know our fans. Being in a band allows you to have the great opportunity of meeting so many interesting people.

Q: Are the songs on the Edmonton and Company Album representations of your lives now and the experiences you are having? Another Pandemic (song title) describes rebellion against the status quo. Is this how you see your selves in society?

P: With the songs, they can be written at a time when you aren’t quite there, but if you keep singing it, and keep yelling it, you grow to believe it or do it. Its good to have songs that remind you that people aren’t as bad as they are portrayed in the news. You write something that at the time is more of an ideal and then you kind of work towards it to achieve it.

M: Another Pandemic does describe going against the status quo, it is important to us to be individuals. We separate ourselves from other bands through different ways, like Paddy and I don’t drink (sober for 11 months) and then just being really positive and friendly. Its weird how that would be going against the status quo from most bands.

P: These may be little things but they go so fucking far. Its crazy how smiling on stage and actually talking to someone who is interested in your band afterwards makes the world of a difference.

Q: At ANT fashion magazine, we are inspired and feature the pleasantly obsessed. It’s easy to see you boys are quite passionate with all aspects of your lives. How did you become ‘pleasantly obsessed’ with the sober and freegan lifestyle? Are there guidelines amongst the members in the band to help you stay committed?

P: We don’t have strict guidelines with each other. Everything in life is a growing process and a learning process, as it should be. Not drinking, exercising, and freeganism are choices we have made. These choices build on to the people we are and have developed gradually. It’s not like we picked something, we have just grown into this lifestyle. There aren’t criteria demanded of the individuals in the band. We are usually so busy performing and working to miss drinking. Also I have gotten use to having a clear head on stage.

M: Same here, which I didn’t know until I stopped drinking. I thought that drinking would help me go out and meet people on a Friday night, but in reality when I stopped drinking I realized “wow” it didn’t help me at all. I can think a lot better when I’m not drinking. Being sober allows me to have a higher quality of connections with people and present my best self to the world.

I think it’s obvious to say that FOF makes the saying “nice guys finish last” inaccurate. I believe that talent and honesty is something that is becoming more and more appreciated in the industry. One can easily predict an exciting future for this band. FOF sums it up perfectly when they say: “we consider the relationships with our fans and friends as important as work. We take the time to go out and dedicate this time to growing our fan and more so friendship base. We don’t consider this networking, because our process of building relationships is not blatant or uncomfortable, it’s a natural process, we are genuine”.

Feast Or Famine – ANT recommends

-your FOF fan + ANT devotee-

Feast Or Famine begins their Canada wide tour June 10th ending with an extended period in Toronto, Ontario. To follow Feast Or Famine, check out the following links!
www.facebook.com/feastorfamine
www.myspace.com/feastorfamine
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM8i8a03f4U

” we want to perform and meet and effect as many people as we can.” -Paddy Sperling

Images provided by: erinproutphotography.com

- ANT Fashion Magazine

There was a time, not so long ago, when independent musicians didn’t want to talk about business. Or confessed to not knowing much, and not wanting to know much, about how to get ahead in the music industry. Such knowledge was considered déclassé, suspect or even traitorous to the cause — musicians, after all, were supposed to focus on their art. Not look for licensing deals, hone the finer points of their stagecraft — banter, who cares about banter? — or set five-year business plans.

Those days are over, thanks to the ongoing collapse of the music industry and the rise of the Internet. Talk to almost any local musician and they’ll want to chat about their tactics as much as their songs. Feast or Famine, a bunch of local ska-punks, live together, rehearse four times a week in their own practice space, and even have occasional meetings to air any grievances.

“About eight months ago, we decided to make this our life for the next five years,” says bassist Paddy Sperling, who also acts as the band’s publicist, manager and gig booker.

“We set six-month goals, so we can see sure steps. We want to tour, we want to go to Toronto for three months, set up a base camp and make connections. We want to try to be ambassadors for Edmonton music; there’s so much good music out here.”

With so much on his plate, Sperling lets his bandmates — co-vocalists Kevin Klemp and Kyle Shabada — focus on writing most of Feast or Famine’s tunes. The foursome, childhood friends from Drayton Valley, released two albums last year — Good For People, Bad For Business, and Edmonton & Co. The latter, a feisty, fast-paced and groovy collection of tunes, was written as many of their friends were moving to other cities. (Feast or Famine promise to return from their upcoming Toronto excursion.)

