Vancouver-based jewellery designer, Elsa Corsi knows how to make a statement with some of her over-the-top bridal pieces. And being that it’s red carpet season coming up, we thought she’d be the perfect fit for 20Qs. Follow her on Twitter @elsa_corsi

It’s been a few dance-less years but Hey Ocean! are back ya’ll. While most of the time since the release of 2008′s ‘It’s Easier To Be Somebody Else’ has been taken up by tours around North America, Ashleigh Ball, David Vertesi and Dave Beckingham found some time to finish up their third album to be released hopefully by the fall. The band came out to play Toronto and a select few other shows and festivals to showcase their new line-up and give us a sneak-peak of some new songs. Before catching their awesome show at The Horseshoe last Saturday, (which including a crowd surfing stuffed shark that I totally want) I spoke with the band at Gibson about expanding their touring band, their number one fan and the hotly anticipated new album.

Focusing on maturing their sound and honing in on instrumentation, the band have added a few new touring members to lend some additional hands and help in recreating what they’ve developed on this forthcoming album. David explains the decision was “partly just not wanting to hold back from anything, from anything in the studio that is. Our last record we made sort of live off the floor; drums, bass and guitar in the same room, mic together and then just sort of took the best takes and added some over dubs after.” Dave adds, “So it came across as sort of this live feel and this time we wanted to be recording artists and go in and not hold back from layering things together and making a sonically really impressive album.”

A former “best kept secret” of Vancouver, the band has built a devoted fan base from coast to coast and beyond, picking up a very special fan along the way. The “Captain” of the I Love Hey Ocean! fansite, the self-proclaimed fansite has become someone the band mutually admires themselves. David explains “the guy who made it lives in Lethbridge, AB and he and his girlfriend are super big champions of the band out there and that’s what he does for a living, he makes websites for companies so for him it was no big deal. He keeps it up and it’s such a lovely thing.”

The new and excitingly mysterious album will be released…soonish says David: “let’s just say It’s recorded, mixed and mastered. We probably won’t be releasing it until the fall. No such name to be released yet.” The essence of Hey Ocean! remains intact but their sounds has evolved to what they refer to as “classic pop.” Ashleigh elaborates, “It’s kind of what we’re trying to do on this next album, kind of just go for it. We had a lot of artists that we were pulling in and taking from: Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson. We want to write really awesome pop songs and not be afraid of that.”

Check out the hallway session of the new single “Build An Island” and tell us what you think!

Words by Kate Masewich

“Here we are, here’s the music, and that’s all you need to know right now.” – Mark Foster

A project that is both unequivocally radiating with talent and a seemingly natural response to what the industry might call ‘it’, Foster The People bounced their way up to Canada this week to support the release of their forthcoming LP Torches. Playing to a sold out crowd at Lee’s Palace on Sunday, an acoustic set at The Edge, and quick stop at Much Music, the band had just enough time for truffle aioli garnished Metropolitan burgers and single serving of what they’d like to call, “happy snow.”

“It doesn’t sound a thing like Fleetwood Mac but when I wrote the chorus for “Pumped up Kicks” I just kept thinking of Stevie Nicks and how she would do it,” says songwriter/keyboardist Mark Foster.

After an illusive (and exclusive) release of the lo-fi beach bubble and haze drenched single on the band’s website last year, average cult kids and promotional bloggers – akin to exceptional RSS skills and Hypemachine reflexes — added the single to 2010’s muse track dance list, and California’s newest gentle giants haven’t heard a moment of peace since.

“We’ve been playing a little bit of catch up lately but that’s kind of a good thing.” Says Mark. “I’d rather be catching up then trying to chase a rabbit down a hole.”

Succumbing to the pressures of restless fans and their relentless demand for new music, Mark along side Cubbie Fink (bass, vox) and Mark Pontius (drums, vox), released their self-titled three song EP late last year as apéritif to Torches due out in May.

“A lot of this record is like purging things from the past; laying to rest a chapter and coming into a new one,” adds Mark. “Our music is sort of empathetic towards the human condition and it’s a vision of what we wanted to do as a band. ”

Comparisons ranging from Supertramp to MGMT, the band’s highly anticipated LP is a combination of throwback electronic string and horn sections accompanied by a 60’s inspired beach rock that Mark says, “is just kinda there — whether I try and pull it up or not.”

Currently playing a series of sold out shows in New England en route towards Indio, CA for the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Foster The People have quite the season ahead of them. Including the full European Festival loop, the band will be back to Canada in May with stops in Vancouver, Montreal, and finally Toronto again on June 18, 2010 at Mod Club Theatre.

Get the album on iTunes here!!

WORDS BY KATHERINE ALICIA SNACK

Alas, the week-long incredible music festival (gong show?) known as Canadian Music Week has come to an end and what better time than now to reflect on the good, the bad and the mind blowing. The lovely ladies of Pink Mafia joined forces and took the city by storm to bring you the very best of the week. It was was non-stop amazing live music, great people and a lot of nights way past our bedtimes. Shouts out to the staff/volunteers/every soul that made this week possible, your hard work is much appreciated. Canadian Music Week, you’re the best!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 9th

Rouge @ The Gladstone Hotel- Words & photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver

When I originally attended the Proud FM showcase, I had no intention of reviewing Rouge.  However, something happened while I was there.  This all girl 3-piece began playing their bubbly electro-pop and it was so infectious that I couldn’t help but grow over the course of their 30-minute set to love it more & more.  Even as they were experiencing some technical difficulties, they took it all in stride and commanded the stage with such style, grace and presence.  For me, I got a very Katie Stelmanis vibe from them, which is nothing but absolutely wonderful.  Given that these girls played an earlier timeslot (9:30PM) and had an entire room moving, goes to show that they have a bright future ahead of them.

Creature @ The Gladstone Hotel- Words & photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver
I have had the opportunity to see Creature a couple times now and each time I’ve really enjoyed them. One of the very first times was at a NXNE showcase at the ElMocombo.  This Montreal group always plays very fun and energetic pop songs, so I knew I was in for quite the show.  But something was different from every time I had seen them.  As the group launched into their set, the two leads (Kim Ho and Lisa Ivy) seemed over-the-top and almost disingenuous.  As they were trying to make group interactions, it seemed like it was just part of the whole stage “show” rather than part of what they felt like they wanted to do.  Also, it seemed like their sound had evolved into the annoying bratty cousin of the Scissor Sisters.  Which sucks because I love the Scissor Sisters.  Overall, this performance made me hit the “Do Not Like” button for them.   So sad.

