Paint has been rockin' stages since their 2009 debut, Can You Hear Me?
The eclectic rock-pop Toronto-based outfit are no strangers to KW and tonight they return with their latest efforts including the 5 Year Anniversary edition of that first release.
OTN chatted with Robb Johannes (lead vox) about coming back to the Region, getting funding for the new project and working with one of KW’s leading producers.
OTN: Tell me about all the new projects you have going on!
RJ: Paint currently has three major projects on the go:
1) A concert DVD and live album that are filming and taping on October 3 at The Cameron House in Toronto. The set list will be 90% new songs and will become our next full-length release. Our live show and relationship with our audience is so central to who we are, it feels like the appropriate document to create -- and it's an open invite to Paint fans all over to be part of our history by being in attendance;
2) A black-and-white short feature film called 11:11 with an accompanying soundtrack of brand new Paint songs. Best way to describe the film is if David Lynch directed Quadrophenia. The film was funded entirely by our fans through an IndieGogo campaign, and the soundtrack is being generously helped by FACTOR. We’re a lucky band. Not to give any spoilers, but you can probably expect something to drop on November 11;
3) A 5th anniversary deluxe edition of our debut album Can You Hear Me? with bonus demos, live tracks, interviews, retrospective chats with the original (Vancouver) lineup, and expanded artwork. It came out August 12. The last five years for Paint have really been about trying to be as great as we were when we first started (which I'm proud to say we are now), so celebrating the fact that we're still a band and that our first record is still exciting to listen to is a pretty special thing.
OTN: You worked with FACTOR for funding. Tell me about this process.
RJ: We tended to shy away from applying for funding because all we ever saw was bands who were already very successful getting rewarded -- but this time around we put our wasted university degrees to use, wrote up a solid and air-tight proposal for 11:11 and its soundtrack, and were approved! So we're shooting 1 for 1 on that right now. The key was to just have a history of touring and DIY reputation in the music industry in Canada; clear project plan and creative direction; achievable and concrete steps; a team; a promotion and release schedule; and relevance to furthering Canadian arts and culture. We have them all, so we’re glad it was recognized.
OTN: You worked with KW's own Ian Smith. What was that like?
Ian produced, recorded, and even co-wrote a couple songs on our second record, Where We Are Today (with an accompanying documentary called Where We Were in April about our relocation to Kitchener to work at his studio). He's the ultimate chess player for Paint; he knows how to bring out the best in everyone and create a recording environment that isn't technical but rather focuses on the emotional and creative cores of the music.
OTN: Tell me about the event and what can people expect.
RJ: Through recording our last two efforts in Kitchener, we've come to spend a lot of time in K/W. While we continue to play all over the country, we constantly feel most at home in Toronto (obviously) and K/W. Tonight we're at Cork Hall and a special treat for fans we have a 90-minute time slot -- so you can expect almost a dry run of the concert film with a lot of brand new songs as well as some hidden gems from our back catalogue that rarely see the stage anymore.
The original text of this article can be found at 570 News.