Canadian hard-rock band LOVER have been out playing together for well over a year now, and recently released a 2-song cassette, consisting of a pair of kick-a*s 80s influenced rockers – “Fatal Attraction” and “Bad Love”. Lover is working on more songs, as well as getting more shows booked.
In this exchange , drummer Hunter Raymond discusses the band’s brief history, their recordings, future plans, and more. Check out the tracks, as well as ordering info and links (below).
Can you give me a bit of pre-history to what lead to Lover coming together?
Hunter: I had recently moved back to Calgary from Toronto, and I knew Jacob and Chris from partying and playing shows in the past with my old band MIDNIGHT MALICE. Jacob and Aidan have another band together called FLASHBACK, which is more of a hard rock band. I went to see their show, secretly scouting, and after they played, I was convinced they were the guys I wanted to start a band with. As it turns out, Aidan had a whole stockpile of riffs that were too metal for flashback. Jacob convinced Aidan I was the man for the job by showing him old Midnight Malice footage. Chris, whom I hadn’t seen in years, happened to be at the flashback gig that night, and we talked about jamming and said we would get together soon. Cale from RIOT CITY was also there and mentioned to Aidan and Jacob that they should ask Chris to play in their new metal project. It was all meant to be, really; we all wanted to start a band with each other without even knowing it. From the first chords struck, we all knew this was going to be something special.
You guys have a 2 song ep out, on cassette — Is there more tracks recorded? and why did you choose to release just these specific 2?
At the moment, we only have demos recorded, nothing we would release to the public. We chose those 2 songs because they were the first ones we had solid. All of us were really excited about the sound and wanted to get the ball rolling, become a legit band. The best way to know if you are any good is to share it with the world. Let there be judgment!
Why a cassette release, as opposed to just digital or CD?
Collectors still enjoy tapes, so that’s what we went for. We are only doing a limited run, so grab them while you can!
It would be cool to press it on a 45 record in the future. People still want to hold onto the real thing; streaming is so impersonal. We wanted something for the people to own.
Can you give me a few favorite bands, musicians, and a short list of favorite albums growing up?
The hardest question to answer is, there is so much good music out there! Thin Lizzy for sure, Phil Lynott amazing songwriter, and Brian Downey is an absolute monster of a drummer. Deep Purple, Judas Priest, and Aerosmith, I love those bands. We all really like Sweet and their album Desolation Boulevard. I was really into Motley Crue, Motorhead, UK Subs, and G.B.H. when I was younger; I’ve always been a bit of a punker. My first Motorhead record was Iron Fist. I got it when I was about 13-14. I snuck away from a school trip in Halifax to find a record store. I had only heard of Motorhead up until then, and they didn’t disappoint! Iron Fist will always be in my top 10.
When might we see a full-length album from Lover? Is there any label or outside producer you are working with?
So far, no labels or producers, Aidan and I are the producers mainly. Aidan is also a good recording engineer so he is doing all of that. He recorded, mixed, and mastered the Fatal Attraction EP. My drum tracks are all done for the full length, and the boys are working on their guitars as we speak! We are planning on having it all done for the new year, so early 2026, we will have it ready for all you headbangers!
How many songs do you guys have prepared or working on? And what can people expect song wise?
The full length will be 9 songs, and they all sound different. We like to try and get different feelings for every song, to keep people interested. Some fast ones, some groovers, some melodic and technical songs. They all sound like us, though, and they all rock!
No ballads yet. We also have about 3-4 more songs we are working on for the 2nd album, and we aren’t slowing down anytime soon!
Can you explain a bit about where song ideas come from, and how songs are put together by you guys? (Lyrically and musically)
Musically, Aidan writes almost all of the riffs; he usually has a style of song he wants to write. Then we will go jam his riffs to get a solid structure and record a demo. I write 95% of the lyrics. I take the demo home to write the lyrics. The guys will sometimes give me a theme or song title to work from. The Lyrics are mostly about real-life experiences, some are fantastic stories I make up. I wrote one song about Jacob and his sweet 1963 Plymouth Valiant, which is called “On the Road’ What a sexy car! Girls are obviously a subject but we try to be creative and not write the same song twice. Basically, whatever vibe the riffs have dictates the lyrics.
What is the music scene like in Calgary, especially for bands trying to push original songs? Or is the scene kinda geared towards cover bands (as it is here in the Niagara region) ?
I’m sure there is a cover band scene here, but I don’t see it. That being said, there are plenty of original bands that do really well crowd-wise here; people love to come out and support local shows, which is awesome. There aren’t too many bands like us, though. The scene here is more aggressive, darker metal or punk. We don’t always fit the bill, but people love us all the same; we are their guilty pleasure.
What does your set list comprise of? Mostly (or all) originals? Any particular covers?
We play all originals; one of us always suggests a cover, but they never seem to materialize. I’m sure one day we will find one we all agree upon. The most recent idea is “Set Me Free” by Sweet. Will it actually happen? Only time will tell.
What have been a few of the bigger shows, festivals you’ve been part? Any opening slots for anyone major?
We have only been playing shows for about 1 year, and already had the pleasure of playing the Electric Highway Festival here in Calgary, and Armstrong Metal Fest in the BC interior this summer. Armstrong was headlined by HAVOK, BORN OF OSIRIS, and our good friends RIOT CITY. Electric Highway headliners were BISON, CASTLE, and LA CHINGA. Both of those festivals were an absolute blast and we can’t wait for more opportunities like those!
What do you guys have coming up? Any international interest or show offers further east?
We have our songs playing internationally, but no show offers as of yet. An East coast tour for spring/summer of 2026 is in the works, so hopefully we get out there to see you soon. I know a lot of amazing Bands out East who want to get shows going with us, so expect fully stacked bills and pure rock n roll mania when it happens!! LONG LIVE ROCK N ROLL
Aidan Desmarais – lead vocals, guitar Hunter Raymond – drums, vocals Jacob Chase – bass guitar Christopher LoNigro – guitar
After five years of anticipation, Calgary’s stoner groove rock trio Woodhawk announces they will be hitting the road this August through October for tour dates across Canada (dates listed below). The show dates are in support of their latest and third album, “Love Finds a Way,” released on June 6th of this year via Grand Hand Records. Fans can expect a high-energy set packed with new material and favorites from their discography that will be delivered with the raw power and passion.
Their most personal and powerful release to date, their new full-length album, “Love Finds a Way”, marks a turning point for Woodhawk. Demonstrating their evolution from early stoner rock roots into something more emotionally complex while maintaining the infectious grooves and memorable hooks that have defined their sound.
“Love Finds a Way” explores themes of darkness, healing, and hope, while still delivering the infectious hooks and thunderous riffs fans have come to expect. With contributions from longtime collaborator Jesse Gander on synth, the band expands their sonic palette without losing their edge. The trio of Turner Midzain (guitar/vocals), Mike Badmington (bass), and Kevin Nelson (drums) poured five years of growth, struggle, and creative evolution into this record.
“We are over the moon to get this album out. Love Finds a Way is easily the hardest we have worked on an album to date. We poured our heart and soul into this one. It really is a journey of getting out of the darkness and into the light. Check in with your friends and loved ones. Hug the ones you love. Be nicer to each other. Love will always prevail and be stronger than anything else. After 10 years of being a band, I feel like we are still just getting started!” adds the band.
After a decade together, Woodhawk is proving they’re just getting started. “Love Finds a Way” is more than an album; it’s a statement of resilience, connection, and the enduring power of rock.
Recommended for fans of The Sword, Red Fang, and Thin Lizzy, the album is a dynamic journey from start to finish, balancing soft and heavy, slow and fast, light and dark.
L to R: Kevin Nelson (Drums), Turner Midzain (Vocals/ Guitar), Mike Badmington (Bass/ Vocals). Portrait by Mark Kowalchuk
*Woodhawk will be performing on day three of this year’s LOUD AS HELL OPEN AIR FESTIVAL on August 3rd in Drumheller, AB alongside Revocation, Cyborg Octopus, Beguiler, Thirteen Goats, Famous Strangers, and more! Full details on LAH can be found at www.loudashell.ca.
Show Dates: Aug 3 – Drumheller, AB – Loud As Hell Open Air Aug 27 – Calgary, AB – Ship & Anchor Aug 28 – Lethbridge, AB – The Owl Acoustic Lounge Aug 29 – Regina, SK – The Exchange Aug 30 – Winnipeg, MB – Side Stage Sept 2 – Windsor – Phog Lounge Sept 3 – Hamilton, ON – Club Absinthe Sept 4 – Ottawa, ON – House of Targ Sept 5 – Montreal – Turbo Haus Sept 6 – Toronto, ON – The Monarch Sept 7 – Kingston, ON – The Mansion Sept 9 – Oshawa, ON – The Atria Sept 10 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Soo Blaster Sept 11 – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirates Pub Sept 12 – Brandon, MB – The 40 Sept 13 – Saskatoon, SK – Black Cat Tavern Sept 25 – Kelowna, BC- Jackknife Brewery Sept 26 – Vancouver, BC – Green Auto Sept 27 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar Oct 10 – Red Deer, AB – The Vat Oct 11 – Edmonton, AB – The Aviary
Been some time since I finished a top 10 Canadian list, though I’ve got a few years started….1978 was a good year! If there’s any glaring omissions (in your opinion), please leave it in the comments!