Gentleman Reg @ The Gladstone Hotel - Words & photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver
Sometimes I think Toronto doesn’t know what it has because we’re currently sleeping on a legend.  His name is Gentleman Reg.  All throughout the night, he was wandering around The Gladstone selling merchandise and interacting with fans.  I was so sad to see that when he finally when on, the room was nearly empty.  I felt like we had been invited to Reg’s own private listening party.  It was raw and real and honest.  He opened up by saying something along the lines of, “You can buy my merch at the back, I’d really like to make rent.”  Then mentioned he would also liked to get signed.  His set was filled with intensity and maturity.  My highlight (and my friend Cody from The Little Red Umbrella as well) — when he dedicated Stevie Nick’s “Wild Hearts” to him.  As I said on Twitter that night, GIVE THIS MAN A RECORD DEAL!

Mother Mother @ The Phoenix- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

My week got off to a rough start but with rain boots and umbrella in check, I headed over to the Phoenix for some Mother Mother who’s new album EUREKA is out March 15th. Rococode and Whale Tooth(who were joined by Scott Farmer from the Russian Futurists) were both fantastic. It could have been a combination of the wasted dude behind me falling asleep and using my back as a pillow and the music of Birds of Tokyo leading up to Mother Mother but I wasn’t totally blown away, although everyone else seemed to be eating it up.

THURSDAY MARCH 10th

Cadence Weapon @ The Opera House- Words by Amanda (Ama) Scriver
I have been diggin on Cadence Weapon for a bit now. So getting the opportunity to see him live, I jumped on it. He had a really great swagger on stage, mentioning that he wasn’t used to playing for an all ages crowd & relied mostly on newer material, such as tracks like “Come on James Brown” and “Jukebox”. The tracks themselves were danceable and had amazing beats. Cadence though seemed under impressed with the audience telling everyone to “dance and act like they were at a hip hop show”. Once he said that, it seemed to garner a reaction with the crowd as everyone got to moving. However, I did hear someone in the audience near me say that Cadence’s performance sucked. Well, sorry you didn’t like it bro. Sucks to be you. Seems like you’re the only one.

Behind Sapphire @ Toronto Institute for the Enjoyment of Music - Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

After a solid 8 hours I was up and at them for some interviews, panels and brunch with Buck 65. Ok, well it was more Richard Terfry sitting at the table beside me, but still. I made my way over to the Toronto Institute for the Enjoyment of Music for some really cool living room sessions. Hands & Teeth, Paper Lions, Allie Hughs, Rich Aucoin, The Wilderness of Manitoba all took turns throughout the week but it was Behind Sapphire’s awe-inspiring raw performance that stole my heart.

The Balconies @ Sonic Boom- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

Next stop: Sonic Boom who seemingly booked every single incredible band for their in-store series. They did a nice job of mixing genres and giving a perfect little taste of each artist. James Vincent McMorrow, Sandman Viper Command, Bombay Bicycle Club, Dinosaur Bones, Humans, Pkew Pkew Pkew, to name a few, shared the three-day bill with J Mascis and provided you with a better way to kill time between shows than having a smoke. The Balconies rocked that basement hard and while Jacquie Neville admitted they hadn’t played in a while you’d never be able to tell.

Brett Caswell & the Marquee Rose @ Sneaky Dee’s - Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

The Audio Blood showcase started on a sweet note with Charlotte Cornfield then Huron, Sandman Viper Command and Teenage Kicks kicked (ha!) the night into overdrive. My socks were officially knocked off by Brett Caswell & the Marquee Rose though. I began my obsession with Brett Caswell & the Marquee Rose after seeing them at the Juno Decade party for the 90s and even though they were the house band they totally stole the show. These are musicians who love being musicians and their energy fills the room until it swells. They pulled out all the stops with a Harry Nilsson cover and a horn section that somehow made their incredible sounding music even more incredible.

Yukon Blonde @ The Great Hall- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

I didn’t plan on leaving the previously mentioned showcase because the bands were all so amazing and it was a great crowd of people, but I’m glad I dipped to see Yukon Blonderemind me why I love music so much. I can’t say I’m in love with the venue only because it always sounds so muted to me but they played through a great set. My favourite moment was when Jeff Innes asked for the vocal assistance of Jacquie Neville (The Balconies) Mike Denby (Make Your Exit) and Lowell Sostomi (The Great Bloomers)  on ‘Fire’. Amazing.

FRIDAY MARCH 9th

Audio Blood Party @ Toronto Underground Cinema- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

Because they throw the best parties in Toronto, we headed over to the Toronto Underground Cinema for the Audio Blood day party. As if the sheer joy of watching their mega ultra roster of bands alone wasn’t enough, we got to wash it all down with some St-Ambrose brew and snack on band-flavoured chips courtesy of The Galley. Yes, BAND flavoured. Dinosaur Bones have never tasted so good! The space was awesome, and so were the bands: Dinosaur Bones, Brett Caswell & The Marquee Rose, The Balconies, Sandman Viper Command, who’s videos were also being shown on the big screen. Neato!

Girl @ Revival- Words and photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver
When these guys walked out onto stage, the first thing I noticed were the matching suits and RayBans.  All I could think was “Oh dear God, this is going to be terrible”.  In fact, it wasn’t.  What I ended up getting was entertained by four guys from Montreal who were playing very catchy indie pop.  As I was telling a friend of mine later, it reminded me of The Killers.  He said that was a terrible comparison.  But I pleaded, “No – remember The Killers first album and how catchy and wonderful it was.  How you just wanted to sing along with every song.”  That’s the kind of Killers stuff I’m referring to.  For playing to an almost empty room, they took it all in stride, playing for the audience.  With supreme confidence and a great sound, these boys should do well.

Gabby Young @ Revival - Words and Photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver

I think one of the biggest highlight and surprises of the week for me (personally) was Gabby Young.  Playing at the early time slot of 8:00PM, hardly anyone was in the room.  She came out onto stage with her vibrant red hair, a jacket made up of gigantic puff balls and told those in the audience to come a little bit closer.  I honestly had no idea what to expect, as I hadn’t heard of her before.  But as soon as she started singing, I completely blown away.  She had so much range and so much energy.  Her brassy attitude reminded me of one part Amy Winehouse, a little bit Regina Spector and a whole lot Kate Bush.  Just brilliant.  Promoting her new album, “We’re All In This Together” — she began singing a song of the same name and dedicating it to Japan.  She is definitely one of the artists to watch in 2011.

Maylee Todd and Pegwee Power @ Revival – Words and Photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver

Maylee Todd is the most adorable performer you ever did see.  So I hopped at the chance to see her and her band perform and was not disappointed.  Armed with her strap-on harp, leopard print jump suit and with her band each all colour coordinated, they started off their set sultry and jazzy.  Her vocal range is killer and her band accompanied her so well on each song, making each journey seem dream like. Beautiful performance.

