I’ve always been interested in live performance. The whole idea of only getting to do something one time, and in the moment, I find that exciting!”

Are you tall, tanked, in love with a guy named Steve and thinking of fighting him at Sneeky Dee’s some upcoming Sunday? Megan Hamilton is looking forward to it! Wavelength’s Alex Headley talks to a touring artist whose shows always manage create a unique, real time experience.

Welcome to your Wavelength Debut! Since you’re new to our audience, why don’t you tell us who you are, where you’re from and what inspires you to write music?

I’m Megan Hamilton and my band is called The Volunteer Canola. I live in Toronto. I would say that anything that leaves a strong impression with me can inspire me to write a song about it.

How did you first become interested in performance? Are there any particular influences from your youth that you can remember looking at and thinking, “Wow: that looks like a good job. I’d like to do that one day”?

I've always been interested in live performance. The whole idea of only getting to do something one time, and in the moment, I find that exciting. I really like the idea of creating a unique experience every time I play a show. I appreciate a well-polished production, but what makes a performance really interesting for me is watching people figure out what they're doing in real time. If you get a good group of people together where everyone is communicating, amazing things happen.

Your web page highlights your extremely diversified touring experience. Where would you say is the strangest place you’ve ever played? Any bizarre stories typical in the life of a musician travelling on the road?

At the Ship in St. John's I watched a couple of Russian sailors pouring potato sack sized blue plastic bags of shrimp onto the sidewalk, demanding that people buy a bag for $5 or else they'd keep pouring them out. One of the weirdest moments on stage was actually here at Sneaky Dee's for a Greenpeace fundraiser. This really wasted tall dude kept yelling at us as we were playing, and then he got on stage and put his arm around me in the middle of a song. A few weeks later, Steve and I went to Chapters to see Slash, and the same guy came up to us and started trying to pick a fight while also telling Steve he loved him. I really love being on the road, though. I usually have a few times where I miss my bed a bit, but generally I hate coming back home.

Why the decision to record and produce music independently? Are you interested in production and the technical side of music?

The decision to form Familiar Music came from a conversation that Gary Peter and I were having over an extended period of time. What I like about being in charge is that you can make your record as you intended to make it. Plus, you've got to be creative because generally you're not working with a lot of money. I am very interested in production and all things technical in music. I don't think you need to be an expert in everything, but I think it's important to understand the machine as a whole so that you can see the relationship between everything.

Tell me about your relationship with Mark Vogelsang? What was his involvement in the making of your first two albums? Did he shape or influence your sound in any way?

Mark is a soul mate. The recordings are as much him as they are me. He is extremely particular about his engineering process, and I have my own ideas as well. If there's ever a debate over something on the production side of things, whoever has the best idea wins. It's usually clear what the best idea is. I mean, don't get me wrong, there's a lot of debate that happens, but I think that's a good way to get really solid with your choices. He also plays drums on both albums, and most likely will with the next one. He used to drum in the band before he decided to be an adult and buy a house and get a real job. What a sucker.

How would you describe your sound? Is your music rooted in the lyrics? The rhythm? The melody?

I don't think that I approach songs from a technical standpoint. But, I was playing piano and taking music theory from the time I was five. I get an image that is attached to a feeling, and then I try to translate that image and feeling with words and music. I tend to write a song in a sitting – I don't think too much about what's coming out until after it's done. Lately I've been writing songs with a rhythm already in place, but a lot of the time I'll write out the first line, and go with whatever pattern I see happening from there. Almost always, the melody comes last. I'll pick a chord to that feels right to start, and then fool around until something comes of it. The melody is a result of just singing it out loud.

Your first two albums were recorded in the Saskatchewan prairies, one in an old hall and the other in a church. Where do you plan on recording your third album? How much does the studio atmosphere contribute to the feel of the album being recorded?

Right now the plan is to record in an actual studio in London, Ontario. We're both concerned that a studio might not be an environment conducive to our work methods. I like to set things up so that I can forget where I am and really give the project what I feel it deserves. Working in a small town in Saskatchewan, away from the patterns of home, made for an environment where I could totally immerse myself in the process.

You had the opportunity to tour in Texas last summer. Tell me, what is your theory on the Kennedy assassination?

Ha! Well, I had a great tuna steak in the city of Dallas, Texas, but I will say this: I sincerely hope that Mr. Kennedy had the pleasure of a full belly of Texas BBQ before he was untimely ripped from this world, whoever the ripper might have been. I've heard that the word Assassin comes from the word hashish? Or is it the other way around?

By: Alex Headley