Downfall of Romeo

ROCKED: Downfall of Romeo

By BD Marie Hughes

Originally submitted to TAMBOURINE Magazine www.TambourineMagazine.ca – 2008

January 11.2008

At the end of January, I met with the gifted Downfall of Romeo at Sushi on Bloor for what turned out to be a more than entertaining interview.

Tambourine (“T”): Nice to see you again! (Dave – Vocals, Trip – Bass, Furl - Keys and Andre – Guitar). Happy New Year!

Furl: (drops his chop sticks) Yeah, for sure! Happy New Year to you, too!

Dave: Thanks for seeing us again!

T: So what’s up with you guys for 2008?

Trip: We’ve certainly been busy and getting really hyped about this year. We’re working on re-branding the band and getting a fresh start with some new music while we take the band to the next level.

Dave: It’s been a little tough for us, as it is with any other band, but we’re working hard behind the scenes to deliver a better “Downfall of Romeo” to our fans in 2008.

T: That’s awesome! When you say things like “re-branding” and “delivering a better DoR”, I have to ask if you see your music as a business or an art? Can your music still be an art if you sign to a major label? I mean, some would say your music becomes a business when you’re preparing business plans, press releases and so on. How do you view the record label scene? What do you do on your own terms? What do you describe as a “sell out”? Well, shiiit, if that’s not a loaded question! (everyone laughs) Hit me with it!

Furl: I think it’s important for any band to treat themselves like a business. No matter if you’re a garage band or a pro studio band – you need to take your craft seriously and include a lot of thought and hard work to be able to reap the benefits of it.

Trip: Running a band like a business doesn’t have to be a tiresome thing. It’s just a matter of making a plan for the band to follow from A to Z. It’s still just as fun playing gigs for your friends, but it feels even better when you manage to reel in new fans each time you play, extending your reach.

Dave: I think every band, whether they’re starting out in their parent’s basement or have been in the game a long time, playing great venues, dreams of hitting it big. Signing to a huge record label could definitely have it’s drawbacks but then again, they have their advantages, too. I think if an artist asks questions and understands what the music industry is all about then he’ll stay out of situations where he’ll lose his musical integrity.

Furl: Doing things on our own terms means having control of what we create. Right now we are bound by no one and no guidelines. We wear what we want, express our thoughts the way we want and drink when we want. (laughs) We have complete control right now so why not take advantage.

Andre: I think a “sell out” is someone who allows others to think for them and doesn’t possess a voice of their own. A “sell out” is someone that simply goes with the flow because it’s a lot easier than putting up a fight for what they believe in.

T: What is your view of music and the internet? Promotional tool? A tool to produce music? Retail? Catch 22? (laughs)

Dave: Music and the internet, wow, that’s a good one. I definitely think it’s a great tool to promote your music. The problem that arose early on was that there were tons of illegal downloads. I think right now people are getting sick of searching for a song that doesn’t cut out half way through it, or that has the DJ from the radio station in the middle of the song with a deep voice saying “Ro- Ro- Ro- Rock Radio 88.6 FM”. (laughs) Overall, I think that it’s a great tool and things are only going to get better. It’s given bands more creative ways to get noticed.

T: What about radio play?

Andre: Radio play has been good to Canadian artists over the last several years. They’re pushing more Canadian content on the airwaves and I think it’s awesome. It has become much easier for a band to make an impact. Even the term “radio play” has changed because it doesn’t just mean standard FM radio. There’s satellite and internet radio now, too, which are other avenues bands can use to reach an audience.

T: We’ve talked before, in other interviews, about how you go about writing your music. What’s key for me, as a fan of your music, is that you write about things that are relevant. Has your approach to songwriting changed or varied in any way as DoR has evolved? What makes DoR’s music so relevant? Do you feel you are able to say everything you want to say with your music?

Dave: Our method to songwriting remains the same. They key is not to cage what you’re trying to say. Let it out on paper and it will take it’s own form when you incorporate it with music or vise versa.

Furl: If there is one thing that’s changed it’s that the process of music writing for us is getting easier and more fluid. The better we get to know each other and the more we jam together, it helps stir the creativity and productivity. It’s important to have musicians that “click”.

T: Where in Downfall of Romeo do you feel you take chances?

Furl: The dynamics of our music is where I think we take the most chances. We’ll take a fast beat and break it down half time in a chorus or a bridge. New sounds could also break the mold. A certain sound on the keyboard, for example, may sound like crap by itself but, in the right song, it paints a picture. Wow, that sounds deep. (laughs)

Trip: Variety is another risk for us. We’re trying to make it in an industry that’s already loaded with lots of talented rock musicians. We’re doing our best to balance great rock licks with modern flare.

T: What personality characteristics do each of you contribute to DoR?

Dave: I have to admit that we share a lot of positivity together – which is key for staying together and moving forward as a band. Through our many hardships, and I mean many, there’s always been at least one of us who managed to keep our chins up.

Trip: (laughs) So many times Dave would call me late at night and start complaining about something that just wasn’t going our way. Then I’d figuratively slap him in the face and keep him looking towards the future. And, of course, vice-versa…

Dave: The difference is I kick him in the crotch. (laughs)

Furl: And a sense of humour is another characteristic.

T: You’ve had a few line up changes with your killer drummer, Matt, moving on to other career opportunities, and with Andre looking to phase out due to work and family commitments. How are you dealing with the changes?

Dave: It’s not easy that’s for sure. But like we said, we use each other to lean on. The one thing to remember is that every band out there deals with the bullshit of being in a band. You can’t escape it. Priorities change and people can grow out of being excited about playing music. Once you lose that, you lose everything. One thing we haven’t done is settle for less. We look for experienced musicians that have the same goals as us – someone who speaks the same language as us musically.

T: Toronto is a big city with a musician or band per city block (grins). What’s your take on the Toronto music scene?

Furl: I’m glad to see that there is such a huge diversity of music out there. You won’t get bored with the same old thing. You’ll hear new wave, rock, punk, ska, reggae. It’s great to have that in this city.

Trip: One thing I’ve noticed is that Toronto is a hub for musicians nationally. We’ve had people audition for the band who had recently moved from Ottawa or even as far as Calgary. It’s great to know that Toronto can be called “home” to music.

T: How do you define “success”? Do you need a major label deal to be successful – you know, that achieving quote unquote “fame” needs financial backing? Or can you be successful artists all on your own?

Trip: I think success can be seen as a matter of perspective. My personal definition of success is playing a live show and having everyone in the crowd dancing and singing along. When the crowd moves, I know I’ve done my job well.

Andre: Success is also more about your ongoing achievements. Each time you take your music a step up, you get one more fan into you, you play one more venue. That’s what success is all about.

Dave: Playing for as long as we have, we’ve realized that the dream of hitting it big is not always the meaning of success. Due to our struggles we’ve encountered, we understood that the meaning of success was just to be up there and play. At one time we definitely missed it. In the end, that’s all we want to do – Play.

Refs:

www.myspace.com/DownfallofRomeo

Photographer credit: Elena Vardon