“If you can’t be successful and have a large following in your own city, then you’re not going to be able to do it anywhere else,” says Sperling. “Unless you get lucky. But I feel if we keep carrying ourselves in a positive way with every gig we play and every person we meet, karma is only going to be on our side. Eventually.”

Like most musicians, Feast or Famine isn’t asking to live in palatial mansions with five Bentleys in the garage. The foursome, who were Sonic 102.9 FM’s band of the month for January, simply want to make a decent living from their music, which shouldn’t take too much. As avid bikers, they don’t spend much on transportation in Edmonton. As freegans, or Dumpster divers, they rarely spend money on food and almost always have a full pantry and fridge.

“I’ve made the mental commitment to eat what I get for free, which is great, because there’s so much food,” says Sperling, who finds his best scores behind grocery stores.

“Sometimes it’s bad, because it’s just a lot of cookies, but I actually eat better since I’ve started Dumpster diving than I ever have, something we’re very passionate about — shedding light on how much waste there is. It’s really life-changing.”

Feast or Famine will perform Sunday at The Pawn Shop with The Flatliners, Living With Lions and Greater Than Giants. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 at yeglive.ca.

They’ll also play an all-ages show on Friday, April 15 at Eastwood Hall, 11803 86th Ave. Tickets are $10 at the door. The show starts at 7 p.m.

- The Edmonton Journal

Since 2007, at least officially, Feast or Famine has been entertaining audiences with a ska-heavy blend of pop-punk and hardcore. Four members strong, the band includes guitarists/vocalists Kevin Klemp and Kyle Shabada, drummer Matthew Kerby, and bassist Paddy Sperling. Originally from Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada, the band now calls Edmonton home; they live a socially conscious existence as freegans, or dumpster divers, a lifestyle they've impressed at least one writer with by having them over for a super-tasty dinner.
Origins of Feast or Famine's Band Name

S101: How did Feast or Famine get its name?

Klemp: We went through a lot of names, not really settling on anything. We grew up in Drayton Valley which is kind of this oil mecca, it’s very oil-and-gas based, and we’re not necessarily against that but can’t always see eye-to-eye with the guys with jacked-up trucks and the welders and things like that. Feast or famine is usually an industry term that you hear these types of people saying: "Oh, it’s feast or famine out there." There’s either no work or plenty of work. I think it fits with our lyrics too; it’s the kind of split dichotomy, the all-or-nothing.
A Love of Playing Music Together

S101: What sets Feast or Famine apart from other bands?

Klemp: It seems like a lot of bands these days will start a band with a goal in mind right away; they’ll make the MySpace and get all the press photos first, start a Twitter account, record an album before they’ve played a show. And it kind of seems contrived and inorganic. We started more like guys that like playing music together and having fun, and it grew from there.
Feast or Famine's Songwriting

S101: Tell me about the songs on your latest six-song EP Edmonton and Company.

Shabada: They’re ska-punk songs. The first one’s called 'Another Pandemic,' it’s kind of about living your life with all this blurb from the media. I wrote the lyrics for it after all that talk about the swine flu
Klemp: We try to write about things that are social issues. We don’t get too political necessarily but we try to write about things that are not just trivial rock ‘n roll party songs.
Feast, not Famine: Dumpster Diving for Food

S101: How has living a freegan lifestyle changed your lives?

Kerby: Since we’ve been doing it, we’ve been eating better.

Sperling: Definitely so much better; a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sharing Surplus Resources with the Community

S101: When you end up with extra food, what do you do with it?

Sperling: A lot of times we’ll have a surplus. Basically, anyone I know that expresses interest about dumpster diving, I’ll bring them food and then they go, "Holy ****, this is what you get?"
Feast or Famine's Best Salvaged Food Finds

S101: What were some of the best finds you've ever had dumpster diving?

Klemp: There was this huge storm where winds were crazy and all the power got knocked out. Anything that was in the cooler overnight, they had to throw out. It was insane, we counted all the things with price tags; it was over $300 and that was only the things with price tags. International Delight creamers, Pillsbury Croissants.




