The band name is full of meaning: exchanges of information, or hostages, or bodily fluids, or money for goods and services. And likewise, The Exchanges are an all-purpose rock band, heavy with blood and sweat and tears. Andrew DeVillers and Rob Balon tore up all kinds of stages as a two-piece, and then in 2005 added Jeff Dowdall on bass. As a triangle, they cannot be bent. Demian Carynnyk and the band took part in a number of e-mail exchanges.

Hey, how's it going? What are you up to?

Rob: It goes well. I guess it depends on what you mean by 'œup to'?.

Jeff: Hey, things are great. Lately, I've been working on my grammar.
Andrew: Good. Finishing our record and ready to get back on stage, kicking off with Rob's birthday show at Sneaky's.

Who does what in The Exchanges?

J: Andrew and Jeff play a combined ten-string animal, Rob proceeds to beat said animal like a set of drums, and Andrew provides the wail of the beast.

R: I play the drums, and am a bit of a hothead. Jeff Dowdall plays the bass, he's the nice one, and Andrew DeVillers sings and plays guitar, mostly a nice guy but he can be a jerk. I think the big city has jaded the young man.

Your amazing live show: are you more like a shark, a whale or a giant squid?

A: I'm gonna go with giant squid.

J: A giant squid. It could have something to do with our long torpedo-shaped bodies and beak-like mouths.

R: Land Shark. We are damn aggressive'¦The ladies like to dance to our brand of rock n roll. At the same time we rock with reckless abandon and fervor like few bands I have seen around.

What are you against? What do you hate hearing about or being associated with?

J: Rob and Andrew.

R: I hate being associated with screamo wuss rock and soft-core punk. TV, TV shows, the news. I don't like hearing about bad people doing bad things, and I don't like hearing gossip about people I know. Fuck gossip. Find a hobby other than other people's lives. Write a poem or build a sand castle.

Amidst all the guitar/ bass/ drum heaviness, what are you singing about?

A: I don't know that the guys are thinking about it when they're playing; actually I don't know if they are thinking about anything, ha. But it's in there. Lyrically I'm trying to express what it means to be alive at this point in time, what I think people around me are going through.

R: Songs should be about experience or dreams. The truth you know, what you believe to be true. Then maybe throw in a happy party tune or two. Can't take yourself too seriously.

Hey, is it true that Rob built his own studio? How awesome is that?

A: It is true and it is awesome. I'm looking forward to the many great records that will be recorded there by us and many many other artists. Highland Park Studios big ups!

J: Yeah, it's amazing. We are very lucky to have a resource like that. Rob's a great engineer, and I know any musician would be very at ease and comfortable in the environment he's created.

R: It was a dream of mine for years, and now it's finally fully functioning. You asked where we fit into the Toronto community; I want to bust out the new Motown, the next Stax, producing records enjoyed the whole world over. A community of people wanting to make amazing records and being able to.

How's your album? Are you going all Abbey Road, double-album, progressive rock, just because you can?

A: When we play there is no one in the corner jacking off on a melodica and this is not gonna be a fucking collective.

J: Actually, yes. Andrew has created his own choir by tracking his voice 30+ times. I've put together a bass opus using every distortion pedal known to man, and Rob has a 35-minute drum solo, with an 11-minute cymbal intro. It's going to be ground-breaking'¦The truth is the album is rockin' and ready, and we can't wait to release it.