Thick As Thieves
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Thick As Thieves

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Established on Jan, 2014
Duo Rock Pop

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Music

Press


"The Beechwood Demos - Album Review"

The Toronto / Waterloo based Daybreak Gentlemen take a different approach to their second release The Beachwood Demos. Although the album is still laden with guitar and synth driven rock, it is extremely unpolished – in the best way possible. The low-key recording provides an authenticity and energy present in every song. Standouts “Izzy Strut” and “Dead Teenagers” are toe-tappin’ tracks that highlight the band’s dance-rock style. With The Beachwood Demos, Daybreak Gentlemen resisted the need to spend a lot of time and money to produce a ‘radio-ready’ album – and it definitely paid off.

Download The Beachwood Demos for free: daybreakgentlemen.bandcamp.com - University Press


"Daybreak Gentlemen at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern"

Daybreak Gentlemen was next on the bill.Never at a loss for words our movie critic John Dash had this to say "Daybreak Gentlemen channeled everything from the English Beat to the UK Romantic era with infectious lyrics and catchy riffs in a set that energized the Horseshoe Tavern faithful." A mix of Arctic Monkeys with a touch of The Killers and a bit of The Strokes. This band had a large audience watching their set and they were no doubt delivering the goods. - T-MAK WORLD.com


"Reviewed - Daybreak Gentlemen EP"

For my monthly installment of music reviews I was sorting through music to share with you and came across a band called “Entrails”. This seemed kind of fascinating, but I figured you didn’t want my take on European death metal, so I figured I would review some local fellas that really deserve it.

Now, switching from listening to Headless Dawn to the DayBreak Gentleman was a stretch, and it opened my mind a little more to other forms of less dark, in your face music. DBG band (as I will henceforth call them) have put out a nice little EP here, and it is definitely worth a listen. Mixing what I would dub “British”-sounding pop, with some pretty well done track layout make these guys pretty cool. I really enjoyed “Metropolitan Hopes and Dreams”. The synth, while not my favorite instrument, sounds good on this track. This to me is music that I can listen to without having to get too involved. This is by no means a criticism; I love music that I don’t have to focus on if I don’t want to. This sounds convoluted, so here is in better terms; DBG band is cool without trying too hard, and I dig their groove. They are not in your face, and sometimes that is a good thing!

7.5/10 - Velvet Rope Magazine


"Daybreak Gentlemen - Emerging Artist Spotlight"

Daybreak Gentlemen - Emerging Artist Spotlight
October 8 2012 – Very few things are as exciting as finding something new you love. Much like archeologists that dig to find hidden treasures, we here at T-Mak World really enjoy trying to find new bands that we love. Once we find such bands, we approach our favourites to request interviews for our Emerging Artist Spotlight series. Today we set our focus on a band from Waterloo named Daybreak Gentlemen. All bands we talked to are asked similar questions to each other so we can get to know them better.

 Here is what they had to say to us:


1.   Hey Daybreak Gentlemen, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Let’s start off with the obligatory introductions. Who’s in the band and what instrument does everyone rock?

Daybreak Gentlemen: Zack Niven – Vocals & Bass, Bingo Pajama – Keys, Bass & Vocals, Josh Niven – Guitar, Ryan Fyfe – Guitar, Ryan Salvatore – Drums


2.      How about the history of the band, when did you get started and how did it happen?

Daybreak Gentlemen: The group collectively known as Daybreak Gentlemen was born in the back of a dimly lit pub on a terribly cold & stormy winter night. After copious amounts of alcohol and one cigarette too many, Zack Niven & childhood friend Ryan “Atruro Fizerelli” Fyfe decided it was finally time to have a go of it, and after years of trepidation they would form a band! In addition to them the line-up would consist of Josh Niven, Ryan Salvatore, and their estranged friend Bingo Pyjama. Bingo, Josh, & Zack had played together for years but never really had the nerve to get any project off the ground. Meanwhile, the proverbial brothers Ryan, young and rising stars in their own right, had grown eager for the stage despite never played in a group of any kind. After weeks of debate the five young men would join together under the title “Daybreak Gentlemen”, a moniker that would serve their young lust and ambition well. Many a night were spent revelling over a large glass of scotch, a couple of beers, fine young women...and oh yes, making joyous music too!

3.      Who are some of your musical influences?

Daybreak Gentlemen: We all draw from many different musical areas for inspiration; too many to mention in one interview! For the most part we have a lot of common ground in our love for The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys but each member brings their own special influences to the group.