APRIL WINE – First Glance
The first April Wine album to feature guitarist Brian Greenway and the start of the band’s most commercially successful era. Featured the breakthrough US radio hit “Roller”, as well as “Coming Right Down On Top of Me”, “Rock n Roll Is A Vicious Game”, and dark heavy cut “Silver Dollar”. Arguably the band’s best album.
RUSH – Hemispheres
The band’s 6th studio album, released in October of that year, featured the classic “The Trees”, as well as epic “La Villa Strangiato”.. The last to feature such lengthy conceptual tracks.
SAGA – Saga
The debut from Toronto’s SAGA (or, Oakville), a band with rock, pop and more so prog influences. It is the first half dozen albums that make up the band’s classic period for me, with Saga featuring such songs as “How Long” & “Humble Stance” (both featured on the live ‘In Transit‘ album a few years later), as well as favorites “Will it Be You”, “Perfectionist” and ‘Tired World”. Classic album and album cover!
FM – Black Noise
Originally released in early 1978 by the CBC, in limited edition vinyl. Black Noise would go on to become a progressive rock classic. It was rereleased later the same year via Passport (Canada), and eventually on CD in 1994 – where the original trio of Cameron Hawkins, Martin Deller and Nash the Slash undertook a mini-tour in Ontario to promote it’s release. I saw 2 of these shows, got the CD & poster signed. A must-hear album featuring the hot “Phasors On Stun” (Star Trek Reference), “One O’clock Tomorrow”, “Journey”, and the title track. Amazing stuff!
STREETHEART – Meanwhile Back In Paris
The Regina, Saskatchewan band’s debut album, released in May (or June?) . Fronted by legendary Kenny Shields (RIP), and originally featuring guitarist Paul Dean & drummer Matt Frenette, along with bass player Ken ‘Spider’ Sinnaeve, and Daryl Gutheil on keys. This features the classic “Action”, as well as favorites “Move on Over”, “Pressure” and “Look At Me”. Dean left before the 2nd album and was soon joined by Frenette to form Loverboy. Sinnaeve, who’s played with numerous Canadian acts would also later join Loverboy. Meanwhile Back In Paris would go platinum in Canada. Paul Dean would record a new version of “Action” for his first solo album in 1989.
GODDO – Who Cares?
Released very early in the year, this Toronto trio’s 2nd album was a fine follow up to their excellent debut. Featured classics like “Tough Times”, “Sweet Thing”, “Oh Carole (Kiss My Whip)” and closing epic “Too Much Carousing”. The 1994 reissue of this added a half hour of outtakes.
TEAZE- On The Loose
Windsor, Ontario’s TEAZE’ 2nd album, and full of party rockers, anthems, and a few ballads. Includes opener “Gonna Have A Good Time Tonight”, plus rockers like “Ready To Move”, “On The Loose”, and ‘Never Again’, as well as ballads “Stay Here” and (country influenced) “Sweet Misery”.
TROOPER – Thick As Thieves
Released in June. Thick As Thieves was the last Trooper album produced by Randy Bachman. Best known for featuring their trademark hit “Raise A Little Hell”. Kind of a middle of the road rock album, with the only other real rocker being favorite “Gambler”. It also featured 2 further singles, both sung by keyboard player Frank Ludwig – “The Moment That It Takes” and the excellent “Round, Round We Go”.
PRISM – See Forever Eyes
The 2nd album from Vancouver’s PRISM. This one released in June saw a few line up changes, and featured 4 singles, notably “Flyin” and “Take Me Away”, both from new guitarist Alan Harlow. One of the band’s best!
MOXY – Under The Lights
The 4th and final Moxy studio album. This one featuring the vocals of Mike Rynowski (aka Reno). A decent album, tho’ different from the previous ones. Reno, of course, went on to huge success with Loverboy, and Under The Lights would be reissued as Thinking About You (with just Reno on the cover). Earl Johnson has more recently put together a new version of Moxy…I wonder if they perform anything from this album(?)
*Other albums from ’78 that I either didn’t make my top 10, and in a few cases I don’t have – WALTER ROSSI – 6 Strings, 9 Lives, ZON – Astral Projector, BOB SEGARINI – Gotta Have Pop, BTO – Street Action (1 of 2 featuring the late Jim Clench instead of Randy B), CHILLIWACK – Lights From The Valley, THE GUESS WHO – Guess Who’s Back (post Burton Cummings, hmm), RANDY BACHMAN – Survivor, BILLY WORKMAN – Billy Workman (this is one I am looking for, if anyone has it….), EDEN – Eden (interesting prog album, does anyone have this?), AERIAL – In The Middle Of The Night (interesting sounding band from Saskatchewan, w/ Hugh Syme cover design) , FOSTERCHILD – Troubled Child
“More than three years in the making, the 6CD box set will arrive in fans hands by October 24. You can pre-order NOW, with the full digital delivery due next month.”
‘Peaced Together’ is a 6CD box set in a ‘fat-pack’ jewel case, limited to strictly 500 units worldwide and priced at $99 (including worldwide shipping).
Since 2022, Carl Dixon and MRC CEO Andrew McNeice have been swapping files, sourcing audio, digitizing tapes, reels and DATs and then starting over again with new improved files. JK Northrup has been involved all along the way, adding his thoughts and overseeing the remastering of every track.
Carl Dixon states: “PEACED TOGETHER is in part the realization for me of every artist’s dream; that people care about your work and want to share it with the world. It is, I hope, part of its charm that this project is based largely on music that has never gone through the stages of refinement, polishing and presentation to the world in big-bucks album releases. This collection consists of my unreleased musical works save one or two exceptions. It spans many years and veers across different styles and genres, some more fashionable now than others, but I’m pleased that I can hear elements of my true self throughout. Some of these works were rerecorded for inclusion in album projects but most remained known only to me and to those who helped make them. I am delighted to now have these many “hidden gems” released out into the wide world by Andrew McNeice and MelodicRock Classics. I hope they bring a measure of joy to all who choose to spend time listening. Rock on wit’ ya bad selves!” ~ CD. 2025
Carl Dixon is of course the world renowned Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter, who has been fronting CONEY HATCH since 1981 as well as releasing 6 solo albums and writing with a whole host of chart topping artists along the way.
The 6CD set will be broken up into the following categories: Disc 1 – Anthems Volume 1 Disc 2 – Anthems Volume 2 Disc 3 – More Rock & Some Roll Disc 4 – The Softer Side Disc 5 – A Little Centre of Left Disc 6 – Tracks That Can’t Be Left Behind
These songs come from a variety of sources and eras, but it’s best left to Carl to expand on his earlier comment:
“The one hundred-plus tracks on ‘Peaced Together’ are evidence of a life spent in song writing whenever and however it could be done. From my earliest studio demos with my high school chums, to the most recent DAW creations from my home studio, it’s all expressing something that I thought needed to be said. We all write, sing and play our personalities through our art. Here lies AOR Rock in various stages of development, sure, but there’s so much more in addition. Some of the AOR stalwarts who appear on Peaced Together as co-writers and performers include Stan Meissner, Marc Ribler, Van Stephenson, Brett Walker, Taylor Rhodes, Kevin Savigar, Marc Ferrari, Steve Shelski, Jack Conrad and Steve Plunkett and that’s just Disc 1! Harry Hess turns up in two songs we recorded during the run-up to the debut Harem Scarem album; that’s his unmistakable voice you hear on Too Much Paradise. Songwriters are generally an affable, collaborative bunch and I learned much from all of my partners over the years. Special mention must go to Van Stephenson who was very kind and instructive in his gentle way when I was a greenhorn turning up in Nashville for the first time. Four of these songs are my collaborations with him. Uniquely, eight tracks included here are collaborations with my father Ron Dixon, based on his poems and writings. Something of him endures through the music. A VERY wide range of styles and approaches is heard on ‘Peaced Together’. Nashville, New York, L.A., San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Toronto and smaller communities; I travelled far and wide to meet great people and make these songs. There’s lots of rock as you might expect with my history but also pop, blues, country and funk. Sometimes they were just for fun, sometimes it was like trying on a stylish hat to see if it looked good on me. I’m proud of all of these tracks, else I would not have put them out on display like this. It’s crazy to me that we haven’t emptied the cupboards to make this collection.”
All pre-orders will receive the complete audio package well in advance of the physical delivery, and is the only way to guarantee a copy of this amazing set of songs in a one-off pressing. It’s hoped most regular MRC retailers will carry copies of the set, but pre-order here to be guaranteed and get the full advance audio delivered soon.
