More happiness than disaster

Stabilo. In a world where some bands just need the right connections to gain fame and fortune, here is a group that’s climbing up the music industry ladder the right way. They first gained mass exposure when a local radio station began playing their track “Everybody” and listeners noticed the talent. Eventually “Everybody” became one of the most requested songs on the station and the attention helped catapult the band’s career. Stabilo has extensively toured Canada and their current album “Happiness and Disaster” has received exceptional reviews. Band of the Day’s J-Dude and Jayli recently met up with Jesse and Chris of Stabilo for yet another BotD exclusive…

10 questions with Stabilo

- by J-Dude and Jayli -

1. After you guys learned your song “Everybody” was so popular, what was it like? Did you make any life-altering changes?

J: Well I didn’t go out and buy anything or do anything like that *laughs*. But no, it wasn’t a quick thing; it just sort of happened slowly over time, so there wasn’t this radical change that happened for me.

C: But I think when it became a top ten hit - I don’t know if it was life altering - it definitely made us go “Alright, we can probably do this.”

J-Dude: Yeah, it must’ve been really exciting.

C: It was exciting to hear it on the radio.

Jayli: Buy better groceries and stuff?

C: *laughs* Yeah, start eating.

2. You guys have been touring Canada like crazy. Where would you want to tour that you haven’t been to yet?

J: Anywhere in Europe.

C: I would like to go anywhere: South America…we might be going to Southeast Asia in the near future…

J-Dude: Have you released any music down there yet?

C: No, but I think in June the record’s coming out over there.

3. What was it like working with John Wozniak from Marcy Playground?

J: It was great. It was a lot of fun. We worked with him and Jon Anderson, who was the other producer. John owns Mushroom Studios and just worked with us through there and it was a lot of fun.

C: He’s a fun guy to hang out with.

4. Your CD covers and new website are really cool. Did you guys contribute to the design process and is there any significant meaning behind them?

C: We submitted ideas, but we didn’t actually do the artwork or anything. It was kind of a collaboration between the artist and us.

Jayli: Your current cover: does that mean anything?

J: It’s just sort of like the “Happiness and Disaster” aspect. The little guy floating on the balloon, you know, everything is happy but there’s a little spike on top.

C: And it’s black.

5. Your songs tackle darker subjects, but when first listening to them they came across as hopeful and happy. Do you have any comments on that?

J: Yeah, that’s why we called the album “Happiness and Disaster.”

C: The whole band’s a little bit of a dichotomy and you know…sometimes doesn’t make a lot of sense but works anyways *laughs*.

6. What different things do you guys bring together in your writing and how does that create your sound?

J: Everybody plays a huge role in creating the sound. Chris and myself kind of write individually, and then we take our songs to [the rest of the band] and they do their thing. We’ve been doing it that way for a long time and don’t really know how to do it any other way.

J-Dude: Do you guys ever argue over what you write?

C: About what we write? Like how we’d write about that girl? *laughs*

J: No not really.

7. You guys started your rock careers playing at barn parties. Do you have any crazy or cool stories?

J: Our first show was, in fact, in a big red barn where you walk in and sit on hay bales.

C: I think that was actually when we used to be called Molly before Stabilo Boss. Molly went up - this was kind of our changing bands - and played a set. Two of the guys left and two other guys came up and played another set. We kind of reintroduced ourselves as Stabilo Boss - sort of an incarnation.

J: I think I was drumming for that show. Then I came up and sang Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here.” That was the first time we sang together as Stabilo Boss.

J-Dude: And did it just click that night?

J: Yeah, it was great.

C: Well we’d been practicing, played at some coffee shops and stuff like that together.

8. Your Kitchen Sessions EP was recorded in a kitchen. Was there a reason for that and do you have any good recipes?

J: It’s where the computer was *laughs*.

C: Yeah, I have a good recipe. You take a couple slices of bread, you butter each side, cut some cheese and put it on the bread, fry it in a pan…

J: …which makes it a grilled cheese sandwich. Then you get some nice fine tomato sauce - Heinz actually makes the best one…

Jayli: Is it called ketchup?

J: Yes, yes *laughs*. Then you pour it all around.

J-Dude: I actually put ketchup in my grilled cheese too.

J: Yep, it’s the only way to eat ‘em.

9. If you could run really, really fast - faster than a speeding bullet - what would you do with your powers?

J: I’d stop a train.

C: I would run to the moon.

Jayli: What would you do on the moon?

J: How long could I run this fast for?

J-Dude: Like a superhero power.

C: I think I would explore deep space.

Jayli: You can’t really run in space.

J: I would try to jump across the ocean.

C: Well actually, what you could do…

J: I’d run all the way to Halifax and jump across the ocean.

C: …as long as you can break through the atmosphere, you just keep on going. You don’t have to run once you’re out there; you’ve got momentum.

10. Who would you like to see next on Band of the Day?

C: Any band? Like friends’ bands?

J: Demarco.

C: Demarco? Who’s that?

J: His band. *points to friend outside*

C: Oh *laughs*. Also The Sumner Brothers. You should check ‘em out.

Jayli: Are they from around here?

C: Yeah, they’re from around here. They play like old time/grass/country stuff. Cool stuff.

Thanks to Jesse and Chris for the great interview and seeing as the bonus question was a hit with “10 Questions With We Are Scientists,” here’s another bonus question for you BotD heads:

There’s a fireball heading at you and it’s 5 seconds away. If there was a tape recorder right beside you, what would you want your last message to be?

J: Well I don’t know what I’d want it to be. It’d probably be something like “Oh shit.”

Amen, brother. A special thanks also goes out to J-Dude and Jayli for doing a great job on the interview. Once again we’re going to tell you folks to come back; more “10 Questions” are headed your way.

You; plus sign; me; equal sign; US,

The BotD Team