- Suite 101

Metro Edmonton chatted with Feast Or Famine’s Matt Kerby, Paddy Sperling, Kyle Shabada and Kevin Klemp. Feast Or Famine is playing a CD release show Nov. 11.

Being a local band, was calling your latest project Edmonton & Co. a way of showing your support for the local community? What exactly were your intentions with the name?
Yes, Edmonton & Co. was definitely homage to the local music and art scene. Over the years of playing, we have made many friends and supporters and feel that it’s a scene with a lot of talent and heart. A scene that maybe people take for granted sometimes. We are happy to be from Edmonton and involved in building a positive and inclusive music community. Our intentions were pure.

Can you tell me what the song on the new album Cowboy Trail is about?
Cowboy Trail is about a time when I (Kevin) spent a lot of time working for an oil field parts delivery company. I had a lot of chances to see the oil and gas industry and how it operates. I found it interesting that Highway 22 used to be referred to as “The Cowboy Trail.” The song is really about the divide between the pioneer/folk throwback of yesteryear, one more based on living off the land, and the now prevalent oil industry, which seems to be devouring the natural beauty that the Cowboy Trail was once named for.

How long have Feast Or Famine been together?
We’ve had the current lineup since 2007. Couldn’t be happier. Great bunch of musicians and friends.

What do you think of the local music scene? Who are some of your favourite local bands?
We are all really excited about the growing local scene here and about trying to further the sense of unity and camaraderie. It’s fantastic. - Metro News

Feast or Famine’s communal house smells delicious. As bassist Paddy Sperling pulls a tray of pita pizzas from the oven and sets a huge bowl of green salad down on the table, it’s clear that tonight, feast it is. The band and I dig in; the salad is crisp and fresh and the pizzas are piled with crunchy red peppers and onions. To be honest, I’m slightly relieved. It’s not that I’d doubted Sperling’s cooking skills. I’m just surprised that a meal this awesome came entirely from a dumpster.

The members of the Edmonton ska-punk four-piece self-identify as freegans, which, they explain, means dumpster diving for food at various locations throughout the city. For the small-town Alberta transplants (Sperling, drummer Matthew Kerby, and guitarists/vocalists Kevin Klemp and Kyle Shabada grew up in Drayton Valley), scavenging for wasted food started out as curiosity.

“I had heard of people doing it a lot,” explains Klemp. “Me and Paddy were at a pub, a little drunk, and we went into the back alley to have a cigarette of sorts. There was some garbage there. We kind of looked to see, ‘What’s in this garbage?’ It was the Tim Hortons garbage: it was donuts and bagels. That’s a lot of food right there.”

That same night, the pair walked by Planet Organic and took a peek into the dumpster.

“There was just an insane amount of food. After that, we started going a few other times in the evenings, checking it out. I think at first we were kind of nervous to do it, then you find some really good hauls and change like that,” Klemp says with a snap of his fingers.

Online freegan literature claims community as one the movement's core values. That’s something that Feast or Famine hold in high regard as well, says Kerby.

“The one big reason we’re all in the band is because you meet new people and music is a good way to bring people together. It strengthens community and that’s something we all strongly believe in.”

His statement is backed up by the band’s forthcoming EP, Edmonton and Company, due out November 11.

“We wrote this EP with the general theme of where we were,” Klemp explains. “There’s a lot of people who tend to be moving to more lucrative musician-art scenes right now — Vancouver, Toronto. We just decided to stick around Edmonton and have slowly been building a group of bands and musicians that are not only great to play with but are very good friends too. It’s kind of the idea of our little community that we’ve got going on right now.”

The EP’s six heavy pop-punk tracks are tempered by rhythmic ska guitars and melodic vocals. And, unlike with certain previous recordings, Feast or Famine is very happy with the results.

“Something I’ve been struggling with since I started playing music is getting used to the idea of recording music. You have these ideas and these visions you can hear jamming but when you record it, it always ends up sounding quite different than your original vision of it. When you are a younger musician and you’re going through cheaper venues of recording, it does usually turn out worse. And it’s just over years and years of practicing and finding the right places to record that I’m getting really proud of what we have now,” Klemp says.

