The Februarys
June 24th, 2009 - Written by melissa
The Februarys have just completed a seven week cross Canada tour alongside Ten Second Epic and The New Cities. Although these British Columbia natives have been together for over 3 years now, they have just begun making a name for themselves out of B.C. The band has recently completed their first full-length studio album with Wind-Up records which is set to hit stores this summer and their first single, ‘Elementary Song’, has just hit rock radio stations across the country.
After going to 5 dates on the ‘Welcome to Your Hometown’ tour I became very familiar with the bands’ music. When I first heard them play in Ottawa I immediately noticed the chemistry between the members as well as their excellent stage presence. Not to mention that I fell in love with their sound and their lead vocalists’ unique voice.
When the tour stopped in Montreal on May 13th to play at the Just for Laughs Theater, I had the pleasure of sitting down with front man Lucas Lawrence. We went around the block to sit in their van where I got the chance to meet their tour-mascot and find out a little bit more about a band that’s going to be huge very soon.
CONFRONT: So, how’s your tour been going so far!?
LUCAS: How’s the tour been going so far…? Hmmm *pause* I’m trying to think of the perfect word- It’s been an adventure every single night. I mean, especially with these two bands because they’re such great guys that every night is a new story.
CONFRONT: Oh, well that’s good! Do you guys have any crazy experiences so far?
LUCAS: Well you know… Being in Quebec for the first time, that’s huge.
CONFRONT: Yeah that’s true; it’s your first time here!
LUCAS: We don’t know any French at all! And you know, people speaking to you… It’s the first time in my life where someone spoke to my face and I just don’t know what they’re saying. That, or… We actually saw- this is kind of crazy I guess! We saw a fake T-Rex tied down to a huge trailer, driving down the road!
CONFRONT: …Really?! Where was this?
LUCAS: Like 5 hours from here, in Montreal… just outside of Quebec City.
CONFRONT: That’s pretty cool!
LUCAS: It was weird. It was like- someone has to have a good sense of humor or is not right up there. It was awesome!
CONFRONT: *laughs* Do you guys have a favorite place to play so far?
LUCAS: To play… Well there’s a place in Vancouver that we love to play called the Media Club. It’s because it’s home. Of these shows on this tour, Quebec City was awesome! I’m assuming tonight’s going to be the best show though. Tonight’s going to be insane!
CONFRONT: I hope so! So I mean, especially here in Montreal you guys are still pretty small
LUCAS: For sure
CONFRONT: Do you just want to tell me how you guys met/got together as a band?
LUCAS: Of course! I met Matt in high school- Matt our guitar player; Matthew Gibson I should say- and we kind of bonded on the mutual love of things like Adam Sandler and Radiohead, you know, typical high school stuff, and [Matt] Bender was a little older than us, he was like friends with our sisters, and we knew of him- he was in this cool band, kind of like a legend. So when we actually finally got together with him it was a few years after we’d started. He’d been in a band with me for a while but basically we just wanted to make music that we loved so we would get together and jam in the basement for a couple years until one day we decided I’d quit my other band and so would Bender and we just went for it. Brodie, we found him… This band ‘Textbook Tragedy’ a band from our hometown, they threw us Brodie. We needed a bass player and they said ‘this guy’s awesome’. But mainly, for us it’s been all about recording albums and touring, just nonstop. No matter if we had to work jobs or just whatever we had to do to make it work we’ve always done it!
CONFRONT: How long have you guys been together?
LUCAS: About five years, without Matt- but as the band line-up now, about three years
CONFRONT: Three, that’s good! When did you guys sign with Wind-Up records?
LUCAS: Wind-Up records… It’s been about a year now!
CONFRONT: How did that happen?
LUCAS: You know, ironically, Myspace. One of the A & R guys was searching through Myspace and heard our song and decided that that was enough to check us out. He saw us live and that was that!
CONFRONT: That’s wicked
LUCAS: Oh, it was awesome. I will never make fun of Myspace again. Ever!
