JS : “ Zoochosis ” was one of the last tunes that we actually made for the record . We hadn ’ t put as much time into it and it was hanging in the balance for a while , but we ’ re all really happy with it . It ’ s a fitting and appropriate closing song . That one was more just how it felt and we went more with our instincts on that one , whereas “ Nigredo ” was very slowly put together . There were a lot of different parts that we worked at in isolation and slowly moved them together . It ’ s really interesting with some of those tempos , because you speed a couple of them up by as little as 2 bpm and they just don ’ t sound as sad or forlorn as you want them . It was a lot of experimenting and fitting it all together .
CM : What ’ s the biggest challenge about touring today ?
JS : Well for us , there are kids involved , so being away for large stretches of time is a challenge . Also , as we ’ re getting older , achieving proper rest while being away is big . We ’ re not crazy partiers , but I ’ ve always found it a challenge to , you know , when you have to peak at such a late hour , then how do you get to bed at a reasonable time ? It ’ s much like playing beer league hockey when you get the shitty ice time and then you can ’ t get to sleep until four in the morning .
Adam Paquette
The Glorious Sons
PHOTO : DAVID MCDONALD
As the drummer for The Glorious Sons , Adam Paquette has covered lots of ground in a short time . With the release of their second LP , Young Beauties and Fools , Paquette and the band are preparing for more new challenges and many more kilometres on the road .
CM : What is the most recent piece added to your live set up and why did it earn that spot ?
AP : We ’ ve been checking out some of the Roland drum pads and decided to get one . I haven ’ t used it with my kit yet , but that will be the newest piece . I also just picked up a new snare to get the tone we ’ ve got on the new record .
CM : With your second LP , Young Beauties and Fools , now out , what has changed the most for you about your approach to drumming since 2014 ’ s The Union ?
AP : The band ’ s entire approach to writing has changed since then . We used to go jam and fumble around for a while , but now we build the songs up piece by piece from Brett ’ s acoustic songs . We can test out drum parts on the computer , add different elements , and then I can go try it out on the kit . At first , I didn ’ t like it and needed to be convinced . It was a bit of a challenge , but it ’ s worked out and wastes a lot less time . I ’ ve also been taking lessons to learn more complex moves .
CM : In a recent interview on Canadian Musician Radio , Brett mentioned he thinks good rock music can sound modern and doesn ’ t have to sound like it came from the ‘ 70s . Young Beauties and Fools seeks to prove that in some ways . How do the drums factor into this ?
AP : Yeah , hmm … Probably less four-on-the-floor drumming I ’ d say . There ’ s more right arm work for sure and different moves on the snare and toms that serve the song . The tones of the drums , and the snare specifically , help give the album a modern rock sound , too . We ’ ve spent a good amount of time finding the right snare tone .
CM : What is the most important thing you learned from working with the Fast Friends production team of Frederik Thaae , Ryan Spraker , and Tom Peyton ?
AP : They basically helped us develop our new approach to writing and helped us feel comfortable with it . We had a lot of stops and starts just trying to jam new material and we wrote enough songs for another album before Young Beauties , but we just didn ’ t feel like they represented what we want to sound like . We ’ ve been on the road so much too , playing hour-and-a-half-long sets that I was definitely feeling some pressure to get some new music to play for fans . The guys helped us learn to build a song up in different ways . Once we got that , the new album came together pretty quickly .
The Gear
YC Drums
• 14-in . Rack Tom
• 18-in . Floor Tom
• 22-in . Kick YC 14-in . Custom Snare
Sabian & Paiste Cymbals
• 14-in . Sabian AA Stage Hats
• 18-in . Sabian AA Crash
• 18-in . Paiste Signature Crash
• 20-in . Sabian AA Ride
Los Cabos 5A Drumsticks
Maya Miller
The Pack a . d .
Maya Miller is the drumming half of Vancouver-based psych-pop / garage rock duo The Pack a . d . Miller tells us about simplicity , the limits of cool , and what it means to live in a dollhouse .
52 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN