Our culture is saturated with post-modern pastiche and retro referencing. Sometimes just putting on pants and going out becomes an act almost too loaded with meaning. It's possible that there's no such thing as the '˜authentic' anymore, but if there is then Clydesdale could an example. Musically they draw on the greats of decades past, but their attitude and energy are that of four young men from Toronto, doing their thing in two-thousand six. Demian Carynnyk emailed the band some questions, and eventually heard back from Ron, Scott and a dude who never identified himself. We like to think of that dude as someone's 60-year-old father.

AT ONE POINT YOU WERE CALLED THE POSITIONS. 'œASSUME THE POSITIONS'? WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD EP NAME. WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE AND BECOME CLYDESDALE?

Scott: We found out that a few other bands from Toronto had the same name.
Dude: People were getting us mixed up, plus I always thought it was a stupid name anyways. Sorry guys who are still called The Positions.
Ron: The name Clydesdale is more about how it sounds than the imagery it conjures up. It has a very classic and even Brit ring to it, which is appropriate.

IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT YOU GUYS LOVE STUFF LIKE BOB DYLAN, THE KINKS, AND THE JAM. WHAT DO YOU DO TO UPDATE THE MUSIC AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN?

Dude: I love all those artists, and it's flattering if anyone thinks we sound anything like them, but I think we still have a long way to go. As far as sounding current, I don't really think about it. I don't want to sound like the shit on the radio.
Ron: I just usually go with whatever flows out of me which is usually a combination of everything I listen to, new and old. You have to make sure that whatever you're laying down isn't a total rip-off or blatant recycle of something else, and if it is then it has to be changed or scrapped.

ARE YOUR SONGS INSPIRED MORE BY RECORDS, OR BY BOOKS AND FILM, OR BY YOUR CITY AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU?

Ron: Songs that I write are usually inspired by books, my environment and also the music I listen to. Sometimes I'll get a song idea from something I hear on the street, something that comes up in a conversation or just from a line in a book.
Dude: All of the above. Just wrote a song recently after watching the 24 series. I hated that fucking show; there's a cliffhanger at the end of every episode.

I NOTICE ON MYSPACE THAT YOU GUYS ARE FRIENDS WITH JOEL OF WICKED TWIST. IS HIS DJ NIGHT ANY GOOD? I'VE BEEN MEANING TO GO FOREVER.

Scott: Yeah, check his night out. Every Friday at Cobalt. Always good tunes.
Dude: I like it. It's pretty relaxed and Joel spins pretty good music. Is this a personal question or are you going to print this?

DO YOU FIND THAT TORONTO IS A GOOD CITY FOR DRINKING AND HANGING OUT AND STUFF? WHAT KINDS OF PLACES DO YOU GRAVITATE TO?

Scott: Toronto is good if you do something different every night.
Ron: Toronto is a fun city. Eat Your Greens, The Boat, Sneaky Dee's, the Queenshead, the Bovine as well as places in my neighbourhood like the Gladstone, Stones' Place, The Social, etc.

ALSO SCOTT PLAYS BASS IN THE ACID DROPS. WHAT ARE THEY ALL ABOUT?

Scott: The Acid Drops have a more psych sound than Clydesdale, same rhythm section though. Actually, if it wasn't for the Acid Drops, Clydesdale would have never existed. But that's another story for another time.

ANY EXCITING CLYDESDALE PLANS FOR THE SPRING AND/OR SUMMER?

Dude: Playing a lot of shows, and hopefully getting into the studio.

We have it lucky here in Toronto, firstly for our wealth of amazing local music, and secondly for our close proximity to other cities and towns with amazing local music. Sometimes we forget that our brethren in Seattle-North are spawning some amazing things of their own. The Doers, comprised mostly of members of the now defunct STATIONa, are one of the best things to come out of that city since the New Pornographers. Despite the difficulty of getting Vancouver bands to make the trek east, these guys do it willingly and often. Ryan McLaren talked to Sean Maxey about Vancouver, touring, and this whole music thing.

SO, SEAN, TELL ME HOW YOU GOT INVOVLED IN THIS WHOLE "MUSIC" THING.

Well, I was in art school. Ok, before that I was playing the violin in grade one. That lasted until high school when I decided to devote my spare time to drawing. Well, drawing and getting drunk. Then I went to art school for drawing; I don't really know what I expected to learn from art school but I was eighteen. It was at this college that I was reacquainted with Barry, who was attending the jazz program and who grew up roughly 8 or 9 houses away from the house I grew up in in Chilliwack. We became roommates and I tried out for a new band he was starting with some of his schoolmates.