Kerby agrees. “It feels like we’ve put in a lot of work over the last four years. Well, this is what we have to show for it. I’m very, very happy to show it to people.” - Beatroute Magazine

Feast or Famine is releasing a new album called Edmonton and Company on Nov. 11. This is the second album of the year for the ska/punk quartet, the first being Good For People, Bad For Business, released in April. Along with a new album, the band plays shows every weekend and has a fan base that is multiplying rapidly.
Feast or Famine has dedicated much hard work to the band.
“Our band has definitely grown. We are really focused, putting a lot of hard work into practising. We practise at least four times a week, and then play gigs on the weekends. We put a lot of time and effort into crafting our songs and improving our live performance,” said bassist Paddy Sperling.
“I am really happy with it, we worked really hard on it. I think it is a product we are all really proud of,” guitarist Kevin Klemp added.
The sound of Feast or Famine has grown since the first album, and the band can’t wait for everyone to take a listen.
“We think that if you hear it, the positivity in the album really shows,” percussionist Matthew Kerby said. “The people who hear it, we think they’ll really like it.”
Feast or Famine are proud to be from the Edmonton area. They think that the talent here is just as good as anywhere else. The love and appreciation of the Edmonton music scene prompted them to have Edmonton in the name of the album.
“I think we are going in a good direction. It takes a lot of effort to get something you want, you have to work really hard to achieve something,” said guitarist Kyle Shabada.
“That is where we are at right now, moving from one goal to the next.”
The release party for the album is at Lyve on Whyte, on Nov. 11 and will feature other local bands like The Weekend Kids and The Old Sins. - The Nugget

Stacks of used skate decks fill the closet as I walk into the Feast or Famine home. It looks like a much cleaner version of the punk squats I frequented in my youth. Several band members welcome me at the door and we proceed to sit down to talk, covering everything from ghosts to ex-girlfriends and much more in between.

Over the next couple of hours, we cover a lot of ground. They talk and joke with each other with the ease that comes with being friends since grade seven. They come across more like family than band members. Brotherhood is something that means a lot to the band, especially when it's between the family of local artists.

"I think we are trying to take [the Edmonton music scene] in a positive direction and change the scene for the better," says guitarist/vocalist Kevin Klemp. "I think it is starting to happen and it's cool to see. It's nice to meet bands like The Weekend Kids, Fire Next Time, and Audio/Rocketry and pick people up along the way who feel the same."

"Being angry punk rockers that get drunk and smash bottles at shows doesn't really amount to anything. I think doing things this way has been really rewarding. Instead of just giving up on a scene and becoming bitter about it, we are trying to change it for the better," he says.

"It gives you a little hope that nice guys don't always finish last," adds drummer Matt Kerby.

Feast or Famine has been playing in Edmonton for a few years now. The members grew up together in the small community of Drayton Valley before relocating to the city. Beginning as scrappy juvenile punks, they now give off an aura of maturity. Reflecting on their younger days, they talk about times spent listening to bands like angry punk group Leftover Crack, who Klemp believes focus too hard on negativity.

"Sure, everything may be fucked," says Klemp. "There are a lot of things that are really fucked up in the world. [But] all you can do is try to be positive about your life and try to do the best that you can."

Bassist Paddy Sperling — the designated mom of the group, harassing the rest of his bandmates about putting their empty containers in the recycling bin — adds that "positive role models are something that seems to be missing in music right now."

Throughout the interview, the guys spend time making food, talking to family on the phone, and generally inviting a stranger into their lives. While their genre of music may occasionally be dismissed as being empty and angry, Feast or Famine defy the label with their easy-going vibe, intelligent conversation, and welcoming attitude.

"Instead of being mean to the sound guy, we try to be friendly and courteous and say hi. I'm sure they don't get that a lot from other bands," says Klemp.

But the band is definitely not serious all of the time. Sperling has a habit of saying "fuck" multiple times during each sentence. Kerby, on the other hand, is generally quiet, but adds thoughtful insight to the conversation throughout, and pipes up to share a story about the time he was hugged by Michael Franti following a Folk Fest performance.

"He wasn't one of those quick tap-and-go guys; it was a whole hug," he explains.

But of the three Feast or Famine members present, Klemp gives off the air of the leader of the pack, confident in his responses, but aware of allowing the other members' fair input. Kyle Shabada, the other guitarist/vocalist, is notoriously missing, which allows the guys the opportunity to complain about his poor bed-sharing habits.