The Pack A.D. @ The Bovine Sex Club- Words and Photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver
I have seen The Pack A.D. three times now and I have never been disappointed.  You would think that with only two people in the group, they wouldn’t be able to achieve the loud and heavy sound that most full bands would.  But let me tell you this, this Vancouver duo of Becky Black and Maya Miller assault your eardrums in the best possible way with blues driven, serious rock & roll.  The two have such a way on stage (it reminds me of Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes) with their playful banter and how they say, “Should we play this song?” and they just know exactly what the other is thinking.  They are heading back into the studio soon to record a new album, so if you have a chance see them live soon.

Berlin Brides @ The Painted Lady- Words and Photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver
I had been recommended this group by a friend of mine.  So I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I thought I’d check them out.  It seemed like they had a bit of a following to begin with, which was awesome.  The songs themselves seemed alright.  Sometimes they sang in French, but 80% of the time in English.  But it seemed like their show (all in all) needed a bit of fine-tuning.  The girls in the group seemed super enthusiastic but at times, the show seemed a little lacking.  It could have also had to do that the stage they were on was teeny tiny.

Middle Brother @ The Opera House- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

The only show I was truly bummed about missing was J Mascis with Kurt Vile and James Vincent McMorrow as I’ve heard through the twittersphere it was intense, but the decision was made to stay and hang with Dawes, Deer Tick and Delta Spirit’s super group Middle Brotherinstead. They were joined by the rad-ass Jonny Corndawg who was celebrating his birthday. I thought this show was going to be a revue but the awkward breaks in the night with no real changes on stage tripped me up a bit. It was still exactly what good ol’ American rock n’ roll should be.

The Meligrove Band @ Sneaky Dee’s- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

How does such a talented band that works so hard still seemingly go unnoticed? Ugh! I’m just going to continue to give their documentary to everyone I know for birthdays/anniversarys/bar mitzvahs. It’s their loss and our gain because we can continue to have these little moments with them in small venues where everyone is havin’ a time. Meligrove packed the room and literally every single person was singing, dancing then to end the set jumping and shouting along with ‘Ages and Stages’. As if that wasn’t enough awesome, Make Your Exit took the stage after and continued the love-fest with the crowd and had everyone signing along to ‘Leave This Town’. I woke up the next morning with blown eardrums and no voice.

SATURDAY MARCH 12th

The Zoobombs @ The Baitshop- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

After a quick chat with Shad, we headed over to The Baitshop (which is easily one of the best spaces in Toronto) for the Scion + Musebox day party with Russian Futurists, Dinosaur Bones, Diemonds and show-stealers The Zoobombs. Holy hell! Despite the tragic events over the week in their homebase Japan, they came out like pros and slapped the crowd in the face with their super-charged funk/psych style rock n’ roll. We had such an awesome time at the show that we caught them again later that night for an even better set at The Comfort Zone. Seriously, Zoobombs, you’re the best!

Diemonds @ The Baitshop- Words and Photos by Amanda (Ama) Scriver

Diemonds are a staple in the Toronto metal (glam metal) scene.  It’s no wonder either because they put on a hard rocking show.

The Indies @ The Royal York Hotel- Words by Kate Masewich photos by Courtney Lee Yip

Awards shows aren’t really my thing but I was curious to see what it was all about. The sandwiches were delicious. But seriously though, the acoustics in the Ontario Room were tight and each artist had stunning digital visuals. Hannah Geroges got the short end of the stick with a shortened set, but at least I got to watch the talented singer/songwriter do her thing at all.

Everyone and their mother was talking about seeing Bombay Bicycle Clubduring the week for their first North American performance and since I didn’t make it in time to Lee’s for the Dine Alone showcase the night before I was super stoked to see them (Even if it was at a MuchMusic video dance party). They absolutely didn’t disappoint and I’m quite sure that they’re the reason my temporary horrible mood disappeared. So, thanks guys for being so amazing!

Hollerado looked like they were ready to play dodgeball but instead celebrated Dean’s birthday with a high-energy, crowd adorning performance. They nabbed the Favourite Video of the Year award for the too good video ‘Americanarama’.

Shadtook home the award for Favourite Urban Artist of the Year and a little piece of everyone’s heart with his easy charm and brilliance. I really wanted to leave and see Neon Windbreaker at El Mocambo but there was a rumor that Janelle Monae was going to come to the stage via tightrope…she didn’t because that actually would have been ridiculous, but she was spot on as always. Unfortunately I couldn’t see a thing as the room was packed and the world’s tallest men were having a convention in front of me, but she sounded fantastic.

Janelle Monae photograph courtesy of Kayely Luftig

SUNDAY MARCH 13th

Bathurst @ Parts & Labour – Words and photos by Courtney Lee Yip

I didn’t think it was possible to still be alive at this time in the game, but my broken body was hauled over to glamtown/Parkdale to see a nice quiet band from the burbs who played an easygoing acoustic set. KIDDING! Bathurst was LOUD and AMAZING. A blend of pop-punk that encapsulates what it means to be writing in CAPS LOCK! YES!

Modernboys Moderngirls @ Hard Luck Bar – Words and photos by Courtney Lee Yip

We’ve been meaning to see these Toronto studs for ages and we finally got our chance last night. Truly no better way to end this week’s hellrace festivities than with the more than enjoyable set by Modernboys Moderngirls. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and describe them through showing you their album cover from their album I Might as Well Break it.

Kind of a cop out for a writer, but bear with me here. MBMG: Heavy 50′s influenced rock and roll with soul, that makes you want to get it on and dance/drive right off a cliff into adrenaline-filled oblivion. Am I right fellow jivers?

Tales of a Canadian Girl Living in Southern Virginia….

By: Kim Cuachon-Haugh

Last week I went in for my six-month dental cleaning.  Now, I have been to this dentist before but yet again they had me fill out the new patient forms just as I did six months ago.  And so I succumbed to the tedious forms, “No I have not been diagnosed with HIV; No I do not suffer from any respiratory difficulties….”

After all that nonsense I was sat in the dental chair, enter the dentist and he said, “Oh, I remember you, you’re that Canadian.”  That Canadian?  Really?  I quickly ran through the latest Canadian news I caught upon and I don’t remember my name or face being associated with anything illegal or humiliating.  And then I realized that maybe I was his only Canadian patient.  I felt kind of special right then and there even when he went on and on about the CFL which I could care less about, just like most Canadians—unless you live in the Prairies.

With the spit sucker in my left cheek he jumped right into the Raptors and how this NBA team is nowhere near the other teams in the league because of its rookie players.  I really wanted to bow this shit out of the water and totally debunk this, I love Chris Bosh!  But I had heavy suction happening.

