Brad Germain and Ian Smith were doing okay on their own. Both were lead men for their own separate bands, The Marble Index and The Miniatures respectively. But even rock stars get bored, and the two men here discussed were both at a point where they wanted to try something new, musically.
“We were in different band, touring in the UK and we were at a lot of the same shows,” remembers Smith about how his new band, Spirits, got started. “We just started talking at different pubs and when he got back home we hooked up for some writing sessions just to have some fun.”
The music-making was originally intended to be little more than an extended series of jam sessions, but Smith and Germain found themselves thinking a bit bigger. “Probably about halfway through, maybe even our fourth song,” was when more ambitious thoughts started occurring, says Smith. “We started brainstorming a way we can do this thing live, minimally, but on a large scale with a cool symphony sound.”
Step 1 was finding a drummer to compliment what Smith and Germain were attempting with their new music. The obvious choice was Nick Skalkos, whom Smith had worked with several times since meeting in high school. “He really connected to the music,” says Smith of Skalkos. “We were looking for drummers but it was really obvious that he would be the guy; he’s a metronome, a time machine.”
Smith describes Spirits’ sound as “introspective party music. I think your mom’s going to like it and you’re going to like it too.” Doing something more rhythmic that people can dance to was exactly what Smith and Germain wanted to do following the more rock-driven focus of their other bands. “We’re wearing some 80s influences on our sleeves, a bit of the soundtrack for us growing up in the background,” he adds. “So it’s really unabashedly honest, what we’re doing.”
Part of that honesty is the process; Smith says that he and Germain wanted to make catchy songs that were not over-thought, but well crafted. “It’s just the journey of making music,” says Smith about the musical change. “For me as a songwriter, because that’s what I think I am first, it’s just where it’s needed to go. And I like to explore different genres.”
Smith has also been exploring what it’s like to collaborate with another frontman, and much to his own surprise, Smith has found that he and Germain have managed to come pretty far without a lot of, if any, creative differences. “The maturity of being musicians for so long, it’s more about music for us more than it’s even been,” Smith explains. “People seem to gravitate towards this musi
c more than any music I’ve done with my name and face on it.”
And they have already achieved some measure of success thanks to a tour last year with former Sporty Spice Melanie C, who they opened for in shows from Toronto to Vancouver. “Her crowd seemed to really get us, so it made it really easy to tour and the fans ate it up and bought lots of merch and made it possible for us to do the tour as an indie band.”
And remaining an indie artist is a status Smith enjoys and is comfortable with. “I was never in music to be successful, but it is exciting because it feels like a new chapter,” he explains. “We’re going to really enjoy it white it’s here, but we’re not banking it. This is good fun the way it right now for the next couple of years, hopefully longer, but you know, that’s realistic.”
What’s also realistic for Smith at this point in his career is that he’s going to make music for his own artistic merits before any other concerns. “You know it’s great if people like it. We’re excited about this, and we want to play shows and it’s really going with our flow as long as the band’s enjoying it. If the fans love it and people get onboard, great, but we’re happy, regardless.”
For right now though, Smith is keeping his eyes on finishing Spirits’ first album, an as-yet-unnamed, 10 track disc that should be released in September. After that, they’ll tour and keep writing, but after that, who knows? “I look at it as day-to-day and show-to-show,” says Smith. “Permanent? Who knows, but I think we’ll make a couple of records for sure, and maybe ten, but right now we’re just finishing up our first one, so it’s hard to look much past that.”
Spirits Video - For the Love of Money
Spirits Video - Forbidden Flame
