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Tin Bangs are a passionate and driven four piece based in Toronto, and as usual I am not going to bother describing what they sound like, just download the track up there ^ and make your own description up. Tin Bangs is Ben Taylor as vox and guitar, Bryan Dunlay on lead guitar, Phil Darling on bass and Shane Francescut behind the kit. Ben did an email interview with me at the end of June/06.
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Tell me about how the EP, Heavy Handed Darling, came together.
Ben:Well, we were rehearsing and playing a few shows at the end of 2005, and we had what we thought to be a good bunch of songs together. We wanted some kind of release to give people who were coming to the live shows, so we got a really great producer in Michael Mackenzie, went into the studio, and were emotionally and mentally beaten into submission until we played something that sounded like music. Really. And we can't wait to do it again soon.
How did the release show at Rancho Relaxo go?
Ben: Fantastic. We had a packed house, we had a great opening band in our friends Clydesdale, and we played the sweatiest 35 minute set yet. It was wicked.
What are your promo plans for this disc?
Ben: The promo stuff is really just about playing tons of shows here and outside of the city, and then the mailouts to really anybody who is interested including labels, radio stations etc etc. I guess the thing is just getting it out there and really getting into anybody's hands, as well as the "right people's".
I can feel the Pixies influence here, what else has been an inspiration?
Ben: Yeah, definitely Pixies. We come from all over the map. I mean, we draw from a lot of different places ranging from early punk bands like Buzzcocks and The Damned more intense stuff like Joy Division to metal bands like Motley Crue, and then around again to The Who at times. Basically rock n'roll I guess, most of it British.
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How did you get involved with Pop With Brains, and can you tell me more about the project?
Ben: Pop with Brains just sounded like a good idea, you know? I mean, play for free, and all the money goes to help treat people with mental illness or addictions or whatever the reason people have to get help from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. It's mostly ignored in terms of healthcare dollars compared to other diseases, so we thought it was good cause.
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Ben on creating the EP
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'We wanted some kind of release to give people who were coming to the live shows, so we got a really great producer in Michael Mackenzie, went into the studio, and were emotionally and mentally beaten into submission until we played something that sounded like music. Really. And we can't wait to do it again soon.'
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How important is it for you to be hands on about all the aspects of Tin Bangs, from CD art to promo?
Ben: Pretty much the whole deal is a very hands on group effort, but for the things we can't do ourselves we've been lucky to work with really talented, committed people ( e.g. Catherine Allen who did our CD sleeve). For the rest of the stuff around promo, our management company Constant Crush is amazing with a lot of the administrative things, freeing us up to put up posters, do flyering, etc etc. I guess to answer your question, we are very involved the whole way, so if you see someone putting tin bangs posters up, come and say hi, because it's one of us for sure!
Are you looking for label support? What are some of the things you're looking for in a label?
Ben: Absolutely. I mean, the idea is to do this full time, for real, so yeah, some money to help that out would be great. In terms of what we're looking for, I guess what's really important is that we feel like the label supports what we're doing. It would also be wicked to have a tour bus instead of our van, but we're not looking for that now!
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The Playlists
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Ben's Playlist (Albums)
1. The Concretes - In Colour
2. Cat Power - The Greatest
3. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show your bones
5. The Rakes - Capture/Release
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