When did you decide that a career in music was for you?

 

Emily Bones (Lead Vocals and Guitar): I've always been really into performing - doing plays, choirs, and dance since I was a little kid. When I picked up a guitar in seventh grade and wrote my first song, I just never stopped and honestly can't picture doing anything else!

 

Valerie Knox (Lead guitars and Vocals): When I was a kid, some friends and I wanted to make a music video. I was the lead singer and also rocked a toy guitar, and we had our little band. Our music video was our make believe cover of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ by Sir Elton John, from The Lion King soundtrack. I’m pretty sure that was the moment. I’m really glad this was made before the age of the internet. 

 

                                                             Who are your musical inspirations and why?

 

Emily: This is always a really hard question to answer because I draw musical inspiration from all over the place. When it comes to sound and stage presence, I find myself constantly drawn to the likes of Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, Joan Jett, Dave Grohl, Jack White, and P!nk, among others. 

 

Valerie: I personally don’t really like answering this question.. my inspirations have always changed throughout my life, sometimes very fast and drastically. Every time I get asked this question it’s harder to answer. I don’t know. I like punk rock a lot, but my inspirations mainly come from music that excites me. Sometimes visual art inspires me, I’m weird like that and I’ve definitely surprised myself. Sorry, I’m bad at this. 

 

                                Can you tell me 3 things about yourself that people might not already know?

 

Emily: I have a sweet puppy named Ivy. I cannot operate without a massive cup of coffee. Weed is tight.

 

Valerie: I have a sweet puppy named Maggie. I can’t stand ceiling lights. I like birds. 

 

                                                       What song of yours best describes you and why?

 

Miss Scarlett because we are painfully reminded every month.

 

                                             What has been the best gig you have done to date and why?

 

Montreal 77 because their backstage “Artist World” had amazing catering.

 

                                           If you could perform a gig at any venue where would it be and why?

 

Red Rocks Amphitheatre because it looks cool af

 

             What has been your best achievement to date and what would you like to achieve in the future?

 

Our biggest achievement to date is probably just the fact that we’ve been able to play over in Europe. The first time we went over, we got to share a tour bus with two other bands and it was luxury (stinky) but luxurious. Hopefully that’s not the last time we’ll get to tour on a bus! 

 

                                                          Tell me a story from backstage or after a gig?

 

We opened for illScarlett in Toronto one time and they were celebrating by getting tattooed in the green room upstairs. We each participated after our set and despite the original stencil of the design being the exact same for all 5 of us, each tattoo turned out differently and to be honest, it’s hard to tell what it even is. Good times.

 

                                                  What do you like best about being a musician and why?

 

Emily: I really enjoy the process of writing music straight from the heart and then putting it out there for the world to hear. It's amazing when people not only enjoy it but also find it relatable. Hearing an audience sing your lyrics back to you will never get old.

 

Valerie: The live show is more of an outlet for me. Put me on any stage or at band practice with my best buds and I am in my happy place. 

 

                                        If you were not in the job you are now what would you be doing?

 

Emily: I’d probably be a hair stylist or MUA

 

Valerie: Something involving animal care, I’d love to own a sanctuary. 

 

 

                       What has been the best gig you have been too as a fan and can you tell us about it?

 

Emily: That’s so hard to say!!! I saw Green Day at The Phoenix (a club in Toronto that we’ve now played multiple times) when they had just released American Idiot. I was in high school at the time. That’s my actual claim to fame.

 

Valerie: I was on tour with my other band Black Cat Attack, we were supporting The Independents on an east coast run. One of the dates was just the Independents on the bill, in New York City for at Webster Hall for Joey Ramone’s Birthday Bash, and we totally got to go. The deal for us touring with them was that we shared a rhythm section, so Bryan and Ari from my band were on stage with them during the set. Later in the evening Joey Ramone’s brother Mickey performed “What A Wonderful World” with CJ Ramone and Glen Matlock backing him. 

 

                                                       What would your ideal festival line up be and why?

 

Our ideal festival lineup would heavily feature women, nonbinary, two-spirit, and trans artists instead of the traditional dominance of white men.

 

                              What would you say is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

 

Don’t settle for a good take, get a better one

 

                                            What things do you like to do when you are away from music?

 

When we’re not working at our jobs, we like to hang out with our puppies, tend to our house plants/garden, eat delicious food, basic old people stuff. 

 

                             Do you think social media and the internet are a good thing in the music industry?

 

Absolutely! Tiktok alone has been huge for music and a great resource for independent artists to share their creations. We often find ourselves wishing that both Tiktok and Spotify were around when we were younger, despite how crappy the revenue is for musicians, the ability to connect with a vast audience independently is pretty awesome.

 

 

                             Can you tell us about any tattoos you have and the significance of them to you?

 

Ha! Have long do you have? I guess the most significant tattoo we have collectively is our “tour tattoo” from our trip to the West Coast of Canada with The Real Mckenzies. Right before our show in Regina, SK, we stopped by Stingray Tattoo studio. We each got an exact replica of Valerie's Microsoft Paint-style "ice mountain." It was in memory of the treacherous drives through the mountains in the middle of March.

 

 

What was the first record or song you purchased and why?

Emily: The first CD I actually bought probably would have been a Big Shiny Tunes or Much Dance compilation.

Valerie: I was deep into the Big Shiny Tunes as well. Back then we learned about music from tv.  

What would say to someone thinking about becoming a musician and getting into the music industry?

 

Practice a lot, make friends everywhere you go, always follow your gut. 

 If you could collaborate with any other band/singer or musician who would you choose and why?

 

Emily: I would love to collab with Billie Eilish & Finneas because they're talented and their interviews always crack me up.

 

Valerie: Sum 41 

 

What has the rest of the year got in store for you?

 

Lots of exciting things! We're finally launching our second full-length album, "Disenchanted," on Stomp Records. Produced by Steve Rizun & Dave Baksh. We've already filmed three music videos and have plans for a few more. We've got a ton of shows lined up. Coming up in April, we're hitting the road with Bowling For Soup, and we're also plotting trips across the USA and throughout Canada.