The full track listing is as follows:
DISC 1 01. Buried Alive 3:18 02. Walk Through The Fire (Demo) 3:50 03. Cloud Of Love 5:16 04. Good Time To Be Bad 3:35 05. Don’t You See 3:20 06. I Believe In Angels 3:59 07. Love Strikes (Demo) 4.00 08. Edge Of A Heartbreak 3:41 09. Hold Your Fire 3:06 10. Kid Blue 3:21 11. Leap Of Faith 4:20 12. Love’s Gonna Take Some Time 3:18 13. Hot Streak Gone Cold (Demo) 3:35 14. She’s A Touch Like You 4:05 15. If Love Could See Me Now 3:44 16. Until The Dawn 4:13 17. Hard To Leave 4:03 18. All I Want 3:56 19. Fight For Your Love (vocal Jimmy Lawrence) 3:50
DISC 2 01. Fuel For The Fire 3:52 02. Against The Night (Demo) 3:51 03. Fools Paradise 3:03 04. Goodbye To A Good Thing 3:36 05. From Here On 4:51 06. Come My Way 3:39 07. Might Have Been 2:59 08. Here Comes Trouble 3:42 09. Taste Of Love (Demo) 4:33 10. Up To No Good 4:03 11. Animal Attraction 3:46 12. Bad To The Bone (vocal Andrew Elt) 4:12 13. Bad Seed 3:33 14. No Middle Ground 4:42 15. Shadow (Demo) 4:05 16. Magic Happens 3:54 17. Treacherous Emotions (Demo) 3:49 18. To The Love 4:13 19. I’m Rattled 2:39
DISC 3 01. A Fool in Love 3:30 02. Giving Up The Ghost 4:25 03. Too Much Paradise (vocal Harry Hess) 4:05 04. Across the Great Divide (Demo) 5:51 05. Knee Highs 5:38 06. To Fall In Love 3:18 07. Old Testament Rock 3:11 08. Don’t Walk Away Dreaming 4:35 09. Trust Me 4:09 10. Hot Florida Sunshine 4:55 11. Busted (Demo) 3:48 12. Illumination 3:49 13. Around and Around 3:22 14. Little Dancing Queen 3:58 15. I Know How to Treat a Lady (vocal Jimmy Lawrence) 3:42 16. Little Dreamer 3:58 17. Only a Fool 3:50
DISC 4 01. Can I Love You 3:34 02. Younger Generation 5:09 03. Where Do I Begin 4:06 04. Dreams Gone 2:25 05. Easy Words 3:59 06. Don’t Disappoint Me 2:58 07. Don’t Turn Out The Light 3:39 08. Song From The Island 3:04 09. Goodbye Eyes 4:59 10. Might Still Be in Love 3:15 11. Just Because 3.42 12. How’s Your World Spinning 3:55 13. Tell Her I Called 3:24 14. Green Diamond 3:00 15. Until The Dawn 3:57 16. Same Moon Shining 2:56 17. Thought It Would Be Fun (Demo) 3.49
DISC 5 01. Can’t Lose (What You Never Had) 4:17 02. Just a Few More Hours 3:08 03. Waiting In The Wings 3:27 04. Jacob & The Pig 3:39 05. That’s Right 3:11 06. Seven Day World 3:23 07. Angel On Main Street 2:50 08. Get Whatcha Wanna 3:24 09. Missing You 3:56 10. I Want You 3:53 11. Showtime 3:33 12. Stand Together (Female Vocal Jessica Benoit) 4:26 13. It Is What It Is 4:01 14. Was Your Heart Broken 4:03 15. Strange Way To Live 4:05 16. Keep Your Control 4:04 17. Behind the Open Door (Demo) 5:44
DISC 6 01. Together Takes Us Any Place 2:46 02. Make Up Your Mind 3:05 03. So Much Love 4:01 04. When I Remember 4:19 05. By My Side 3:17 06. Look For Me In Dreamland 2.53 07. It’s A Wonder 2:26 08. Just A Girl I Used To Know 3:35 09. She Breaks Your Heart 3.16 10. Strayed And Stolen 3.28 11. The Gizmo In My Head 2:24 12. Take It Out In Rock ‘n Roll 2:09 13. The Big 3-OH 3:14 14. Prisoner (with Jessica Palmer & Jessica Benoit) 3:31 15. Walk in Clouds 2:34 16. I’d Never Have Fallen 3:39 17. Theme from Tornado Hunters 0:45 18. Hendrix Tornado 0:53 19. The Blood Rises (Demo) 4:26
Carl here: – Some of these songs were written when I was this young!
Honeymoon Suite have a new album coming out this summer. Check out the press info, ordering info, and videos below….
Legendary Canadian Rockers HONEYMOON SUITE Announce New Studio Album ‘Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down’ – Out July 25th via Frontiers Music Srl Pre-Order HERE
Famed Rockers HONEYMOON SUITE are proud to announce that their highly anticipated ninth studio album is dropping this summer! Entitled ‘Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down,’ this new full-length will be released via Frontiers Music Srl and hits on July 25, 2025. As a follow-up to their electrifying 2024 release ‘Alive,’ ‘Wake Me Up…‘ marks another exciting chapter in the band’s storied career. Known for their infectious blend of melodic rock, powerful hooks, and captivating lyrics, this legendary Canadian band continues to honor its classic 80s-inspired sound while embracing contemporary production techniques. The new album showcases the group’s signature style — a fusion of hard-hitting rock energy and smooth, melodic anthems — but with an updated sonic twist, adding a modern touch that fans have come to expect after their previous successes. Celebrating the announcement, HONEYMOON SUITE shares the album’s first single, “I Fly,” along with a new music video. About the single, Derry Grehan comments: “I had originally come in with the music that ended up becoming ‘I Fly.’ We had a great chorus, and we knew the track could be super cool if we finished it right. There were several re-writes over the course of a few months, but we finally hit on a really great verse and pre-chorus that rolled perfectly into the ‘I Fly’ chorus. I felt bad for Johnnie as Mike pushed him to his limits when cutting the vocal, but sometimes that’s what it takes, and the results speak for themselves. Johnnie is singing better than ever! “The lyrics are metaphorical. They talk about being on a plane, taking off into a new life, and leaving a bad situation behind on the ground. Finding a new freedom and the strength it takes to change. It’s a very positive song, and I think a lot of people can relate.”
‘Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down‘ sees the band continuing their commitment to the rock genre, staying true to the powerful, melodic music that made them a household name in the 1980s. Fans can expect driving rhythms, soaring guitar solos courtesy of Derry Grehan, and the signature emotive vocals of lead singer Johnnie Dee. HONEYMOON SUITE’s earlier work, including iconic hits like “New Girl Now,” “Feel It Again,” and “Lethal Weapon,” established them as one of Canada’s most beloved rock bands, and their ability to evolve while keeping their classic sound intact continues to resonate with both old and new listeners alike. Once again, the band has joined forces with acclaimed producer and songwriter Michael Krompass (Steven Tyler, Theory of a Dead Man, Smash Mouth), who helped shape the sound of their 2024 album ‘Alive.’ Krompass’s ability to blend the past and present is evident here, as the album resonates with the same nostalgic vibe that has defined HONEYMOON SUITE’s enduring legacy, while incorporating the latest production trends that elevate their sound to new heights. Derry comments on ‘Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down‘: “The new album actually came together pretty quickly compared to ‘Alive.’ We didn’t have a pandemic to deal with. Also, our producer, Mike Krompass, had moved back to Canada, and this put us all much closer together. We recorded most everything at Mike’s home studio outside of Toronto. A lot of the songs were written quickly by Johnnie, Mike, and me in the studio, and I think they have a very fresh, live sound with a sense of urgency and excitement. I had also brought in a few much older ideas that we re-worked and made into great new songs. The album is classic HONEYMOON SUITE. Every song is different and great in its own way. It’s an album that will grow on you the more you listen, and we think people are going to love it.” From their self-titled debut album in 1985 to the success of ‘Racing After Midnight’ and ‘Monsters Under the Bed,’ HONEYMOON SUITE has maintained a loyal fan base, producing a series of chart-topping records that continue to define the rock genre. Their latest effort proves that, nearly four decades later, the band is still firing on all cylinders. With this new album, HONEYMOON SUITE demonstrates their ability to stay relevant and energized in today’s music scene while still tapping into the timeless essence that made them a staple of the 80s rock era. The album delivers a collection of tracks brimming with both high-octane rockers and more introspective moments, all marked by the band’s trademark energy and musicianship. From its anthemic choruses to its emotive lyrics, ‘Wake Me Up When the Sun Goes Down‘ reaffirms that HONEYMOON SUITE remains one of rock’s most enduring and exciting acts, ever evolving but never straying from the heart of what made them legends.
Track List: 1. I Fly 2. Way of the World 3. Every Minute 4. Way Too Fast 5. Stay This Time 6. Crazy Life 7. Live On 8. Keep Our Love Alive 9. Unpredictable 10. Ever Leave You Lonely
pic – : Allan Zilkowski
HONEYMOON SUITE are: Johnnie Dee – lead vocals Derry Greham – guitars / keyboards / backing vocals Dave Betts – drums Gary Lalonde – bass Peter Nunn – keyboards
When APRIL WINE split in 1984, following the Animal Grace album, and the One More For The Road tour across Canada, band members went off to do new things. First, there was the contractual obligation album Walking Through Fire in ’85, which was essentially a Myles Goodwyn solo project, which only featured Brian Greenway from the band’s last line-up. Soon after both Goodwyn and Greenway went off on solo ventures.
