Since Wavelength’s inception back in ‘99/2000, we’ve always been proud of not just being our own scene, but playing hosts to lots of different micro-scenes that make up the Toronto independent music community. One such scene was the “Suck My Disc” crowd of Oshawa/Toronto area bands, such as Anagram, The Electric Shoes, Another Blue Door and The Patients. Dave Schoonderbeek was a member of the latter two ensembles, and after an absence easily explained by “starting a family and having a life,” we’re chuffed to have him back on the Wavelength stage. He’ll be joined by a solid “reboot” of one former band, to open his old Oshawa pal Shotgun Jimmie’s record release on Good Friday night at the lovely Monarch. Jonny Dovercourt posed the questions.

Dave Schoonderbeek: I feel like you I know, I know you've been in lots of bands that have played Wavelength, but still I feel like you're a bit of a stranger. Let's pretend we're long-lost friends reconnecting. What would we talk about?

We'd probably be catching up on family, that's a big part of my life. My wife and I just bought a house. We have an eight-year-old son. Wavelength actually published a birth announcement in your zine, which I still have in the July '04 issue. And also music of course. I'm a big guitar nerd. I was at a friend’s wedding recently and during the reception, and some friends and I wound up in an hour-long conversation about guitar tunings and vintage amps. Everyone was dancing and having a good time while three or four of us were raving about the billiance of the out-of-tune guitar on Bob Dylan’s “Queen Jane Approximately.”

This “solo thing” is a really new project, as you've said. How did it get started? Songs? People? An epiphany? Something completely different?

I just sort of found myself without a band for the first time in like 15 years. I didn't really have any plans to do anything, I was actually just getting used to the idea of not being involved in music, but then I ran into Thom D'Arcy [The Carnations, Small Sins], who was originally in Another Blue Door with me and produced our record. He asked if I was doing anything and I told him no. He said, “you have songs though, right?” None of the bands I've been in had put out a proper record since 2004, so I've been able to pick and choose the best ones and not be limited to a “genre” or tastes of a band. So far, all the recording has been done with the original Another Blue Door members. We joked a bit about calling
it Another Blue Door, but I don't think any of us are comfortable with all the connotations of being trapped in a smelly van. [Note: above photo from 2011 Another Blue Door reunion show.]

So from what I hear of the as-yet-unreleased tracks you've sent me, you're not afraid to use your lyrics to make observations about the people around you. Have you ever had to deal with any of your friends "recognizing themselves" in your songs and the resultant fallout?

I've always tried to be honest with what I write. I haven't had anyone confront me about being upset with anything I've written. I think for anyone to do so, they'd
have to admit some harsh truths about themselves and a lot of people aren't willing to do that. Not all the songs are that dark, though. I try to throw some humour in there. It can get obscured, but it's there.

What excellent musicians will be joining you on stage this Friday, and can you tell me a funny anecdote about each of them?

We have a great line-up for Friday. On drums is Craig Toutant. I’ve known Craig since high school. He is the only person I know who can clap with one hand. Once we were on tour and stuck in a hotel. Craig was wearing a thin yellow shirt and out of nowhere decided to yell “HULKAMANIA!” and ripped it off. When we left for the next city, Craig realized he had left his jacket behind, so we called the hotel and got them to send it to our next stop. When we got there, the box was waiting and when Craig opened it, underneath his jacket was the ripped yellow shirt.

On guitar is Peter Carmichael [ex-Diableros, currently of The Whirlybirds]. I've known Pete almost as long as Craig. Pete is basically the reason I moved
to Toronto. He called me one day and said, “I'm moving out of my house, do you want my room?,” and I just said, “okay.” I can't think of anything particularly funny, but we used to just buy each other concert tickets. We haven't done it in a while, but we should start again. We saw Wilco open for REM in the late 90s, the Zombies… and I think the last one was Stephen Malkmus at the Phoenix.

On bass is Jay Baird. I've known Jay a long time, but this will be my first time playing with him. I'm very excited. I don't have any incredibly funny anecdotes about Jay. We're both Dads now, so we swap Dad stories when we see each other.

You're playing this Friday opening for Shotgun Jimmie's record release, and he personally requested you. If it's not prying too much, tell me how you and Jimmie know each other, what you share in common, and what sets you apart?

I played shows with Jimmie way back when he was in the band Drummer with Jay Baird. What came across from both Jimmie and Jay was that they were very supportive and
unpretentious. We'd geek out and talk about Pavement or the Rheostatics. This was back in Oshawa in the late 90s, and there weren't that many people with similar tastes in that time and place — not that I knew anyway. We'd cross paths in Toronto after I moved here in 2000. I remember they had a residency in a little side room at the Gladstone. They asked me to play there one night and the other guest was Dale Morningstar and I thought that was the coolest my life would get at the time. I guess what we share in common is a love for noisy rock’n’roll. What probably sets us apart is the positivity in Jimmie’s music. I wish I could project that the same way Jimmie does.

Your favourite town: Where is it, and what's your local?

I'm a Toronto guy. As much as it drives me crazy sometimes, this is now my city. I just moved, so I don't have a local yet, but my last local was On The Rocks at Front and Sherbourne. Karaoke on Saturdays, shoutouts to Reg and Supertramp Lloyd.