4.      So based on the above how would you describe your music to someone that has never heard it?

Daybreak Gentlemen: We strive to produce a neon garage sound, which as you can imagine is difficult to quantify, but impossible to resist. Our mission is to bring you nostalgia from events that you never really experienced. To understand our sound, just picture the scenes from all of your favourite movies in the form of enthusiastic, angular indie music. This energetic offering has gained us a growing reputation as an amazing party band.??

5.      Why should a music fan come and see your show instead of all the other choices available to them on any given night?

Daybreak Gentlemen: That is a fantastic question – to which we have no answer! Honestly there are a million options out there, but if you’re hankering for feelings of nostalgia and want to get a taste of neon garage, then come on out!

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6.      What is your favorite single line of lyrics the band has written and why?

Daybreak Gentlemen: We have a tie between the following lines:
"Who's the one having more fun; the doe eyed blonde or the pensive one?" and
"Honey, everyone I know is just dead teenagers."
We love both of these lines. They really give you something to think about, then again maybe they don’t.

7.      What does the rest of 2012 and 2013 hold for you?

Daybreak Gentlemen: For the fall of 2012, we will continue to play shows in both Kitchener & Toronto while developing our live performance. We then have plans to head into the studio in early 2013 to record our first full length album for a spring/summer release and tour!

8.      Imagine that you were asked to be the opener for any band’s world tour (both current and historical). Which band and tour would be your dream opening gig.  

Daybreak Gentlemen: Our current band of choice would have to be The Strokes, but the historical band to open for would be Fredrick Chopin, because we would steal all of his fans!

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9.      What is the future of the music industry? With the concept of the album and physical CD’s facing extinction, how will we be consuming music in 10 years? Are the economics feasible for emerging artists?

Daybreak Gentlemen: The internet presents both a bl - T-MAK WORLD.com


"Indie on Indie March 2013"

Short and to the point, and sounding like a long lost Strokes or Libertines demo, Daybreak Gentlemen's song "Belles" intros a band that has great indie pop sensibilities. Having never heard the band, I'm just going in what i hear. Guitar, bass and drums seem to make up the lineup with a sporadic synth pooping its head up now and again. Their Soundcloud page says that they were trying to write an amazing pop song, and I feel they are on the right track!

The synth that opens the song is perfect and sets a nice tone. The verse and chorus are melodically strong and the hooks work really well. Nice low verse with half shouted/sung chorus. A fantastic Julian Casablancas style voice doesn't hurt either! The guitar sound is particularly nice. Sounds a Telecaster or Strat into a Fender amp of some sort and it is the perfect. Albert Hammond Jr. would be proud! And possibly the best part of the song is that nothing is overblown. Everything is concise, and to the point. No indulgence into anything excessive, the song is stripped down into its basic elements and it suits the band well! They play exactly what's need instead of over playing! - Indie On Indie


"The Beechwood Demos - Album Review"

The Toronto / Waterloo based Daybreak Gentlemen take a different approach to their second release The Beachwood Demos. Although the album is still laden with guitar and synth driven rock, it is extremely unpolished – in the best way possible. The low-key recording provides an authenticity and energy present in every song. Standouts “Izzy Strut” and “Dead Teenagers” are toe-tappin’ tracks that highlight the band’s dance-rock style. With The Beachwood Demos, Daybreak Gentlemen resisted the need to spend a lot of time and money to produce a ‘radio-ready’ album – and it definitely paid off.

Download The Beachwood Demos for free: daybreakgentlemen.bandcamp.com - University Press


"Daybreak Gentlemen - New Album Beechwood Demos"

Daybreak Gentlemen's Beechwood Demos is a raw and swaggering document of a band on the cusp of a breakthrough. The gritty, crooning vocals of Bingo Pyjama and Zack Niven can be forgiven for their overt Strokes-isms if only because of their unblinking, preening rock n roll salesmanship and charming, wasted romanticism. Indeed, the record owns more than a whiff of nostalgia for the early 2000's leather-jacket rock renaissance, but with songs as catchy and melodic as the soaring "Metropolitan Hopes & Dreams" and the weary indictment of "Dead Teenagers", the Gentlemen prove themselves no pretenders. The warts-and-all basement recording serves the band well, capturing their exciting, unhinged live energy probably better than any proper studio recording ever will. Luckily, with songs this good, and chemistry this obvious, the Daybreak Gentlemen should have no problem making lively, timeless, ass-shake rock n roll where ever they choose to plug in and turn up.