Brian Greenway’s solo album (released as GREENWAY) titled Serious Business came out in early 1988, produced by Marty Simon and Paul Northfield, and featured a number of guest players, including a few main players from Walking Through Fire (Daniel Barbe, Marty Simon). The single “In The Danger Zone” was the standout cut here, featuring Alex Lifeson performing a guitar solo, and was accompanied by a video – which wasn’t released until 6 months later!
For Serious Business, Greenway wrote (or co-wrote) every track; co-writers included Marty Simon (Mylon LeFevre, The Sharks) and Tracy Howe (Men Without Hats). There’s also a very 80s production/sound to this, with lots of keyboards played by Also Nova (this thing reminds me of Aldo’s Twitch album at times). Other favorite tracks here are “It’s Alright” and the upbeat “Right Track”, both of which would have made fine singles (if this album got more of a push). The title track is another gem here; the hardest rocker here.
Greenway went out and played live throughout Canada, In the summer of 1991 a show in Laval, Quebec was filmed and later was featured on TV in early 92 as Brian Greenway And Friends. His band, consisting of Jerry Mercer, Nanette Workman, Jeff Nystrom, Jimmy Tanaka, and Jeff Smallwood, performed songs from Serious Business, as well as a few he wrote for April Wine.
Serious Business was originally released on LP, cassette, and CD, but a remaster/reissue of it is long overdue! Could make a nice package with the original album and the live performance together (!?)
*Canadian band BEDROKK covered Greenway’s song “I Can’t Hold Back” on their 1996 album Undertow.
GREENWAY – In The Danger Zone (4:08) – Atlantic (7-89118) – Windfall Music-Roxamillion Music-Irrational Music-Sack Cymbal Music/BMI – B. Greenway-T. Howe – Producers: M. Simon-P. Northfield Former April Wine member Brian Greenway delivers a well designed and powerful cut from his Atlantic album Serious Business. Should do extremely well on AOR radio. (CashBox, 02-13-88)
A collection of favorite Canadian ‘live’ albums (ok, initially I meant to stop at 10…). I do realize there’s a lot more out there (and I have), so maybe a part 2 in the future (?). Feel free to drop omissions in the comments.
SAGA – In Transit
Released in August of 1982. My first and favorite SAGA album. I have a clear memory of buying this at the Eaton’s in the Rexdale Mall, not long after it came out. The mall was a few blocks from my grandmother’s house, so I’d go there when visiting. I bought it based on the 2 songs I’d heard on the radio – “On The Loose” and “Wind Him Up”. Loved this album – “Don’t Be Late”, “Humble Stance”, “Careful Where You Step”,… In Transit marked the end of the band’s best era (IMO). Still my favorite Canadian live album. Wish there was more from the shows tho’ to make an expanded reissue.
APRIL WINE – One For The Road
One of my first concerts was APRIL WINE at the Kingswood Music Theatre, at Canada’s Wonderland, just north of Toronto. What an amazing show! Too bad this was the band’s final tour, and more so a shame that this originally came out as a single LP. The 1985 release included 11 tracks, and really the band’s best-known songs, mainly from the 1978 onward era, though it only features 1 from the band’s final studio album Animal Grace (a shame they never played more from it). But “Anything You Want” was a killer opener, followed by classics like “I Like To Rock”, “All Over Town”, “Sign Of The Gypsy Queen”, and so on, plus a medley of ballads… But, there are a few glaring omissions with the original track listing, which was largely corrected years later with 4 songs added to CD and 2 LP reissues. All classic tunes and loads of energy capping off the band’s most successful era!
TEAZE – Live At Liege
In their day TEAZE only lasted about 5-6 years, 4 studio albums and their classic Live in Japan. But the band has reformed since 2019 to play a number of shows. This recent show (just released) captures the band, now pushing into their 70s, but you’d never know it from the energy and the lead vocals (Brian Danter). A dozen great rockers and anthems here, with favorites like “Back In Action”, “Touch The Wind”, “Heartless World” and “On The Loose” (which closes the set). If you don’t know anything about this band, this live disc is the place to start.
RUSH – Different Stages
There’s lots of RUSH live albums, but this is the one I play the most (from 1998)….and then maybe Rush In Rio (released 5 years later)…. But I like the sound of this one, and the set list, which features tracks from the band’s comeback pair of 90s albums – Counterparts and Test For Echo, as well as more from the band’s 80s (despite the glaring omission of “Subdivisions”). Love the inclusion of “Analog Kid” and “Big Money”, and newer favorites like “Driven” and “Animate”, plus the full 2112. Much prefer this to A Show Of Hands. it also came with a 3rd disc (bonus), of the band at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1978. Originally released on CD, but I see a 4-LP version was issued last year.
GODDO – Lighve: Best Seat In The House
Those first few GODDO albums were packed full of punchy, energetic rock tracks, and this 2 LP set was a bold move after just 3 albums, but it is a ‘must hear’, featuring all the band’s favorites (which, most of remained in the set forever). With what became their standard opening of “Anacana Panacana” (intro tape) and “So Walk On” and highlighted with best known favorites like “Sweet Thing”, “O Carole (Kiss My Whip)”, “Under My Hat”, and a 7+ minute performance of “Let That Lizard loose”. Years later the band repeated with 2nd Best Seat In The House, as well as an archived live release and a 35th Anniversary live set. I saw Goddo years ago in St Catharines, it was actually the first sit-down interview I ever did. Greg Godovitz recently put together a new version of the band to play shows to celebrate the band’s 50th Anniversary.
MOXY – Live In Toronto
Released in 2014 as Live In Toronto and also included as part of the band’s 40th Anniversary 2CD/DVD 40 Years And Still Riding High) release a year later (which I have). One of those ‘better late than never’ things, and with a new line up led by guitarist Earl Johnson and featuring lead vocals from Nick Walsh (Slik Toxic). 11 tracks (including the drum solo), taken from the band’s first 3 classic albums. Walsh was a great fit for the band as they went through favorites like “Out Of The Darkness”, “Nothing Comes Easy”, “Moon Rider”, “Sail On Sail Away”, and “Ridin’ High”. Johnson has a new version of the band currently playing shows, I believe.
LOVERBOY – Live In ’82
I was a fan, mainly of those first 3 LOVERBOY albums (and then someone brought In Mutt Lange (sigh). But Live In’82, (released last summer on CD & vinyl!) captures the band at their peak, playing songs from the first 2 albums (arguably their best). So you get high energy performances of their biggest hits like “Turn Me Loose”, “The Kid Is Hot Tonight”, and “Working For The Weekend”, as well as favorites from Get Lucky – “Jump”, “Lucky Ones” and “Take Me To The Top”.
FM- Retroactive: FM Archives Volume 1
Released in 1995, and I don’t ‘get’ the stupid title (as there was no further volumes), this was taken from the band’s 1994 short reunion tour to promote the CD release of their classic Black Noise album. I saw 2 of the 5 shows in small venues. The shows were awesome and captured well here. Don’t recall how many songs they played, but this includes 10 songs, notably their hit “Phasors On Stun”, and Black Noise favorite “Journey”, as well as best known songs like “This Lonely World” and “City Of Fear”, and their versions of “Shapes Of Things” and “Baba O’Riley”. A CD release only (included a retroactive CD-ROM track, don’t think I ever watched it), but would be nice if their was more from this little tour or the FM archives to hear some more.
CONEY HATCH – Live At The El Mocambo
The first of 2 live albums from CONEY HATCH, back-to-back. This one was recorded & video’d during CoVid, with a limited number of guests allowed in to see the show at Toronto’s legendary El Mocambo. A great mix, representing the band’s 4 studio albums, and long overdue. Not too long after came Postcard From Germany, which had been recorded in 2018. Hoping there’ll be more, as there’s a few good shows from the 80s (Cleveland 1982).
STREETHEART – Live After Dark
This 2 LP set was recorded following 6 albums from Winnipeg’s STREETHEART. Although I don’t think Streetheart’s albums were heavy, but more pop produced, Live After Dark showed the band rocked harder live. This features the band’s hits like “Action”, “What Kind Of Love Is This”, “Hollywood”, plus their excellent covers of “Tin Soldier”, and 12 & a half minute closing classic take of “Under My Thumb”! The band’s original line up would reunite and record 2014’s One Night One Take, but I’ve yet to hear that one. but Live After Dark is a pretty essential Canadian album.
THE GUESS WHO – Live At The Paramount
Another essential Canadian release, and better than simply picking up a ‘best of’ IMO. Live At the Paramount, from 1972, captured THE GUESS WHO in their prime; they had a ton of hits and some pretty cool album cuts, so this isn’t just a play through of the usual numbers. Only 7 tracks though on the original single LP (why!?), but there is favorites “Running Back To Saskatoon”, “Pain Train”, and the 16+ minute performance of “American Woman”! The CD version would thankfully add 6 more tracks and fix the running order.
