Now-Here-This

"...songs are very strong....melodies and catchy choruses..." - Brian Vollmer (vocals, Helix) commenting on Chris' songwriting

"Crazy Dream is a really great song.... it has a really great chorus." - Mickey DeSadist (vocals, Forgotten Rebels)

"These are too good...." - Matt Hayes (TV/Radio personality) commenting on Brian's songwriting

"Whoa, that's excellent.... when you're playing live, I'll be there!" - Tim Boileau (sound engineer, Sarasin)

"...let me know when ya'll have a gig in Atlanta, i want passes!" - "Fender" via internet feedback

"...right off the bat my leg is pumpin' up and down...cool vibe...makes me wanna get up...Hey, you guys kick ass!...'topher's got some pipes, ain't he? Steve Perry would vomit with jealousy...GREAT guitar break...doesn't over do it at all...nice and easy love it... Nice job on drums...Great drumming ...any time a guitarist can solo with just drums and bass and no rhythm guitar, you know he's gotta be good!!! Haven't heard much of that since 1989. KICK AZZ!!!" - various reviewers, Homerecording.com - various

A reality that comes from four lives immersed in musical inspiration and knowledge that spans many eras and sounds, coupled with the ties that allow friends to create music freely is the basis for newcomers, Now-Here-This. With an album underway, Now-Here-This is finally ready for others to hear their music and much more.

"Now-Here-This, as the name itself suggests, is about the immediacy and urgency of now - of being in the moment. In order to achieve that, being relevant not only now, but in the future, that requires writing songs that are more classic, or timeless in nature - not seemingly jumping onto one of the various bandwagon trends that exist now. Our music incorporates elements of straight-ahead rock, grunge, psychedelic, pop and metal. In a sense, we are the mainstream alternative to the alternative that has become mainstream," explains lead singer and guitarist, Chris Tondreau.

Tondreau is joined by Brian Salvatore (guitar/backing vocals), Mark Fenton (bass/backing vocals) and Dave Langerak (drums/backing vocals) who all grew weary of their past and current musical ventures and decided to form Now-Here-This.

“Chris (was) tired of covers, Mark tired of time between gigs, Dave tired of the bar scene and Brian just tired,” says Salvatore.

Tondreau adds, “I'm really grateful to have latched onto a great group of guys for Now-Here-This. I've spent years and years in and out of projects that represented good tries, not-so-good tries and almost-happeneds trying to get an original project off the ground, and playing in cover bands in between. There were periods where it was all really disheartening. Because of these guys, though, I've become a much more positive person musically. Music has become fun and exciting again.”

Right now the band is in the midst of recording their new album. Finding that distinct trick all artists face to writing a ‘good song’ falls upon Now-Here-This as they create their CD, and they have a few ideas on what this ‘good song’ is supposed to do.

“A good song evokes some kind of emotion in the listener. It should make you horny or make you cry,” says Fenton.

“Or want to beat somebody up,” laughs Tondreau.

“Good lyrics and a catchy hook,” says Salvatore.

Langerak declares, “When played, chicks get up and dance!”



Q. What's the first album you ever bought?
Salvatore: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Fenton: Double Vision by Foreigner
Tondreau: For Those About to Rock by AC/DC



Calling themselves the band with “Canada’s most infectious rock melodies,” Tondreau explains the need for that perfect melody.

“Stop the average person on the street, and ask them what their favourite song is. Ultimately, the answer doesn't matter, but then ask, "How does it go?" Almost nobody will ever go on to describe a guitar riff, or a drum beat, with very few exceptions. What they will do is sing a line or two from the song - a melody and a lyric - usually from the chorus. That is what people focus on and remember. That is what motivates people to remember and enjoy your music, and ultimately, that will drive their decision on what they're going to buy later.”

“Nuclear holocausts, death and destruction, oh and faux paintings,” jokes Langerak as he describes the band’s music.

“Most of our songs, as it turns out, are in some way about relationships, but we tend to focus away from the "ooh, yeah, baby I love you, “never let me go" kind of songs. Things in relationships like manipulation or influence, the priorities of comfort vs. excitement, guilt following a one-night stand, having the courage to leave a relationship based on habit, etc. We have songs about adulthood and leaving youth behind, the pursuit of fame, and perhaps the most important life-lesson of all - leaving behind what others, often artificially, project as happiness, and being happy with who you really are instead,” Tondreau explains further.