HOW DO YOU LIKE PLAYING IN VANCOUVER? I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE, BUT I'VE MIXED REVIEWS ABOUT THE MUSIC COMMUNITY THERE. WHAT'RE YOU'RE THOUGHTS?

There's lots of good peeps and bands here, and people really started going out to live shows again after a drought in the late nineties. But like other things in our capitalist society, opportunists squeeze the soul out of the culture with the hoohah of their personal gain and revenue-making expectations. And I think that's what's happened, or is currently happening here, manifesting itself in the closure of venues and a general lack of interest with what would normally be the average, music-going public. There are still great shows and other cultural happenings which have moved into more private settings.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT MOVING?

The Olympics are coming, so yes fuck please.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT COMING TO TORONTO? WE LOVE STEALING AWESOME BANDS FROM OTHER TOWNS. AND WE'VE ALWAYS GOT ROOM FOR MORE.

Thank you for the invitation. We want to move somewhere else for awhile and that really could be anywhere new. We all want to move.

YOU GUYS WENT THROUGH A LINEUP CHANGE RECENTLY, DIDN'T YOU? WHAT HAPPENED?

A lot of things happened. If you catch me or another Doer drunk enough we might tell you some of the gruesome details. All that matters is that Jerf and us ended our whole thing very amicably, and Barry and I still play with him in our other band. But he is busy with parental duties in Edmonton now.

HAS THIS CHANGED THE WAY THE BAND WORKS?

Well yes, now we have an even representation of both genders. It's nice for Sarah Jane and I not to be the only ladies in the band.

SO YOU GUYS JUST RELEASED A NEW ALBUM. GIVE ME THE SCOOP, IS IT TERRIBLE?

The square answer: "I don't know if we'd release the album if it was terrible". We do have some pride for the work we do. Although, during recording, Barry's answer to having a flubbed note of his challenged was: I don't have to listen to it for the rest of MY life. Another thing we like to say when we lay sloppy bits to tape (or digital hard drive) is "that's how people play together". I don't think the album is terrible; it's the tightest recorded Doers session yet. If you're into that sorta thing - tight. We recorded it the day we returned from a 30-show tour.

AND, SINCE YOUR COMING TO WAVELENGTH, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY ON TOUR. ANY SHOWS IN PARTICULAR THAT HAVE GOT YOU EXCITED? GOING TO ANY NEW PLACES?

We're playing in the Dada World Data Offices in Winnipeg which is on the third floor above MonDragon. This space used to be the old HQ for the G7 Welcoming Committee and it's their first show there and sounds exciting. We're playing a francophone hardcore show in Montreal which was set up for us by Varge, as they're francophone. We're really excited for our other Toronto show too at the Boat with Ninja High School. We have a day off on Cape Breton to see nature - exciting. We're meeting up with our friends the Peter Parkers in Moncton and the best band ever, in Halifax, called Special Noise. Every show's looking rad this tour. People everywhere really make it easy for us to tour, what with being such a warm welcome and all.

BE HONEST NOW, THE TOURING THING, DO YOU REALLY LIKE IT? I REMEMBER TALKING TO A FRIEND OF A FRIEND IN MONTREAL, AND HE SWORE THAT TOURING MADE HIM HATE MUSIC, AND HE WANTED TO HANG UP THE BASS AND JUST PRODUCE AND MAKE DANCE TRACKS SO HE COULD MAKE MONEY WITHOUT EVER LEAVING HIS HOUSE. HAS THAT THOUGHT EVER CROSSED YOUR MIND?

We don't make much money touring so perhaps we should stay at home and make some money. But we all LOVE touring. It's really fun. We're cheating adulthood. We drive around and sing songs we've written and meet the exact types of people we'd wanna meet. What's wrong with that? I feel very lucky being able to contribute while truly enjoying myself. We work hard too. Sometimes touring IS gruelling.

WHAT STATE IS YOUR VAN IN THESE DAYS? WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY THAT YOU GUYS WILL GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAIRIES, DO WE?

As of today we got a new van for ourselves. We used to tour in a Mazda minivan and today we upgraded to a 1986 Chevy full-size van we can sleep in and it has a fridge and captain's chairs. It's older but very luxurious for us. We still tour with the econo ethic but now we're a little more taken care of. It's gonna be nice to be able to stretch out.

100% WoOl is Serge and Vivi. Serge's weapon of choice is the bass, while Vivi inflicts upon her drum kit a series of violent yet aurally gratifying lessons. Sef put on his riot gear and caught the two in a rare moment of tranquility.

