Mouthful of Daisy

TWICE RENEWED AND REVITALIZED BY AN
OPPORTUNITY TO RECORD IN NYC, VANCOUVER, BC
BASED FEMALE FRONTED BAND
MOUTHFUL OF DAISY LIVES UP TO ITS
MELODIC ALT-ROCK/POWER POP PROMISE

Like a lot of indie bands whose sound is too vibrant and explosive for the generic club scene it emerges from, the female fronted Vancouver, BC based Mouthful of Daisy found some local success in its early incarnations but later hit some temporary roadblocks. The expansive musical vision of founding members J’ace Franklin (guitars, keys) and Sean Barry (drums)--who launched the group back in 2005--began to reach its fuller potential when an opportunity came up to head East and record in New York City. Produced by Anthony Santos, Vice President of Chamberlain Records, at NYC’s Killingworth Studios, Twice Renewed (MOD’s second full length collection) is a powerhouse indie/alternative pop/rock burst of inspiration that delivers big time on the band’s early promise.
From all outward appearances, Mouthful of Daisy made a great splash on the local scene from the get go. Their debut EP Zero was well received and led the original line up to score numerous gigs at Vancouver hotspots like The Railway Club, The Roxy and The Backstage Lounge. Energized by the success of Zero, they returned to the studio in 2007 to record their self-produced full length debut 1st Place Winner. But ultimately, J’ace says, their hometown’s preference for Top 40 dance clubs and “cookie cutter pop/rock bands” made MOD a hard fit. Another internal struggle was finding a lineup of musicians who not only had the talent but also the drive to fulfill their goals.
After a hiatus to work with other local bands, J’ace and Sean regrouped and were working on new material when Santos offered them a shot at recording in New York. The lineup on Twice Renewed included new bassist Alix Matusak and vocalist Michella Dobrosavljevic, who fronted the band on the first EP. For J’ace, one of the coolest surprises of the NYC experience was finding out there was potential for the band to succeed beyond Vancouver. Even before the official physical release of Twice Renewed, the band has received great reactions from the handful of college stations who have spun their tracks—which has in turn energized them to take their music and ambitions even further.
One of J’ace’s favorite tracks on Twice Renewed is “Planet Fluff,” whose quirky title references the Black Sabbath songs “Planet Caravan” and “Fluff”. The spacey and atmospheric tune creates an organic acoustic hypnosis around poetic and liberating lyrics that include references to dolphins dancing in the rain. A distinct Spanish guitar vibe creates a moody intro for “Girl In Need Of A Lullaby,” the straightforward, explosive rocker that launches the set; the song finds a woman needing the comfort of a loving lullaby despite being turned into a “woman of steel” by fear. J’ace calls the infectious, uptempo “Shadow of the Night” the band’s “dancier” type song, despite its deep emotional lyrics about the need for healing after a period of self-destruction.
The current lineup was recently completed with a seamless transition to vocalist Kaija Kinney, who joined the MOD earlier in 2012 after a lengthy audition process. She has performed the songs on Twice Renewed in all of the band’s live performances since. J’ace says, “She has taken the songs from the album to a place that we never envisioned while staying true to the overall sound and style that is found on the album. Having different singers has obviously altered our sound slightly but with myself as the primary songwriter and guitarist on all the recordings, there is a very distinctive style that has remained the whole time. I think my song craft has been very consistent, and the biggest evolution is that, thanks to the addition of Alix, our rhythms are being held together and brought to the forefront moreso than with our previous albums. Twice Renewed is a great example of all these things put into a tangible form. It represents a rebirth for this band, a new beginning that will hopefully take us to where the sky is the limit.”