Canadian Live Albums I’d Still Like to see…
A Foot In Coldwater – anything, be it from the early 70s or from one of the band’s reunion gigs over the years.
Santers – there is video of the band from Toronto, around 1982 or 83(?) Would be cool to master it for release.
Headpins – Saw the Headpins open for Loverboy in ’83, surely their must be a good live recording from that period(!?)
Harlequin – something from the band’s early 80s heyday, before they brought the guy from The Fixx in to produce!
Moxy – OK, something from the late 70s w/ Buzz Shearman.
Well, a quick run down of some new tracks & videos worth checking out! If you got any new classic rock/hard recommendations, drop me a note or put them in the comments! As always, for more info, check out the descriptions in the videos for more info and links.
RUSS BALLARD – New York Groove
Originally of the classic band ARGENT, Russ Ballard left the band for a solo career, and is likely better known as a songwriter who’s songs have become hits for numerous acts like Rainbow, Kiss, Santana, America, and this song – which was a hit for Kiss’ Ace Frehley in 1978. The song was previously covered by British glam band ‘Hello’. And now Ballard has made a new version of the song.
HAREM.SCAREM – Reliving History
Canadian rockers HAREM SCAREM have a new single out. I picked up the band’s first 5 or 6 albums way back, and always enjoyed them. This is good, very likeable compared to the early stuff.
HOUSE OF LORDS – Cry Of The Wicked
Fronted by singer James Christian, HOL is pretty consistent with good songs and album covers! 🙂 This is from the band’s new album Full Tilt Overdrive.
ENVY OF NONE – Under The Stars
the 2nd single from the 2nd (forthcoming) album of EON, which features Alex Lifeson (Rush), and Andy Curran (Coney Hatch). Check it out. Very atmosphere track, nothing like anything you’ve heard before.
STREETLIGHT – Captured In The Night
New single from Swedish band that is influenced by 80s AOR/melodic Hard rock like Journey, Toto, Kansas… Their new (2nd?) album is titled Night Vision, due out next month.
HELLOWEEN – Future World (live)
From German power metal legends HELLOWEEN, who have a new Live At Budokan release out now.
Back in 2014 APRIL WINE founder Myles Goodwyn expressed his desire to retire from playing live with the band, but it would be over 8 years, in December of 2022 that Marc Parent was announced, having been chosen by Myles, to take over the band’s lead vocal and guitar duties (alongside Brian Greenway). Parent debuted with the band last April. Sadly Myles Goodwyn passed away December 3 of 2023. But choosing Parent was so that the songs (mostly written by Goodwyn) would carry on to be enjoyed by fans. April Wine has had a busy year playing live, and 2025 looks to busier and very interesting, with festival shows, as well as a UK tour as openers for Uriah Heep, followed by a Canadian tour opening for Randy Bachman’s BTO. In this interview Marc discussed his past, previous bands, influences, how he came to join April Wine, how things are working in the band, highlights, and a few surprises.
*Check out the links at the bottom of the page for more info, tour dates, etc…
Can you tell me a bit about your earlier stuff, your musical influences and some of the stuff you grew up on listening to?
I’m a total classic rock guy. first album I ever got; I traded a buddy of mine for a Playboy magazine. It was the first Boston album. He wanted the Playboy and I wanted his Boston album. So, we swapped.
So, I’m pretty much a classic rock guy; grew up listening to that and a lot of progressive rock and I got into, after Kiss, Styx and Boston, I got into Genesis and Gentle Giant and Yes.
And I was also studying to be a jazz guitar player, so I was interested in Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Lee Rittenour and Wes Montgomery and all those guitar gods.
In your early days what was the scene up there? Did you play in a lot of cover bands or beforehand, in the 80s and 90s?
No, actually, the first band I ever played in was like an original band out of high school. We were called ‘Sigma’. And, the first gig I ever did I was 17 years old and we were doing originals. We had an electric violinist, we had a girl on bass, we had a sax player, we did original tunes. At that point I had a music teacher, his name was Regean Gauvreau and he was very influential because he had a big band and he would work; every weekend he would book his big band at the Chateau Laurier Hotel, in Ottawa or at the Congress Center or he would do these corporate events, and he would hire me as the guitar player in this big band. So, I had to be able to read music and I had to wear a suit, and he really taught me a lot about the business of being a professional musician. This would be, like, early 80s.
So, then I was studying to be more like a jazz guitar player, and I ended up – my neighbor was going out with a bass player in a band called ‘Eight Seconds’ in Ottawa. And she would listen to me practice, in my bedroom and she said ‘You gotta come see my boyfriend’s band’. So I went to see Eight Seconds play and I said to myself ‘I could do better than that guitar player’. You know, just as a typical 20-year-old, watching the guy play with my arms crossed in front of the stage kind of deal. And, it’s very weird, at the same time I was working in a music store in Aylmer, Quebec, my hometown; and this guy walked in and gave me some business cards and said ‘I just opened up a local recording studio and if you know any musicians who want to do demos, I would appreciate it if you would hand them my card’. And I said ‘well, I’m a guitar player and I’ve never really recorded in the studio’; he said ‘well, come on over and you can play guitar on a couple of my songs’. I did that and at the same time, Eight Seconds were recording demos at his studio. And they, at the same time, decided they wanted to trade up, or change guitar players. So, this gentleman, Manfred Leidecker, said ‘well, listen to this kid I just recorded him’. And they gave me an audition and I got the gig with Eight Seconds. The band that my neighbor took me to go see, maybe a month before. Next thing I knew I was in that band, and I was 23 years old. And the first gig I ever did with them was opening up for ‘Luba’ at the Ottawa Congress Center. And they scored a number one hit in Canada with “Kiss You When It’s Dangerous”. We opened up for David Bowie and Wang Chung and Paul Young and we did a North American tour. The next thing I knew I was living the dream. From ’85 to ’87, it was unbelievable!
And how many albums did you guys do? Just a couple or…?
I was on Ottawa Rima, which is a self-produced first album. Then that generated the interest of Rupert Hine and Polygram Records. So, then we did Almacantar, which had the “Kiss You When It’s Dangerous” hit on it. And, and then they did a great album. I got the boot in ’87 and they decided to go without a guitar player. It was very support oriented, in those years. And they did another album, which is in my opinion, was their best album, which is called Big Houses. And they produced that one at Le Studio, in Morin Heights. I was not on that one, Bill Beaudoin played the guitar on that one. That was in 1990.
Were you a writer?
Yeah, I wrote some stuff on Almacantar. Not complete songs, but melodies and, certain choruses and stuff like that. I was just getting my feet wet, as the singer, guitar player, writer. That was basically my first attempt was with Eight Seconds.
Was there any other recording bands or did you, like, locally throughout the years before April Wine came along?
After Eight Seconds, I moved to Montreal in ’87 and did a bachelor’s degree in music at Concordia University, And realized that the scene in Montreal, there was a strong blues scene. A lot of clubs had bands that played blues. Three sets, four sets a night, four – 45-minute sets. So, I put together a band that still exists to this day. It’s called Wang Dang Doodle. I put that band together in 1989. And just learned the craft of playing live and singing and fronting a band, in the clubs in Quebec and Ontario. And I still play with that band once a month, just because it’s fun.
And playing the Quebec blues circuit, I met Richard Lanthier, who was playing bass in that same circuit. And I hired Richard a few times to play in my band. And he hired me to play with Carl Tremblay’s band. We basically knew each other. When Myles Goodwyn’s health issues got a little worse about eight years ago, Richard recommended me. And I auditioned for Myles on the phone. He liked what he heard and offered me the gig. And I, you know, I just had my first child, and I had a pretty good day job. Unfortunately, I had to refuse. So, I actually said no to April Wine eight years ago. And I couldn’t believe it. I was telling all my friends; I can’t believe I just said no to April Wine.
And they kept going. Myles hung in there for another eight years. Luckily for me, they didn’t find a replacement for Myles. And then Myles’ issue post-COVID, became worse. And then he said, ‘how about that Marc guy that we auditioned eight years ago?’ At that point my girls were more grown up. And I had returned to being a full-time musician. So, the timing was just right. I didn’t say no the second time around.
That’s interesting, because I remember that post going up years ago that he wanted to step back. And people flooded the April Wine groups with names and stuff and suggestions. And then there was nothing said for years.
I think a couple of guys, Myles was very, very picky in what he wanted. And I think he put a couple of guys through the ringer there, they auditioned for him, and I think it was pretty tough. I was just in the right place at the right time. Like, lucky for me, he didn’t find his guy. You know, and he liked, and he liked me. So, my voice naturally sounds like his. I don’t try to imitate Myles when I sing. I just respect the melody of the song as close as I can to the record. And I just put my own energy into it, my own vocal style. And I respect Myles’ vocal style. I try to be as close to the original as possible. But I don’t imitate. I’m not an impersonator. I don’t do that.
And he had a pretty recognizable, distinctive voice.