HOW DID THE BAND FORM UP? WHAT'S THE BACK STORY HERE?
One fine day we were walking past the House of Wool on Queen West. Vivi goes "wool is particularly itchy and uncomfortable"; Serge says "100%". Then we both proceeded down the porthole into dementia. Later that day in Cabbagetown, we noticed sheep in a store window, real window sheep. At that point, then and there on the corner of Gerrard and Carlton, we had our first jam with a balalaika and a djembe. The name 100%WoOL came straight from Vivi's sketchbook: it was sketchy. We wanted to go with 100%antiWoOL but had problems with the negativity and pronunciation.

BOTH OF YOU ARE ARTISTS WHO HAVE WORKED WITHIN A VARIETY OF MEDIA. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU TWO GOT ON THE GO?
Serge likes to go Active Surplus to buy acrylics, shiny objects, and sticky paper; sometimes he makes posters, sometimes he glues candy wrappers together in hopes that a giant candy bar will materialize. It never does. Vivi's artwork is colourful and psychedelic. She's into cartooning, illustrating and watercolours. Vivi is also an accomplished hip-hop dancer and breakdancer and is studying belly dancing. She also makes posters, and designed the 100% WoOl CD cover.

NAME SOME INFLUENCES, YO'¦You, pandas, pandi, circular motion, colours, faces, big smiles, drama, Faxe, Stiegl, Sonic Youth, strawberry, New Deal, samba and disco beats.

WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THE TORONTO INDIE SCENE AS IT STANDS TODAY?
Toronto dances and sways. We engage in a deadly waltz.

I HEAR A RECORD'S IN THE WORKS. DEETS?
Yo, yeah. Our CD release was in April. Our friends dd/mm/yyyy & G!V!E! play with us. The album is called "monkey vs. panda". It's got eight songs on it. We are going to re-record two of those songs as well as two new songs in the summer in a "real" studio. We are also going to release two dance remixes. You'll find us in 'œtha'? club, yo.

WHAT ARE WE, THE WAVELENGTH AUDIENCE, IN FOR?
The in-depth study of the cartography of Sheepistan, and lots and lots of dancing!

WHAT ONE THING DOES 100% WoOl WANT, NAY, NEED US TO KNOW?
The one thing that you need to know about 100% WoOL is that'¦well, you'll have to talk to Vivi about that. Serge has too much Mongolia on his mind.

Hamilton, oh, Hamilton. Some have called it the Detroit of Canada, some have called it the next Flint, Michigan. And yet the city has seen a musical resurgence lately. Some label Hamilton as a hardcore or metal town, but Alive and Living is something very different. It suggests a softer, kinder side to the steel city. Ryan McLaren and Chris Bell talked about living in Hamilton, and a little about the band.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS WHOLE MUSIC MESS?

I was in a band called Chore. We did the indie label/tour thing, made a couple of video's etc. Once Chore broke up, Alive and Living became an important project for me.

YOU GUYS HAVE A SEA SNAKES/BURN ROME IN A DREAM/THE ACORN KIND OF SOUND. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR INFLUENCES?

I'm really interested in old folk singers, American or British. I think everyone in the band likes different stuff. I work as a sound tech in The Hammer and see lots of different bands, some good, some not so good. I find it all influential.

YOU HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN HAMILTON. HOW DO YOU LIKE IT THERE?

I've lived in Hamilton for about five years and like it as well as I can. Hamilton's downtown area is a sad sight but also very cheap to live in. There are a few great places to hang out and see music in this city.

ARE YOU A WEST-ENDER OR AN EAST-ENDER?

I'm a west/downtowner. Sort of the nicer area of downtown.

I GREW UP NOT FAR FROM THERE, AND MY TRIPS BACK HOME RECENTLY HAVE BEEN REALLY DEPRESSING. BOARDED UP STORES AND HUGE BIG-BOX WALMARTS AND FORTINOS ON THE MOUNTAIN. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT HAMILTON'S FUTURE?

The city will continue to be fine but certain areas will become increasingly dangerous to hang out in. The downtown is suffering the most from the box plaza influx.

WHAT ARE FIVE THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT HAMILTON?

Uh, five is bit of stretch. One cool thing about Hamilton is going into the Escarpment for a hike. It's like your not even in the city. We have the first Tim Hortons ever, and a lot thereafter. There are a lot of tree's dispersed throughout the city.

A&L HAS BEEN TOURING AROUND WITH SOME PRETTY AWESOME BANDS, LIKE CUFF THE DUKE, WINTERSLEEP, AND THE MOST SERENE REPUBLIC. HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THOSE BANDS?

Perserverance is the key to band longevity.

WHAT ARE THE NEAR-FUTURE PLANS FOR THE BAND?

We want to have the new album out in September and do our 4th, 5th, and 6th tour out east before we take over the entire world. Ha! Just keep slugging away at it I guess. We're all the kind of people to party and have fun first and worry about being a serious band second.