Five Blank Pages
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Five Blank Pages

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"Five Blank Pages - Discorder Magazine"

By Matthew Gruman

“I’ve always wondered about Robert Smith’s wife and how she puts up with his songs. It’s been like 25 years!” — N. Hilmi

Noyan Hilmi is the lead singer/songwriter for Brampton, Ontario’s Five Blank Pages. He writes delightful pop–rock songs, many of which concern past relationships with former girlfriends. And his bassist is his girlfriend, Pinar Özyetis. Ever heard the old adage ‘Don’t shit where you eat’, Noyan? “I have heard of it, and I’m still trying to understand it completely,” he says. “There are definite risks with being in a band with your girlfriend, but we have mostly seen the positive things that come out of it.”

The obvious closeness between Noyan and Pinar reflects itself wonderfully in their music. Rounded out by Noyan’s sister, Chelen Hilmi on drums, Five Blank Pages have a cohesive, familial sound that stands out in the booming indie–rock scene. While he jokes that the band’s “Beatles–sized meltdown” is just around the corner, the group shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Their first EP, Spaces to Occupy and Abandon was released recently through Sonic Unyon Distribution, and they are poised to start making more than a blip on the radar.

Writing songs at 16 while teaching himself to play the guitar, he was heavily influenced by the likes of Hayden and Elliot Smith: “The first song I wrote was called ‘This One Place’, about the solitude of my room,” he laughs. “Exciting stuff.” Over the years, he continued writing songs, eventually performing solo material under the moniker noyz, with a revolving cast of band members. The ball started rolling when, through a mutual friend, Noyan was introduced to Noah Mintz (hHead, Noah’s Archweld). Mintz later went on to master the first and only noyz record, Let Go. The 13 track, lo–fi release is described in their bio as a varied collection of sounds and sensibilities; at once introspective, melodic, and infectious in its combination of garage distortion, hook–laden guitar–pop, and folk sensibility. The album, sold at shows and through the old noyz website started getting the singer/songwriter some attention.

As more shows were played as noyz, and more songs were recorded with what was becoming a permanent lineup, it became time for a name change. Now less of a solo project, and more of a band, the name started losing it’s original relevancy. “When I first came up with noyz, I guess my goal was to have an acoustic song–writer presence. I think my songwriting and arrangements slowly grew out of that. I also started disliking the name (it was a nickname of mine) and its confusion with people thinking that I was in a metal band,” Noyan laughs.

This 6–song EP is a fantastically accurate sampling of the band’s sound. From track one, the instrumental “Lacewood”, to the closing track from which they’ve derived their name. It is full of hooks, full of catchy choruses and full of heartfelt lyrics. Standout track “Richie T.” is a song of unrequited love containing the haunting a cappella line: “I’m going to kill myself…tomorrow…tomorrow…tomorrow.”

“Richie’s a character that I didn’t create, but observed” explains Noyan. “I was on a long drive and wrote the song in my head. The lyrics are basically Richie’s thoughts swirling around his head, like a blender. He’s basically a guy who figures out that his longing is a disease, and he’d rather rid himself of the sickness, no matter what.” After this confession, the song moves from an initially slow, melodic feel into a crescendo of distorted guitars and heavy drums. This sudden emotional change is characteristic for more than one song.

“I guess they are part of who we are and our sound. The lyrics and music are a mix of emotions; sometimes the changes just seem natural in the progression of the song I’ve written. I’m a huge fan of a range of music. I think I like to incorporate what I see fits from my influences. A song may start out “Hayden–esque” and then end up having a touch of Tool in it.”

As a band of the modern age, Five Blank Pages have embraced technology as a promotional tool. From the first noyz album, available in full through newmusiccanada.com, to promoting full–length samples of new material through their own website (fiveblankpages.com), Noyan’s a fan of digital media. “We get emails from time to time saying that people have downloaded a song or heard it and are saying nice things about it. Makes us feel warm and fuzzy.” Emphasizing its importance to independent artists, he adds, “I have discovered and therefore began supporting many independent acts because of mp3 as a tool”.

“I’m not a big fan of keeping secrets when it comes to people you love” said Noyan near the beginning of our talk. It’s this simple philosophy that seems to permeate the sound that has developed with Five Blank Pages. It’s this honesty, found in both the lyrics and musical arrangements, that is setting them apart from being just another indie–rock band on the scene. “It’s definitely an interesting experience being in the band with people who are already so close to you,” is the humble description of a group who’s future should prove to be more than just interesting.
- Discorder Magazine - October 2004


"Five Blank Pages - Wavelength 290"

Five Blank Pages - Purveyors of: Plucking guitar strings and heart strings

You know that band where the dude won’t tell you whether his bandmate is his wife or his sister, Five Blank Pages’ Noyan Hilmi one-ups Jack White by being in a band with both his sister, Chelen Hilmi and wife-to-be, Pinar Ozyetis. Together, the three of them make what often referred to as “east coast-flavoured indie pop with an oversized heart.” The heart is definitely apparent in their Sunday League Records EP, Spaces to Occupy and Abandon. Shaunna Bednarek saw Noyan’s large Coca-Cola with her own Diet Coke from across the table at Sneaky Dee’s, and they had a nice little chat.

