Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Simple approach leads to success for Strathroy musicians
September 4, 2003
There's something to be said for simplicity. Strathroy musicians Kyle Paas and Michelle Ysebert have stepped away from their hard rock roots to follow a less complicated musical path. Their old band, Igneous, broke up last year, leaving them to ponder their next move. They opted to strip away the clutter and background noise and try something simpler. Gone are the big amplifiers and the fancy light show, not to mention the bass and drums.
Playing with just acoustic guitars and microphones, Kyle and Michelle now have a new sound, a new name, and new-found success. They're looking to the future and say they have no regrets about their time with Igneous.
"We gave it a good shot," said Kyle of the band he and Michelle formed more than four years ago with singer/bassist Amanda Bolton and drummer Jason Wilson. At the time, they called themselves Pacific Rim and got their early stage experience playing at area elementary schools. "We just grew apart," said Michelle, adding that they're all still friends. Last year, Amanda decided to leave Igneous to perform under her own name. Jason went with her, leaving Michelle and Kyle with a decision to make. "Michelle and I always wrote well together," said Kyle of their decision to remain a team. Over the past few months, they've found that they perform pretty well together too.
Under their new name, Glowpool, they have made several television appearances and are scheduled for another on the New PL's New Day on Sept. 15. They have a professionally-produced CD, containing five original songs, coming out this month, and they've played their way to a full-time job as the house band at The Barking Frog, one of the trendiest new clubs on London's Richmond Row.
Their regular Wednesday night gig at The Barking Frog was originally going to be just a couple of shows in June, said Kyle. Those shows went so well, though, that they were invited back for the rest of the summer. Their contract was recently extended again, until the end of September.
Playing in The Barking Frog has been a big change from what they were used to with Igneous, they said.
"It's a lot more intimate," said Michelle. The audience is right up close, surrounding the small stage. With the relaxed atmosphere, there's time for conversation between the band and the audience during the three-hour sets, she said. The interaction with the audience is a great way to win people over, said Kyle. "We want everyone that hears us to be a fan." Being up there with nothing but a microphone and a guitar, though, also means they have to be constantly in top form, said Kyle, because there's no wall of sound to hide the mistakes. "People can pick out every little detail of what you're playing."
This summer at The Barking Frog has been a tremendous learning experience, they agree. It's given them a chance to experiment and gain confidence with a friendly audience. They now play more than 30 songs a night, instead the of six or seven songs in a set that they typically did with Igneous. Learning to pace themselves and make their voices last for three hours was one of the first challenges they had to overcome, said Michelle. There's also a lot more variety in the style of music they play. They mix original material with cover songs and take requests from the audience. If they don't know a song they'll try to learn it for the next show. Playing a wide variety of material allows them to broaden their musical horizons while keeping the audience happy.
"We're pretty open minded to any kind of music," said Kyle, although he adds that there are some limits.
"There are some requests that are undoable," he laughs. "Like I can't do the whole drum solo from Moby Dick on my acoustic guitar." With the extension of their contract to the end of September, they're looking forward to seeing the busy student night life of Richmond Row. "We're hoping we can become a part of that," said Kyle.
Whatever the future brings after their run at The Barking Frog is over, Kyle and Michelle say they're happy with the path they're on and the most important thing right now is that they continue to learn and grow as musicians.
Despite their young ages - Kyle is 22 and Michelle is 17 - they say they've seen enough of how the music industry operates not to want to become yet another mass produced cookie-cutter act that can't sing and can barely play their instruments. They say they'd rather take their time to get where they want to go, rather than rush the process and end up somewhere else entirely.
"We don't want to sell our souls to do something that we don't want to do," said Michelle. "Our music has to be real." Glowpool plays every Wednesday night at The Barking Frog on Richmond Street at John Street in London, with shows starting about 9:30 p.m.
For more information about Kyle and Michelle, visit their web site at www.glowpool.com
- Unknown
Discography
Glowpool Demo EP
( 5 Tracks )
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
GlowPool is a unique pop/rock group who emerged onto the scene in July 1999 out of the small town of Strathroy, Ontario Canada. Like most young bands, the group has undergone changes in membership and even changed its name. But in spite of everything these two rising stars persevered and are now turning heads wherever they perform. Starring Michelle Ysebert on guitar and Kyle Paas on lead guitar, the two share the vocal responsibilities adding a dynamic range of harmony and drive that set them apart from the other acts on the scene.
In addition to their talents at performing, Kyle and Michelle have also established themselves as songwriters. Having spent the last two years making numerous trips to Nashville and New York to write and work with great songwriters, the two have learned the intimate skills of song craftsmanship. There are no gimmicks, these two musicians can write, sing, play and perform their own music.
Michelle & Kyle began performing together after a gig on Canada Day was rained out. After a few conversations, the benefits of combining talents were realized and rehearsals began. Coupled with the guidance of their management, producers and teachers, the group forged their own charismatic sound and image that caught the sights of Toronto's Canadian Music Week 2000 where they became the youngest group ever to showcase in the conference. Brian Pascual of Chart Attack caught their performance that evening and in his review noted, "it's not hard to see the flat-out marketability of this group of pre-teens that can play some pretty infectious '80s guitar rock."
Since then, GlowPool has continued to develop. Having now performed for numerous schools and opened for groups like The Moffatts, McMaster & James, Rubber, Moist, Sky and performed on three national television shows, GlowPool has started to take on their own identity. Currently working with the hit producer Jeff Coplan, Kyle and Michelle are well on their way to reaching their aspirations. Seasoned beyond their years, these talented young musicians know how to captivate an audience and leave you walking away humming their tunes!
Links