A few days ago I was the floor manager for a pilot being shot in Arlington and as is customary working on set with new people you intro yourself and that brief relationship grows with every re-take.  And so I went on with my I am a Canadian spiel.  I instantaneously became a point of interest to everyone on set.  One of the camera guys came up to me in between a take to ask me where in Canada I was from and tried to regurgitate as much info about Canada as he could.  While he thought Toronto was on the west coast, he certainly receives an A for effort.

Living in Canada I repeatedly heard about how ignorant Americans can be, but I guess over the last week or so I experienced it firsthand.  A dentist, a man in media, these people are not your average country bumpkins, how do they not know about us?  It’s a shame that a couple of people can ruin it for many but quite frankly one of the only reasons why Canada has any resonance here in America is because of the Olympics and that the Winter Games were held in Vancouver.  I can’t tell you how many people tell me how much they want to visit British Columbia, many of which cannot even remember the name Vancouver or British Columbia, they just call it “The place where the last Olympics were held.”

Geez, okay.  This is what I have to deal with.  While I certainly enjoy the attention of being “that Canadian” or time and again “the Canadian” it’s quite pathetic that we Canadians lack a presence here.  The only real existence that has any ounce of meaning is the fact that you can pick up a case of Molson Canadian at any 7 Eleven, something I admit is kind of cool.

It felt a little Cannonball Run to tell you the truth. Betti Forde and I got on a plane in Toronto, bound for Vancouver, Jubilee, Kenzie Clarke and Mama Miche (Bitchin’) caught a flight from Calgary, and B.Traits was already in Van City having flown home a day early after the Banff show. We all met up at 9:30AM, a little groggy, a little banged up, but happy to see each other and get the last leg underway.

VANCOUVER

So we got into Van mad early and checked into our hotel, then went straight for Pho, which is the new A&W on this tour, then break for nap times (well, I went for an epic 10K run along the sea wall, which was so absolutely beautiful, I’d rank it up there with a single surprise orgasm in terms of awesome-ness). By 6:30PM, we were at Fortune setting up and loving their Halloween decor, zombie Biggie and Tupac anyone?

Then it was off to dinner with Red Bull’s Kenny Mac, who took the motely crew of loud ass women to some Cambodian spot that sounded like Poon Pen. Best chicken wings and soft shell crab ever. At dinner, Kate from Stinkmitt joined us. She regaled us all with witty one liners like “My womb is a tomb” and “if they peaches are ripe, I say pick” in reference to wearing the same undies two days a in a row. Also, Kate and Maren sang a lovely cover of “Last night a DJ saved my life” that went like this: “Last night a BJ saved my life…” And Kenny Mac snagged it as his ring tone. Since those girls can really sing, the whole restaurant heard. It was just another classy moment on Get Er Done.

At the show, Stinkmitt performed, which was nice. Also, I got a boner for a Karaoke room ON SITE at the club!

It wasn’t mad full but damn that sound system is lovely. Oh and Kate got caught on video stealing our rider. The girls were mad at first, but it’s kinda funny now isn’t it? Check the vid for yourself below.

Kate an hour before the crime was committed

WHISTLER

On Friday we enjoyed a rare moment called “late checkout” and were on the road by 1PM towards Whistler. Six of us piled into one room since we had no intention of actually staying the night, having to drive to Nelson 10 hours the next day anyway. Being that it was Halloween, we got in the spirit and got our costuming on. Jubilee and B.Traits were Wayne + Garth, and Bitchin’ recycled some dope Gnome costumes from Shambhala. Betti Forde was Ke$ha in another bad ass onsie (her closet is like one endless onsie train; the ride gets better the longer you stay on it), and I was a Tweety Bird (again cause my fucking Shocker costume got stuck in the States since the people at BuyCostumes.com have never rerouted a package and have shit for brains and sent it to my HOME ADDRESS in Toronto. Assholes). But I don’t have pictures of us, cause that’s just how the cookie crumbled.

NELSON

By 4am we were strapped into a car with a sober Mama Miche at the helm and flying towards Nelson. Not gonna lie, that drive was a bit rough considering I got deep into the Burt Reynolds hole with Dom the manager at Garfinkels the night before. Sobering up in a car is lovely. Just lovely.

We made it to the Hume Hotel, which is where Spirit Bar is located and after getting a good dose of Oso Negro, we passed out for a solid 4 hour nap.

The party in Nelson went off like a crack whore with a fresh welfare cheque. I gotta say, the whore quotient was pretty low in Nelson, which was really refreshing. It was almost like a Jim Henson movie, with people break dancing and flipping around on the dance floor and furniture. Costume wise, we had a Hamburgler (Jubilee), Unicorn Trainer (Mama Miche), Bunny (Kenzie Clarke), a Kingu Flying Bat (B.traits) and I was Prince. Yes, the purple one. Highlight: B.Trait’s dad came dressed as a younger version of himself and her mom stayed right to the end (she’s from Nelson originally).

Awesome Nelson Ladies!

The Get Er Done Tour is picking up mad steam out in the prairies, heading west ward to BC. We picked up B.Traits in Edmonton, and girlfriend is a great addition to this scrappy crew. She turns it out harder than most guys. Splitting her time between the UK and her home town of Vancouver, she was nice enough to answer our 20Qs before it got to crazy on the road.

1. What is your dream of happiness?
Making music I love.. in love.. healthy..surrounded by friends, family and smiling faces.

2. Blonde or Brunette?
Hmm.. I’m a little of both. Really I’m fascinated with gingers.. might go red one day.

3. What is the quality you like most in a person?
Sense of humor and honesty.

4. What do you fear most?
Failure.

5. 808s or 909s?
808′s all day baby.

6. What’s your biggest regret?
I don’t actually think I have any.  This isn’t really a regret but every Christmas since age 9, I asked for a Drum kit …. I never got one… and still don’t have one.

7. What’s your fav bar or club in the world?
Thats a tough one… there are so many!! I’m into the smaller more intimate vibesy clubs.

8. What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
Apple cider vinegar.

9. What are the 3 musicians dead or alive you’d like to see perform?
Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Biggie.

10. What is your favorite decade in music?
90′s

11. If you had to choose, would you rather go blind or deaf and why?
Blind… I hate silence and couldn’t live without music.

12. How old is too old?
For what exactly? Dead is kinda old..

13. Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
Really I cant even imagine right now…

14. Who’s your hero?
My Mum.

15. What’s your favourite colour?
Purple or Teal.

16. What song could you live without ever hearing again?
P-P-P-Poker Face

17. Metallica or Madonna?
Madonna

18. What’s your most hated vice?
Sugar

19. Who is the most tragic figure in history?
Princess Di

20. What are the top three live shows you’ve seen in your life?
Jay-Z
Daft Punk
David Rodigan

When most people think about going on a road trip, they think of the age old classics like Maine, California or Florida.

