Future Forests

A sweeping, post-rock sound

Sean Trembath, The Starphoenix
Published: Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A group of Saskatoon musicians with many years and many bands under their belts are hoping their new project connects with audiences despite being a new direction for all of them.
Future Forests is the latest project for Stan Yu (guitar) Steve Matschke (bass), Tom Rode (guitar) and Kaelen Klypak (drums), who all contribute vocally on top of their chosen instruments.
Although they've all been playing a long time and in several cities - they have at least seven past bands to their combined credit, including Bring Out the Dead, Another Day Down and The Villain Avian Symphony - they were all back in Saskatoon about a year ago looking for someone to jam with.

"It was just by happenstance that we all had that itch to play music again," says Yu.
They didn't know what kind of stuff they'd come up with. Their musical histories are disparate. They've played in electronic, prog-metal, rock and punk groups.
It was only after some time together they realized there was a joint passion for post-rock, that sweeping, almost-orchestral style embodied by bands like Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai and Sigur Ros. A conscious decision was made to pursue the genre.
"In previous bands, when we were in our early 20s, we would go in, have a great time, and we may not have had a collective goal or vision, but we would always have fun. With this project, we found that we've dissected our music in a more methodical way," says Yu.
"I think we're just more mature." That's not to say they completely abandoned more direct rock. Their songs are not all galaxy-spanning epics. Instead, they go back and forth between the expansive and the indie.
"We're kind of bipolar that way.
We like to play atmospheric, soundscape, spacey type of tunes mixed with upbeat, dancey, kind of indie numbers," says Yu.
The range of styles is on display in the first two songs the band made available to the public. The first, Steve Goes For a Bike Ride, has a quicker, indie-rock feel (although Rode's guitar would fit right into an Explosions in the Sky song, both in terms of tone and playing) while the second, Sunyata Act 1, pushes the post-rock vibe a lot more.
Both songs are available online and will be sold on an EP.
"We're curious as to what listeners will think of that combination," says Yu.
They plan to record a full-length album later this year.
The response to the video for Steve Goes For a Bike Ride, the first one they posted, was massively positive, according to Yu.
The next step is to see how a crowd responds in a live setting. That opportunity will come Jan. 31 at Amigos.
Although they've all spent time on stage, the first show with a new band is always nerve-racking, according to Matschke. They're interested to see exactly how they come together when they aren't just playing for each other.
"A lot of it comes from just feeling it, and seeing what comes out when you're playing," he says.
They can't say what it will look like. But they do agree on one guarantee - volume.
"We jam loud. Hopefully that won't deter listeners from coming. I don't know why we turn our instruments up so loud. It just feels right," says Yu.

strembath@thestarphoenix.com twitter.com/strembath - The StarPhoenix

Band Review: Future Forests
Joana Szeen
Reporter

Future Forests is a Saskatoon based indie post-rock band featuring Tom Rode (guitar), Steve Matschke (bass), Kaelen Klypak (drums) and Stan Yu (guitar), with all members contributing to vocals. Future Forests debuted their first single, “Steve Goes for a Bike Ride,” on Omniocity on Dec. 31 and the response was massively positive.

The video focuses on a hometown Canadian-style jam-session featuring shots of the beautiful prairies. Musically, it is a beautiful resurgence of everything we loved about AFI in “Silver and Cold” and Dashboard Confessional, but the attitude and performance of Future Forests sets them apart.

Their second single debuted a month later. “Śūnyatā Act 1” is the second part of the jam session, but has a deeper and mellower tone. They each contribute vocally to audialize rather than singing straightforward lyrics to create a more atmospheric sound, which I can only describe to a new listener as Sigur Ros or Radiohead-esque, but far less grunge-pop.

The band has contributed passion and experience to consciously cultivate an aesthetic and ideology. The production of their lyrical content and compositions, as well as in their approach to marketing, was well thought out. Future Forests is upbeat and dancy. The band adds a lot of confidence, positivity and fun into their work that pours out into the listener, which is what sets them apart from other bands in their genre and keeps you coming back for more.

Overall, the presentation has been a success in carving out a consistent fan base in such a short period of time. Together, both videos have accumulated 1000 YouTube views, which is quite impressive for a band that is only four months old. They have also been playing consistent shows, and are currently competing in CBC’s Searchlight competition to find Canada’s best new artist. The first round closed on April 1 and they haven’t made it to the second round yet.

If you’re visiting Saskatoon this summer you can check them out at Amigos on May 10. Amigos is a popular local haunt and home to The Sheepdogs. You might catch Stan rocking out on his guitar with a pencil. If not, you can find other work from Future Forests on YouTube, or their Bandcamp website

http://futureforests.bandcamp.com - The Lance, University of Windsor

Future Forests Video Premiere: Future Forests launch first single
Chris Morin
December 13, 2013

Saskatoon band debuts with video for “Steve Goes For a Bike Ride”

Future Forests, a Saskatoon indie post-rock band, have made their debut via an exclusive video with Ominocity.

The band’s initial single, “Steve Goes For a Bike Ride”, is part of a two part video launch, with both songs comprising the band’s debut EP.

Musically, the band kicks off between nervously energetic and quirky indie-isms before wandering off into more cinematic post rock landscapes. With all four members contributing vocals, along with hooky harmonies and trading off guitar lines, Future Forests take familiar influences and combine them for a punchy sound that retains a careful delicacy.