CONFRONT: Yeah! That place is like… I dunno, it’s amazing
LUCAS: It’s a hotspot for sure, yeah! I’ve definitely made fun of Myspace before, but never again.
CONFRONT: Yeah! So… you guys just completed an album not that long ago, a couple months ago. What’s the name of it?
LUCAS: The album is called ‘We’ll Find Our Own Way Home’ and the title comes from a line in one of the song, a song called ‘Rock N’ Roll’s Enemy’… Which you’ll see! We’ve got stickers and shirts which all say that on it: ‘I am Rock N’ Roll’s Enemy’… and in the song it says ‘We’ll find our own way home’ which kind of sums up what this album is for us. Through- well, we’ve been to Nashville, we’ve been to New York and we recorded in Vancouver in studios, working very hard with producers… One of the guys’ names was Nick Raskulinecz, he did Foo Fighters ‘In Your Honor’- the double disk. He was awesome! He was in Nashville. And we were in Times Square recording when Obama was elected, so we got to see that and party in Times Square. So all that is summed up in this neat little package of like 12-13 songs. I’m not sure how many it’s going to be yet. So yeah-
*Matt Gibson, the guitar player walks by the van, pops his head in*
MATT: Hello!
CONFRONT: *laughs* Hi!
LUCAS: It’s us! It’s us and our album. It’s 100% us. So we’re just kind of hoping that people are going to get that.
CONFRONT: So we were talking about how you’ve been in the band in general for 5 years and all together for 3 years, what’s been the biggest lesson in all of it?
LUCAS: Well…- Oh man, that’s a good question, really good question I’m glad you asked that! One thing I think we’ve all learned is kind of like the title of our album, We’ll Find Our Own Way Home, we have realized that if you want something you have to do it yourself. In the end it was all about not giving up, about staying together as friends before you’re even a band. That’s why so many bands don’t even leave their city or end up making an album, because their egos get the best of them. So it’s really about sticking together as a group before you even think about doing other stuff.
CONFRONT: Definitely
LUCAS: And I think that’s a big reason why Ten Second Epic and a band like The New Cities too are so good. You can just tell they’re friends first. So I hope that answers your question! *laughs*
CONFRONT: Oh definitely! I was checking you guys out online, and I have to mention- on your sticker… I got one at the other show. It says: www.thefebs.com.
LUCAS: It just goes to myspace?
CONFRONT: It doesn’t! It’s this really weird search engine website
LUCAS: What!?!?!?!
CONFRONT: Yeah! I don’t know what it is, I was checking it out and I was like is it thefebs.com…? thefebruarys.com…?
LUCAS: Let’s check it out! That’s weird it should be thefebs.com. Let’s check it out right now…
*Lucas pulls out his IPhone and goes online to see*
LUCAS: Anyways… Sorry- continue!
CONFRONT: No don’t worry about it!
LUCAS: Oh you’re right! Oh no wait… There’s a WIFI thing… I accept these terms and conditions! Log me in baby! Umm… that sucks. Anyway.
CONFRONT: So yeah, what I was going to say for that question… You guys have myspace, you have Twitter… How is that important to keep in touch with fans?
LUCAS: You know, Twitter I just started using and Facebook I’m very new to also. Even myspace really, but that’s a little older… I think they’re important because they’re such an important tool. You can’t ignore it either because everyone’s Twittering, and all the other bands are doing it and people are wondering ‘Oh how come they’re not?’ So we figured we might as well. The great thing about it is that I think if I was a fan of the band, or even when I used to be a fan of bands if we had these things I would have gone crazy over them.
CONFRONT: Oh yeah for sure!
LUCAS: Like if I could have read what MXPX or No Use For a Name or any of those older punk bands I used to love… If I could have read what they were up to all the time, I would have loved that! So I think everyone recognizes that. And even if it’s ‘Oh… that’s lame’ I don’t think anyone cares. People seem to be enjoying it. It’s fun to see all the replies you get on Twitter too from Fans. When we said ‘We’re going to Montreal! We want to eat some Montreal smoked meat!’ Everyone was like: Oh you have to go to Schwartz!
