The Sound Technicians are a power pop band from Ottawa, ON.  The band’s self-titled album was just recently released in April 2009.  I had a chance to talk with the band’s bassist, Pete Ling, after their set at the TIMA Showcase (“Indie/Pop/Rock”) at The Central in Toronto on August 19.

BD:  You’ve infiltrated the U.S.!  How does it feel to go international?  (101.7 fm WFNX.com – Boston for a month starting Aug. 7.2009, and 95.5 fm WBRU – Rhode Island, 2 songs “Reset” and “Looking at You” in rotation the month of Sep. 2009)

Pete:  Yeah, thanks!  We’ve been very fortunate to have a over a dozen stations pick us up for regular rotation in the States.  It’s early days and we have a long way to go.  We don’t have any label horsepower or machine helping us.  For some reason, Boston has provided a hot-bed of attention to The Sound Technicians, while at the polar opposite end of the country, Los Angeles is starting to buzz.  We’re playing to a packed house at the Whiskey a Go-Go (in West Hollywood, on Sunset Blvd.) on October 8th, as part of the L.A. Music Awards.  Incidentally, we are also nominated for International Showcase Artist of the Year at the L.A. Music Awards.  Ah, yes, the sole Canadians up against acts from China, Russia, Argentina & the UK.  Should be cool and will be broadcasted via satellite feed to over a dozen countries.

BD:  You were selected by Sonicbids for Spotlight Artist Feature the week of August 17.2009.  What kind of feedback are you getting?

Pete:  We’ve had a pretty constant flow of feedback from promoters and media outlets we would have never even had the chance to get access to.  So, thanks to Sonicbids, we’ve had some great traction there.  You know, at the risk of sounding cliché, it’s a classic example of only getting something out of an opportunity based on the level of effort and resources you put into it.  How well you read the opportunity for fit and probability for success takes time.  But within a year or so, if you have a solid electronic press kit and use the service properly, you become a bit ballsier and take more risks with your submissions.  We did and had a few pan-out nicely.  We tend to have between 150-200 submissions on the go at any given time during the year.  It’s an exercise that is not for the faint of heart.  Outside of Sonicbids, we’ve had a sudden discovery-surge in Canadian teens from coast to coast with Facebook.  So, thanks cats!  (laughing appreciatively)

BD:  What is some of the toughest criticism you’ve faced to date?  How do you work past that?

Pete:  While I can’t think of any specific or recent nasties off-hand, rejection is a constant variable that you have to get used to, particularly in this space.  So we just keep our heads down and plough through.  We have been told everything from “Suck it” to “Not today thanks.  Next!”  So what do you make of that? You keep trying, you keep marketing and networking.  Our families think we’re a bit nuts for being so tenacious.  But the way I see it is that our behaviour is analogous to playing scratch-lottery tickets.  If one doesn’t pan out, you can always get another or not.  Funny how you never brag about the ones you didn’t win, huh?  (smiling)  Hey, I won 25 bucks!  Very similar.

I guess we take a bit of flack from people who are expecting something like a solo in a particular part of a song but get another verse.  Or some silly section where we yell something like, “We’re having a party!  You’re all invited!  But don’t bring any losers!”  We like to play with and work from formulaic structure.  But we never bind ourselves to a given or static formula or approach.  Makes for some great comedy when people are dancing to your songs and they have to stop because a certain part is a wee bit whacked!  (we both laugh)

BD:  Do you consider you’re pushing boundaries with your music?  What is your writing scenario?

Pete:  Nope.  We’re all just singing something clever, aren’t we?  Not really sure what boundaries there are left to push.  We’ll leave that effort to keener explorers.  In fact, maybe we’re pulling back from those “boundaries”.  Don’t get me wrong.  We like to do cool guitar tricks to get neat sounds and play with structures.  But we are trying to write songs that have mass appeal yet are personable and memorable to each listener.  You know, like a few of the best kisses you’ve ever had.  I want to take the listener into a 3 or 4 minute story after which they walk away feeling something cool just happened.  Just a bit though, ‘cause we’d want them back for another.