Kaelen Klypak, the Future Forests’ drummer says that the second single, “Sunyata Act I”, will be released in the new year. Additionally, the band are planning on recording a full-length in early 2014.

“We are a band that is influenced by architecture and design and art,” says Klypak. “So the music we write incorporates those elements.”

Members of Future Forests have played in bands such as Tombstone Diaries, Another Day Down, The Soccer Moms and The Villain Avian Symphony – a Vancouver band that Klypak played in along with past members of SNFU, The Black Halos and 3 Inches of Blood.

Details for upcoming shows are currently in the works but Klypak says that the band is planning on a few surprises. “Nothing we want to reveal yet, but there will be some announcements soon.” - Ominocity

Future Forests, Autopilot and DJ Marketmall to play Amigos Jan. 31

Future Forests, a Saskatoon indie post-rock band, have released their second single “Śūnyatā Act 1″.

Ominocity presented the band’s initial single, “Steve Goes For a Bike Ride”, a month ago – you can check out that HERE.

Additionally, Future Forests will be playing their debut show next week on Jan. 31 at Amigos, alongside Autopilot and DJ Marketmall.

The group plans on releasing their debut full-length in early 2014. - Ominocity

Its a new year, and one of my favourite things with each spin around the sun is seeing the new bands that pop up on the scene in Saskatoon. We’re a lucky bunch to have a consistent abundance of new, talented, unique local bands in this city; I’ll never take that for granted. Future Forests is a one such band stacked with top-notch members, playing their very first show at the end of the month.

Future Forests is Kaelen Klypak (drums/vocals), Steve Matschke (bass/vocals), Tom Rode (guitar/vocals) and the one and only Stan Yu (guitar/vocals) who I chatted with about the project and upcoming debut. Before you dig into our interview, familiarize yourself with their sound via the video below for “Steve Goes for a Bike Ride.”


Hey Stan! How long has this project been in the works? It’s the first show for Future Forests but I know you guys have been jamming in at least a similar format for a long while…

The four of us have been jamming and writing songs for about a year now. In that year, we’ve gone through the process of collectively finding our sound and getting out of our musical comfort zones. Our drummer previously played in an electronic/hardcore band in Vancouver; our bassist has a rock, punk and metal background; and our guitarist mostly plays rock and punk. Meanwhile, I took a bit of a hiatus with music for the past few years to finish up grad school, so picking up the guitar again felt like a brand new introduction to music. Future Forests was really a coalescing of diverse musical backgrounds and finding a sound that’s different from what we’ve done before. This project is also the first time we all are contributing to vocals, so that’s been very exciting.

What are some of your thoughts going into this first show? It all seems very deliberate and planned out. You guys are doing an excellent job creating anticipation.

Thanks! We’re all just beyond excited to play. For the past year, we’ve mostly been playing these songs to each other and to finally play them for others is both nerve-wracking and exhilarating at the same time.

What is the story/intent behind “Steve Goes For A Bike Ride”?

To be completely honest, the name “Steve Goes For A Bike Ride” originated when Steve, our bassist, expressed to the band that the song makes him feel like going for a bike ride. We started calling it that during band practice and the name just kind of stuck. Having said that, I think the imagery of going for a bike ride is actually quite apropos for the lyrics of the song which depicts a female protagonist, who is content with where she is in life, but keeps getting this yearning to throw it all away to do something that makes her feel alive again. The thought of going for a bike ride and never coming back is an interesting way to capture that feeling.

Where is that jam space in the video? It’s beautiful! Is that where you guys actually rehearse?

That is not where we jam, but the house of Kaelen’s (our drummer) parents. The location is absolutely stunning and we are incredibly grateful that they allowed us to invade their house for a couple of days for the shoot. We were in awe the entire time.

Plans for 2014?

We are definitely aiming to record and release a full-length album sometime in 2014 and hoping to do some touring in the summertime. We also have quite a few surprises that have been in the planning stages for over a year now, so stay tuned.

Are the rest of the songs similar in style? What surprises for this Amigos show can you ruin by telling me now?

Our music comprises elements of indie, post-rock and progressive rock. While some of our other songs follow a similar upbeat direction as “Steve”, others are quite different in style. For instance, the next single we will be releasing, called “Śūnyatā Act 1”, is one of the latter and we’re all anxious to see what listeners think of our “other style”. As for the show, I’ve sworn to secrecy so you’ll just have to come out on Friday, January 31st to find out!

Thanks Stan! See you on the 31st at Amigos!


Band links:

Futureforests.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/futureforestsband

@futureforestsca - The Rooster

Welcome to Monday Blues & Beats Volume Ninety-Three. We’re back with a MegaMix of tunes that have been coming through my speakers the last few weeks. Hope you all are enjoying your holidays, and maybe this mix will help with getting back into the swing of things.

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Future Forests – “Steve Goes For A Bike Ride”

The up-and-coming indie/post-rock band from Saskatoon knocked their debut single out of the park…way out. Their synergy between the emotional angst of power-rock and quirky indie sounds is seamless, and while i’m good friends with the drummer, you be the judge. - A Healthy Medium

FUTURE FORESTS

Along with building a reputation for a live show that combines the spectacle of science with angular guitar riffs and simmering percussion, indie-rock four-piece Future Forests started off last year with the release of several well-received singles — so is it safe to say a new album is in the works? Yup, says an insider, who confirmed that the band is looking to get back into the studio before this summer. Fans can expect a new video and another single as well, in addition to more live shows and hopefully some festival appearances. - Planet S Magazine