SO, NOYAN, YOU JUST FLED BRAMPTON FOR THE BIG CITY, EH?
I lived in Brampton, she lived in Mississauga and my sister was in Toronto as of a year ago, so the whole band’s here now. Me and my fiancée just moved here together. We’re all logistically closer together but the whole world of not practicing in my parents’ basement is a lot different now. We have a rehearsal space. It’s harder to steal dad’s van now, but it’s all good.

THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S YOU, YOUR SISTER AND YOUR FIANCEE IN THE BAND TOGETHER. HOW DOES THAT DYNAMIC WORK OUT?
It’s pretty good. We know each other so well already so it’s not like you have strangers in the band where you have to get accustomed to how they are. It’s different being in a band than just hanging out, so obviously, there were some things that we had to get used to but we work pretty well together.

I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WANTING TO PLAY WAVELENGTH FOR A YEAR OR SO. WHAT ABOUT WAVELENGTH APPEALED TO YOU?
Well, I finally got off my ass and did something about it! There was so much other stuff on the go, and there’s always so many opportunities in Toronto, it seems. If I have three shows lined up in Toronto in a month or two, I don’t want to solicit. I wanted to make sure that it was a good time, if you were interested in having us anyway. But I’ve been reading the online magazine for awhile now and I respect the way it’s booked. The showcase itself is a really good mix of bands and I love the indie rock scene. A lot of my friends’ bands, like Spitfires and Mayflowers, The Bicycles, Meligrove Band and Vulcan Dub Squad have all played it and I wanted to make sure that we were involved in it as well. It’s pretty cool that you’ve got this thing that’s every Sunday and something that’s established.

I HAVE TO GET THE REALLY LAME QUESTION OUT OF THE WAY NOW. WHY IS IT FIVE BLANK PAGES WHEN THERE’S ONLY THREE OF YOU?
We do get asked that a lot! I don’t look forward to the day when our lineup grows to five people! It’s actually one of the songs on our EP that’s out right now, called “Five Blank Pages.” The band was actually called Noyz before which was a nickname that someone gave me in university and I was playing solo, and it kinda grew out of that into a band. I asked my girlfriend and sister to join, and I felt there needed to be a name change as well. Plus, some people would see the old name and think we were a nu-metal band, or something. I wanted a name that reflected what we were doing—an indie pop rock kinda ethic. After almost considering about 200 names, it just fell onto a song I had written.

YOU KNOW, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK HAD A SIMILAR STORY. THEY WERE CALLED NYNUK, BUT THEY HAD A SONG ON THEIR FIRST ALBUM CALLED “NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK” AND DECIDED TO RE-NAME THEMSELVES AFTER IT. SO YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY!
Seriously? Us and New Kids, we go hand-in-hand, so that’s pretty cool.

NOW THAT THE EP’S BEEN DONE FOR AWHILE, ANY PLANS FOR AN ALBUM?
We’re all very busy but we do as much as we can. I’ve been writing a lot ever since it was released. I’m working on about 20 or so songs right now to make into a full-length album, so we’ll whittle that down to maybe 10 songs and make a cohesive album that we could really enjoy. The writing process is longer now, and the arrangements are becoming a little more complicated, but we’ve always said that we don’t want to release anything that we’re not ready to. We’d like to bring out something that, if anyone has an appetite for our music, it will fulfill it.

YOU PLAY SO MANY SHOWS ALL THE TIME. ANY PARTICULAR STAND-OUT SHOWS?
We opened for Spookey Ruben this past spring in Peterborough, which was pretty cool. Me and my sister were big fans of his back in the mid-90’s and he’s still been doing pretty well. He came up to us after and said he really enjoyed our set and we traded CD’s. It was kinda weird because when you’re really young, watching “These Days Are Old” on MuchMusic and he becomes someone you get to open for and he says that he enjoys your music, too, it’s great! The music that I write is influenced a lot in part by the music I listened to in the 90’s when I was a teenager...
- Wavelength Toronto Zine - Sunday, November 27, 2005


"CMW Festival 2006 Review"

By: Sam Sutherland

Taking the punk-inspired musical aggression of some of their Brampton, ON-based peers and combining it with soft, sincere vocals, the band sometimes sounds like an amped-up, less suicidal Elliott Smith. Their new material showed an even greater sonic growth, taking full advantage of their recently added full-time bassist and the vocal talents of all three original members. - Exclaim! Magazine (Canadian Music Monthly) - March 2006


"Spaces to Occupy & Abandon Review"