BD:  What sorts of people do you surround yourself with?

Pete:  We are a very tight-knit bunch of guys and have been playing together since we were kids.  We’re like extended family and hang a lot when not playing or recording.  Friends around us are a clever bunch with amazing families, often musically rooted in one way or another.

BD:  Do you have a really memorable show?

Pete:  Yes, but I can’t remember!  (laughing)  Terrible, I know!  We’ve had a number actually opening for so many great bands since the late 90’s from Cracker, Our Lady Peace, Tripping Daisy, The Headstones, Age of Electric, I Mother Earth, By Divine Right, The Devlins, The Rheostatics,  Finger Eleven, Big Wreck, Econoline Crush and many others.  If I had nickel for every really memorable show I’d probably net a dollar.

BD:  Do you have a motto you live by?

Pete:  Two actually.  “Take it on the chin, son.  Never raise your hand.  Never let your friends down and be an honest man.”  And  “Don’t hate me for who I am but for who I am trying to be.”

BD: What advice would you give to up and coming artists and bands?

Pete:  At the risk of sounding like a village elder, here’s our list.

“If you’ve got decent material (songs) either in the can, or released, get over it.  Now market the piss out of yourselves!  They don’t sell themselves.”

“Master the value and proper use of viral and social media and, for shit’s sake, stay on message.”

“Avoid cheese or doing stupid things like playing useless or embarrassing gigs that may haunt you later or have no purpose.  Do things in order.  Kind of like a business plan:  crawl, walk, and then run.”

“Once you get some momentum, you absolutely cannot stop the effort or it will drop like a lead-balloon.”

“You and your music combined are a brand.  Your efforts will dictate whether you stay local, regional or go national or international.”

“Network like a whore at a picnic.”

BD:  What life advice would you give them?  What have you learned?  About yourself?  About life?

Pete:  Life advice?  Family first.  Deny that anything else matters (smiles) if they ask.

No seriously, we’ve learned that, with a tolerant family support structure, your life of rock and day-to-day career, if outside of rock, can co-exist in a freakishly amazing way if you manage the balancing act responsibly.  It helps to have amazing ProTools studios in all of our homes.  But you don’t need to blow all your cash on expensive gear like we did to bang out or regularly get material into the right hands.

What have I learned?  Nobody gives a shit about anything you are doing unless you give them a reason to.

About myself? I wish I knew then what I know now.  Seventeen years in the international high-tech business has given me an edge to navigate and has shown me how to build and grow a brand.

About life?  Execution and making connections is essential.  Creating music or anything is great.  But getting it into the right hands is the key.  Pick your target market or partner prospects and stick with them – relentlessly.

BD:  A music industry insider has recently made the statement that artists are in partnership with their audience and that the long-term, more affordable route is where it’s at – as opposed to a Top 40 track and instant tour.  Basically, don’t go for world domination.  Go for a little piece of the whole rock.  What are your feelings on this?

Pete:  World domination attempts rarely materialize or take shape in any industry.  With music being such a free-for-all including a lot of stinky songs and material out there, it’s very hard to get noticed, unless you have something that cuts through.  When I say that I mean to the right people.  It’s about networking, building trust that you can deliver from both a material and marketing perspective. Relationships still matter.  As I mentioned a bit earlier, if your music, work ethic and efforts warrant movement and some level of success, something may happen.  Take “it” whatever “it” is and be grateful that you’re seeing any traction at all.  Leave attempted world domination to despots, dreamers and mineral water companies.

BD:  What’s next?

Pete:  We plan on getting back into the studio this fall and bang out another album.  We have so much material buried in our 4 brains these days that we just need to extract it.  Maybe we should build a song juicer.  We’d really like to work with a leading name producer who can help operate said juice machine.  While “hope” is not a strategy, we still hope to get some attention from the publishing and distribution world.

www.myspace.com/soundtechies

www.thesoundtechnicians.com

www.facebook.com/thesoundtechnicians