Rarely do people wake up and think, “Hey–let’s drive from Vancouver to Whitehorse in a Mazda 3 and hope we don’t die.”

Well, I did.

To contextualize: a really good friend of mine has been living in Whitehorse for the last few years and is now finally moving back to Ontario. Figuring, hey–this could be my only opportunity to see the Yukon and have a tour guide–I volunteer to come up for a visit. I team up with another friend of mine who’s studying in Vancouver, and he suggests we drive. I think, “This is going to be so badass.”

Cut to one month later, to me on a plane to Vancouver:

I have never been to the West coast before. I arrive in Vancouver at 9am. I spend most of the day waiting for my friend who just finished his first year of law school to sleep off his extensive hang over. I tour around Kitsilano Beach, drink some coffee and marvel at the fact that every other store sells sporting apparel.

Finally, he wakes up and we strategize our drive. After spending over two hours using google street view to plot out our drive, we decide that we’re probably going to end up re-living the movie “Deliverance” and begin to regret our decision of DRIVING TO THE BLOODY YUKON.

Ehem. We proceed to get sufficiently drunk and hope not to die in the car the next day.

Day One

We pile up the ol’ Mazda 3 with ample snacks, energy drinks and print outs of our route.

The map says it should take 1 day and 8 hours of driving–we figure, at 120km/h + minimal stops and sleep, we can make it in 24hrs.

First, we load up the driver with a McGangBang: the only thing that fuels him through law school, and now through the drive from hell.

We get onto Mile 1 of the TransCanada highway and make our way towards Prince George. We estimate we’ll get there in about 7 hours. We figure can take a quick break and eventually get to Smithers, BC for the night.

Let me say this: GOOGLE MAPS IS ALWAYS WRONG. It took us over an hour to even get out of Vancouver. Not to mention, that it shows the most “direct” route. Meaning, it did not show the a) severe threats of hitting wildlife, b) construction, nor c) gravel which makes up most of the one-lane-highways-on-the-side-of-a-mountain, which is, most of rural B.C.

It took 9hrs to get to Prince George; considering the aforementioned factors, it’s generally a gong show. We had wanted to drive half of the 2400km to Whitehorse in one night. So, we fuel up in Prince George and continue towards Smithers, now officially two hours behind our original estimate.

We switch onto Mile 16 of the TransCanada and it gets dark. By the time we reach Smithers, it’s 2:30am and none of the motels are open. After witnessing some intense crystal meth exchanges in a 7-11 gas station, we decide to keep going.

Up until this point, there had been a rest stop every 30-50 minutes, so we head towards one. Suddenly, it’s pouring rain, we’re on the side of a cliff and it’s dark as hell–it’s foggy so the moon is completely covered. Recipe for being totally screwed. We’re also surrounded by moose. Giant moose that want to run right into our car, I imagine.

There are no rest stops for another two hours. We finally find one, pull over and sleep in the car. It’s 4:30am.

Day Two

I wake up to the realization that I am in the middle of a Reserve, have had 3 hours of sleep, and have nothing to eat but a variety of cheese-flavoured crackers. This is not the ideal road-trip-situation.

So, we keep driving.

We hit signs saying “North to Alaska” and figure we must be pretty close.

Wrong.

We’re still 12 hours out, and most of the highway is made of gravel.

At one point, we’re nearly hit by a bald eagle.

We pull over, about halfway up the BC-37 (aka the worst highway in history) for a nap; we’re in the middle of a ghost town, and we’ve already officially totally overshot how long we thought it would take us.

We finally arrive in Whitehorse at 8:30pm, way later than we expected.

Needless to say, we meet up with my friend and promptly collapse after eating every fresh vegetable in sight lest we die of the scurvy we no doubt incurred on the drive up.

It took us over 28 hours to get there.

Tomorrow, Alaska.

Day Three

I’ve been through a lot of Canadian cities, though none as unique or as intriguing as Whitehorse. The Yukon territory is an interesting place. Consisting largely of government employees, artists, and First Nations people, the territory comprises a unique population not seen anywhere else in the country.

Admittedly, we were expecting it to look a little like this:

Yeah, that's Hoth from Star Wars.

You know…an arctic tundra or some such other nonsense. Instead, the Yukon is beautiful. Trees and mountains as far as you can humanly see; every store or restaurant you could think of, and even a wicked brewery and coffee roaster that are just mind blowing.

Seriously, if you ever want to have the best beer in Canada–hit that up. (Click here to read the Get Er Done Tour Diary when Anna Von went to Whitehorse in 2008)

There are approximately 25,000 people in Whitehorse, with an additional 4-6,000 coming in the summer months for the extensive (largely German) tourist fuelled economy. On our first real day, we went to Skagway, Alaska, since it’s only 1.5 hours outside of Whitehorse.

Alaska looked exactly how I pictured it would. Small, quaint, beautiful. We bummed around the town, which was completely deserted because the cruise ships hadn’t  yet begun to come in. We hiked, saw some waterfalls, and ate the best fish and chips known to human kind at The Skagway Brewing Co.

Day Four

A day dedicated to Whitehorse: we cruised around town, hit up some hot springs and ate at some delicious local favourites.

Emotionally, we had to prepare ourselves for the two-day drive we had back to Vancouver in the morning.

Day Five

After the exciting drive up (read: terrifying) we were recommended to take another route. Though longer, the highways were wider, not made of gravel, and you could easily do 140 km/h without worry.

We drove along the Alaskan Highway through Watson Lake all the way through to Fort Nelson.

This route included way more Provincial Parks, and BISON. Seriously. Like, twice the size of our car just hanging out on the road.

As it gets dark, and we’re in the middle of a Reserve again and there’s 4 feet of snow on either side of the car. I realize that reading Cormac McCarthy books on this trip was a poor choice. If you’ve ever read a Cormac McCarthy book, you’ll understand my sentiment.

Day Six

We barrel through the rest of the drive and return un-Deliveranced, unscathed and unharmed to Vancouver.

We promptly collapse under the weight of how giant Canada actually is.

Most fun ever? Or Most ridiculous trip idea ever? You decide.

Even in San Francisco, Rock and Roll and Fashion are like Sex and Condoms. I spent last weekend in the California desert surrounded by 75,000 of the world’s broadest thinking fashion cats. I’ve since left the sunshine state to enjoy a little college company in the countries greatest Pacific city, Gangcouver.  Tuesday, I had the most delicious bowl of Earl Grey ice cream and tonight I’m going to some party in Gastown. Tough Life. But what’s really important here is getting you the goods to Coachella. This year the festival upped EVERYTHING: more people, more music, more coverage. H&M interviewed me? It was weird. Anyway, so here’s the low down on cool south o’ la border.

