The Brown Hornets are a 4 piece based in Toronto, and have been working together, playing shows and generally tearing it up for a decade. Danny Walters is vox/organ, Mike Tomlinson is guitar, Robin Mason is behind the kit and Justin Heming on bass. I haven't been out to a show yet, but the more I read about their set the more I want to be there, there's fruit involved people. Dan did an email interview with me in June/06 about their new disc, labels, and being hands on, and more.
How is recording going for the new disc? Where are you recording it?
Dan: We have the beds down for the 10 songs going on our new album. This weekend I will be completing the album with some Tarzan calls and gospel organ swells. The project is being recorded, mixed, and produced by the most righteous Sean Baillie of Electric Machine Studios in Toronto.
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Promo plans once it's finished?
Dan: The album will practically promote itself. Just joking. We are currently aiming for distribution in Japan, Germany, U.S., and Canada. We have a video ready to be aired on MuchMusic, and its release will coincide with the release of our record. My spidey-senses tell me that the majority of our sales will happen off stage. We have a manager who looks like Captain Caveman—he’s so loveable, and people who don’t even like our band feel compelled to by a CD from him.
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Are you looking for label support? What are you looking for in a label?
Dan: I’m not particularly interested in labels. I understand their significance in the landscape of independent music; I’m just not excited about them. If we were to sign the proverbial ‘deal’, I would like to see a considerable amount of strategic planning—as opposed to some willy-nilly talk of grandeur and world domination. Full blown development deals seem to be a thing of the past. Like the XFL or Slamball. Actually, they’re nothing like XFL or Slamball. I just wanted to write about them. I get the giggles when we’re approached by labels—and they fail to see the humour of doing business. I suppose that’s why we have a manager.
How important is it to you to be hands on about all the non musical aspects of The Brown Hornets? (fliers, cd artwork, web design)
Dan: A grassroots ethos is a necessity for us. We have always been dirt-poor and ugly—Mike and I were always selectively impervious to the ebb & flow of musical trends. The Brown Hornets survived Grunge, Euro-Dance, Mope Rock, College Rock, Neo-Swing, Latino Music, and now Disco Rock. By dancing within the peripheries of popular music we could always navigate our project in comfortable directions. We’re not quite insiders, but not so reclusive that we play dungeons & dragons and memorize Monty Python skits. Possibly a trifle subversive...
By doing our own fliers, artwork, and web design we create, sustain, and signify a culture of hard work & integrity. This sounds more boring than it is. But to us, it’s important to know how to do things on our own. Inadvertently, we’ve developed a set of venomous fangs over the years. We’ve come to rely on nobody for anything, whilst genuinely appreciating others’ support and interest. We fall over ourselves to let our supporters know how much we love them. And we do.
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Where are you going with this? Are you really going to save rock?
Dan: I don’t want to save rock. I want to start with a clean canvas. I want to reassemble existing elements from the stratosphere of gospel, soul, and rock&roll. We are, for instance, revisiting the Pointer Sisters’ Neutron Dance on our album (its only cover). It caves my skull in every time I hear it. I miss the unglamorous, silly, unpredictable raw excitement in rock&roll—I love the unbridled mania of artists like Little Richard, the Sex Pistols, and Otis Redding. When we perform, I can’t even see straight—I am overcome with hyperactive feelings of love & destruction. There’s no better idea than having that spill over to others, and in turn, having their daffyness spill onto us.
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Dan on being hands on
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'By doing our own fliers, artwork, and web design we create, sustain, and signify a culture of hard work & integrity. This sounds more boring than it is.'
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Do you feel that you have any specific challenges or advantages being from/based in Toronto?
Dan: No challenges. I like Toronto. I still feel overwhelmed by its busy pace and alchemy of perfumes. I’m from a rural community just east of Oshawa—and people don’t wear nearly as much perfume or cologne there. Or gold chains or sparkly cell phone accessories. People back home kind of have a uniform. Like a cartoon character. The most common look in 2006 has been parachute acid wash pants with a ‘University of Budweiser’ sweatshirt tucked in. White Velcro Hightops on the feet, and a fuzzy Alan Thicke hair cut up top.
Favorite local venues to play?
Dan: I quite enjoy the Horseshoe, Rivoli, and Silver Dollar Room. I can’t really think of a place I don’t like. I’m looking forward to playing the Bovine this summer. I find that the ‘quality of show’ has less to do with the physical place, and more to do with the crowd.
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I love the Toronto crowds—they understand all that Pointer Sister Gospel crap I was just talking about. I also love a good booker—Dan Burke is a hero to me.
Who are some of your favorite local bands to play shows with?
Dan: My favourite band in Toronto is Sweet Thing. They are incredibly smart, polite, and talented. If was a label dude, I would drop all my other acts just to make room for Sweet Thing. I also have a soft spot for the Red Light Rippers and Crash Kelly. C’Mon is an undeniable force of nature—I have big respect for Ian Blurton (his drummer Randy is very Keith Moon). My favourite band by way of Toronto/Texas is, by far, Oliver Black. It’s an absolute honour being their friend. Other than boogie dancing, eating bananas, and walking on my organ, my favourite part of music is its powerful sense of community.
Check out The Brown Hornets June 30 @ The Boathouse in Kitchener/Waterloo and August 19 @ The Bovine in Toronto.
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The Playlist
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Dan's Playlist
1. Mahalia Jackson — You'll Never Walk Alone
2. Chuck Berry — My Ding-A-Ling
3. Sly & the Family Stone — Stand!
4. Otis Redding — Try a Little Tenderness
5. Little Richard — Short Fat Fanny
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