Absolutely! All the great singers do.
Do you remember what you were required to learn to audition with?
Well, I did “Roller” and “Gypsy Queen” for him, on the phone eight years ago. And then this time around, when I got the call the second time, I took out my iPhone and an acoustic guitar, and I just did a rough demo. And I sent it to him, and I said ‘listen, this is as rough as it gets’. It’s my friggin’ phone and an acoustic guitar. Nothing else. ‘And if you like the tone of the voice and you like what you hear, then maybe we’re onto something here.’
And he was listening to it in his studio and a friend of his called him on the phone and he asks his friend ‘What do you think of this?’, and his friend says ‘Well, what? That’s just you singing and playing guitar’. And Myles said ‘Okay. That’s the guy!’ And so, whoever that guy is, I have no idea who that guy is, but that guy got me the gig.
That’s funny.
The guy thought it was Myles.
I’ve watched the live clips on YouTube and obviously nobody can sound like Myles, but you’re close enough that the sound, the songs aren’t losing anything, you know?
Yeah. It’s all about the song, right!? It’s all about the memories that we, that the songs evoke in us. So, my, my job is to serve the song and make sure that when you come see the show, you hear that song the way you remember it and you get all those nice, warm, fuzzy feelings that you had when you were 16 years old. You know what I mean!? That’s my job.
I think for Canadians; I think April Wine is a special band because guys in our age group kind of grew up with them and they had so many hits, so many radio hits. We know all those songs, so just still getting to hear them is great.
I think so too. That’s my approach. When you come and hear the show, you want to hear the song, then we are, our mantra is to play the song as close as possible to the record. That’s what we said we were going to do and that’s what we’re doing and making sure you have a really good time. Yeah. So, you come out, you hear the songs as you remember them, you have tons of energy on stage – Brian Greenway is 72 years old, he’s still kicking ass. And Richard Lanthier and Roy Nichol have been there for like 12 and 14 years. They’re a powerhouse rhythm section. We’re a really tight band. And we’ve got great songs, great hits to play. It’s fun for us too!
It’s a huge catalog. I’m curious how familiar were you with the entire catalog before all this?
Oh, not that familiar. I was familiar with the same songs you were familiar with. I grew up listening to April Wine on the radio. So, I mean, at one point I’d learned maybe 30 songs, and then Brian comes up with the list, he says ‘Okay, here’s seven more songs, these are the American hits’. And I go ‘Excuse me?’ He goes ‘Yeah, these songs were big in the States.’ I go ‘Oh my God.’
I have the entire catalog, so like I’ve followed them since the early 80s, there’s so much to it, right? You have kind of have three phases of the band, the early band until the mid 70s, and then when Brian joined, and then the post reunion stuff. So, how much of that catalog do you guys play? Do you change it up a lot, or are you, is there a set list that you gotta keep to?
When we’re headlining, we have an hour and a half Canadian set, we have an American set, which has different songs, not all different, but there’s a few more American hit songs that are in there that are not in the Canadian set.
We have an opening act set, so, you know, we’re going to England and we’re going to be playing pretty much just the hits, because we have 45 minutes. And then we’re doing the Bachman Turner Overdrive tour in April, I believe that’s a 45 or a 60-minute set, so, again, and that’s a Canadian tour, so that’ll be just the hits, because that’s what people want to hear.
And even though I say just the hits, there’s a couple of deep tracks in there as well. Just so, you know, for the connoisseurs, there are some deep tracks in there as well. But when you have 45 minutes and you have as many hits as April Wine has, you got to pick and choose. It’s a good problem to have.
Now that you’ve been in the band for a while, have you had a chance to go back through the catalog, and listen to everything and kind of put in ideas that may be things you want to try or things that aren’t in the setlist?
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Brian came up with a bunch of songs the other day and sometimes he brings out tunes and I go ‘Man, I haven’t heard that one yet!’ It’s such a huge catalog. I’ll go back and listen to the albums, listen to a bunch of stuff and I’ll come up with a suggestion, and he might say ‘That one didn’t really stick with the public…’, and he knows; he’s been there since ’77, so he knows what was popular, and what wasn’t.
When Myles was still with you guys, you guys had gone into the studio at one point. Was there anything finished or kind of any plans to finish any of that stuff?
I had the honor of writing a song with Myles. He had this song lying around and he and I worked on it and then when he did his last show in Nova Scotia, he brought the guys in and they recorded it and I put some vocals on it, played some guitar. So, there’s a song out there. It’ll probably end up on a live album.
There’s a live recording of Myles’ last show. So that’s in the works right now. I can’t say more because I don’t know where we’re at in that process. Where the powers that be are at in the process. But I’m pretty sure that we’re going to have a bonus track on that album and it’ll be, you know, Myles’ last song.
And you’re on it!?
Yeah.
Have you done any recordings with you in the band? Taped any live shows or anything or any live video professionally that can be used for promotion or for release?
If you go on the website, there’s a video that hits you as soon as you open the website. That’s a promo video that was professionally done. They just took a clip of “Roller” and put it on there as an audio track. So that video, we’re really proud of it. It gives you an idea of the energy of the show live. But there’s no audio yet. There’s no audio that I know of anyways, no professional live recording.
I think that would be a cool idea kind of to reintroduce the band that this is what we sound like now.
Totally agree. I think that even when Myles’ last live show, you could have a package in there where there’s some live songs of us now, so you get a bit of everything. I think that’s what they’re working on. Maybe that’s why it’s not out yet.
Has there been any discussion of eventually recording some new material?
Well, that’s a tricky situation because I think Myles was the main songwriter and Kim, who is Myles’ widow, her job is to really preserve Myles’ legacy.
So, to bring out new songs, they would have to be things that Myles has had a hand in. And he’s got a bunch of snippets on his phone. So, I think one of these days we’re going to have to go through all those snippets and see if there’s good ideas in there, which I’m sure there are, that we could potentially turn into songs.
The other option is, I know when the Thin Lizzy guys wanted to record without Phil Lynott, they ended up finding a new name. Not that you guys need to find a new name, but even… alter the name a bit or ‘featuring’…. But it’d be cool to hear the band, something live and in the studio, as is.
I totally agree.
We’ll have to see. Right now, there’s a lot happening right now just for us, playing live. So, it’d be nice. We’re going to be touring a lot, so it’d be nice to set something up where we could record the shows. We always want to be better musicians. We always want to get better and make the show better. So, there’s nothing like recording video and audio to listen to yourself and to watch yourself. That’s the best way to critique and get better.
It’s interesting because Myles, for years, was very dead set against people recording at shows and taking pictures. So there was a scarcity of stuff out there for a long time.
I think he was a little… I didn’t know the man as well as the other guys. I didn’t get to spend much time with him, unfortunately. But I think he was a little resistant of the new technology until he wrapped his head around it, then he really embraced it. You know!? Even just GPS. I mean, he still liked using maps until he understood it more and then he loved it. Maybe that’s why he didn’t like people taking pictures and shooting video because he was afraid, they would use it in a context that he didn’t approve of.
Do you have any favorite albums in the catalog now that you’ve gone through it all?
Harder, Faster – for sure. Live stuff is always great. There’s great energy. I love the ’81 show in London, they’re really firing on all cylinders. There’s so much out there. Now that I get to sing it, it’s like I like them all. I like them all and I hear them in a different way now.
Do you have any other plans to do anything… Recording-wise – outside of the band?
I had to keep busy during COVID. So, I did like 50 videos of other people’s material. It’s started out as just an I-Phone and a guitar and ended up being productions that would take 3-4 months. it was really fun. So, I’m always interested in recording and getting back to that. I’m always coming up with ideas and putting them on my phone. I just have to take the time to elaborate on them, writing songs. Now that I’m going to be touring a bit more, I have 2 young daughters, so me to take time off, I have to spend as much time with them as I can, so right now I’m more in to ‘papa’ mode because I know I’m going to be leaving soon. So, I’m taking care of my daughters, and spending as much as time as I can with them before I take off.
To answer your question, there’s always songs in my head, and I’m always interested in recording and putting ideas down. I can’t wait to get back to that. I was really into it during COVID when I had more time on my hands. But now, it’s really fun to concentrate on making the April Wine show as good as possible and making it the best people have ever seen. April Wine were a powerhouse in the 70s when there were 5 people in it, and a lot of people were blown away by that show, and our idea is to bring it in to today and still give it that great energy, playing those great songs.
Has there been any talk over time about adding a 3rd guitarist back?
At first, Myles’ idea was to do exactly that. And what happened was, logistically, nowadays it costs so much to be on the road, so expensive to fly to a gig, and fly equipment around, stuff like that. So, it just turned out that was easier logistically for 4 guys (instead of 5) in terms of transportation, in terms of everybody flying out of Montreal. Gary Borden, who is Sass Jordan’s guitar player, had the gig, and at the last minute we had to pull the plug on Gary, unfortunately. And it had nothing to do with him or his playing, anything like that – he’s great! It’s just that it didn’t make sense to bring in a guy from Niagara Falls compared to guys flying out of Montreal. So that’s why it’s a 4 piece, because it’s just too damn expensive to be on the road today, and bring a show to people, and keep shows at a reasonable price. So, maybe one day we’ll get back to that idea of the 5 piece like the early 80s.
