The Peace Leeches

http://strumminthroughthesmog.blogspot.com/2009/02/peace-leeches-looking-to-suck-goodness.html

My name is Andrew MacLeod and I am a local musician and English student in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Strummin' Through the Smog is both a class project, and an opportunity for me to pursue my own personal pleasures and give them voice here. I'm interested in the music of my surroundings. I realize that Windsor may not jump at you, pronouncing its steadfast position as a musical hot spot, but amidst the smog and thumping bass of Pepper's or Voo Doo, there are still bands, singer/songwriters, and generally good, solid, creative folks, representing the real thing, and doing it well. Throughout the next few months (and likely beyond)I'll be offering up some names and places where some legit music can be experienced, as well as some personal feelings I have about music in Windsor, and what the whole process encompasses from where I sit at any given time. It'd be great if somebody got some value out of what I post on here, but in the true spirit of rock and roll, if you don't like it, I don't give a shit.
The Peace Leeches are among Windsor's most unique and entertaining musical ensembles. http://www.myspace.com/thepeaceleeches> Young and filled with inspiration and hippie sensibilities, The Peace Leeches form a tandem of energy and showman/womanship that this city has rarely seen. There is no cloud big enough to darken a Peace Leech party and watching them perform demands your attention and applause. I would wager that this band sheds more calories per show than any other Windsor group and that is a fitting testament to their over-riding dedication to music and entertainment.
The band is made up of only two members, Ray Stern (Vocals, synth, guitar) and Corey Schatz (guitar, bass and tech wizardry). Their sound is psychedelically influenced and places as much emphasis on complex, technological mastery as live performance. The songwriting is multi-dimensional and leaves much room for interpretation and Schatz simply owns his pedal work. What I mean by this is that I have seen countless guitar players get pedal or tech happy without mastering the craftsmanship that is necessary. As a result, rhythm and melody can get lost in a clutter of noise and the only way to avoid this is in taking hours of tinkering around behind closed doors to make it work. Well done Peace Leeches, you certainly make it work.
I could write all day about their songs and show, but the reality of it all is that The Peace Leeches cannot be fully appreciated until they are seen. On the 21st of this month (February) they are part of a show fittingly tagged "Focus on Stage" taking place at Phog Lounge (157 University West). http://www.myspace.com/phoglounge> I highly recommend taking part in this evening as it is also promoting local rock photographer Ron Marston and his countless years of dedication and amazing work crossing the artistic genres. The night kicks off at 9pm with The Leeches and moves on incrementally louder from there with some heavy rock and roll from Fiftywatthead and the Vultures. This will be a high energy affair, bring your boogie boots and your finest mosh pit attire. - Andrew McLeod

http://washingcjam.blogspot.com/2009/04/peace-leeches.html

The Peace Leeches are a Blenheim band that preform in Windsor quite a bit - played their EP on the show last week, you should listen to them! At the very least, check out their photos because their aesthetic is a huge aspect but even more so are their live shows! Good news as they are playing next Wednesday at Phog. DJ Me (Murad) from Productive Confusion on CJAM will be opening and it will be an electro trance jungle pop dance party! Mark it down on your calendars.

- Murad Erzinclioglu

http://lonelyvagabond.com/wpmu/2009/10/26/the-peace-leeches-rancho-relaxo/

Chatam isn’t exactly known for its 80’s leaning electro pop, but as luck would have it, this duo proves otherwise. Fronted by a stylishly clad vocalist dropping-in from Planet New Wave (or New Rave, take your pick) a combination of synth jams, pounding beats and driving guitars balances the right amount of artsy attitude with dancefloor shaking energy.
- The Lonely Vagabond - Exclaim Magazine

http://www.spurofthemoment.ca/peaceleeches.htm

The Peace Leeches burst onto the scene in 2008 after gaining a spot on the mainstage of the Rockstock festival. They did so by winning a series of battles of the bands, and winning the hearts of many local fans. Sharing the stage with Finger Eleven, Sloan, The Trews, and Thornley....The Peace Leeches set was one of the most talked about of the day. Be it the soaring guitars, the solid beats, or the intensity of the stage show, either way.....the Peace Leeches rocked the crowd and began a streak of key shows over the winter of 2008.