CULTURE

The people were so dope that the music was just a treat. I made Whitney Port totally awkward  (as she should be), checked out Danny Devito’s bald spot for a quick sec, and had Emile Hersh longing for my acquaintance. The Gobi tent (smallish) had some serious sound issues most of the weekend and by about 8:30 every night there were spots of throw up and dirty napkins  everywhere you’d want to rest a foot. But the kick and overall chaos of the event was so forceful in this park you got away with closing your eyes and moving around the clock if you wanted to. Slush Puppies et al. Tons of stuff to do. Rollerskating, swingsets, jumbo jenga, you name it really…entertainment on your side (with a wristband). I also met a nameless sandwich artist, he was so talented i cried.

GUYS must have wardrobe piece for summer 2010: Kilt

MUSIC

Beyoncé. Forever Young. Read the line up for yourself and feel a heart in your jeans. I missedThe Big Pink, so I bought their t-shirt, but everyone who saw anything was pretty alright with their experience. I was unimpressed with Matt & Kim, realized why they put Spoon ahead of Pavement very quickly, and I slept through the second half of Tom Yorke‘s set. Major Lazerkilled it. The xx KILLED it. Hot Chip, next to Yeasayer was the best set of the weekend. Vampire Weekend should do more homework and Phoenix was not nearly as unpleasant in an outdoor environment as I thought they’d be. I also saw a man wearing a Japandroids t-shirt and got really excited about Vancouver.

GIRLS make it yourselfable (ask your mom if you need to), Crocheted Poncho, for real.

FOOD & DRINK

Weiners, Tacate, Tiki Masala, Heineken, and store bought freestyle champion of the world choco choco chip cookies. Nothing less, nothing more.

Bitchin DJs, Mama Miche and Kenzie Clarke were up in the old Whistler place during umm, that sport festival who’s name we dare not say. They played shows, got down with the locals, had shots and lived to write about it. Special thanks for Rosa for being our fav West Coast Creep and Andrew Mac for the pics!

Some might say that Canadians are a little slow to get the party going, and you know what, they might be right.  That’s not to say that once that party train is rolling, it seems to be careening down the tracks at a breakneck speed while clanging a cowbell in one hand and drinking a beer with the other.  This is one of those MOST FUN EVER kinds of moments.

Our week started Saturday, Feb. 13th in Victoria B.C., as we played host to Sammy Bananas at Hush Nightclub…true to form, the man is bananas…after dropping hit after hit, the bartenders (the only people who’s opinions I trust) declared it a win, and we went off on our merry little way feeling like the first heat of our GOIN’ FOR GOLD tour was a great success.

Sammy Bananas

Because we are open to all forms of culture and expression, we decided to try out this new thing called “Valentines Day”.  Plans of scooter rentals and cruising around the city were kiboshed by all the other bastards who were doing the pseudo-romance thing as well.  So instead we walked along the breakwater (OOOOH!) and then drove to the top of Mount Doug (AHHHHH!).  Our virgin Victoria visitor (in between napping off his hangover in the backseat) was pretty excited by A) the view B) the ocean and C) the fact that he didn’t have to wear more than two layers of clothing.  He was also pretty amazed that our friend has an urban farm with chickens in her backyard, and an old deadhead bus in the back with the Muppet Band Electric Mayhem painted on the side.

After zero negotiation (post dinner wine talk) we decided to take an early ferry over to Vancouver to avoid the much anticipated travel hell on the Sea to Sky highway that would take us up to Whistler.  Dr. Dug, tour manager extraordinaire, had sorted us out with the ‘Golden Ticket’, a pass that would allow our vehicle, and all occupants, access to Whistler without having to rely on the public transit or 1 of the million or so busses that were headed that way.

Rosa & Dr. Doug

We picked up Rosa, our third wife, and were on our way by the afternoon.  Much to our surprise and joy, the highway was perfectly clear, and we were up to Whistler in record time.  After settling in, having a cocktail, staring out the window of the condo we were staying in and wishing we had remembered bathing suits, we discovered the fact that we had to pull a serious marathon set from 930-230.  We decided to take a short cut down blackcomb mountain in order to get to the club on time, and discovered that sneakers and other forms of non-winter footwear are not the tightest equipment to wear while wandering through snow.

We arrived in  Whistler village just as the Fire and Ice show was starting, which was music accompanied by boarders and skiiers doing aerials and jumps through Olympic rings that were on fire.  Miche discovered her long lost family on the way, and was eager to jump over a barricade in order to have her photo taken with them.

From here on in things got a little fuzzy…..We were playing at our favourite haunt (and location of the first Get ‘er Done Tour gig) Maxx Fish Doug re-appeared after killing a bottle of scotch with his Dad; Sammy Bananas, Neoteric and Sam Demoe came by to say hello then our buddy A-Mac wandered over to where they were playing to see Sammy bust a tune on the harmonica, the dance floor was hectic with requests for old school hip-hop, fidget, a guy who was ADAMANT that Daft Punk be played and there were the other female dj’s who wanted to ‘look at our song lists’.

Neoteric, Sammy Bananas, Sam Demoe

Bichin Ladies: Mama Miche & Kenzi Clarke

We headed down to Vangroover in the evening of the next day, catching the most epic of Sunsets and realizing we were trading in any form of good winter olympic type weather for this sunset, so we had better enjoy every last second of it.  Courtesy of our friend/fellow dj/promoter DJ Kraig, we were invited to share the decks and do an opening set with him for the Stanton Warriors surprise second show.

After an amazing meal at Guu (a must visit if you are in Vancouver), we hit the club and had a fantastic evening of breaks and house music. The crowd was smaller, but it made for a tight intimate gathering with some of the biggest names in the breaks biz.

We totally hate having any kind of fun, so it was a good thing that these guys are just so boring and hate to have fun too.

A quick visit with the boys in their penthouse suite (yep life sucks) revealed that finally Vancouver was starting to embrace the fact that the Olympics are happening right in their backyard, and we could see Canadian flags flying from apartments all around us.

The next night had us taking the gondola up Grouse mountain for the Monster Energy Drink party.

