Andrew McAllister is something of a legend to those of us at the Wavelength office. He was one of the key members of Neck, a late 90s garage rock band that played the very first Wavelength ever, thus ensconsing it in our personal history books. He was also a key member in pouring the foundation of the early years of the series and yet, many of us who now work on Wavelength are largely unfamiliar with his work. Somewhat in awe, Ryan McLaren chatted with McAllister about "history" and its subjectivity.

So, you played the very first Wavelength ever back in February of 2000. I didn't even get involved in the local scene until about 2002/2003. What were things like back then? I mean, what was the live Toronto experience like?

I recall the halcyon days of Ted's. Ted's Wrecking Yard was an excellent venue to play at, and since it had the back room, there would be art shows and places to conspire with colleagues, where plans were made and broken. Renegade Doc Pickles tore up the place every Sunday: I remember him breaking his leg during a raucous WL anniversary and carrying on throughout the weekend. We played so many shows with the Spiders, Creeping Nobodies and Kid Sniper. We were trying to start labels, revolutions, make records, organize tours. We revelled in our failures. The WL Zine was in fine form, and I always appreciated Smokey Campbell's Compare and Contrast columns. I didn't really go anywhere else. Wavelength was on Sunday, our sabbath, and Ted's was our church.

What have you noticed, positive and/or negative, about the path the music scene in Toronto has taken?

The amount of online social networking has increased dramatically, such that it's completely changed the nature of how bands meet, and let others know about their music. Back in 2000, the interweb was complicated, closed, and didn't provide a good entryway for non-technical people to navigate, network, socialize and distribute their music. Sure, you could make a website, post MP3's, but the iPod didn't exist, people read and checked email less, and were simply less connected online. All in all, it's a democratizing force, and that is one of the cornerstones of DIY, Punk and Indie-rock.

Has your musical taste changed?

Yes, but I would say that I've trying to evade taste. Some people have a taste for collecting pewter tea pots, old newspapers and computers. Some people listen to math rock. I think it's all a kind of passion for eccentric culture in a way, and as a result I'm much more tolerant (at worst) and open minded (at best) about what we consider interesting music. Of course, there's always the temptation to exclaim, 'œAww that's awful'? but now I think that the music of my teenage years has passed on, I'm more of an anthropologist observing and sizing it up. Having said that, I still have a lot of math rock records, and I'm hopeless emotionally devotional to the HOT SNAKES.

On your MySpace you allude to Soft Copy being a less formal, still maleable version of a band. Is this a reference to the huge amount of bands that end up getting lost to history?

Depends on whose history you're talking about. And if we all started playing music to be a part of history writ large, dare I say it, FAMOUS or SUCCESSFUL, then I don't think anyone would start because it all becomes a bit too much like WORK. I heard Ricky Gervais talking about fame the other day on the CBC and he observed the culture of fame that we seem currently seem occupied with, and how ultimately crap it all is.

I think what people ought to be focused on is a two-fold thing: the exploration of their own creative interest, and the responsibility that comes with making a valuable contribution to culture. For my history, there are a lot of people who had a tremendous influence on my creative practice who I will never forget like all the people connected with Wavelength, and I just hope that I have a similar influence on other people.

How does the soft copy philosophy influence the music?

After all the hyperbole of the last paragraph, we're only in it for the money.

Joking aside, I think that we're more focused on doing something we love and doing it right, for ourselves. Which has always been the way, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire time.

What are your hopes for Soft Copy?

First, Castle Donington. Then Reading. No wait, Shepherd's Bush Empire, then...

I think there are some interesting things in the future. Paul and I are practicing artists, and we're always trying to find crossover points, and I think I might be working on some future projects with Jonny Dovercourt from Republic of Safety that integrate video art and music. We're losing Mark Pindera to London, England at the end of the month, and he'll be missed.

Do you have anything recorded?

YES! We run our own 16 track mobile digital studio, and we're just in the throes of finishing a full length release which sounds pretty fantastic. We have a demo out right now that got radio play on CIUT. I'm also helping Republic of Safety with a demo recording at the same time. I've been quietly helping people for longer than I can remember with mastering and recording from time to time when I enjoy it and have the time. Some people actually say that I'm pretty good at it.

If you release an album, are you going to have to change your name?

Ahh, no. No plans for a name change. Incidentally, Mark must be credited with the name. Wolf, Wolves and More Wolves was runner up for the band name, and then a long list of clunkers like Christian Meth and other vulgar and hilarious things. I'll let you imagine the list.