Young Galaxy (wow...just, wow)
So, a few weeks ago, I was pillaging through my SXSW 2013 playlist on my way to the office, when I heard, what can only be described as, the most peaceful chaos I had ever exposed my ears to. Young Galaxy is a rising canadian Indie Pop/Dream Pop band from Vancouver.
We caught up with Young Galaxy's vocalist/guitarist Stephen Ramsay and got the leak.
1. Describe your style in 3 words.
“Maximum Violence Immediately”
2. How long have you been together?
The band has been around since late 2006, but this line up has been together 2 years.
3. What made you want to do music?
I was a fan first - I just wanted to be involved in a form of communication that completely
changed my life growing up, and still continues to. I just obsessively taught myself how to
play a guitar, and eventually when music software became widely accessible, I taught myself
how to write and produce using a computer. No matter what, I was compelled to write songs.
Simple as that.
4. Where do you draw inspiration from?
From all kinds of places – obviously other bands keep us interested and motivated when we
like them, or when they up the ante, as it were… you feel compelled to answer them, to makemusic better than anyone else. As Nile Rodgers once said, ‘the greatest artistic motivator is
professional jealousy”. I relate to that statement – wanting to be better than other bands keeps
me working hard. I feel like it’s a privilege to make music for a living, and that it can all be
taken away at any moment, so I am dogged in my pursuit of greatness. It isn’t glamorous at all
- it’s hard labour
5. How do you guys write your music?
I often bring demos that I’ve made on the computer to the band – now that this line up hasbeen together 2 years, it’s easier to keep the demos simple, knowing how the songs will be
fleshed out by the band. It’s easier to write with players in mind when you have chemistry and
experience together I find. Matthew Shapiro, AKA ‘Shaparty’, has begun to contribute songs as
well. ‘New Summer’ from the new album was an idea of his initially.
6. Where do you see the band next year?
Working at 7-11? Hiding in a nuclear bomb shelter somewhere? Who knows?? This industry
is crazy and unforgiving and unpredictable, and the world seems to have a death wish. I would
like to say that you’ll see me in the Bahamas, drinking mai-tai’s from a ming vase but that is
probably even less likely than the bomb shelter scenario.
8. How nurturing was the music scene in Canada when you guys started?
Well, Stars gave me my start – I owe so much to them. They taught me how to be pro, and
how to have ‘chops’. Arts & Crafts signed us without even having played live, on the strength
of something like 5-6 recordings - so I would say very. Can Con is a powerful thing – there is
a mandate to play and support Canadian bands on Canadian radio, etc. so all in all we feel
like we’ve always had good support, we never played shows to nobody. I feel very lucky to
be able to say that. Now, our set up is the best we could ask for – our relationship with Paper
Bag Records is really amazing, rewarding and dynamic. We can attribute a lot of the current
interest in the band to their hard work.
9. Any cool jobs/hobbies you wanna tell the world about?
Catherine would rather be an urban farmer than in a band I suspect. Shaparty has an actual
grown-up job – he’s a teacher. Kamp has a master’s degree in Physics, and Andrea works in a
dental office and is a lifetime punk rock drummer. My hobby/job is tell you about these things…
10. Have there been members that have come and gone? What are they doing now?
Yes, many – the first line up included Pat Sayers, Steve Durand and Susan Beckett – Pat still
drums in Montreal, mostly with Arriane Moffatt these days… Steve lives in Hudson, NY running
a studio and making films, and Susan lives in Toronto managing a restaurant and also working
for a publishing company. In the mid-years, there was James Lynn who writes scores and is
high up in the Montreal smoked meat chain Dunn’s, and Liam O’ Neill and Max Henry went on
to play with Suuns. That rhymes, doesn’t it?
11. Would you rather live in a world with no problems, or a world where you are in control of everything?
Neither. Both options sound horrible to me.
12. Any shout outs?
I always shout out to my homie Noah Bick, who runs a promotion company in Montreal called
Passovah. He’s my guy. From there, I’d like to shout out AroarA, our good friends and masters
of heaviosity. Let me shout out to Vaughn Robert Squire AKA Prison Guard, the modular
master of Montreal. I’d also like to raise my glass to The Moment, as in the Montreal band who
is just starting to pop up here and there. Good times.
For all things Young Galaxy, stick with the Indie Leak. Check us out on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, and find us on Spotify, 8Tracks, and Grooveshark! Keep the love!
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