Q. What's your favourite musical era and why?
Fenton: The late '70's/early '80's. This was a time when bands didn't try to copy each other (ahem, sum182daycharlotteplan). Punk, new wave, rock, ska, new romantic, metal all thrived during this period. Bands weren't afraid to stick to what they did best and let the fans catch up.
Salvatore: The '60's; so much energy, change, love, life, freedom of expression.
Tondreau: I grew up, my teen years, through the '80's, so I have a special place in my heart for all the metal that came out of that decade, whether it be Iron Maiden, Guns 'n' Roses, or Motley Crue or whatever. I loved it all pretty much. That said, I believe that every decade has some of the best - and some of the worst - music ever recorded.



From youth to adulthood, the band discovers that their musical influences unfold from nearly every moment of their life.

“Some of us have family members that were musicians that inspired us at a young age. Collectively, we have a really wide range of influences from a wide range of time periods. The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac to Rush, King Crimson and Pink Floyd to Motorhead and the Clash to Helix and the Pursuit of Happiness, “says Tondreau.

A mutual understanding is ultimately what allows Now-Here-This to work together so well, or according to Langerak more unfortunate circumstances.

“Chris has a gun,” kids Langerak.

“Yeah, bloody singers,” laughs Tondreau.

“I think we realize we are fortunate to get four guys together who are talented enough to play whatever they want, but humble enough to do what's right for the song,” explains Fenton.

Completely agreed. We don't need a "check your ego at the door" policy. There are none to deal with in the first place. That is amazing,” replies Tondreau.



Q. Who are some of your favourite frontmen/women and why? Salvatore: George Harrison, David Gilmour, Adrian Belew. They proved that being a frontman was all about personality and presence and not on shallow trickery and gymnastics.
Tondreau: Can Angus Young be considered a frontman? I think the ultimate front man has to be Steven Tyler. He makes you watch him because he's flamboyant and super energetic. He's strong, he's got the moves, and looks totally cool - even though he's no Justin Timberlake. He makes you listen because he can sing anything and nail it like nobody else. On the other side of things, I really like people like Jann Arden. She's so down-to-earth and unpretentious. She makes you feel like she is genuinely glad to be there and glad that the audience was there for her. You leave feeling almost like you've made a friend.



Embarking into the Hamilton music scene seems to be a positive one for the band as they find that such a diverse community is a seemingly easy one to participate in.

“So far, so good, really. Everyone we've met has been really positive. There are lots of bands doing lots of different things, and that is really healthy for a scene. We're all rather experienced players, and have been playing in and around the Hamilton scene since the '80's. The best thing about the scene right now is that it seems to be really cooperative and supportive, whereas in the '80's it was more competitive and critical. The worst thing about the scene, and I have been told this very overtly by some people, is that there is a sect of musicians/bands out there that literally don't care about whether their audience likes them or not. I think that's great on an artistic integrity level, but as soon as you impose those ideals on a room full of people who gave up their time and money to come and see you, it reflects badly in the audience's eyes, not only for you, but for the club and the scene in general,” says Tondreau.

The future for Now-Here-This can only be spun from the minds of its members and it seems as if they leave no detail left behind.

“Videos with scantly clad young girls behind the drummer dancing to the music, facial tattoos, body armor and world domination,” replies Langerak.

“We're going to the topper-most of the popper-most,” explains Salvatore.

“Yeah, but it has to happen before Saturday because I'm quitting the band on Sunday,” laughs Tondreau.

“Wow, I wish I knew. Our focus with the whole project is having fun with it, really, but at the same time, we're doing it up right, too. Our live show has really come together, the album is going to be great, we're going to be getting into the whole merchandising thing and all that stuff. We're really trying to be smart about it. Realistically, though, we all have good jobs, families, etc., so leaving everything behind for the pursuit of rock-stardom would only be an option if we were offered a really good record deal. None of us are counting on that, though. In the meantime, writing and recording more songs, selling CD's and merchandise, playing shows with a "golden horseshoe" focus - keeping it fun and making sure that what we do is of high quality - both for ourselves and our personal standards, and for those who support us, “ says Tondreau.

