By: Kristen Chamberlain
You’ve all played in various bands before this one. When did things really come together for Dances With Wolves? Andrew Jones: Pretty much, Nick and I started playing music together and that encouraged Andrew Gordon to play drums. We were in this other band and we didn’t like it because of divided interests and then we got kicked out right as we were releasing our first Dances With Wolves demo which was perfect timing.

Dances With Wolves started out as three best friends, how did Owen come into the picture?
Nick: Andrew Jones went to high school with him. Owen was in another band, but they broke up.
Andrew Jones: So we stole him and we reaped all the benefits. I was nervous at first, though. Owen is a way better guitarist then me. He’s way more creative then I am, but I was worried that if he joined he’d take the band in a different direction because he doesn’t listen to the kind of music we do. We already had a distinct kind of stoner-ish sound, but it turned out to be perfect. I wouldn’t want anyone else.
Nick: I love that little redhead.

Rumour has it the song “Astronauts and Stethoscopes” is about Nick, your bassist being beaten up outside of a Pizza Pizza. Where else does your inspiration come from?
Andrew Jones: He’s telling all the secrets!
Nick: No, I’m not!
Andrew Jones: Lyrically wise, pretty much everything has personal connotation, I just lace it in metaphors most of the time. Everything except the song “Someone Stole My Bones” is about personal stuff.
Nick: “Someone Stole My Bones” is about dinosaurs.
Andrew Jones: Yeah, that was a fun song. “Telescope Eyes” is about living in your dreams and hating reality. “Sea vs. See” is about time travel. That’s another fun one.
Nick: It’s really just all over the place.

All four members of Dances With Wolves are now 19-years-old, but you and Nick have been playing shows since you were 15-years-old. How has your sound changed over the years and from previous bands you were in?
Andrew Jones: It sounds like magic now.
Nick: It’s very much improved,
Andrew Jones: For sure. We’re so much tighter than we used to be.

In what ways are you ‘tighter?’
Nick: We’ve just improved so much over the years. We used to get stage fright before shows, and now it’s just so much better playing with people you’re comfortable around. The people you’re playing with really matter.
Andrew Jones: With the old band we never really jammed out but with Dances With Wolves we jam so much and we’re much more used to each other. Everyone adds their own spice to the band.

You’ve said that the sound you create can only be described by other people not yourselves. Who have people compared you to?
Andrew Jones: I heard a mix of Explosions In The Sky and Broken Social Scene.
Nick: Foo Fighters I got once!
Andrew Jones: What?!
Nick: Oh and David Usher. That was a weird one.

Do you consider these your influences?
Andrew Jones: David Usher? For sure, that guy’s my idol I have posters above my bed.
Nick: No, but seriously, Explosions In The Sky and Broken Social Scene are influences for sure.

Where did you record your first self titled 7 song demo?
Andrew Jones: In my living room. My mom went to Berlin and England and we took the liberty to use my house. Used and abused it for two weeks.
Nick: It ended up taking a month though.

Any plans for recording in the future?
Both: Yeah definitely.
Andrew Jones: Probably this summer. We’ll have another 3 songs or so.

In a review of one of your shows your band and sound was described as “ a noggin scratcher, but it’s a good itch.” Does it bother you that you don’t fit comfortably in one genre?
Andrew Jones: No, not at all,
Nick: That’s exactly what’s cool.
Andrew Jones: I love it when people come up and they’re all like, “You were all over the place.” I love it.
Nick: We played this showcase where a bunch of record labels came. They watched our set and we went up to them afterwards and they were like, “What the fuck?” That was the coolest thing ever.
Andrew Jones: Yeah they totally didn’t get it.
Nick: They just told us everything they didn’t like about our band.
Andrew Jones: But, we loved what we were doing and we’re not going to do anything they said. Why change for people who probably won’t ever look at us again?
Nick: For the record it was Nickelback’s record label.
Andrew Jones: Yeah Roadrunner Records. They weren’t too down with us.

Why do you think there’s a pressure to be put into a specific genre?
Andrew Jones: Money. The music industry is all about money. It’s just take, take, take. If they can’t make money off of you what’s the point of signing you, right?

What are your goals and aspirations for your music?
Nick: I just want to play shows.
Andrew Jones: Yeah, so many shows.
Nick: To tell you the truth I want someone to come up and give me a hug and say, “It was so good that I want to give you a hug.” That’s my goal.
Andrew: We need someone on mushrooms then.

Check out Dances With Wolves at www.myspace.com/danceswithwolvesto.

Sea Vs. See

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 16th, 2008 at 8:48 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.