Remembering Apollo is comprised of four kick ass artists who aim to put a twist on traditional indie grunge rock. From Kitchener, Ontario, they've earned a loyal following of local fans and are beginning to broaden their experience on the live concert stage.
The band began gaining momentum this year on the Indie Online community for 102.1 The Edge, and upped the ante with a big win at Supernova's Road to CMF that put them on stage at this year's CMW!
With coordinated confidence, Remembering Apollo manages to demonstrate some original reworking of your typical grunge alt sounds. They have a great mastery of the heavy/soft balance, and distinguish themselves by keeping a positive attitude while fighting in the trenches of the indie scene.
Supernova caught up with the band after their CMF show for a quick chat, and to learn a little bit about how each individual fits in to the group. Introducing Remembering Apollo:
Matt Weiler (Skippy) - Drums
Zac Culp (Stampy) - Bass
Erik Sadler - Guitar
Becky Gavin - Vocals
So what brought you together, and how did you get your name?
Music is what brought us together, and nothing can get between us as friends or musicians. Our name was thought of by Erik; Apollo is the God of Poetry and Music. We are remembering him!How would you describe your band’s sound?
If you insist...Pop-Core Rock clashed with Progressive-Metal Grunge :)
...Like any band, we have a hard time classifying ourselves, but that seems to do it.
It sure does! What's the most rewarding thing about being in a band?
Being able to express ourselves through music, being able to play live in front of people and meet awesome new people at every show. It's also insanely rewarding to have the crowd sing parts of songs back to us. It's kind of a moment when you get the shivers. Realizing that the music you're making is connecting with other people is something really special.
Was there any particular moment or event that made you realize you wanted to pursue music full time?
Matt: ...A friend once said, "you should play drums," and from the first moment I picked up drum sticks, it felt right.
Erik: ...First time I saw the I Hate Everything About You video by Three Days Grace; I've grown past them in a sense, but there was just something raw and aggressive about that song and video that spoke to me when I was about 15 and I knew I wanted to do that.
Becky: ...It's all I know, I was born knowing that this is what I want to do.
What other Artists do you look up to?
Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin, Peter Tägtgren, David Byrne...
Is there such a thing as ‘bad’ music?
No, just because you don't like it, doesn't make it bad.You can always learn something when you listen.
What is the biggest challenge facing ‘new’ artists, in your opinion?
The biggest challenge is just getting over that first big hurdle of establishing yourself and getting your fanbase growing. It isn't impossible though; the benefits are there for you to reap if you're willing to absolutely work your ass off to reach them. We are.
How did your band find Supernova.com?
102.1 The Edge... Supernova is a great resource for Networking.
You guys rocked CMF this year... What would be your band’s ‘recipe’ for putting on a good show?
Corn Syrup, 2 parts Red food colouring, 1 part Blue food colouring, and a dash of Cocoa for that brown tinge. You figure it out.
Where is your favourite place to practice or play?
Our Closet of a jam hall; and now it's time to come out!
Haha... Is there anything else that makes your band unique that new listeners should know?
We like to think we walk a fine line between being really heavy and raw with our instruments, and melodic and beautiful with our vocals (though we wander from that all the time). We all love heavy music, but we all also have a huge love and appreciation for melody.
At the end of the day, the hook is what you're going to remember, and we have hooks for days.
