>>PREVIEW
THE OSTRICH
Thursday, May 31
Broken City
It’s a rarity to gather all the members of a band together for a face-to-face interview, let alone one that stretches for most of a rainy afternoon. That’s what makes a recent conversation with Calgary’s The Ostrich both a feat and a treat. The foursome have been together just over a year and have carved out a reputation for tight sets compeimented by the frantic stage antics of front man Chris Zojko.
Lounging in a back booth in a crowded pub, they come across more as a motley group of drinking buddies than a band. Yet their natural chemistry together is palpable, at times finishing each other’s sentences. As a life-long lover of rock ’n’ roll, Zojko had been trying to get his own band going for eight years when serendipity brought him guitarist Chris Milne, bassist Grant Bondeel and drummer Mike Bressanutti together.
"I think about sex every 11 seconds," he says. "I think about the band every six seconds. It’s a bit of an obsession."
"It just felt right," adds Bressanutti, a veteran of Calgary’s music community who Milne refers to as the backbone of the band. They practiced together for less than three months before putting on their first show at The Palomino and have been booking consistently in the year since. Still, they’re not overly concerned with whipping up press releases, or making sure all their friends come out to gigs. They agree the music should speak for itself, with as little self-promotion as possible.
"Bands are obsessed with hype," says Bondeel of the often slick promotional material that accompanies a new release or upcoming show. They’re releasing an eight-song CD next month, recorded at Calgary’s Cougar Ridge Studios, and are excited for feedback on their recorded work. Zojko notes one of his primary motivations is to see people moving in front of the stage, rather than nodding their heads and occasionally punching the air.
"Before disco, people used to dance to rock ’n’ roll. The idea of people dancing to rock ’n’ roll isn’t a new one, yet it seems that way." Zojko says he’s happy to be a part of the dance renaissance that has wriggled its way back onto the floors of live venues in Calgary and beyond.
"We’re not trying to be a garage rock revivalist band, although there are elements of that. There’s also elements in the bass lines that are more modern, with a danceable groove," explains Milne.
"We’ll give all kind of sounds a chance to blossom into something ridiculous before we give it up," says Bondeel of their egalitarian writing and jamming style.
"There’s even been a vacuum cleaner involved," adds Bressanutti, laughing.
Even though they’re all about the shenanigans and frivolity, they admit they’re hoping to be a part of something significant in Calgary’s music scene.
"No one expects something to happen here. Bands from Montreal don’t move here to jump start their careers, it’s the other way around. The way I see it, it’s a dare to make something happen here. This place should have an awesome, crazy scene," says Zojko.
There have been the obligatory Stooges comparisons, and they acknowledge and embrace their influences, rather than bristle at the mention. "I think a lot of musicians take their cue from other bands but they just don’t admit it," says Bressanutti.
"I really want this band to evolve into something that sounds like a whole different thing. It’s hard to say there’s one sound we’re going to stick with because it’s not realistic or even desirable," says Zojko, adding their lyrics lean towards the abstract. "I hope we get weirder as we progress."
Their immediate chemistry is a source of pride for The Ostrich and even when they attempt to wax poetic, it quickly spirals into a joke. "It’s weird how well it all fits together without really trying," says Bressanutti. "That’s the magic of music, right?" The table erupts in raucous laughter and he finishes his beer. "People talk about chemistry, but I want to talk about alchemy," he trails off amid more fits of laughter. "But seriously, I really like this band. Some bands I’ve played in, it’s been a bit of a chore."
At this point, it’s clear the formal part of the interview is over. More beers and a basket of fries are ordered and the afternoon fades into a fuzzy blur. |
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