CONFRONT: Did you guys have some poutine?
LUCAS: Oh we sure did!
CONFRONT: Did you like it?!
LUCAS: Oh you know what, I had it once before when I was in Quebec…. But this time it was a lot better.
CONFRONT: It depends where you get it!
LUCAS: You know Ashton’s?
CONFRONT: Not even! I’m supposed to be from Montreal and I don’t know these places…
LUCAS: It’s not in Montreal, it’s in Quebec City, and It was good! It was a little bit too much though, but it was good. I love poutine…
CONFRONT: *laughs* I was on your myspace and you guys have a video blog from I guess this tour? I really have to ask because it really got my attention- you guys have a ‘Tour Goblin’ that runs through the video…
LUCAS: *points to goblin mask hanging on the seat in front of him*
CONFRONT: Oh so you guys… Wait, WHO is Tour Goblin?!
LUCAS: Tour Goblin… actually might make an appearance tonight.
CONFRONT: Oh yeah?!
LUCAS: He’s… he’s tour goblin. You weren’t supposed to see this, but it’s definitely our bass player Brodie. It’s not even supposed to be a secret- he wears a Canucks jersey and he torments the fans of other teams… The problem is the Canucks are now out so… The last three nights we’ve been too timid to bust him out.
CONFRONT: But you’ll do it tonight
LUCAS: Tonight, oh definitely! He’s never going away. He’s going to be one of our stable things to torment the fans with.
CONFRONT: I’m glad to hear that *laughs* Because I was looking at it and I was like WHO is that?! But I’m glad to hear it.
LUCAS: It would great if it really was just a real guy…
CONFRONT: Just sitting in your back seat…
LUCAS: Creepy… *laughs* No that’s really creepy…
CONFRONT: *laughs* So what music are you listening to these days that you think everyone else should be listening to?
LUCAS: Well if you’re not listening to the Kings of Leon records, any of them, but mainly obviously the newer one, if you’re not listening to that yet. It’s a must.
CONFRONT: Do you guys have a… tour play list or anything like that?
LUCAS: You know we just kind of listen to whatever. A couple days ago we were listening to Bob Marley. Well everyone listens to different music. Brodie listens to Paramore
CONFRONT: *laughs*
LUCAS: Right now we’re all loving, and I think we’ve always all loved Ryan Adams… and also Wilco, recently we’ve been listening to a lot of that. And I really think that the new Ray Lamontagne record- do you know that one?
CONFRONT: Yeah!
LUCAS: That’s a really good one as well. He’s got such a cool voice
CONFRONT: Oh definitely
LUCAS: So that’s mainly it right now. But we’re also always listening to the Velvet Underground, the Beatles, stuff like that. So you know. We try and be cool
CONFRONT: *laughs* If you guys could make your dream tour up, who would you tour with?
LUCAS: I think it would vary for each member… I know Matt Gibson our guitar player would love to tour with Matthew Good because he is his all time favorite
CONFRONT: My friend is a really big fan of him!
LUCAS: I definitely would like to open for the Kings of Leon. Brodie would want to tour with Paramore because he loves Hayley Williams
CONFRONT: Is he going to go to the show on the No Doubt tour?
LUCAS: I don’t know if we’re actually home for it! I don’t know…
CONFRONT: Aww
LUCAS: And I think Bender would say something ridiculous like Daft Punk or something. So I wouldn’t even include him. Definitely Kings of Leon would be awesome, Jimmy Eat World. I love Jimmy Eat World.
CONFRONT: Amazing band
LUCAS: Death Cab for Cutie would be cool to tour with
CONFRONT: For sure
LUCAS: I don’t know if they all fit together, but…
CONFRONT: No it would still be a good tour though! So how would you describe your life on the road, on tour?
