File next to: The Aardvarks, Moving Sidewalks
Fresh as all hell, but definitely no strangers to the Canadian music scene, The Lord Almightys make their Wavelength debut tonight at Handlebar. The music is balanced and tasty, and with all the experience between members, their live show is destined to convert you. Music writer and long-time musician Carla Gillis (Plumtree, Sister) talks about the project. Thankfully, it sounds like The Lord Almightys will have sonic treats available soon, but for now check them out live. Amen.
The Lord Almightys of darkness or of light?
Bit of both, I’d say. Can’t appreciate one without the other, which is actually something King Diamond said to me the other day when I had the thrilling opportunity of interviewing him.
I know you are an East Coaster from your days in Plumtree, but where do the other band members hail from? How did y’all meet?
Three of us are from Halifax. Me, Myles and Gerry. Actually, Myles is from the Eastern Shore and Gerry is from Cole Harbour. At band practices, we can let our Maritime accents fly and drop references to obscure Nova Scotia bands and people and places. Once we sang “Song for the Mira” together. Maybe we’re homesick. Gerry and I met at all-ages punk shows in the ‘90s. I didn’t meet Myles ‘til Toronto. I was a fan of his excellent band Cauldron, and then a mutual friend introduced us at a Crosss show at The Boat last year. Steve, our drummer, is from the Ottawa Valley. I met him for the first time at practice a few months ago. They are all great.
Carla, you’ve lived in Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver. Which city is the most godless, in your professional opinion?
Vancouver is pretty sleepy, and Halifax is pretty god-fearing if my relatives are any indication, so probably Toronto. Things can get pretty debaucherous here.
Do you have any plans to record? When can your disciples expect to hear the band outside of live shows?
We just recorded some demos with Myles’s four-track. He’s in the process of mixing them. We’re planning to do a more pro recording at the end of October, if our preferred engineer/producer is able to swing it. Should be something ready soon.
Myles plays in Cauldron and you played in Plumtree. How did you connect considering your musical history seems pretty different? A pixie-haired indie-rocker and a long-haired metalhead! How did it happen?
I was a metalhead before Myles was even born!
I saw on your Twitter page that you eagerly celebrate Phil Collins Friday. Phil Collins’ name instantly conjures the Patrick Bateman speech from American Psycho. What does Phil Collins conjure up for you and do you agree with Bateman’s assessment that he was better in Genesis than as a solo artist?
Phil Collins Fridays is something I do with fellow Haligonians Matt Reid and Lyle Peterson. It’s gotten a bit out of control lately – Matt and Lyle compete with their best tough-guy Phil Collins photos and captions and then I pick the funniest one. A few other jokers have come aboard and it’s seriously fun. I lose a lot of followers every Friday though. For me, Phil Collins conjures up my older sister’s record collection and childhood drives to Cape Breton with my family. I listen to his early solo albums like once a week. He is a terrific lyricist – able to say heartbreakingly heartfelt things in simple, direct ways. And his melodic sensibilities! I love Genesis too, but I think solo Phil is tops. On the other hand, sometimes what I think is a solo
Phil song is actually a Genesis song, like “Invisible Touch.”
If The Lord Almightys inspired a graphic novel, what would it be about?
A slacker indie rock musician who has to fight his seven evil exes in order to win a girl’s love.
—Interview by Amanda Galusha