Purveyors of: Weapons of Mass Dance

If you are attending a Green Go show then you should forget about the standard ‘cross-your-arms-at-indie-shows’ stance -- rump shaking is a must.  Green Go, comprised of Adam Scott on drums, Mark Andrade on guitar, Kyle Squance on bass, with Jess Tollefsen and Ferenc Stenton sharing vocal duties, are putting the ‘dance’ in ‘dance-your-pants-off’.  Make sure those headbands are snapped in place because they are guaranteed to make you sweat harder than a Jane Fonda aerobics video.  Tatum George knows this as a fact because she burned 1000 calories simply by interviewing Jess Tollefsen and Ferenc Stenton who speak with one voice.

So which member has a secret traffic light fixation?  Or is the name ‘Green Go’ a command for everyone to start dancing?

Ferenc recorded his first songs under the name Green Go while living in Brazil for a year.  The name originates from the word "gringo" which is an endearing term for a foreigner.  We enjoy the questions that come after hearing our band name.  Although a simple one, it can have many meanings, but most importantly, it's a name associated with slamming down a dance party.

The band is signed to the awesome DIY-type label, Burnt Oaks Record.  How did that happen? Did you approach them or vice versa?

It was a natural progression that stemmed from hanging out at all the same shows, and sharing the same vision of a DIY culture here in Guelph.  Ferenc jumped in with both feet to the Burnt Oak family helping out with silk screening, CD assembly, and poster design.  It seemed right to release Green Go's first EP with our great many friends there to help us silkscreen and assemble into the wee hours of the morning. 

I went to university in Waterloo and happen to know there is an equally amazing music scene outside of the GTA.  What do you regard as some of the advantages and disadvantages of being based outside of a major city?

The smaller city has given us a greater concentration of fantastically talented people who have a shared love for music.  We are close enough to Toronto to play shows there and far enough away to not smell your stinky air.  Guelph also has a rich musical history, with the Jazz Festival in the fall and of course our beloved Hillside Festival every summer.  We have yet to find any disadvantages living here in Guelph.

Your sound is described as electro/disco/dance pop.  Though you are not exactly brandishing glow sticks, do you consider Green Go to be part of the current new rave/ electro-rock movement?

These days dance music is becoming a lot more accessible and popular, and the stereotype of glow sticks and popping pills is dying out.  Newer generations are appreciating the musicality of the genre, and just want to dance.  We thoroughly enjoy being facilitators in the dancing process.  It's pretty cool that bands are making amazing dance music instead of DJ's.

The buzz around the band is definitely building but so far, you only have a self-titled EP.  What can fans expect for the full-length album?  More reasons to invest in spandex?

Spandex, and for sure sweatbands.  The success following our first EP has been overwhelming but not surprising for the amount of work we do, and love and sweat we put into it.  We have already begun to discuss possibilities of a full-length sometime next year, but we are poor and need more shows to do this.  Thoughts surrounding shares in Spandex have been thrown around the table, or perhaps a sponsorship by the company we so fondly admire.  The short-lived span of spandex in the 90's was not long enough for Green Go.  

Speaking of albums, you also have a remix project with the likes of Tin, Bocce and others in the works.

If you were tortured into remixing a country or Top 40 artist, who would it be and why?

It would definitely have to be Billy Ray Cyrus’ "Achy Breaky Heart", because it just wasn't played enough in 1994.  We're thinking a dance floor splice with "The Sign" by Ace of Bass.

You know, I actually hold the belief that a universal dance party could solve many of the problems plaguing humanity.  Which world leader do you think is in most desperate need of the musical stylings of Green Go so they can see the light?

The first leader that comes to mind is of course The Great Leader, Kim Jong-Il.  His sexy brown J.Lo-esque suit is just asking to be worked in with sweat stains.  We are currently working, testing some nuclear beats that will hopefully give Kim and Georgie some WMD's to lust after.  (Weapons of Mass Dance)

Finally, I have to ask as members of a dance-promoting band, what do you think is the ultimate move to pull on the dance floor?  A well-timed and executed ‘Sprinkler’ perhaps?

We unfortunately learned that one must be very careful when attempting "the sprinkler".  Our lawyers have informed us that we must read a disclaimer at the beginning of every show stating that our music may cause involuntary movement of the limbs, possibly resulting in personal or mass injury.

On a final note, we would like to pose a question.  Why are cookies called cookies if they are made by a baker, in a bakery?  Shouldn't they be called bakies?

By Tatum George