The band comes across as a tightly knit family, who love one another as much as the music they play and the city they play for. - The Gateway

Edmonton’s ska-punk act Feast or Famine are back with their sophomore album, Edmonton & Company – a seven song EP of energetic, toe-tapping punk that picks up from, and improves upon, their debut.

The first thing you’ll notice when you pop up in the album is that Edmonton & Company is, first and foremost, a fun album. It’s delivered with a happy-go-lucky feeling that comes through as soon as the slow guitar intro to Another Pandemic fades into the thundering bass line. The upstroke picks up and the near-reggae tempo builds as the bands sings about wanting to let go after a hard day’s work. The lyrical topic turns serious, depicting the world through media headlines but the vibe stays alive and happy all the way through.

The whole EP has that mentality. They never get too analytical or political – the most serious being the oil-influenced Cowboy Trail – but don’t sit back with simple drinking songs either. Instead they have a real-life look at the way of the world and how the average person reacts to what they’re faced with (Try and Fail being the prime example).

While the whole album is fun, there are a few missteps that get thrown in as well. Take Palms Over Drunk; the near-polka song sees the band taking a page from Mad Caddies’ All-American Badass’ textbook with a fast paced sing along. It plays through as one of the highlights of the EP but is held back from an overly long instrumental bridge that clocks in at over a minute and a half in length. The bridge itself isn’t bad – it has that nice polka feel to it – but it’s too long and slows down the momentum of the tune; essentially throwing a wrench into the middle of the track. Had they slimed it down to even a twenty second bridge it could’ve worked, but a minute and a half is just too long.

Speaking about misplaced instrumentals, there’s also the fifty second banjo-led Interlude that, once again, feels out of place. The soft, somewhat calming instrumental has the potential to build up to something epic and would be a perfect introduction to an album – or even a song – but instead leads nowhere and fades out as quickly as it began. Oddly enough, it's the fullest sounding track on the album production wise, whereas a few other tunes could use a slight punch.

Still, as a whole – Feast or Famine have delivered a commendable EP worthy of multiple replays. The three vocalists intertwine to offer a nice spice of variety and some very enjoyable sing-along choruses; and Edmonton & Company is a fun filled ska-pop-punk EP. - The punk site

After putting a lot of work into their new album, the local band Feast or Famine is finally ready to reveal the work of art they have been creating to follow up Good for People, Bad for Business. The album Edmonton & Company is the ska/Punk band’s sophomore album, which features seven new tracks. It is being released on Nov. 11, at Lyve on Whyte.
Edmonton & Company introduces listeners to a more mature sound. There is obvious growth between albums. A lot more production went into this album, which has a ‘fuller’ sound.
Edmonton & Company has the same Feast or Famine feel to it, but with more grown up music and lyrics. It is also more heartfelt, and you can understand this by listening to the album chronologically.
Musically, the band has really come together on this album. It is somewhere between Good for People, Bad for Business and Edmonton & Company they found themselves as a band. Not to say that Good for People, Bad for Business is bad, it’s that the new album’s maturity works better. It might be hard to convey this maturity in only seven tracks, but Feast or Famine really nail it.
Tracks like “The Cowboy Trail” provide insight on progression. The track was written about Highway 22, about how it was once a trail used by pioneers heading west, but now is a major industrial route. Tracks like “We Try and Fail” and “Broken Bones” exemplify growth in this very melodic change.
There is an even representation of both song writers, Kevin Klemp and Kyle Shabada, but listeners will also notice that the whole band has contributed to the album. The collaborative efforts on this album really allow listeners to become acquainted with the new sound.
Edmonton & Company is one of the best albums to be released in Edmonton this year. It is dynamic and tells the story of a band coming together. This is a breakthrough album for the band and one that the vast majority of listeners are sure to love. - The Nugget

Feast or Famine

Edmonton & Co.
Self Released

Feast or Famine, those scrappy young punks from Edmonton, have released a seven-song ode to the city they love to tide fans over until their next full length. This time around, they've toned back the ska influence, instead opting for a more punk approach. That’s not to say there aren’t skanking rhythms to be found such as in "Another Pandemic", but the band has moved towards the sound of mohawks and Molotovs.

