Ox
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Ox

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The best kept secret in music

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"Ox Pick of the Junos"

What have you been up to lately?

Ox worked on the new record for most of 2005... its actually two albums that we came up with- the first will be American Lo Fi, the second- Burn Out. Only the first will come out this year. The recording and mixing took a long time... I think the band has gone through some transitions since Dust Bowl Revival and it led to a lot of experimentation. Lately, things have been heating up again as we re-enter the live music circuit... we were at SXSW last month, and I just finished a solo 'greyhound' bus tour through the US in February- the Greyhound is a shitty ride.

What brings you out to the Junos weekend?

We got the reflections show with the Jimmy Swift Band.

How are you getting out here from Vancouver? Is it worth the trip?

Air Canada. i HATE Air Canada... Our taxes always bail them out and then they raise their fares.

How many band members will you bring with you?

Our drummer is from Antigonish. Rose Murphy... she did almost all the drums on the new album.

What do the Junos mean to you as a Canadian artist?

I hate to be negative but, as an 'artist' I dont think much of the awards... or the 'business' end of the music business. So much of what is successful here and in the US is driven by corporate interests- payola, corruption... The major distributors really control the airplay that generates retail sales and in the end, that results in most of the awards. I think its important that Canada has its own 'awards' though- as everyone else has them.

How meaningful do you think the Junos are to Canadian artists in general?

I think they mean a lot to the artists that win one. I'm sure I'd be pretty happy about it if i won a Juno. Everyone likes recognition no matter how cynical they are! (re: above)

What are you looking forward to the most about the weekend?

It's been 2 years since I was on the East Coast. Last time there, the band was doing its summer tour and we went through Halifax, Antigonish, Saint John, Charlottetown, and Fredericton where we all got tossed out of the hotel with Matt Mays. I used to tour solo there a lot- by bus... and even made it to St.John's a couple of times. I guess I'm just looking forward to the East Coast cheer.

What do you hope to get from the Junos weekend?

Drunk at least once. It would be fun to break into the backstage area and steal a June Award.

Are there any acts or sights you hope to see while you're here?

To be honest, I'm not sure yet who's on the various bills that weekend. I'm sure its going to be great but I'm pretty much waiting til I get there.

For people who don't know you, when did Ox form? Was this in Vancouver?

Ox formed in Vancouver around 2002. It really became a tangible entity with the release of Dust Bowl Revival... up until then it was just an idea in my head.

Who else is in the band?

It's more of a collective than a regular line-up, though Ryan Bishops has been consistently in since almost the beginning. We've lost a few members to drugs, booze, kids, and school but, we always seem to get them back. Right now, the lineup is looking like a 3-piece usually, Ryan Bishops, Rose Murphy, and myself. Though for the Juno weekend it's a White Stripes thing with only myself and Rose on drums.

Who would you cite as musical influences?

The Velvet Underground mostly. Royal City, Julian Cope... I've been really into Hall & Oates lately, Abandoned Luncheonette is a fucking masterpiece.

If you had to describe your sound, how would you do it?

Raw, Broken... ragged. skeletal. Everything I do I try to be sure to do it the wrong way- bars of 3 instead of 2 or 4- lyrics that dont rhyme just when you most expect them to do so... out of tune notes here and there. We really got into dischord on one of our new albums- layering 2-3 consecutive notes of the scale in harmony with each other. I love the tension and release.

When was Dust Bowl Revival recorded?

June-October 2002. Most of the album was done in 2 weeks at profile in Vancouver then I tinkered with it for a few months drinking northern ale.

You're working on a new record. How will it be different from the last one?

Dust Bowl Revival did really well- better than I'd ever imagined... it ended up at #1 on the national college chart. Its weird coming from that to do a second record. The new one is probably going to seem less accesible. It's got a more raw quality to it- wilder at times playful. It was really approached as a rock & roll band playing live in the studio. I was careful not to know the songs too well when we went in and started... some lines were written in the studio- made up on the spot even. El Camino part2 was invented during the sessions. Marta's Song was made up to tape impromptu. I think its probably our 'difficult' second album. A lot of people probably won't understand it, but I think thats a good thing. You always want to be trying to push things out of your confort zone- and out of everyone else's as well. I knew we were on the right track when a few early mixes TOTALLY scared off a US label interested in signing us for Dust Bowl Revival.

When is it coming out?

American Lo Fi- September, 2006.
Burn Out- March 2007.

What do you hope to achieve with this new record?

I just like making records really... I guess I want it to do a little better than our last record- you always want that just so you're able to keep making more. We've just done 2 & 3. I think our 4th album is going to be groundbreaking! I'm hoping Cheap Trick hears our cover of Surrender and takes us on tour with them. That would be far out. Last year we almost got to open for Platinum Blonde on tour- my dream is to one day go on tour with Blue Oyster Cult- I'd let Eric Bloom sign my tits.

What are your upcoming plans?

Ox is going on tour to the UK for May & June. Other than that, I'm spending my time designing the album sleeve's and dealing with record labels. - The Coast


Discography

Dust Bowl Revival (2003)
American Lo Fi (2006)

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

velvet underground and frank zappa meets neil young and wilco. a wiry odyssee of studio hum, rattle, buzz, and stoner country; farmer in the city with the electro-magnetic magical aura of tape hiss.