Falconhawk is a Calgary-based synth-pop band, and they have given birth to one album so far, Hotmouth (available through their website). Sarah Kolasky bonded with Falconhawk's leading lady, Kara Keith, over email.

What are you secretly addicted to? Red Bull and Peel Licorice.

What was your experience with this year's NXNE like? We found the Toronto people to be particularly friendly. We were sponsored by our indie label, Saved By Radio, to spend five days in the Big Smoke. And although we didn't know what to do with ourselves for all those days, we enjoyed them quite a lot.

Did your show go well? Yes. Thank you. We had half-naked men throwing shirts at my keyboards. We had the dance floor packed, despite the lack of dance floor. We ate special order FH cupcakes that were so cute it felt like we were eating live bunnies.

Tell me about the other members of your band: names, instruments, distinguishing traits, etc. Dave Alcock plays drums and owns a recording studio called Sundae Sound. He produced our first album. And he was last seen playing drums in the band Chixdiggit! They toured the world. How cute. Anyway, Mark Rudd is our bass player. He met Dave growing up in a small bush town just outside of Calgary called Cochrane, and they started their own BMX bike gang. They called it The Falcon.

Describe Falconhawk's sound. Synth-pop. Dancey but not synthetic. Like rock'n'roll, but without guitars.

What is the last dream you had? I was trying to convince David Bowie to leave his new boyfriend 'œSy'? and return to Iman. I told him that heterosexuality was still in for bisexual rock stars.

What's the music scene like in Calgary? The music scene in Calgary as I know it: Bands in Calgary are admitting their existential crises unlike big city bands in Toronto or Vancouver. My theory is, The Big City never relaxes quite enough to allow the evolution of an idea. Everything in a big city is tossed around and constantly competed with, which, according to my theory, may leave artists feeling self-conscious and thus fearful to experiment with new ideas. In an extremely right-wing cowboy town like Calgary, artists are all in the same playing field by virtue of constantly being 'œothered.'? There is a kind of isolation here that forces bands and supporters to support and nurture each other. We just don't have the population required for any kind of scene competition, and thus are less cynical and ready to examine the existential crises as a collective.

Do you have anything similar to Wavelength? Well, no. We do however have a Stampede Breakfast once a year at Rock Central, which is a house in the infamous Victoria Park neighbourhood in downtown Calgary and was the birthplace of my favourite Calgary band, The Dudes. Everybody helps out flipping pancakes, truckloads of straw is brought into the backyard, and bands from far and wide come to play music. The cops let us yip and yelp all day if we promise not to curse.

What's the best/worst piece of advice you've ever been given? My friend Doug Borassa told me to 'œpick your battles.'? (This invaluable advice was given after I yanked a wind chime out of the hands of a lady at the Thrift Store, because she had been carrying them by the string and it was clanking and I couldn't concentrate on my shopping.)

Any favourite books/CDs/films that we should know about? The world needs to know about Calgary-based artist Chad Van Gaalen and his collection of over 200 albums he has recorded using his own handmade instruments in his bedroom in the suburbs.

If you weren't making music, what would you be doing? Teaching it.

Do you go to the rodeo? Yes. I either go to the rodeo or stick tiny pins into my eye.