Shark Week
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | SELF
Music
Press
Toronto-based band Shark Week have just announced that they will be releasing a brand new EP, Fire on the Beach, this upcoming spring.
Produced by Swav Pior and Justin Zoltek of illScarlett and mastered by Joåo Carvalho (City & Colour, Lights, Down With Webster), the band had this to say about the project thus far: “We’ve recorded 2 songs with Swav and Justin, and after listening to the results we realized this is the best music we’ve made to date. We want to push on and give fans something they can truly enjoy and something that we can be extremely proud of. Our goal is to record a professional 6-track EP to be released by late spring. We are giving this project everything we’ve got because it has been such a great experience in the studio and these guys know exactly how to treat our sound. We know that this is something we must do to move forward and will be the start of something great for Shark Week.”
Shark Week is currently getting ready for their upcoming ‘Don’t Stop Us Now’ mini-tour, which begins February 21st and will run through March 2nd. Check out their Kickstarter video below! - Anchor Shop
Don’t blame Oshawa’s Shark Week for ‘bummer summer’
OSHAWA -- They’re calling this past season the “bummer summer” because it was cool and grey.
But Shark Week did their part to make it memorable, no matter the weather.
The four-piece Oshawa band mixes rock, rap and reggae and its six-song EP, Fire On the Beach, was partly designed to be the backdrop of relaxing summer fun. Maybe not so relaxing.
“We want people to think, ‘take a load off, have a beer with some friends and don’t stress out so much’,” says lead vocalist Curtis Hayes of the band’s music.
Together almost five years, Shark Week is also Ben Mitchell, lead guitar and vocals, Steve Burrell on bass, keyboards and vocals and drummer Luke Mitchell. All are Durham College graduates.
A former winner of battle of the bands competitions, Shark Week was in a party mood this summer. The EP was produced by illScarlett’s Swav Pior and Justin Zolteck. Hayes says when they were in high school, Shark Week members loved listening to illScartlett, so working with the band members was a dream. Impressed by how many fans Shark Week brought out to a west-end show on its party bus, illScarlett took an interest and it was Pior who urged the band to make an entire EP. He provided a creative backdrop and encouragement to Hayes, who says he was writing lyrics in the studio while they were recording.
“These guys were so talented,” Hayes says, who was amazed that this “very successful” band wanted to help Shark Week make the EP.
“This is a band that goes around the world playing shows.”
The $5,000 price tag to record the EP was a big hurdle, so the band created its own Kickstarter campaign and raised the money in 44 days. Hayes says “the support was unbelievable,” with some people donating $5 and others much more.
Hayes and Shark Weeks’s Mitchell brothers met at Neb’s Fun World. Hayes liked to write lyrics and before long was asked if he could write lyrics for a song. Hayes and the brothers eventually decided to form their own band and make some “summer noise.”
Hayes says each band member has his own specialty. The most outgoing of the bunch, he’s a natural for the frontman role.
“I love connecting with people,” he says.
That’s why he’s excited about the band’s Chazzapaloosa gig. It’s a full-day outdoor concert at Victoria Park in Cobourg on Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a lineup that includes Hello Beautiful, Lil Jaxe and many more performers. It’s described on Facebook as “a family friendly benefit concert dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and our young people.” The impetus for the show was the death by suicide of 12-year-old Chazz Petrella of Cobourg this summer.
“It blows my mind that a 12-year-old kid would even have those thoughts,” Hayes says.
“That’s the kind of stuff I would like our band to be doing, all over the world.”
The EP was launched at Oshawa’s Moustache Club early this summer. Shark Week more recently played some gigs in Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener and London on a mini tour. They also opened for illScarlett in Toronto for the band’s CD release.
Hayes says the band is thinking of future, edgier music they want to do that has more depth.
“It’s nice to know we’re establishing ourselves ... It takes a long time, but I feel like we’re getting there,” he says.
Check out sharkweek.ca and visit the band’s Facebook page at facebook.com/sharkweekca. - metrolandmedia
By: Amanda Hather
This week’s Tuned In Tuesday is brought to you by Ontario hip-hop/rock band, Shark Week. The band is made up of Curtis Haynes (MC), Ben Mitchell (guitars/vocals), Luke Mitchell (drums), and Steve Burrell (bass, vocals). They’ve played shows with Canadian Beats favourites Halfway To Hollywood, as well as several other bands such as I’ve Got Gloria, Walk Off The Earth, and illScarlett. Their latest EP ‘Fire On the Beach’ was released earlier this year in July. They’ve recently added the audio from the track, “Shadows”, to their YouTube account. Be sure to check out this band and keep an eye on them, because this won’t be the last time you hear about them.
Fire On the Beach: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/fire-on-the-beach-ep/id894227328
Shark Week on social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharkweekca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharkweekca
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCffhxjSHQ-pjx0SgiYVOZBA
Website: http://sharkweek.ca/ - Canadian Beats
Discography
Fire On The Beach (July 11th, 2014).
Produced by Swav Pior and Zoltek of illScarlett.
Mastered by Joao Carvalho.
1. Fire On The Beach
2. Tropicali
3. Fly Away
4. Of Kings
5. Shadows
6. Check Me In (feat. Mr. Dreddy)
Ten Seconds To Midnight (2013).
1. Ten Seconds To Midnight
Shut Down (2012).
1. Shut Down
Nobody Famous (2010).
1. Tidal Wave
2. Graffiti
3. Ambulance
4. Make It On Top
5. Extra Lime
6. Of Kings
Photos
Bio
Shark Week is a four-piece alternative hip hop band that has been building a strong fan base in the GTA and Southern Ontario since 2010. Members of the summer party crew include Curtis Hayes, Ben Mitchell, Luke Mitchell, and Kyle Top.
The band gained the attention of fellow Canadian reggae-rockers illScarlett when they supported them at a large club show in the west end of Toronto. They were impressed with the show they put on and the number of fans they brought out on their party buses. Since then, they recorded a brand new 6-track EP produced by Swav Pior of illScarlett and engineered/co-produced by Zoltek. Swav has produced many illScarlett songs and knew how to achieve what Shark Week was looking for in the Fire On The Beach EP.
The band raised the $5000 needed to make the EP through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 44 days. The EP was mastered by Joao Carvalho, who said he definitely wanted to master this project once he heard about it. The EP was released July 11th, 2014 at the sold-out Moustache Club in Oshawa and July 15th, 2014 on iTunes.
The EP charted in the top 100 Rock albums on iTunes in it's first week and was featured by 94.9 The Rock's "Generation Next" and CIUT 89.5 "Unsigned". Fire On The Beach is strong enough to throw it's weight around in the big leagues and with a great show to back it up the band will surely take the adventure to new heights.
Past shows include opening slots for Walk Off The Earth and many with illScarlett, as well as Canada Day festivals, Canadian Music Week (2011, 2015), Indie Week, CNE, Campstock, and all the major clubs in Toronto in both headlining and direct support bills. The guys have embarked on a couple successful week-long mini tours throughout Ontario.
Shark Week is not the same old thing but more like the next big thing as they have a distinct sound and energy. For fans of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sublime, Dirty Heads, illScarlett, Down With Webster and many more.
Band Members
Links
