The Sea Inside

Interview with ‘The Sea Inside’
(An exclusive still from the guys’ new video for ‘Stop Being Ourselves’)

The first time I saw the Sea Inside live was in October of last year. I hopped on the bandwagon a little late, as the boys formed the group approximately four and half years ago, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love them more than anyone else (duh!). Their astounding raw talent never ceases to blow my mind during their live sets, and their lyrics are absolutely phenomenal.

Music aside, they are some completely amazing guys. They just wrapped up the filming of their first music video last weekend and incorporated some of their fans, myself included, within the shoot. I can honestly say that I don’t know of many bands that would be that wonderful to the people who support them, nor do I know many bands who genuinely make the effort to be actual friends with their fans like these guys do. …Oh, and ps. All four of them are totally bang-able. - Love ya! ;)

The Sea Inside is:

- Geoff Callaghan (Vocals & Guitar)
- Piero Graci (Guitar)
- Danny Gaudio (Bass)
- Jeff Eden (Drums)

Lydia: How did you guys meet?

Jeff: Piero came into Studio 8 for a session. I was blown away by his guitar playing and asked him if he wanted to work on writing some stuff. He did. He knew Danny, and brought him in. After we had some music in the works we started auditioning singers. We went to London, ON to hear one of them sing. We never even got to that guy. Cali played before him, and just simply blew us away. He came to Toronto for a recording session, and the rest is history. Those first sessions actually made it onto ‘A Beautiful Mess’. It just worked from day one.

Lydia: Why did you decide to call the band the Sea Inside?

Cali: I was spending a great deal of time in Spain when the movie came out. The sentiment in our music is similar. We are all swimming around in ourselves trying not to drown. At first listen, I think our music can sound desolate, but once a listener spends some time with it, I think they will find hope.

Lydia: Who do you consider to be your greatest influences?

Jeff: Larry Mullen Jr, John Bonham, and Stuart Copeland
Piero: Jimmy Page and John Frusciante
Danny: Flea and Larry Graham
Cali: Morrissey, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead

Lydia: What is your favourite song to play live?

Jeff:
From the first disc-’World She Couldn’t Find’
From DoS-’Fodder’
Piero:
From the first disc-’Sentimental Smile’
From DoS-’The Faithful Art’
Danny:
From the first disc-’We’re All Lost’
From DoS-’Stop Being Ourselves’
Cali:
From the first disc-’Sentimental Smile’
From DoS-’The Light at the End of You’

Lydia: What are your feelings on the state of music today and what do you think sets you guys apart from all of the other rock groups out there?

Cali: Lydia! That’s a tough and potentially implicating question. The business seems to have grown incredibly complicated. There are so many bands out there that we are told by the new media are the next coming of The Beatles that it is hard to listen to everything. It is the classic Socratic problem: the more you know, the more you don’t know. What sets us apart is that we have had reliable professional advice from very early on in the life of the band. We know that we are building permanence due to the fact that we make the recordings that we want to make. We never compromise, ever. We keep going till we get it right by our own definition. There is never a quick fix for us. We know that gives us a certain type of fan, but it is worth it. Our listeners have to be willing to immerse themselves in our recordings. If they aren’t, then they should go right to the shinier tracks like ‘All This Time’ or ‘Trite But True’. If they want a rock music experience, I think they will be rewarded after a couple of listens through the disc, but of course, I am biased.

Lydia: How did it feel to shoot your first ever music video? And what made you decide on your song, Stop Being Ourselves, as your first single?

Jeff: It was more fun than I thought it would be. The fun factor was heightened for me by the fact that we got some great results. The narrative was shot somewhat theatrically which I initially thought was a risk. I didn’t think we could pull the lighting off. We had some great people work with us. Dave Thies and Ryan Van Ausdall lent their expertise and the results are visually stunning.

Cali: It felt awesome, although it was a great deal less glamorous than I expected. Just like recording music, I learned not to invite my friends. They won’t be impressed, unless they get to be in the video. ‘Stop Being Ourselves’ was the clear choice. We wanted the world to know right off the bat that we are unapologetically a rock band.

Lydia: How does it feel to have your latest CD, DoS, go international?

Cali: It feels incredible. It is gratifying to know that after 5 years of very hard work that the world is really taking notice. I am glad it is happening naturally, and that we didn’t have to pull some ridiculous stunt, online or otherwise. Well, let’s just say that we haven’t let any of our ridiculous stunts be filmed.

Lydia: Where do you see yourselves in 5-10 years?

Cali: In September of 2015 we will be finishing 2 nights at Molson Ampitheatre and getting ready to head into the studio to work on our 6th disc. We would have played the ACC, but wanted to be outdoors for obvious reasons.

Lydia: Finally, is there anything you want to tell your fans?

Cali: The first thing that I would like to give our fans is our sincere thanks. Selling out our last show was an incredible feeling. It is very cool that we get to interact with our fans through social media tools. Everything we do online is genuine. We don’t inflate any of our numbers. We let it grow naturally, and many of our fans have truly become our friends. Please just tell them, ‘Thanks’.

The boys have possible shows in Toronto, Hamilton, London, Guelph, Barrie coming up soon. The dates will be up on their website and facebook page asap!

Their latest album DoS goes on sale everywhere tomorrow.

Check it, bitches!!! - PINK MAFIA

Sea Inside makes waves in indie music scene
by: Lauren Nisbet
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Two years ago, the Sea Inside came together and has since become a force in the Toronto music scene, opening for the Plain White T’s last November.

Now with its first album A Beautiful Mess on the verge of widespread release, the band reflects on the experience of creating the album, the development of its sound, plans for the future and the challenges of bringing it all together.

Lead singer Cali got his start in London, while the rest of the band hails from Toronto. He describes the difference playing in both cities.

“The crowd is smaller, but more personal. It gives my family a chance to see how the music has progressed,” Cali says. “I get more nervous playing in front of family members than I do playing in front of hundreds of people. I feel like they’re enjoying the music on a different level.”

In describing the band’s sound, Cali avoids using a single label.

“It’s not like today’s indie, which can be low-fi and thin-sounding. We’ve got a thicker base of sound.”

He compares the sound to a toned-down big-sound rock, with a tendency to be “ballady,” with a bit of Brit-rock style.

Cali’s personal influences include Queen (for Freddy Mercury’s theatrics) and Interpol, but insists Radiohead is his favourite band.

“[Influences] are different for everyone in the band. I admire anything from somebody who is doing something really good.”

The other members draw from bands such as U2, Pink Floyd and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the sound they create is all their own.

Cali describes the process of creating an album as the hardest work he’s ever done.

“It was definitely an emotional experience, and it took its toll.”

The commute back and forth from London meant the band had to work quickly.

“We would write the song on Friday and then record it on Saturday night,” Cali says. “You feel like you’re in the sea, with no ground underneath you.”

Working without a producer brought its own set of challenges.

“The producer pretty much directs shit ... It was an exercise in compromise ... [you had to] pick your battles.”

Cali emphasizes the importance of choosing what to fight for, knowing when to let things go and how to make sacrifices in order to make it all work.

Looking to the future, the Sea Inside is currently working on a second album. Cali describes the album as an exaggeration of its sound.

“[It will have] the emotional dynamic of bringing people from one state to another ... every part will have profound meaning for being exactly where it is.”

When it comes to creating music, Cali states “[The most important thing to keep in mind is] the relativism and subjectivity of other human beings.” He stresses the importance of staying open to what is going on around you.

“Purity comes from allowing [everything] to become a part of what you’re doing.”

The Sea Inside played at Call the Office this past Saturday. - The Gazette