Canadian post-metal/post-hardcore band Loversteeth's relentless pursuit of a unique sonic identity began with their self-titled EP in 2022, followed by the poignant "Feign" (2023) and now the shoegaze-infused "Branches of Argyle" (2024). Guitarist and backup vocalist Karl Lebel Viens shares some thoughts on how the band balances work with touring, how they work together over long distances, and more:
Tell our readers all about your band! Where are you from and when did you get started? What is your music like?
Loversteeth is a ‘’post-something’’ band from Hamilton Ontario and Montreal, Québec. Our music ranges from Post-Rock to Alternative Metal. Sometimes Heavy, sometimes melodics with soundscaped passages and heavy bouncy riffs. Like most bands with members in their early 30s, we got started from the remnants of other local bands. We found each other throughout the Hamilton scene and with myself (Karl) having moved to Montreal, we sort of created a different ecosystem for our band. We jam in longer sessions on fewer occasions and our music is a reflection of that.
What are your goals for your band?
Our goal is two-fold really. Most importantly we want to write the best music we can while giving each other a great creative outlet and platform to showcase what each one of us likes musically. The second is to play great shows in as many cool places as possible. I think a lot of modern bands don’t tour as much as they should for financial reasons obviously. Touring or gigging out of town is expensive but to us, it's important to connect with people in the live music world.
Not only is playing in front of new people great, but talking to sound techs, stage techs, other bands, concert-goers, bartenders, etc… is super fun and informative for us. We just sort of get to hang out with our peers and it’s a great time.
What do you do for a living?
We all do different types of jobs some in music some outside.
Brandon, our vocalist works in field archeology, our guitarist Zach works in Logistics, Charles works in the music industry as a stage tech and sessions player and I work at a university in a Music Department.
How do you balance your work and personal life with the band?
I think what is important is being transparent about your needs with your employers. We have our tours and shows planned about 6-9 months ahead so there are never any surprises when asking for time off.
We have definitely made a lot of professional sacrifices to be in a position that lets us tour and work for people who get that being in a band is our thing. Let’s just say that most of our vacation days are spent inside some dingy venue greenroom somewhere far from home or locked in our jam space for 12 hours ha-ha!
What do you consider to be the best investment you've made, music-wise?
It’s going to sound cheesy but investing in ourselves and our relationships. Taking the time to develop as human beings and understanding each other and our creative process. Another more concrete answer would be a home recording rig where we demo everything and track all of the strings in our jam space. It saves us a lot on studio costs and we get to experiment with guitar tones on our own time.
What's the worst or least helpful thing you've ever spent money on as a musician/band?
Applying to festivals and paying application fees. It's dumb and kind of a scam if you ask me. Paying $10-20 for an application fee is normal, you know it pays for the person who’s gonna check your band out. What I am referring to here is pay-to-play fests.
I remember once I paid like $100 for a festival application and as soon as I pressed send….. I told myself, "Man, we have no chance… we got scammed out of $100." Turns out that festival was Blue Ridge Rock Fest. Let’s just say a lot of people got it way worse from that fest than us!
What kind of merch sells the best for your band? And what do you purchase most often as a music listener?
Sweaters, long sleeves, and double print! We pride ourselves in marking high-quality merch, locally printed on environmentally friendly shirts. I think with rising costs people are drawn to higher quality merch. In my opinion, it’s better to sell your shirt for $5 dollars more than to have a poor-quality shirt.
As a music listener, I usually buy a shirt from any band that rips live. It's literally how anyone can prevent a huge credit card bill at the end of a tour.
Can you share some tour budgeting tips?
BE REALISTIC is the golden rule.
Calculate your fuel supply, and always go on the higher end. We’re in our 30s, so sleeping on floors or in the van isn’t the best. We usually book accommodation every other night so we can prevent from being shells of ourselves on stage. Book early, plan ahead and hook up with any friends or relatives that may live in the area you are visiting.
Having an extra body with you on the road can be cost-effective too. That extra body can help with merch sales, load in, and help with meals. Prepping food before and after the gig , getting beers and energy drinks at the grocery store will help you save a ton of money. If you can, get a low-interest credit card for the band that’s also a great option. It can help consolidate all spending and it’s easier to keep track of. It also allows you to spread the tour costs over a longer period.
Which online music or social media platforms are most helpful to your band?
Spotify doesn’t pay a lick but it helps you track how many listeners you have in each market. It also helps you see how many people are checking out your band after a gig. Let’s say we played a small town to 50 people… if we see 30 listeners from that town on Spotify the next day, then maybe we should come back to that town again. Odds are they will bring their friends next time. It’s a really key aspect in planning return visits.
Instagram is also great to connect with people and checking out new bands in different areas we want to play in.
What does "making it" mean to you, and what do you think a band needs to make it in 2024?
Making it means… reaching your goals! I mean, sure it would be great to have our band as the primary source of income, but that’s not our main goal and I don’t think it can be for any heavy band in 2024.
For us making it means, making good music with our best friends, playing great venues and have people care about what we do. I think a band needs to be as DIY as possible to make it in 2024. No one will care about your band as much as you so learn how to record, learn how to book shows and tours, learn how to do sound, etc. If you can do all that, someone will eventually notice and want to help you out. Or not… and so what… you already know how to do it!
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