Corey Schatz (guitar, bass, electronics) and Ray Stern (vox, keys, guitar, cymbol) are the duo that makes the big sound, and convinces fans to 'leech on'. After a wildly successful debut EP, fans eagerly awaited a full length releae and packed all of the Leeches shows in anticipation.

ROYGBIV was released June 13, 2009 at a local hall. The Leeches transformed the hall with stage, sound, lights, and 200 screaming, sweaty, body painted fans. - Spur of the Moment Records

When The Peace Leeches first debuted in Windsor last year, people were taken aback. There may not have been a alot of people present, but word spread fast that this new band was going to be a force. Then it turned out that what everyone thought was the newest Windsor band to hit the scene wasn't actually from Windsor - they were from Blenheim. But The Peace Leeches continued to invade Windsor, playing on any and every bill that would take them. This payed off in spades, as their energetic live performances - combining the wildly theatric wild woman showmanship of singer/frontwoman Ray Stern and the guitar prowess of co-conspirator Corey Schatz - captivated the diverse crowds they found themselves in front of. Combining 80s synth sounds with 90s electronic and beyond, their sound is hauntingly familiar but somehow boldly original. They've laid stake in Windsor and created a faithful, loyal and sometimes obsessed fan base in the Rose City, which is why they are having a CD release for their full length debut, ROY G BIV, in Windsor, at the FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside Pogo's), with special guests Time, on June 19th. WAMM recently talked to the two Peace Leeches about their affinity

WAMM: You guys aren't from Windsor but you've been sort of adopted as part of our local scene. Why do you think Windsor has embraced you guys, almost from the get go?

Corey Schatz: I have to keep reminding myself that we actually really aren't a Windsor band... It just feels like we are playing a home gig every time we come here. We are only an hour away but aside from that, the arts scene in Windsor is very eclectic and open minded. We tend to get kinda wild live and most people in Windsor aren't weirded out but actually totally into it.

WAMM: How did you go about capturing your explosive live sounds on CD? That couldn't have been as simple as plugging in a few mics...

Ray Stern: Well that always is a difficult thing to do for a band. Musicians thrive off the live energy of fans, especially when they are going nuts. They only energy in a vocal recording booth is your own so it's up to you to try to recreate that... I really end up getting lost while singing in the moment so hopefully that is felt through the speakers of your stereo.

WAMM: So what's the story of The Peace Leeches? How did this all come together?

We met in high-school through a mutual friend and started talking about music. I noticed a flyer for an open mic gig and knew that [Stern] played piano so I thought I'd ask her to jam. We got four covers and one original that we half-ass made the day before with like no practice. The night we played, the original ended up coming together in an amazing way and we kinda blew ourselves away. From then on we only made originals. Sometimes we play with the idea of doing covers, but for us, it's hard to feel passionately about songs we didn't write.

WAMM: Your sound seems to draw from so many influences, from the 70s to ten minutes ago, and intertwine them seamlessly and effortlessly. Is this a conscious decision or is it just something that happens when the two of you create music?

Stern: It's definitely not a conscious decision. It humors me to think that musicians actually sit down when they make a band and decide what bands or decades they want to sound like. I personally believe in forgetting you influences and just creating what is inside of you. Way too many bands sound the same. Windsor's so good for offering you something you've never heard before. People need to believe in the creativity that naturally lies inside of them, and whether it's really fucked in the head, deep and twisted or totally shallow, go with it... it's your true self and that's what people tend to really feel.

WAMM: Ray, you've become known for your elaborate stage paint and enigmatic live performance. Is a good live performance - a rock and roll show - as important as a good musical performance?

Stern: Haha that's a question I battle with during every show. I'm a performer and a musician but in my heart I've always been a performer before anything. Sometimes when I'm playing live and want to get really crazy it may be at the cost of a wrong note. I've gotten better at balancing the two.

WAMM: What is it about Windsor that keeps bringing The Peace Leeches back so often?

Schatz and Stern: The people. - Jamie Greer - WAMM Magazine