Patrick Finch - NIghtlife Magazine - NIghtlife Magazine - Patrick Finch


"The Beechwood Demos - Album Review"

Raw like it was recorded in a friend’s garage on a long weekend, The Beechwood Demos offers a glimpse of the potential that could be found within the Daybreak Gentlemen. It’s almost a tease of what they could be, like we’re forced to spy through the keyhole while the Gentlemen are having a jam session on the other side of the door.

One thing you’ll notice as soon as the first song starts to play is the Gentlemen’s similarity in sound to The Strokes – singing that is often low in register and monotone; guitars that are scratchy and at the forefront; drumming that is quick-paced with a lot of cymbals. Given the proven success of this kind of sound, this is a good thing. The music is catchy, light and fun.

It’s admirable for an indie band to just enjoy the moment and record a few sessions – play some good music, get it down and get it out. Overall, you can definitely detect the greatness within the songs; the only thing is it’s hiding within the rawness at this point. If you were to listen to the Gentlemen’s self-titled EP released in February 2012, you would get a better sense of how they would sound on a studio album. The music from their first album is more balanced and polished. However, there is one song that stood out for me from Demos that I could definitely see getting some radio play: offering twangy, raw guitar and a vocal line that bounces with the flow of the instrumentals, Belles is a song that can easily get stuck in your head, and in a good way.

Recommended Listening – Track 4: Belles Has a really strong Strokes vibe, probably the most radio ready, the raw guitar with no effects works well on this song 8/10 - The Scene Magazine


"The Beechwood Demos Release"

Over the last eight months as a band we have endeavored to write the “perfect pop song”. Throughout this process we found that the quest to write a seamlessly perfect song left us constantly in a state of “tweaking” & “modifying” riffs, melodies, & structures. Often our writing sessions would end in frustration and malcontent with what had been produced. In trying to create the crystal clear “rocket” single that is modern pop, we found our songs began to lack the feel and flavour that made them exciting to us in the first place.

The Beechwood demos are just as the name implies… they are “demos”. No polish, no shine, just a band working together, playing on emotion & energy.

In the end we resisted the need to spend a lot of money & time on a “radio ready” work. We decided instead to just play…. and enjoy whatever came out. - Daybreak Gentlemen


"Top 10 KW Artists of 2012"

With 2013 in full force, I decided to count down the top 10 Kitchener-Waterloo artists of 2012 that I’ve featured this semester on As Big As Something Small. Below you can see my picks and I highly recommend you check out ALL of these phenomenal bands!

To end of the packed hour I featured juno-nominated musician Danny Michel. Not only is he a David Suzuki approved green strummer, but he founded the DM Ocean Academy fund to provide scholarship money for students of the Caye Culker Ocean Academy (off the coast of Belize). Talk about good things coming out of Waterloo!

Top 10 KW Artists of 2012:
10. Brendan J Stephens
9. Jesse Maranger
8. Jack McNairn
7. The Blackwood Two
6. Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs
5. Love Banshee
4. Daybreak Gentlemen
3. From East to Exit
2. Will Currie & the Country French
1. Teen Violence - Radio Laurier


"Top 10 KW Artists of 2012"

ith 2013 in full force, I decided to count down the top 10 Kitchener-Waterloo artists of 2012 that I’ve featured this semester on As Big As Something Small. Below you can see my picks and I highly recommend you check out ALL of these phenomenal bands!

To end of the packed hour I featured juno-nominated musician Danny Michel. Not only is he a David Suzuki approved green strummer, but he founded the DM Ocean Academy fund to provide scholarship money for students of the Caye Culker Ocean Academy (off the coast of Belize). Talk about good things coming out of Waterloo!

Top 10 KW Artists of 2012:
10. Brendan J Stephens
9. Jesse Maranger
8. Jack McNairn
7. The Blackwood Two
6. Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs
5. Love Banshee
4. Daybreak Gentlemen
3. From East to Exit
2. Will Currie & the Country French
1. Teen Violence - Radio Laurier


"I On Music TV Interview"

TV Interview with Carie Humpheries - aired week of Feb 13 & Feb 20. - Rogers Television


"102.1 The Edge Indie Online Video Interview"

Interview with Raina from 102.1 the Edge Toronto - 102.1 The Edge


"Daybreak Gentlemen Make em Dance, Find Success"

May 24th Nightlife Section of the KW Record - KW Record


"Introducing Daybreak Gentlemen"

Feature spotlight article on the Supernova Indie music website. - Supernova


"102.1 The Edge Indie Online Staff Favourites"

Latest favorite up and coming indie band by Toronto's 102.1 the Edge.
(Month of November) - 102.1 The Edge


"Waterloo’s Daybreak Gentlemen on the rise"

By Jason Schneider, For NightLife

November 2, 2011

Although Daybreak Gentlemen only formed late in 2010, if you’re a discerning music fan it
might be in your best interest to catch them now in small local clubs before their infectious songs
take them to larger stages. Not to put too much pressure on the five Waterloo lads, but based on
their handful of demos that evoke the pop smarts and lyrical ingenuity of bands like the Strokes
and Arctic Monkeys, there appears to be unlimited potential in their approach.