The album definitely leaves the listener wanting more, with the standout track “The Cowboy Trail” looking at the environmental destruction of one of Alberta’s most beautiful stretches of highway by the oil patch, something that fellow Edmontonian Corb Lund recently lamented about in his mournful song “The West Just Fades Away.”

Of course, content isn’t the only thing these artists have in common. Corby originally won fans over with his live performances alongside local legends The Smalls, something which Feast or Famine seem well on their way to doing as well. “The Interlude” even has a western vibe to it, breaking up the upbeat album with an easy saunter, while "Locked Doors picks things back up, with a fast backbeat and a commentary about paranoia in the city.

Every song forges a distinct identity and stands alone, a fitting homage to the northernmost major city in North America. - The Gateway

First of all, I have to share a little info with you from the liner notes about how Feast or Famine feels.

“These songs were written and recorded during a sedentary period in our home city of Edmonton, Alberta. While we watched dozens of friends, acquaintances and musicians move to more ‘fruitful’ artistic settings, we decided to remain based out of Edmonton and continue working on our own scene and community. We started to realize that we were not alone in this endeavor and over time met some of the most gifted people and bands that this country has to offer. As we continued building and strengthening these links, we could not ignore the growing sense of unity and camaraderie between the musicians and bands. If you can’t be happy everywhere, you won’t be happy anywhere and we are happy to call Edmonton our home.”

It fills the heart doesn’t it? That’s what they put in to the scene and that’s what they put in to this release, and it shows.

With that being said, the ska/punkers have taken a big step with their album shoes on “Edmonton & Company.” Now I’m not saying that their last album “Good For People, Bad For Business” is bad, because it’s amazing. It’s just that the songs on “E&C” are stronger and more mature. The production is flawless and the arrangements of tracks are smartly chosen to make it feel almost as if it is one continuous song.

1. “Another Pandemic” gently eases you into the CD with some clean guitars and then you are punched in the face with drums and a mean bass riff. This song has such a groove to it and great lyrics like “When I get home I like to sing along with my band Feast or Famine” The song is about how the media blows up things like the H1N1 scare and it sets the pace for the rest of the record. It gets stuck in your head. It’s addicting. Very addicting.

2. “Broken Bones (Injuries Heal, Don’t Hold Grudges).” The guitars from the last song fade in to this one and the band kicks in. This track mostly strays away from the ska that Feast is known for and is mostly a straight up punk song with a pretty fast part.

3. “Palms Up Drunk” has a kind of pirate Mad Caddies feel to it. Like “Weird Beard” but a little faster and the lyrics aren’t a positive drink-a-long. It’s about a guy who drinks himself to death. Halfway through the song there’s a break down where it gets really rummy and peg-leggy by slowing down and then slowly building back up to the regular tempo of the song. I’ll raise my drink to this song. Wait, does that mean I’m a “Palms Up Drunk?”

4. “We Try and Fail” heads back to the ska/punk genre with inspirational music about not giving up because “next time will be a different story. We learn from our mistakes so our choices keep getting better and better and better.” This is one of those classic Feast songs that triple dog dares you not to dance or move in some way. Just as the song suggests the band and their albums “…keep getting better and better and better.”

5. “Interlude” is a 50 second instrumental break in the album that flows nice into the sixth track. If I ever travel back in time to 1885 and I have to battle Tannen in a dueling gunfight this is the song I want to be played as I walk up to the fight in slow motion.

6. “Cowboy Trail” starts with the acoustic picking up from the “Interlude” and blasts into the distorted guitars then switching to the upstroke ska beat. The lyrics talk about Highway 22 in Alberta and how it is called The Cowboy Trail. The song talks about the struggle between the natural beauty of the earth and the devastating destruction of that beauty with oil.

7. “Locked Doors” is the best song on the CD. Yeah, I singled it out. Feast has this way of writing such a catchy, fun song that is easy to sing and dance to. With “Locked Doors” they perfect their art. The lyrical content deals with people uniting together to be a part of the community and living together as loving human beings. It’s deep and skankable.