Check out this lineup: DJ Fashen, Dave Nada, Neoteric, Mike B., DJ Spyder, and Kid Sister!  All in an amazing apres ski setting overlooking the lights of Vancouver! EPIC!!  There were of course all the treats that come along with fantasmo industry events, such as glasses fashioned from ice, free massive buffet, outdoor Olympics viewing area with couches, but the DJ’s definitely stole the show.  We were all introduced to Moombahton (think 125 bpm slowed to 110…it’s amazing) courtesy of Dave Nada, who also provided various other sources of entertainment for the evening, such as “Tape MIche to the seat of the car while she drives across the Lions Gate Bridge, and while you’re at it tape Kenzie’s arm to Miche’s seat so she’s useless to help”.  We got to hit up an apres courtesy of the Schitzpopinovv crew, and managed to get in a little face time with our fave dude from abroad: DJ Czech.

Czech & Mama Miche

Well 5 days of partying in a row with our favorite friends wasn’t enough. Post Grouse Mountain ice skating party/ Nada tape up / moombahton marathon, we woke up at the River Rock Casino in Richmond. Miche took her hand at the slots but the “Enchanted Unicorn” didnt pay out, instead A-Mac quadrupled his winnings on virtual roulette so he bought our train tickets back downtown and lunch (more beer).

Thursday night, Day 6 was geared up for another night up at Grouse, this time at the chalet with DJ’s Ali-B, Ayres and Rico then another tram ride back down to Shine where Miche and A-Mac checked out the Shaun White Gold Medal Party with Smalltown DJs and Steve Aoki. Shaun wasn’t there because apparently he was flown to Chicago to do Oprah, but we did meet the US bronze medalist for men’s halfpipe and see the medal itself. Ok so Miche didnt exactly see it and doesnt know who these dudes are, but there’s the medal.

Kenny Mack was in the house and that meant shots! shots! shots! shots! shots! shots! That damn LMFAO song will haunt us forever. A post club apres at The Red Bull Lounge was groovy and left Amac and Miche wandering home to Kits.

Friday in the city didn’t slow down, it supersized X a gazillion! Miche’s daughter joined the festivities so quick switch to PG mode, we toured the downtown at night on Granville with the other 7 billion people who thought that would be “fun” to get wasted in Canadian flags and belt out the anthem on repeat.

Then for our last day in Vancouver A-Mac actually checked out a hockey game, the only Olympic-sports related activity to contribute to the week.

Meanwhile Miche and Katie cruised the city on bikes in search of the hot ticket item “Quatchi Toque” they were selling out everywhere. I am sure anywhere outside the downtown core would have a ton of these. In the beautiful +10 sunshiny Best Coast weather we hit the Sea Wall to False Creek to Gastown to Coal Harbour, to Stanley Park and back to Burrard Bridge with a mission accomplished for under $30 CDN.

Click here to see one on Ebay.

All in all – Canada hosting the winter Olympics during the warmest winter on record was pure fun, filth and of course the Most Fun Ever!

“Hip Hop is very young.”

Spills Jay-Z to Sarah Taylor in an interview Saturday afternoon at MuchMusic. A modest and truthful remark from a trailblazer. It’s Young. Well Oiled. Unstoppable.

Toronto is a city full of tattoos and tights, and despite the stereotypes, it is possible to sift through broken glass and find little diamond artists that are developing legends.  Musicians that may one day share the stage with Marc Jacobs or Dead Man’s Bones (I heart Ryan Gosling.)

Devils Night 2009 at Rancho Relaxo (a Biftek-esque second story concert venue on College Street and Toronto’s premiere Dive Bar), hosted a hawk of frenzied, ignited music lovers and a bunch of seriously talented rap fiends for a pre Halloween jam that stole hearts from here to VanCity.

Springloaded Pup and B’MO Crazy out of Toronto, Kwizmassturrz hollering Mtl, and Wordburglar (Halifornia) are energetic crews killing our scene with fresh style and lyrically engaging tunes that deserve hip hop head recognition. Quality Music. 100%.

Wu-Tang Clan and Kids in the Hall and Cardboard City began. The talented, focused and hungry for change are downtown, living it; Kensington, College and Queen West, Annex, Danforth and The Beach.  All arousing the kindling of a roaring and heated beast of musical energy that can not be tamed. Poor California.

Support their shit. Hit a show. I do.

http://myspace.com/wordburglar

http://myspace.com/bmocrazy

http://myspace.com/kwizmassturrz

http://myspace.com/springloadedpup

Name: Betti Forde aka Maren Hancock.
Occupation: DJ, MC & Vocalist in StinkMitt, freshly appointed Graduate Student at York

Biggest turn on: BC Bud
Biggest turn off: Gordon Campbell
City: Vancouver
How long have you lived there?: 11 years, all on the same street (Pacific St.) in the West End, which I call the Rear End. Here is the view of Sunset Beach at 7am from my friend G-Luve’s apartment, one block away from mine.
Why do you call it home?: Up until last year it didn’t snow and you could ride your bike 24/7. Not so much now though, thanks to global warming. It snowed over ten times last year which is used to be totally unheard of.

Best spot…if you’re ballin:
For a meal AND For a date:
Go to Tuscany on Bowen Island. Its not even that expensive per se, but you have to hop a 35 minute water taxi ride from Granville Island to Bowen, which is super fun and only costs $25 round-trip, they depart from both Granville Island & Bowen all day up to about 10pm so its perfect for day-tripping. Check out http:www.giwt.ca for sailing schedules.
Here is my boyfriend Tristram on the water taxi. You can even take your dogs (everyone takes theirs dogs on dates, right?) and walk right off the ferry and up to the restaurant. Here is my dog Carter chilling in the taxi.
Tuscany is an Mediterrian/Italian joint in this really cool old house with seating indoors and out. Everything was super fresh and they grew all their own herbs. I know for a fact because they sat me right next to the herbs. They sure read me right!

We had a delicious salad with seared scallops and really good pizza baked in their wood-fired oven and pasta and bottle of good wine and it was about $100 before tip. I had a lot of wine. Excellent food and service and no black clad model-type hostesses with attitude! They had no problem with us hitching our dogs on the lawn. Look how happy my date is!
Bowen Island is super cute. Even its residents are totally beautiful in a natural way. It brought me closer than ever to my dog. We could never be too close!

To shop: I suspect all the Ballin’ places are in West Vancouver. We’re not allowed there. West Vancouver has their own police force, their own bus service, their own secret handshake…we call them the Others. Otherwise, Scarlet on Granville is a dope lingerie shop that carries Betsey Johnson and lots of other dope brands and they have big sizes if you got big knockers.

Best spot…if you’re broke:
For a meal: You have to go to Sunset Beach Concession. They have delicious burgers for about $5.50, and they are delicious.