Now-Here-This will be playing a Jackson Square Rooftop show on Saturday July 23 along with singer/songwriter Forever Means Never. - Steel City Music.ca

Chris Tondreau fell in love with the world of music when he first learned how to play The Scorpions back in high school. His love of the axe made him seek out an outlet with local bands and finallyan education culminating with a degree in classical guitar from
McMaster University.

But as he grew up (ending up starting a family and entering the world of education teaching Grade five classes at Memorial Public School), Tondreau always harboured that teenage desire to rock out. This weekend, he puts out the call to classic rock fans everywhere to greet his new band, Now Here This, and their debut CD.

“The biggest problems often were either a lack of singers, a lack of commitment, or a lack of direction,” reflects Tondreau on his elongated band history over the years. “It certainly had its rewards, and I met some fantastic people and musicians, but it got frustrating.
“On some level, this is the band I have been trying to form for the better part of 20 years,” he adds. “I guess I just sort of happened to be looking at the right time, because this time, it came together pretty easily. Without my band, I was just a frustrated guy who played guitar, sang, and wrote and recorded some songs with little chance of anyone actually hearing them. I’m really happy because they’re really good guys, there are no egos to contend with, and they’re really capable and musical
players.”

Featuring Mark Fenton (bass, backing vocals), Dave Langerak (drums, backing vocals), Brian Salvatore (guitar, backing vocals) and Tondreau (vocals, guitar), Now Here This hopes to combine pop melodies with hard rock riffs – without pushing new structural or sonic boundaries, just sticking to the basics of hard rocking pop, akin to Third Eye Blind, latter day Cheap Trick or The Pursuit Of Happiness.
“I grew up with the ’80s hair metal stuff like Helix, etc., and still love it, though my tastes have diversified considerably,” offers Tondreau. “One of my favourite bands/songwriters is Moe Berg/The Pursuit of Happiness. I think I write a lot like him because I identify with him so much. Brian, who also writes in the band, is a huge Beatles fan, and I think that comes across in the songs he writes. Mark and Dave also have very strong classic rock influences. There is a lot of new rock that we all like too, though, so that comes into play as well, I think. With everyone’s influences and playing styles, I think the end result of our album is almost an inevitable product of that. It’s not by design. It is influenced by the music we all love.

“Yeah, you could say we sound like TPOH meets Cheap Trick meets Zeppelin or something,” smiles Tondreau. “We stick with classic structures and arrangements because they work. There is always room for a good-old-fashioned hook-based melodic pop/rock song — regardless of time period or trendy sounds and genres. It explains John Cougar in the ’80s, The Hip or the Goo Goo Dolls in the ’90s, and the fact that the Raconteurs’ “Steady as she Goes” is one of the top radio hits out right now.”

With Tondreau producing at his own Green Room Recording studio, the goal was to perhaps capture a live off the freshly buffed floor feel – or as Tondreau suggests “a modern polished sound, but not too polished” – showing all the grit they can muster and still being almost ready for classic rock radio.
With the CD complete, Tondreau and NHT are set to bring their music to more stages, but while they may not be touring the world, they hope to change some people’s world with a song.

“We do the music because we love to do it,” offers Tondreau. “We’re realistic enough to realize that the odds of a major record label swooping in and giving us a wicked deal is not terribly likely. With our jobs, families, etc., none of us are really in a position to get up and tour back and forth across northern Canada in a hardtop camper trailer in mid-January anyways, so it’s just as well.

“For better or for worse, we’re totally unpretentious,” he adds on the band’s stage approach. “Just as there are no egos in the band, we don’t adopt flamboyant or outrageous stage personalities. We’re totally ourselves. We have a good time, and I think it shows. In the end, though, the songs speak for themselves. The only other hope that we have is that some time after you leave the show, one of our songs will get so hopelessly
stuck in your head that you can’t quite seem to get it out. If we can do that, then we’re really happy.” - by Ric Taylor