LUCAS: Oh man, it’s hectic. Hectic is the word. Every day is different right. Some days you feel great right- everyone is in a great mood and you drive… Some days everyone is hung over and angry. Some days go by like THAT because you’re doing so much. Like for us we get up in the morning and sometimes drive from like… Well one night we drove from Colona to Edmonton, which is a 12 hour drive. We left right after the show around 12… and we got there at like 12 and we got to a radio station and played for them and then we ate and went to play a show. But I can’t complain. None of us can complain because it’s what we’ve always wanted to do!
CONFRONT: You must love it!
LUCAS: Oh definitely. It’s like a road trip but with lots of partying and music. And that’s what we love.
CONFRONT: And when you guys originally started the band, who were your musical influences?
LUCAS: For sure Matt Good was a big part of it. We’ve always been like the actual writing style, maybe not the genre but the writing style of the Beatles and the Stones. They were big for us. I loved Dashboard Confessional when I was younger. I still actually kinda like it. I think a big influence for us too originally for us was Weezer. And they’re still so cool!
CONFRONT: Oh for sure. So the last 5 questions we ask each band that we interview at Confront. The first is… what were your first and last albums purchased?
LUCAS: My first ever?
CONFRONT: Ever
LUCAS: That’s funny because you already mentioned it… No Doubt! Tragic Kingdom. Tragic Kingdom was the first record I ever bought. Before that I just stole my older sister’s… The last record that I purchased… This is hard because I do it online now… lemme think, lemme think… I think the last one I bought online is a Neil Young record I didn’t have
CONFRONT: Oh yeah?
LUCAS: Yup! It was a Neil Young record called Trans. And if you’re a Neil Young fan I would suggest don’t get it!
CONFRONT: Aww! That sucks.
LUCAS: It was one of my missing pieces of the puzzle for him. Legend. He’s a rock God.
CONFRONT: What were your first and last concerts attended? Besides your own.
LUCAS: My first concert ever was a Christian-Ska band called the OC Supertones. Yeah. Maybe not my proudest moment… And the last concert I went to was the Gaslight Anthem
CONFRONT: Haven’t heard of them!
LUCAS: Oh you should DEFINITELY check them out. That’s… Ok you know what? Back to that question that you asked about which artists you should listen to? Gaslight Anthem. They’re like punk-rock Bruce Springsteen.
CONFRONT: Oh cool!
LUCAS: Well like pop-punk Bruce Springsteen
CONFRONT: Finish the sentence I have never…?
LUCAS: I have never regretted getting in a van and crossing the country
CONFRONT: And I would never…?
LUCAS: I would never stop doing this
CONFRONT: That’s awesome!
LUCAS: Well our… merch guy’s kind of feeling it. It’s the only tour he’s ever going to do because he’s moving to Japan
CONFRONT: Aww!
LUCAS: He’s like ‘It’s just so crazy I can’t handle it!’ and I’m like… this is what it is! I don’t know what to do for ya! *laughs*
CONFRONT: And the last question… In 5, 10 years from now where do you see yourself personally or the band or just in general?
LUCAS: I hope still making music. I hope. I really do. I hope making money… That would be nice. So that we don’t have to work day jobs… ever again. And hopefully happy doing it, hopefully not jaded. It seems like that happens, and it’s really sad when it happens. So hopefully happy and still doing what we’re doing now. But on a larger scale!
CONFRONT: Yeah. Well thank you! Thanks very much for your time!
LUCAS: My pleasure!
If you ever have the opportunity to see The Februarys live I strongly suggest you do. Throughout the 5 dates that I went to I was consistently impressed with their performance and the energy they had on stage. There’s no doubt in my mind that this band has the potential to be very famous one day, so keep your eyes open for them!
Also, don’t forget to get your own copy of ‘We’ll Find Our Own Way Home’ when it comes out and to request ‘Elementary Song’ on your local rock radio station. For more information on the band, on their album, or to find out where you can request their single check them out at:
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