By Jenn Wong

Hailing from the unassuming city of Brampton, Ontario, the infectious pop group Five Blank Pages manage a flowing, somehow generous offering of six songs that fill the senses with a delightful blend of familiar indie pop and refreshing originality. Previously going under the moniker Noyz, singer-songwriter Noyan Hilmi presents his new name and sense of direction with beautifully earnest, heartfelt lyrics that seem to scream out for a call back to summer romance and everything to do with love, while the backing vocals of sister Chelen Himli serve to accentuate the soft, unassuming lo-fi sound that the group seems to be striving for. Noyan Hilmi's girlfriend, Pinar Ozyetis rounds off the trio with steady keyboards and bass with the atmospheric result being a 17-minute EP that could make even the hardest of cynics think twice about looking over their shoulders for inspiration and infatuation. Taking influence from artists like Hayden, Bright Eyes, Ben Kweller, Pedro the Lion and more, Five Blank Pages offers up a colourfully hook-ridden jangle of lonely hearts and hopeful imagination. It'll be interesting to see what they'll be able to do with a whole album and if it's anything like this ambitious EP, it can only go up from here. - Exclaim! Magazine (Canadian Music Monthly) - August 09, 2004


"Anti-Hit List by John Sakamoto"

If this sublime slice of pop heaven had been released by a band from, say, Brooklyn instead of Brampton, we'd probably be reading about them on Pitchfork instead of trying to locate a copy of the compilation that houses this tune. Or, at the very least, asking ourselves: What did we do before MySpace? (From Reach from the Rainbow, myspace.com/fiveblankpages) - The Toronto Star - August 12, 2006


"Drawing Five Blanks"

I realize that I'm pretty late in discovering Spaces To Occupy and Abandon. After all, the debut from Five Blank Pages came out over a year and a half ago, and that's compounded by the fact they're currently in the studio recording its follow-up (which they'll hopefully have it out in time for their appearance at the second i(heart)music festival this August).

But one of the great things about music is that, as much as music blogs (this one included) may make it seem otherwise, it's never too late to discover a really good album, even if it's not the hottest new thing. In Five Blank Pages' case, it means finding out that Brampton is home to one of the finest examples of power-pop (or, as my girlfriend called them, power-pop-punk) I've heard in awhile. Frontman Noyan Hilmi may not have the strongest voice in the world, but he's able to use that to the band's advantage in even the loudest songs (see "A Point of Reference" for proof). And it goes without saying, of course, that on quieter songs, like "Richie T", the band is just excellent, without any qualifiers needed.

The most similar band I can think of is probably The Weakerthans; like John K. Samson, Hilmi is able to shape the music around him to suit his voice, rather than trying to strain it to be something he's not. And also like John K., the results are uniformly a pleasure to listen to. Undoubtedly, whenever Five Blank Pages release their sophomore disc, it won't take me -- or anyone else, for that matter -- a year and a half to pick up on it. - iheartmusic.net - April 10, 2007


Discography

"Spaces to Occupy & Abandon" EP - 2005 (Sunday League Records)
"A Compilation For Reach For The Rainbow" - 2005 (Basement Recording Co./ Maple Music) - includes the unreleased Five Blank Pages track "She Sleeps Soundly"
"Last Blush" LP - 2007 (City Mouse Records)
"Young Glow" EP - 2009 (City Mouse Records)

Photos

Bio

Bridging pop hooks and garage distortion with delicate vocal harmonies, Five Blank Pages brings forth a medley of raw emotion and a spectrum of style in their debut 6-song EP, Spaces to Occupy and Abandon. Recorded by Greg Dawson (Moneen, The Junction), Spaces... is an infectious and heart-rending introduction to this fast-rising Brampton, Ontario-based band. Reminiscent of Pedro the Lion, Hayden, Weezer, Elliott Smith, and East coast indie-pop of the 1990s, Five Blank Pages are not easily pigeonholed like many new-rock artists. Their sound provides a new edge to indie-rock while remaining easily accessible to a wide-audience base.

Formed in 2003, Five Blank Pages is the permanent outgrowth of singer/songwriter Noyan Hilmis (vocals, guitars) solo project, noyz. Teamed with his girlfriend, Pinar Ozyetis (vocals, keyboards, occasional bass), and his sister, Chelen Hilmi (drums, vocals), the band bring together warm harmonies, brooding yet emotive chords, and lyrics that drip with honesty at every softly uttered syllable. Five Blank Pages welcomed Newfoundlander Rajiv Thavanathan to join on bass in February 2006.

Since its inception, Five Blank Pages has garnered a following by frequently playing popular and diverse venues in Toronto and Southern Ontario, including showcases in Canadian Music Week, North By Northeast, S.C.E.N.E. Fest, Halifax Pop Explosion, Over The Top Fest, Edge 102's Steamwhistle Indie Club, Brampton Indie Arts Festival and more.

While consistently playing shows across Ontario, Five Blank Pages released Spaces... to retail stores on August 10, 2004 through Sonic Unyon Distribution. Five Blank Pages joined Sunday League Records in the Spring of 2005. For the latest info, visit the bands site at www.fiveblankpages.com.

More info:
www.myspace.com/fiveblankpages