Feast or Famine, you had me at Edmonton. - Dying Scene

3. Feast or Famine – “Edmonton & Company”

Edmonton ska/punk heroes blew me away with this release. I listened to it for weeks neglecting all other music. It’s catchy, it’s fun, it’s awesome, it’s Feast or Famine! Superhereos of the Edmonton music scene. - Dying Scene

Mathew Kerby (Sonic band of the month Feast or Famine’s drummer) was accused earlier this week of insider trading on the stock market. Local police showed up to his residential home earlier this week and brought Kerby out in hand cuffs. Neighbors said he was violently resisting arrest and was flailing like a mad man as they forced him into the squad car.

If brought to trial Kerby will be forced to give up his possessions bought with the “dirty money” which include his personal collection of skateboards and scally caps. His multiple extravagant vacations and personal helicopter will also be accounted for. As for his adopted foreign child she will be in the Canadian government custody and no official statement about her has been released. His band mates were shocked to learn that their dumpster driving comrade was hoarding the millions he was making on the stock market.

Band mate Kevin had this to say-”it’s just a shock I mean the whole time we’re diving in dumpsters behind Planet Organic for food he’s got a cold couple million sitting in the bank…. like what the fuck?”

Kerby will be on release and will be able to play the upcoming shows that Feast or Famine have and no official statement has been released by Kerby’s team of lawyers yet.

Check out deadcitys video for them here

Catch the band live at the Pawnshop on the 29th of January - Dead City Press

Four young musicians born and raised in Drayton Valley are trying to make it big on the music scene in Edmonton and using their musical talents to rock 'n roll their way to the top. The band Feast or Famine got their name due to how the band members feel about their music and their lifestyle.

"It's a good reflection on the dichotomy of all or nothing," said Feast or Famine band member Paddy Sperling.

Kevin Klemp, Kyle Shabada, Matt Kirby, and Sperling have become household names on the music scene in Edmonton as their punk/ska style of music has resonated with people, having been named Sonic 102.9 Band of the Month and appearing on Breakfast Television on Jan. 10.

As a result of being named band of the month, Feast and Famine will get their music played four times a day; they get a showcase show at the Pawn Shop on Whyte Avenue on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. and it gives them the ability to show their musical talents.

"Definitely, we're very excited to be represented by Sonic and it's a good opportunity for us to get our name out to a different audience," said Sperling, who plays the bass guitar and sings back up vocals.

He added that the band is happy with their accomplishments and they just want to work harder and continually learn new things with new opportunities.

Lisa Klemp, mother of band member Kevin Klemp, said the bank has a local following.

"They have a lot of fans from Drayton Valley who come see them play in bars and clubs on Whyte Avenue."

The four band members grew up together in Drayton Valley and after some band members finished college the four musicians decided to combine everybody's talents to form a band.

"It was kind of like a hobby but now we take it quite seriously," said Sperling.

"The music that the band plays is punk/ska and we don't gear [our music] towards a particular audience; our main focus is that we want a positive and inclusive environment; people from all walks of life are welcome to come have a good time with us."

Feast and Famine are becoming popular and gaining recognition in music circles, since releasing two full length albums in 2010. The first album called "Good for People Bad for Business", was released on April 1 and included 12 tracks. Their second album was "Edmonton and Company" which included seven tracks and was released on Nov. 11.

Shabada who plays guitar and sings lead vocals, Klump who plays the guitar and sings lead vocals, Kerby who is the drummer and Sperling who plays the bass guitar and sings backup vocals are just trying to work very hard, creating honest, genuine music that people can relate to.

"With music, just like anything in life, it's all about delayed gratification," said Sperling. The performances that Feast and Famine are gearing up for is their Band of the Month show and then in the summer they will be moving to Toronto for four months and touring around the area. Sperling said that they hope to get noticed in the music culture there and hopefully get a variety of new performances lined up. Sperling also said that the band members don't want to be rock stars and get caught up in all the fame, but they just want to be like everyone else.

He hopes that followers of the band can get all the latest information about where and when the band is performing from Facebook, and people can get their music online at iTunes or local record stores in Edmonton. - The Western Review

We always believed what they taught about
living with kindness and trust,
but everybody locks their doors.
— LockedDoors

On “Locked Doors” Edmonton punk-rockers Feast or Famine make a simple request: unlock your doors; trust your neighbour; live in your community — don’t hide from it in your own self-imposed prison.

