ExploreMusic scribbles part II

Another week gone by - quite chaotic (in a good way).

Well the major highlight was a pleasant visit from the Barenaked Ladies duo, Ed and Tyler. The best thing about videotaping these in-studio interviews - besides meeting the stars - is getting the inside scoop before the rest of the world. It's also a refreshing look at interviewing techniques. After a long hiatus, the Barenaked Ladies are back with a new album. All Alan started the interview with was a simple "so let's catch-up," and it went on from there. The less he said, the better the answers. He even pulled out a carton of a Barenaked Ladies flavoured ice cream: "If I had 1000000 Flavours" and ate a spoonful. It was very casual and very intimate. Interviews don't always have to be formal or follow a format. I find the more conversation and even statements tend to lead to well thought out answers. It was a really great interview.

To prepare me for this big interview, we had a Toronto indie band come in the day before. They're called Dinosaur Bones. It was a great opportunity for me to learn the importance of set-up time - we've got to test all the mics and cameras, and hook up the lights. And be quick about it. It was a good interview with a couple of very witty guys who were happy to escape their shifts at Boathouse. The host for this interview was Adam Morrison, and he explored what this band thought of the indie music scene in Toronto. To summarize, it's a challenge - camaraderie is great but the goal is to get record labels and the media to notice you. It seems that now "indie" is just the pre-stage to getting signed. After all, making music needs money. It's tough.

Meanwhile, outside the glamorous chats with rock stars, I was working on choosing five songs to list on the Explore Music website. It's for the Five Songs You Gotta Hear Today section. The research is the fun part, but honing it down to only five is torture - it's like winning 2 concert tickets to your favourite show and trying to decide who to take: your best friend, sister, or boyfriend! Anyway, I decided to give back to my local music scene in the end. I chose two unsigned bands from Toronto (Make Your Exit, The Balconies), and two signed Toronto bands (The Nightmares, Attack in Black). We also have to choose a "classic" song, and since it was David Bowie's birthday on Friday I chose his 1995 song "Hallo Space Boy." The music meeting was quite intimidating - having Alan and four other EM employees judging each other's choices was pretty intense. But Alan was ok with my songs, and he even chose The Balconies' "Ghost Fever" to put on the radio. I was pretty psyched, not to mention the David Bowie song seemed to intrigue Alan - score!

Anyway, music aside, I got to partake in a few Corus Entertainment business meetings. Although brainstorming marketing campaigns and listening to updates from each department seems dry, it was insightful. Listening to the up-and-coming with Corus really opened my eyes to the broadcasting business.

Anyway, next week is supposed to be way more intense - and I can't wait! Here's the Barenaked Ladies interview: