Edward Burnett chats to Bex and the Disappointment about their first connections with music, their favourite albums and what their post-coronavirus plans entail. RnRR: Hey Bex and the Disappointment! Would you mind introducing the band and telling our readers a little more about your music? BATD: Bex and The Disappointment is an indie rock band from Toronto featuring Rebecca (Bex) Grainger's powerful and emotional vocals. With influences ranging from Stevie Nicks to the Foo Fighters to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with hints of 80s glam rock and early 90' grunge. Rohnny Kosan brings his chewy riffs on the guitar, mixed with a dash of heavy bass groves from Pam Sloan. This is all spread on top of succulent beats from Christopher Moleirinho’s drums. We serve up a rock entree ready to satiate the most emaciated ears. RnRR: How did you all get into music? What were your inspirations from a young age? BATD: [Rebecca]: I’ve been singing since I I was a kid, entering contest in my hometown of North Bay whenever possible. My dad and I bonded over music, so I was influenced by the voices of Annie Lenox, Sade, Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie. In my 10 years living in Toronto, I've sang and written with several groups of musicians but didn't find "the ones" until Ron, Chris, and Pam showed up. [Ron]: I was always playing “Air Piano” to the radio when I was a little kid. My mom thought maybe I wanted to actually play so the next thing I knew I was at the Conservatory (The Canadian Conservatory of Music in Windsor, ON) learning Beethoven. My focus turned to the guitar later. Inspirations were the guitarists that were never considered guitar heroes. Guys like Andy Summers, Robert Smith, Prince, Johnny Marr and James Mankey. Guitarists that didn’t just take huge, shredding solos. [Chris]: I grew up in a musical house, my dad played in bands and that’s how I got into playing. Early influences were mostly classic rock and 90s rock. [Pam]: I’ve been obsessed with music for as long as I can remember. I started in dance at a young age as I’ve always been driven to express what I was hearing and feeling physically and transitioned towards making my own music in my 20s. I bought a guitar and taught myself to play and after a couple years, eventually started playing with other people at which point I transitioned to bass. I grew up in a family with some wide age gaps which gave me a diverse tastes and musical background in different eras, genres, and styles outside of the music that was being played on the radio. As a result, my influences tend to vary greatly. My father gave me classics like the Rat Pack, my mother gave me Led Zeppelin and Pat Benatar. My teenaged siblings gave me 80s rock and pop music, dance gave me a classical ear and on my own I found Nine Inch Nails (which changed my life), electronic music and rap/hip hop. Also following strong, outspoken, feminist, fearless female artists like Salt n’ Pepper and Kathleen Hanna truly shaped my musical attitude. RnRR: For new listeners, how would you recommend experiencing your best? Any tracks that are coming that sum up the band’s vision well? BATD: Live. That’s the best way to experience Bex and the Disappointment. We are about to release our first EP, and all 4 songs are special. For now we have our Single Fade available for free download on our website (bexandthedisappointment.com). RnRR: What are your plans for the future? After the pandemic has passed, are you hoping to organise gigs and realise more new music? BATD: With the current global pandemic, we look forward to the release of our EP on all streaming platforms in the very near future. Then as soon as its safe we want to play all the shows we can! Shows in and around Toronto, hopefully some touring as well. RnRR: Now for the hardest question: if you could only take one album to a desert island for the rest of your days, what has to get picked and why? BATD: [Rebecca]: "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake. Because it calms me. Also, you can chill, cry and sleep to it. [Ron]: "Disintegration" by The Cure because Robert F***ing Smith. Also, The Cure were my first concert ever. [Chris]: "White Pony" by Deftones. [Pam]: As much as I’d love to say Downward Spiral by NIN, it would have to be "Are We Not Horses" by Rock Plaza Central. The album as a whole is a journey and a story that’s almost like watching a movie through songs. The feelings evoked are strong and real but range from heavy and existential - to light, cute and carefree in an almost seamless, yet cohesive album. The songs can be enjoyed on their own for different moods but as a whole, it’s quite the trip that has already entertained me and kept me interested for over a decade. RnRR: Some great choices there and it’s been a pleasure having you on Spotlight. Finally, where would you like to be in your career in around three years time? BATD: We are happiest making and performing music together, and we try our best to never take our artistic connection for granted. We hope to have a couple full length albums in the next few years and to play more cities, countries and venues while growing our fan base. We will also continue to be grateful to make and play music together for as long as possible. If you'd like to find out more about Bex and the Disappointment or find out their latest news on upcoming releases and gigs, the links to their socials are below:
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