Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
With a band as dynamic as onlyforward, you have to be in town when they play, if only to catch a glimpse of real Canadian rock ‘n’ roll. After recently putting the finishing touches on their upcoming music video for the smash hit, “Trees”, the band rolled back into town from their native Montreal to let a captive Friday night crowd gaze at their brilliance.
While I could potentially compare lead singer Dave Martel with possessing the energy and wit of Jack Black, he is truly a unique individual who discusses the deeper meaning of the universe while doing kicks, waving his curly locks in circles, beat boxing, and doing his signature scat, in which he shakes his lips while singing a note like there’s no tomorrow. Martel keeps you entertained and refreshed, while lead guitarist, Jesse Suave, plays uncontrollable melodic urges on guitar (especially with the sweet solo he has in “Live up to Eternity”), and finishes with holding his guitar to the speakers and dazzles all in the rich feedback. Roy Vuorela keeps the band in check with a steady and wacked out beat on the drums, and Ian Yule rounds it all out with his bass guitar and backing vocals that harmonize superbly with Martel. onlyforward love their music and they make the crowd love it too; you can see that in each performance you attend.
Check them out online at www.onlyforward.ca, you can hear their whole album on their customized onlyplayer, purchase it for you and all your friends, and kick it at their next gig Martel-style. If you haven’t seen onlyforward yet, you’d better before they get too rock star for us all! Email the band and let them know to book a show in your area. - soulshine
Montreal-based band onlyforward are unlike any Canadian indie band out today and show an energizing display of professionalism and production in their sound. Although a refreshing burst of carefully constructed songs, you can feel the pride and fun these guys take in their music. Their influences of Pearl Jam and Michael Jackson are appreciated from a far – you’ll find no Seattle grunge or crotch grabbing with onlyforward. True to their CD title, everything really is perfect when you listen to this, their debut release. “Trees” is a stand out track because it shows off the vocal range and performance ability for a band fresh out of the studio. “Promises, promises” trips around a delightful airy, sliding guitar with beautiful vocal matrimony. The whole band works together on each track, it’s a balance act, no one is left out of the spotlight. Despite most indie bands sticking with a hook and growing from it, onlyforwad have put together an exceptional variety of rock, soundscapes and vocal soaring lyrics that harmoniously can go “only forward”. - soulshine
Discography
onlyforward - Everythings Perfect
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
There are these things called bands. They make music. End of story.
No wait . there's more. There's this one band in particular called onlyforward. onlyforward consists of four Montreal-based musicians: Dave Martel (guitar/vocals), Roy Vuorela (drums), Ian Yule (bass) and Jesse Sauvé (guitar). When these four lads end up in the same room, things tend to start "rocking" and/or "rolling (in no particular order).
Jesse and Dave were high school friends, while Roy and Ian came into the picture through a friend of Dave's who knew a friend who had a friend who ate at Roy's dentist's favorite breakfast spot. Right from the first jam session, everyone knew that something seriously awesome was starting.
Formed in 2003, the band began working with material that singer/songwriter and frontman Dave Martel had been performing as a solo artist. I really enjoyed doing the solo thing for a while, says Martel, but in the back of my mind, I knew it was just a temporary thing. In no time, we were writing brand new material.
It was so inspiring, says Ian. There was this incredible energy in the room. We really felt and still feel like there was nothing the four of us couldnt do together. It was such an exciting time, and it's been that way ever since . it doesnt stop.
The bands influences stem from a wild mix of tastes: Michael Jackson and Pearl Jam to Bad Religion, NOFX to Radiohead. While their sound veers closer to singer-songwriter melodic pop, the result is an eclectic, unique, and soulful sound that just doesnt exist anywhere else.
onlyforward has just finished their first full-length album, entitled Everythings Perfect. Produced by King Kong Girio (The Kingpins, King Apparatus, Flashlight Brown), the album encapsulates onlyforwards unique sound. Martels soaring vocals push the bands sound forward with sweeping acoustic guitar sounds, while Ian and Roys rhythm section lays an incredibly intense and solid base. All this leaves plenty of room for Jesse to rip on guitar. Rip is an understatement, actually: Jesses incredible playing takes onlyforward to new and uncharted places that they could otherwise only dream about.
By turns uplifting, rocking, and spiritual, Everythings Perfect sums up onlyforward well, perfectly.
Theres this thing called onlyforward, you see. They make music. End of story.
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