That’d be cool! have you had a chance to meet any of the band alumni, like Gary Moffett, Jerry Mercer, and some of those guys?
Well not Gary Moffett, not yet – but I can’t wait! But Jerry Mercer came and kicked our ass in Montreal. He’s 84 years old. Have you seen the video of him playing with us? (Yes). And he said ‘I want to play “Roller”‘, and I thought ‘oh boy it’s going to be like geriatric Roller tempo or something. and Holy Shit (!), man, he came out and kicked our ass! Wow! i want to be like Jerry Mercer at 84, I want to have that energy. He was just amazing!
I saw them in ’84 on the farewell tour, and then a number times in the ’90s when they came back. And Jerry’s solo was always a highlight of the show. It wasn’t like any other drum solo (where you might run to the bathroom), it was pretty intense, and you stuck around and watched it.
Well, if you’re a drum solo fan, you’re going to love Roy Nichols’ solo, it’s really cool; it’s very original. It’s one of the highlights of the show. There might not be time for it when we’re the opening act, but when we’re the headliner we have a drum solo and a bass solo, and we stretch out a little more, which is fun.
Roy sings as well!?
Oh, Roy’s a great singer, a great producer. He’s got his own studio. He’s a super-talented guy!
I’ve seen clips of him online doing Journey.
Yeah, he’s got a Journey tribute band. And Richard Lanthier has a Harmonium tribute band, and a Deep Purple tribute band. I had a Steely Dan tribute band before getting this gig. As musicians we have to have a lot of projects on the go to stay busy; and that’s the nature of the beast (haha).
Do you listen to a lot of music, whether on Spotify or buy anything?
I tend to listen to a lot of blues-oriented stuff, a lot of new stuff – Spotify’s throwing stuff at me all the time. I have all kinds of different tastes – Kasey Musgraves, and I like Blackberry Smoke, and Joe Bonamassa’s band with Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion). I like Slash’s stuff. I like all kinds of new stuff too. Kasey Musgraves is a great singer-songwriter, who I listen to all the time with my daughters. And my daughters like all kinds of new stuff, so they’re keeping me hip to newer stuff. (lol) And every so often I’ll get sick of it and say ‘OK, sit down, these are The Beatles, these are the Stones, and this is Led Zeppelin.’
Did you have a big record collection, growing up?
Yeah. I had a good vinyl collection, and then it turned into cassettes, because we would do these cassette recording blitzes because we could listen to cassettes in our cars. We would get together on Sundays and spend the whole day just recording albums on to cassettes.
HIRSH GARDNER is best known as the drummer for American AOR band NEW ENGLAND, who burst on to the rock scene in the late ’70s, releasing their classic AOR debut album in ’79. That album, co-produced by Paul Stanley and Mike Stone featured the hit “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya”, as well as favorites “Alone Tonight” and “Nothing To Fear”. New England released 2 further albums – Explorer Suite (1980) and Walking Wild (81), before splitting up. Hirsh Gardner moved on to produce other artists and has just released his third solo album Third Time’s A Charm (Deko ent.), which features a mix of Hirsh’s new songs and revisits of some classic New England songs. An excellent disc of hard-rock and AOR, and a ‘must’ for any fans of New England. In our conversation a few weeks back Hirsh talks about the making of his new album, and a bit about his past, influences, and old days in Toronto, as the first thing i learned was Hirsh was born in Ontario, and grew up in the Toronto scene of the late ’60s, before moving to the US for school in 1969.
I’m just a little north of Boston. Boston has been my basic hometown for many, many years. I came here in 1969 from Toronto.
You must have caught a good part of the Toronto scene back then!?
Oh man, big time. Basically, when I was in high school, I used to sneak out at night and go down to Yorkville and just hang out in all the clubs – The Purple Onion, the Minor Bird, the Riverboat, the Avenue Road Club, all those guys are peers of mine. All the musicians, Luke and The Apostles, Mandala, Edward Bear.
I was born in 1969, but through all the Canadian groups that I’m on on Facebook, I’ve heard all these names.
Yeah, I mean Crowbar – Sonnie Bernardi and I basically grew up together. We played hockey, and on Sunday afternoons, his parents ran the coat check down at the Concord Tavern.
So, Sonnie and I would just say, we both became drummers and Sonnie and I would go down on the Sunday afternoon matinee at the Concord and we’d see everybody play down there. That was amazing. It was a great time to be a rock and roll musician in Toronto.
Were you born in Toronto?
I was born in Toronto, yeah, and went to school there and then in ’69 decided to go to Berklee College of Music in Boston. So that’s what brought me down here.
So, Third Time’s A Charm is half new songs and half New England songs that you’ve redone.The new songs, which very much fit the mold of New England, got a little bit more bite and the drums sound great on this album. I’m wondering how you came about to do this like half and half type thing.
Yeah, it’s a great question and it’s one that a lot of people are getting inquisitive. So I had between 9 and 11 songs that were completely done. And a few years back New England was doing a gig in LA and Jimmy Waldo and I arrived at the rehearsal studio slash recording studio first. So we set up the drums and set up Jimmy’s keyboards and just to try things out; we figured ‘well, let’s run down a couple songs’.
So obviously, “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya” was our biggest hit song, so we decided to record the keyboard tracks and the drum tracks just to see how everything sounded. It was nothing that we were planning on releasing. And then in the last year or so, year and a half, as I was recording the new album, I came across the old files of the drum tracks and the keyboards and I listened to it in my studio and I’m going ‘holy shit, this sounds amazing!’ So, what I did is I grabbed my guitar, and I played a little bit of the guitar tracks. Of course, I was nowhere near as good as John Fannon, but I was able to outline the song with the guitar, put a little bass on it and then I just decided to sing the lead vocal and put in all the background vocals and it just started to sound so amazing.
And I’ve heard a lot of covers of the song, “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya”, over the years. I mean, BRONZ, a band from England did it and a band called HOUSTON did it. It just seemed to me that nobody really did this song the justice that I think it deserved. I mean, the song definitely deserves to be hard again because it’s such a classic song and judging from the responses that I’m getting on social media, most people agree with that. So as I was recording the new album and the nine to 11 songs, I sent the version of “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya” to Chris Laney. Chris Laney is the co-producer on the album. Chris is also the guitar player, keyboard player for the band PRETTY MAIDS, and I’ve been a huge fan of theirs for years. Chris and I hooked up a few years back and became fast friends. So, Chris laid down all the guitar tracks, and ff course, he erased all mine because they sucked (lol). And when I got the song back, it just sounded incredible. Chris did such an amazing job. So, I thought at that point, let’s take four or five more New England songs, especially the songs that I’m either singing lead on or songs that I wrote in New England, or co-wrote in New England.
Then I decided to do “She’s Gonna Tear You Apart”, which was on the third New England album. I sent that basic track to Chris and he just recorded some more amazing guitar tracks and then “Hello, Hello, Hello” was next, which I think that was our second hit single. And then, I don’t know if you know, Ron Bumblefoot Tahl; Ron’s an amazing, amazing guitar player and a pretty good friend of mine. I found out that Ron was a big New England fan from way back when, so we hooked up, he’s actually playing on my second album, and I sent him “Nothing To Fear” because I knew he loved New England songs and he could play anything. So, I asked him if he would record all the guitar tracks for “Nothing To Fear”. So, what you’re listening to on the new album is Ron Bumblefoot Tahl on guitar, Jimmy Waldo on keys, Gary Shea on bass, and me on drums and vocals. That song turned out amazingly well. And then, (of course) I wanted to get all the guys in New England on one of the songs, so “Holding Out On Me” was a great choice because that’s definitely a diehard heavy metal AC/DC type of song, I had John Fannon play guitar on that, Jimmy Waldo on keys, Gary Shea on bass, and I have a guest drummer on that, Allan Sorensen. Allan is the drummer in Pretty Maids. I asked Chris Laney if Alan would be interested, and he loved it. Listen to the drums on that song, they are just stellar!
How much of the album does Chris Laney play on?
Well, he’s playing on, he’s playing on “Faith In Your Heart”, which is one of the originals, “Angel In The Sky”, which is a co-write with me and Chris. And he’s playing on “Never Gonna Lose You, “Tear You Apart”, and I think that’s it. He contributed a lot of guitar and he’s just such a talented young man. He really is great.
The original songs you wrote, have they been songs that you’ve written in recent years or things you’ve kind of had over the years?
No, I think most of them are pretty new. I’m looking at my song list here, “Lover’s Lullaby” was written in the last few years and “Reach Out For Love” is the most current song. Maybe “Faith In Your Heart” has been around for about four years. “Angel In The Sky” was a co-write with Chris Laney, so most of these are pretty new. Yeah. I’d say within the last year to two years at the most.
Wasteland For Broken Hearts was your first solo album. How did that do? I’m just looking into this stuff the last couple weeks now.
