Ok, so you’re about to release your EP The Boy Who Sat On Ocean Floors very shortly… I myself am eager to hear it. What has you guys most excited in releasing these songs?
(Michael) Well, there’s a lot to be excited about! We’re excited for people to hear the album that we’ve put so much time, money and effort into. We’ve been perfecting these songs for many years now – many of them were in their beginnings before Light Company was even a band.
We’re also really excited to be able to say ‘Hey, this is our EP – this is what we sound like.’ For the first two years all we had were live videos and really terrible basement recordings to represent our material. Now that we’ve finally put a proper EP together we have something to be proud of when we’re sharing it with our fans, friends and family.
When I was at one of your recent shows, it had been a while since I’d been around post-rock music; I had forgotten the power it holds. All music has power, but there’s a particular strength in this style. What drew you to play this kind of music?
(Michael) Post-rock changed our lives. And yes, you’re absolutely right – it has a power that’s so immense compared to other genres. The songs are a journey; they have a beginning, middle and end, much like a story – and we write around that structure. A lot of our music is inspired by literature and the best way we can express that is through post-rock. A song can be completely still one second and then all of the sudden dissipate into absolute chaos. So it allows us to put all of our energy into our stage performances – we’d never want to be caught standing still for an entire set.
(Lukas) Personally, my taste in music gravitates toward the aggressive & abrasive. That being said, my musical training was entirely classical. So post-rock serves as a perfect median between the two worlds – it allows me to explore everything I love and know about music.
I love how you say the music is inspired so much by literature – words, which most people wouldn’t link to this style of music. It just shows how connected art & emotion are. Are there particular challenges in being an up & coming post-rock band, or do you think it’s the same challenges for any band despite their genre?
(Michael) Wow, good question! I think every up & coming band has its challenges, but I do believe that post-rock bands have quite a hill to climb. Being a genre not generally including lyrics or vocals – it’s hard to forge a connection with an audience accustomed to singing along to their favourite songs. That being said, we include vocals in our music for that very reason. No disrespect intended, but a lot of our favourite post-rock bands have released 3 records yet still only manage to attract a crowd of 20 people at some gigs, so we’d like to bring post-rock to a larger audience by combining elements of the many genres that inspire us. We hope to do that.
What do you think are the factors that made more well-known post-rock bands (like Explosions in the Sky) able to break thru to those larger audiences? What do you think those bands possessed that took them over that line – was it luck or was it something else?
(Michael) Another amazing question…I think in the case of Explosions in the Sky, they can be considered pioneers of the genre, so I believe they were successful because people hadn’t heard such a sound before. Obviously luck has a lot to do with it, but you can’t discredit the fact that they are genuine, honest musicians & people – we learn a lot from them.
Besides literature, what other influences do you have (musically or otherwise) that your fans might be surprised by?
(Lukas) Metal, specifically hardcore. Our music may not reflect that directly, but bands like Every Time I Die, The Chariot and Pianos Become the Teeth inspire me to pick up the guitar and write in the first place.
(Michael) Being in four different cities also lends itself to our diverse inspiration… Montreal, Toronto, Peterborough and Ennismore each have their own aura & personality, and we feed off of that directly. Each city brings a different energy, and we combine those as best as we can.
What do you think is the key to building up a fanbase & capturing people’s interest in a time where we have so much to sift thru and so many distractions?
(Michael) Honestly, I think the key is just being genuine and never giving up, as cliché as it sounds. We try and be the best people we can be day to day, and we hope that our music reflects that. Of course you have to be on top of every social media platform that exists, but like you said that can get overwhelming and distracting. Music means the world to us. We appreciate everyone who cares about us, and we’re willing to dedicate our lives to this. Being a post-rock/alternative band, we understand the hill that we have to climb.
I think that’s a really great answer, because often it’s the simple things that get overlooked, but actually go the furthest. So last question – what is the best thing about being a musician?
(Lukas) I get to hang out with my best friends, travel the country, meet other wonderful musicians, play in front of crowds who groove to what I do – and I get to call that a job!
(Michael) My answer exactly. And getting to meet all kinds of people, such as yourself!
That’s what’s I love best about my job too! Guys, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me tonight – we’ll see you real soon.
Our pleasure. Thank you so much! ☺
LIGHT COMPANY release their EP The Boy Who Sat on Ocean Floors – April 16, 2013
photos: Gina Ree
