Introverter

Nov 26, 2008 04:08 PM
Doug Hamilton-Evans

Doug Clayton and Ian Bush collaboratively write songs with a simple but effective philosophy in mind: they want their music to entertain a crowd.

“People want to listen to songs that they are instantly familiar with,” said Bush. “It creates an emotional attachment.”

Bush is the vocals behind UVic’s reigning Battle of the Bands champ, Introverter. Clayton, his fellow creative mind, rocks lead guitar.

Clayton describes Introverter’s sound as “essentially guitar rock,” which they aim to make fun and danceable.

Their songs are instantly catchy, fast and snappy; none of them drop below 130 beats per minute. Bush often sings at a rapid fire pace, sometimes barely keeping up with the tempo. At other times, he lays out sustained lyrical interludes, while the band charges ahead around him. Clayton plays quick, crisp chords, expert arpeggios and the occasional guitar solo, while Chris Buchan provides hypnotic melodies on a bass that he made himself. Meanwhile, Chris Jeffery skilfully backs up the band with explosive drumming.

Since their glorious victory at UVic’s Battle of the Bands on March 31, Introverter has played an estimated 25 shows and recorded their first album. Their prize for the win was a show at Felicita’s, which they finally played on Nov. 7, after being delayed by the strike.

But the past eight months have not provided an easy road.

“It seems like a fast progression, but every step has been minute and it’s taken a lot of work,” Bush said.

Introverter’s self-titled debut album, which debuted on Nov. 18 at a CD release show at Lucky Bar, reflects the trials and tribulations of being in a band and “getting that shit together,” said Clayton.

Their song “Last Transmission” is about the difficulties of picking a name (“Said it’s a shame, we can’t settle on a name/To me it’s all the same”), while “Be My Guest” is about the disappointment of their friends not seeing them play at the Battle of the Bands (“We went and won a congeniality contest/When we say come you’ve gone deaf”). “Liquid Assets” sounds like it’s about a nasty breakup, but it’s actually about kicking out a member of the band (“Sorry that it has gone this way/All we said is that you cannot play”).

Bush, who spent a year at recording school at the Art Institute of Burnaby, recorded, mixed, engineered and produced the album between his home, his dad’s basement in Courtenay and in Introverter’s practice space in the Gamma Pro Jams studio.

Currently, Introverter is working on an EP that includes remixes, b-sides and a four-song acoustic set with friends from The Daylights and 12 Steps. The band hopes for a New Year’s release.

The acoustic set, informally called “Songs for the Ladies,” consists of “the lovey songs that you don’t want to fill an album with, but everyone writes,” Bush said.

Nov. 29 will mark Introverter’s first show outside of Victoria, when they play The Legion in Courtenay.

Check out the band on their website, introverter.com.
- Martlet

Introverter is one of the most exciting bands to come out of Victoria, BC for some time. They are coming to the Legion in Courtenay on November 29th to promote their recently released self-titled debut CD.

This hardworking band plays a unique blend of original British and North American rock and roll. Three of the members have North Island ties, so this is somewhat of a homecoming. The bassist, Chris Buchan is Comox Valley stock, graduating from Mark Isfeld in 2005. The singer Ian Bush graduated from in Vanier in 1998 after moving here from England. Guitarist, Doug Clayton hails from nearby Campbell River. The band is excited to return to their beloved North Island, anticipating a warm welcome from both friend and family alike.

Introverter has faced an overwhelming swell in popularity since their participation in the three-legged University of Victoria Battle of the Bands. After winning all three rounds, Introverter was crowned champions. Encouraged by the passionate reaction of the local Victoria crowd, Introverter set out to record their first album.

Starting in May, and working through till September, the band recorded in Courtenay and Victoria. The lion’s share of recording was done at the home of singer/producer Ian. “We really wanted to capture the feel of our live show,” The singer commented when asked. “But we also wanted to have a little more atmosphere in the songs that just barebones rock.” Four of the tracks off the album are available on the band’s Myspace page http://myspace.com/introverter or the band’s page http://www.introverter.com.

Other bands playing the legion on the 29th include The 12 Steps, featuring ex-Introverter guitarist, Chris Ricketts Langford. The 12 Steps play their own unique brand of grunge revival. Next on the bill is Courtenay native Mike Kerr and his band The Daylights. The Daylights are decidedly more ‘indie’ and irreverent than anything else on the bill, writing quirky and catchy numbers. Opening the night up is another one of Courtenay’s sons Noah Edwards. Noah and his partner Scott Perrin will be playing some acoustic songs to warm the crowd up.

Tickets are $10 and available at Bop City and at the door.
- Comox Valley Record