Yeah. I mean, all the albums that I’ve put out, definitely have some rabid fans out there. So Wasteland was released worldwide, on MTM in Europe.
Yeah, I think the first album. Yeah, I don’t know where I dropped out, but Wasteland For Broken Hearts was the first solo album that I did. Yeah.
And that was released worldwide on MTM Records in Europe and Marquee Avalon in Japan. And of course, it was released on GB Music, which was our own label here in the States. Still getting great response from a lot of the songs on that album from folks on social media, which is pretty cool.
How does it compare to your new album? Is it still in that same mold, that AOR hard rock?
I think that the best way to describe my music is it’s definitely AOR. But one of the things that I love doing is I love mixing it up. On the first album, you’ve got even a ballad that’s in acappella, which is just all voices. And then you’ve got some, just piano and voice. And you’ve got some hard rock stuff.
I like to put a diversity in there. I mean, a lot of albums that I listen to, a lot of heavy metal,… It starts with heavy metal and it ends with heavy metal, which is fine. I prefer to mix it up a little bit and show people a little bit of a different taste on my songwriting abilities. And that seems to have been working for me, so I’ll keep doing that.
From the first New England album, and the second, you guys had a very hard rock – AOR sound, very catchy, very memorable. What influenced you guys and influenced you as far as where you went?
Well, New England’s influences go back to, you know, the melodic prog bands – YES, King Crimson, and then later on, 10CC, Electric Light Orchestra, The Beatles, of course, were a huge influence on all of us, especially with the vocal harmonies and things that you hear. The first New England album, you’ve got a lot of those influences that come through. And even the name of the band. You know, we get a lot of flack for, we came out after Boston. Boston came out in 77, we came out in 79. And people go ‘Oh, they’re just copying Boston!’ And that wasn’t the case at all. Essentially, the name New England, was because (number one), we’re from the area, but we thought we were writing a new English style of music, because those were all our influences. So ‘New England’, that’s what it meant to us. It wasn’t necessarily, because of the area that we lived in, but partially. But there’s a new English sound by an American band. That’s sort of stuck.
Do you consider yourself more of a singer or drummer, or do you like adding the singing, or is that kind of a, something you’d rather somebody else do, or?
Well, that’s a good question. I definitely consider myself a singer now. And, I’m actually playing less drums now than I was even two or three years ago, but… I guess I would say that vocally is kind of where I’m at right now, because I’m always writing, and if I’m coming up with lyrics and melodies, you know, I’ve got to put them down. So, I’ve worked with vocals now more than I have before, and it seems to be working out okay.
The first New England album did well; you had the hit off it, and it’s kind of easily found, and the second one, but the third one never got released up here. What was going on at that point that you guys didn’t have more of a deal?
I think Elektra Records, they had the second album, which is Explorer Suite, and the third album, Walking Wild. And, I’ll be quite honest with you, they just blew it. They just completely blew it for the band. The head of A&R in that record company was pretty lame. And they really didn’t do anything to help us out, and they didn’t distribute it properly. And I think that that was part of the reason that the band met it’s demise, is that it just didn’t get any support from the record company. And years and years later, here we are, I just saw a poll of the top 50 AOR bands ever, and New England was voted number 14! It’s like, okay, if the independent people are telling us that that’s what they thought of the band – unfortunately, the record company didn’t really log on to that program back in the early 80s.
That’s the one album I’ve never seen up here. The third album is a bit of a mystery. Who produced that one?
That was produced by Todd Rundgren, believe it or not. And Todd did an amazing job. I mean, some of the songs on that album are just incredible. “Love is Up In The Air”, “L-5”; there’s “She’s Gonna Tear You Apart”, which is the song I covered on my album. Todd did a great job. It’s unfortunate the record company and the head of the A&R department didn’t do their job.
The first two albums were co-produced with Mike Stone. How did you like working with him? He had a long history, worked with a lot of big bands.
Mike was unbelievable! Rest in peace, Mike Stone. He was a wonderful human being. He was a funny guy. He was great to be in the studio with. But yeah, he produced QUEEN right before he came and produced our band. The vocals, the sounds that he got from us were just amazing. He got great drum sounds.
This is a pretty cool story. So, we were recording, I believe it was at Cherokee or the Record Plant in LA. And, Geoff Workman was in the studio next to us producing the 1979 JOURNEY album (ed: with roy Thomas Baker). Well, I guess…they were just marveling at the sounds that Mike was getting. and low and behold, they hired Mike to record their next album based on what they’d heard from the New England album. And they asked us to go on tour with them. So, I can’t say enough about Mike Stone and his production abilities. I had always been interested in production and, recorded and was producing for many years after New England broke up. And a lot of the things that I do in the studio are just direct copies of what Mike did because it works.
Are you planning on doing any live shows either doing your own thing to promote this album or is there more New England shows in the works?
Well, I think that in the future, there’s a possibility that we’ll be doing live shows. A lot of the live stuff that I have been doing has basically been with myself, my guitar player Joe Filoni and my keyboard player David Sumner. We’ll actually go out as a trio and crank it up just like a regular rock band without drums and bass. And we’ll do like a 45 to an hour set of all of these songs with just the three of us. Because it’s really difficult these days getting a band together, getting people off the road. And everybody’s in a tribute band, so it’s difficult putting five people or six people together in the same room and rehearsing for six months and then going out on the road. So, we have our trio, which we do and I’m looking forward to doing some gigs in the future with that as well.
I know you did stuff with Warrior with Vinnie Vincent and the other New England guys. There’s that three CD set coming out on Cherry Red of all the recordings. I imagine you’re on that.
Well, I play on all of that stuff. I really didn’t have anything to do with the release of that and, I’ve disavowed myself from being involved with that particular record for a bunch of personal reasons. But all the stuff that’s on there is stuff that I played on and, I’ll tell you what man, WARRIOR was an incredible band and it’s just too bad that it didn’t work out. Vinnie got the offer to join KISS right when we were in the middle of recording all those songs and, obviously he’d be dumb not to take that offer. So, our band Warrior just broke up, and I came back to Boston and Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea stayed out in L.A. So, that was that story. But yeah, it was fun listening to some of those songs and I’m glad that any fans that are out there of New England and Vinnie’s get a chance to hear this new music – or Old music, as it were.
Going back, who were some of your favorite songwriters, and what were some of your favorite albums growing up?
Obviously The Beatles. They were just such a huge influence on all of us. I think I learned Rubber Soul , it was, I think the first album that I ever bought. And of course I’d been listening to records long, long, long before that. My aunt was a huge Swing era fan so she turned me on to all of these – Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa…So I had a huge record collection of all the Swing era guys and then … I just became a huge Beatles fan. Songwriters(?)…a lot of people ask me, ‘who influenced you on drums?’ and ‘who’s your favorite songwriter? I’ll listen to anything that is quality production and quality songwriting. I don’t care if it’s Taylor Swift or if it’s Chris Laney from Pretty Maids. I love those guys, and I love their songs. So that’s kind of where I’m at with that. I really don’t focus on any individual, particular person for drums or for songwriting. I hope that answers the question but that’s kind of where I’m at. I’ll listen to anything at all that’s out there that has a great hook and quality songwriting.
I was kind of looking for a few of your favorite albums growing up that kind of influenced where you ended up, that type of thing.
All the Deep Purple stuff. Ian Paice is one of my favorite drummers out there as well. Of course the Beatles. I remember watching the Ed Sullivan show when the Rolling Stones came on and played “Get Off My Cloud”, and I remember that drumbeat was so melodic, and Charlie Watts just killed it, because I was transfixed to the TV.
So those are some of the things that hit me early on that were influential. Electric Light Orchestra were amazing! I love the songs, I love the production. Todd Rundgren – the Something / Anything album was something that I lived with. Humble Pie, Steve Marriott, those were the bands that I listened to. A lot of the English rock bands…of course, King Crimson and YES, I mentioned those guys earlier. And Bill Bruford, listening to him play drums was a mindblower! Just amazing.
Have you kept up with any of the Canadian bands from way back?
Not really. I visit my sister up in Toronto every once in a while, and I think about 10-12+ years ago there was this incredible show that featured all the ‘early 60s-70s artists. It was down by the lake front, in some warehouse type of building. Crowbar played, I think The Paupers played, Stichin Time… That was when Domenic Troiano was still alive, he was there. Mike McKenna from Luke & The Apostles. Luke and The Apostles were probably one of my favorite all-time bands out of Toronto. I still keep in touch with Mike McKenna. He was sort of a mentor to my band in Toronto, which was called The Blues Faction. And we played the village, we played all over the place in ’66, ’67, ’68 – right in those glory days, back in Toronto.
Are you doing any more videos for the new album?
Well, we did one for “Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya”, I thought it turned out pretty darn good. And we’ve talked about doing a video for “Nothing To Fear”. I’m always doing a bit of video editing and throwing stuff up on my website (www.hirshgardner.com). Right now, there’s 3 or 4 videos up there, plus there’s a lot of blogging and other things, so check it out!
Outsider Rock 