So when the band invited me over to their place for a chat (yes, all four members live together), I had every intention of pulling a Michael Moore to see if they mean what they sing. However, somewhere in between leaving my place and arriving at theirs, I’ve lost my sticky with their house number on it. I know the street, the avenue and that it’s on the corner, so I’m spinning around on a snowy sidewalk trying to decide which house seems more like a musician’s. As I wander from corner to corner, hoping for a sign, I hear it. The muffled sounds of rock ’n’ roll escaping onto the cold streets of Edmonton.

I try the door. It’s unlocked.

“We’re not naïve about when we leave, we lock up our stuff,” drummer Matthew Kerby jokes as waves of laughter break around the kitchen table where the guys are gathered post-band practice.

“What makes news is bad news,” bassist Paddy Sperling says. “So then you’re just primed to think that bad things are going to happen. Bad things do happen but I think the majority of people are good, want to help and would like to live in a positive community rather than live in fear of each other.”

It’s not the doomsday attitude you find with a lot of punk musicians — as a group they seem far more focused on the positives. And you can hear it in the music too. It’s still driven, still gritty, still concerned about the state of the world, but it’s in a more uplifting way. Of course it helps that there’s a little ska influence in there.

“Sometimes I’m a little optimistic or idealistic,” says Kevin Klemps, who shares guitar and vocal duties with Kyle Shabada. “People are generally good. Sometimes you learn that’s not the case, but ya, I think it’s good to have an optimistic or even idealistic approach — not be naïve and take precautions but still believe that humans are generally good and want to trust and love each other.”

Talking with Feast or Famine, it’s clear that they value people and what friends can achieve when they work together. It’s an appreciation for community that they try to foster, most evidently with the title of the band’s latest album Edmonton & Company. Named in homage to the town that they call home, it’s also shout out to the musicians who struggle to make it work in this northern city. But above all they want the the audience, to feel part of the Feast or Famine community when you come to their show.

“We didn’t start playing music because we wanted to be different or feel that we’re better than anyone,” Sperling says. “When you play, it usually starts off with your friends, then they bring a friend so then you meet them and it just becomes this great big group of friends. I think it was just kind of a natural development of how we feel and approach music. People have told us, at their first [show] it felt like they were hanging with friends they just haven’t met before.”

And that’s exactly how it feels when they invite you into their home too. The door’s unlocked, you can let yourself in and when it’s time to go, they invite you back again. - See Magazine

For a band whose name is a juxtaposition of extremes, Feast or Famine is decidedly grounded. Recently, I had a chance to sit down at a local coffee shop with two of its members, Matt Kerby and Paddy “Admiral Rolo” Sperling, and have a chat.
With an obvious disdain for the stereotypical “rock star” attitude, their approach to gigs and fans (and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle) demonstrates a mindful and refreshing outlook. Feast or Famine has a policy of actively trying to engage and include the audience; getting to know them on a personal basis.
The music itself, which they define as a fusion of Dub, Punk and Ska, is danceable and infectious. The guys are confident that the music will appeal to anyone from any walk of life, but it is really the relationships they build with fans and the community that keeps people coming back. It is of utmost importance to the band that everyone feel welcome and included at their shows; they do not cater to any particular scene and their laid-back demeanors make them incredibly fun to talk to and easy to approach.
Considering their recent run of media attention: Sonic’s Band of the Month, an appearance on CityTV’s Breakfast Television and a video on Balcony TV, it would be easy to get caught up in it all. The guys try to stay grounded by focusing on one goal at a time and maintaining and building new relationships with fans. Maintaining a positive attitude is priority number one for the band, and it’s that positivity that helps them to maintain harmony between playing together and living together.
It doesn’t appear that they’re losing any momentum either. As of this weekend, the boys wrapped up shooting for their new music video, Another Pandemic, off of their most recent album, Edmonton & Company. Next on the docket, they have been gearing up to tour this summer. The band is planning on playing their way out east with the intention of setting up camp in Toronto for a while.
Worry not, though! They have a number of shows coming up locally until they tour, not the least of which is the Band of the Month Showcase, Jan. 28 at the Pawn Shop. - The Nugget