Facepalm is an alternative indie rock 3-piece from Mississauga. Formed in late 2010, this trio has actually been playing together casually for years. When they at last decided to combine their efforts, the result was a mash up of influences that really sounded great together. With the relaxed energy of a great jam session, Facepalm is great at rolling out music that moves the crowd.



Facepalm first joined Supernova in 2011 to play the Showdown series at Toronto’s legendary El Mocambo. Though the band was up against some of the city’s hottest new talent, they came through with a strong performance and a ton of attention from fans. Now the band is preparing to step back up on the Showdown stage for 2012, and will hit Toronto’s Velvet Underground on Saturday March 3rd to compete live.

Before this next massive show, we took the chance to interview the members of the band and find out a little more about their style of alt rock music.


Introducing Facepalm:

Pasindu Dharmadasa - Drums

Akwaee Goodman - Bass and Backup Vocals

Zack Doyle - Guitar and Lead Vocals


So you've been playing together for awhile; how did you form a band?

All three of us have been going to school together since grade 9. Pasindu and Zack have been playing music together for 4 years, but never formed a band because they lacked a bassist. Last year we formed Facepalm with the addition of Akwaee Goodman.

We came up with our name while we were practicing. Zack did something that made us "face-palm" and Akwaee suggested that we named the band Facepalm as a joke. We all decided that it had a nice ring to it and made it our band name. We've gotten where we are today by hard practicing and playing shows both at school and in public.

What type of sound does your music have?

We are an alternative, rock band and we've created our own style of music, mixing different styles of bass, guitar and drums, allowing our music to flow more than the average alternative rock band.

Does the band have any mentors in music?

To us, the Red Hot Chili Peppers can be considered our 'mentors'. We enjoy many of their songs and find their music as inspiration for our own.

How did you first find Supernova?

Zack's sister introduced us to Supernova. Her band had played there before, and she thought that we should go on and see if we could find some shows to play at for experience. We would tell other bands that Supernova is a great way to get started. It is a good place to get experience playing in front of live audiences and a good way to hear their music in a different type of setting.

So far, what's been the most memorable moment you've had as a band?

Our most memorable moment as a band was the first show we played at our school. It was our first time being up on stage in front of a large audience. The feeling of playing on stage with an audience cheering us on was memorable for all of us.

Do you find there are any major challenges in being a new music artist?

In our opinion, one of the biggest challenges facing new artists today is finding an audience that likes your style of music. Sometimes it can be difficult making music wondering if others will like it or now.

What is the most rewarding part of being a new music artist?

The most rewarding thing about being in a band is being able to play the music we love together as opposed to just listening to it. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from playing the songs we like and being able to hear ourselves play.

Do you believe in 'bad music'?

We believe there is a such thing as 'bad' music only when bands don't put effort into their music and performance.



So what advice can you offer other bands?

Don't try to please everybody when writing your own music. Take every opportunity you get to go out and play shows in public and expose your band to people.

Great advice - anything else you want your fans to know?

What makes us unique is the wide variety of music we play. All of us sing and do backups in most of our songs, our bass riffs and drum beats are never simple because our music focuses more on the drums and bass. The drum beats are always different between each of our songs and our bass riffs vary a lot between our songs. Finally, we are very open to try many different kinds of music while merging them with our own style.


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Be sure to catch Facepalm LIVE as they play our Showdown series at Toronto’s Velvet Underground on Saturday March 3rd.

And if you can't make it to the show, check out the band's profile and leave them a message - there's nothing bands like better than feedback from real fans like YOU!