It’s a sound that Daybreak Gentlemen guitarist Josh Niven says he and his brother Zack — the
band’s bassist/vocalist — have been honing for almost a decade with their enigmatic keyboard
playing associate known as Bingo Pyjama. Josh takes up the story by saying, “All of us have
worked on projects with each other but for one reason or another we were never able to get
anything out of the basement.

“Collectively, Daybreak Gentlemen was formed in November of 2010 at the back of a pub one
night by (guitarist) Ryan Fyfe and Zack. Around that time we brought in an up and coming
drummer (Ryan Salvatore) who really fit the sound and when Bingo returned from Europe the
current line up was complete.”

The band quickly got enough songs together for an EP, which Josh says is in the mixing stage
at the moment. But the lack of an official release hasn’t prevented them from receiving lots of
positive encouragement from the demos they’ve posted online, like the definitely Strokes-ish
Write This All Down, with its spidery twin guitar lines and Zack’s deep croon.

“The response has been more than flattering,” Josh admits. “That’s not to say there hasn’t been
any critique. Our stage shows, for example, would not have improved if it wasn’t for the brutal

honesty of our close friends. We are grateful for that. In the end, we care most about the songs
though, and we’re happy with the feedback we have been getting. After a show, if we hear a
stranger whistling one of our chorus lines or humming a riff that’s the best way to tell if our
songs are working.”

It’s all helped to prepare them to hit the recording studio, an experience that Josh describes
as “an eye-opener.” He adds, “We have learned so much, not just about production, but about
arranging too. We spent a great deal of time looking for a producer that understood what we
were going for. Luckily we were put in contact with Alex Bonenfant from Tiny Apples Studio in
Toronto. He was excited about our stuff and offered his ‘mid-fi’ recording philosophy, which is
basically capturing the best possible quality sound but making sure it still has its tie loosened.”

That seems to be an apt assessment of Daybreak Gentlemen’s progress for now, but Josh says
that band is consistently evolving with each gig. Getting to know each other’s strengths as
musicians is part of the process, something he hopes will continue for the foreseeable future. “It
seems like we are in a transitory period with our writing. The majority of our songs were written
over half a year ago, with one of us bringing a fully completed song for the others to learn.

“We’re now taking a more inclusive and involved approach, which we feel creates a stronger end
result. Sometimes it’s hard though and we can’t stand to be in the same room together. In those
cases its best to just take a smoke break and have a laugh.” - The KW Record


Discography

Jan 2015 - Thick As Thieves 
Colours
Cut Her Teeth
Digital Glow
Double Walker
Evlyn Glass
Hangover
I Am The Wolf
Liquid Courage
Move You
Sibling Rivalry
Starsailor 
Swimming Close
Twenty Something Teen
You Don't Get Out Much  

Feb 2013 - The Beechwood Demos
Dead Teenagers
Metropolitan Hopes & Dreams
She Came to Stay
Belles
Izzy Strut

Feb 2012 - Daybreak EP
In Some Ways
Metropolitan Hopes & Dreams
Write This All Down

Photos

Bio

Thick As Thieves are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2014 from Toronto, Canada. The brainchild of brothers Josh and Zack Niven, Thick As Thieves arose from former Toronto indie rock band Daybreak Gentlemen. 

The brothers achieved much success in the Toronto indie scene - showcasing at NXNE, Canadian Music Week, garnishing radio play on 102.1 The Edge, and support from FACTOR for the recording of new material. 

After nearly eight months of writing and mixing, Thick As Thieves (TAT) are set to release their debut single and EP - showcasing a variety of synthesized pop tones and true to form indie rock guitar work. Written with live performance in mind, Thick As Thieves have created a completely unique approach in taking their music to the stage - combining the tweaking and modulating practices of world class DJs/EDM musicians with the live pageantry of a rock show. Through the use of programming and a unique stage setup, the Niven brothers have created an inspiring take on live performance.

Band Members