Here is a succulent Veggie Burger. They also have fresh wild salmon, chicken or beef and they come on a whole wheat bun, made to order with whatever fixins’ you want including heaps of fried onions & super fresh lettuce and tomato. Note the generous serving of fried onions on the chicken version. I’ve been eating these for 11 years and the same nice older lady has been serving them up with a smile for just as long. I don’t know her name but long ago I nicknamed her Marcy of the Marcyburgers and I love her. I think Marcyburgers at Sunset Beach are what I’ll miss the most about Vancouver. Sniff.

To shop: Richmond Night Market

For a date: Stanley Park. Kind of a no-brainer but it’s good to remind yourself  of what an amazing place it is. It’s bigger than Central Park in NYC and has a miniature railway you can ride on, amazing Totem Poles, tons of hiking trials, a lake, a lagoon,
pitch n’ put course, 1000 year old trees, mad history and tons of romantic views.

Best spot for a hangover breakfast: The Elbow Room. The food’s awesome and cheap and all the queens yell at you while
they’re serving you, its meant to be funny and it actually totally is.

Best live venue: The Railway Club. You can still hit their patio with a drink AND a smoke. The sound is pretty good, drinks are cheap and many legends have graced their tiny stage.

Best late night joint: Characters on Davie @ Thurlowe. They stay open til about 6am, the food is the same price as at Denny’s but way way better, and if you’re still “thirsty” after the club you can pay $5 for a “small cranberry juice” or $10 for a “large”.

Best kept secret: The cute little harbour ferry’s that you can take to go between Yaletown, the Westend, Kitsalano, Granville
Island, Main Street & False Creek. You can take your bikes and/or your dog too and its only $3 one-way, $5 r/t.

Best spot to dance your ass off: The Lotus Hotel which houses the Lotus Sound Lounge, Honey Lounge & Lick (the latter being our lil ol’ lesbian bar!). Find it on Facebook.

Tourist Trap to avoid? THE OLYMPICS

You’d have to live here to know?: How downhill it’s gone since the 90s. Its  becoming too expensive for artists and creative (read: broke) types to live here so we are losing them all rapidly…

What NOT to miss?: The Seawall that runs basically from Gastown, east to Coal Harbour, winds around Stanley Park and then goes past English Bay and Sunset Beach to Yaletown, Plaza of Nations, Science World at Main St. and then west all the way past Granville Island and Kitsalano and then almost all the way to Spanish Banks at the University of B.C., with only a few interuptions. Drop acid and spend the whole day from sun-up to sunset walking it, you’ll get to the farthest western tip just in time to see the sun set from Wreck Beach.

Once you read all about Evan Biddel you will be craving more. We have the solution for you! Head down to Ultra for the officially Evan Biddel after party. It’s only $15 a pop and you’ll even get a showing of his pieces.

Tucked away in a sleepy alleyway somewhere off of Queen West one could stumble upon designer Evan Biddell’s front stoop and most likely not even know it. After a few minutes of searching alleyways and buzzing disgruntled tenants, we found the designer’s loft-turned-studio and were invited in. The laid-back Evan Biddell was surrounded by his personal team who appeared to be discussing his upcoming show in LG Fashion Week. While Biddell’s crew wrapped up the meeting, the photographer Arkan and I had a chance to poke around. The main floor of the studio was chock-full of oversized drafting tables, sewing machines, sketches of and fabric swatches in every colour under the rainbow. Thrown in the mix were a few couches, a coffee table and a fantastic candy apple 50s refrigerator. Biddell quickly shooed the others away and took a few minutes to sit down with Pink Mafia to discuss all things fashionable.

B: Do you have any specific people that inspire you – designers, artists, friends?

E: Yeah, I am really into robots right now. I think they are cool. I have been seeing a pop up in street art and I think it is a result of all of us growing up in the 90s with Transformers. Also living in a city where people get up and do the same thing is almost robotic. It’s as if you don’t have to think about what you’re doing anymore because you have done it so much. We’re on autopilot.

B: Is that what we are going to see in your FW10 collection?

E: The attitude is still going to be strong Biddell; I can’t really take the Biddell out entirely. I am playing with a lot of shapes and geometry. I drew the silhouette from the logo from Transformers. The make-up is inspired by that.

B: Any colours in particular you are focusing in on?

E: They are going to be laser sharp punches of colours, a circuit board of colour if you will.

B: Why do you continue to stay and work in Toronto?

E: I am here because I am in Canada and I had a lot of exposure across the country. As we know, fashion happens in Toronto for Canada. So right now Toronto is the place to be for me and where I am at in my career. I definitely have a lot more exploring to do.

B: What do you think you would be doing if you hadn’t won Project Runway Canada?

E: I was living out west so I would probably still be in Vancouver. I was working in a costume department for film so I might still be doing bits of that.

B: We’re you designing clothing for film?

E: Yeah, I was building clothes. I was a “custom builder”, sounds like carpentry instead of fashion. But Project Runway gave me a career out here and now I’ve got to work!

B: I’ve seen from your collection that sustainability is important to you as a designer.

E: Yeah, I’ve got elements. I have been exploring those fabrics and I feel like in the past two years I’ve almost used all the sustainable fabrics I’ve been able to find. There are about three options out there and I’ve used two and a half of them. Not to say that I’ve exhausted them but fashion is ADD and you have to keep it fresh. I have an appreciation for the fabrics; sustainable fabrics are great to wear every day. They make great pajamas, great sheets but its casual, it’s not as high end as I want to go. For this season if I’m going to be doing robots, I need a stiffer material. I am using this nylon I found with bright colours. I do have a line of sustainable basics coming out and that’s where I think it’s more important to be using those fabrics anyway.

B: So you haven’t attended any formal fashion school. How did you get to where you are today without school? Do you think it’s helped you or hindered you in any way?

E: It’s definitely hindered me now. We just finished our first production and in the factory it was hard trying to communicate technical ideas and speak the language. It’s a little bit tricky when you don’t know where to notch the pattern. There’s some terminology that I don’t know because I never went to school. As for as creativity goes, I know that I don’t make the most commercial clothes. I wasn’t taught a way to make clothes, so it’s a little bit more creative the way I do it. Say if someone taught me how to make a proper pair of pants, then that’s how I would be making pants rather than the way I make them now. I don’t think it’s been one or the other to the extreme.

B: Run me through a day in the life of Evan Biddell.

E: Lately it’s been waking up, brushing the teeth, getting my Starbucks and jumping on the TTC to the factory. I overlook production which means making sure my samples are being cut and seeing what’s coming back from the factory as far as sewing goes. Then I tag the clothes, stick stickers on the hangtags and pin them to the clothes. We just shipped our first order last week to Kuwait and we are going to be shipping our next order over to Queen Street West; Pho Pa has bought it. Then I come home to my studio that I live in. Right now I am working on my fall collection so I do my work until late in the night until two and then hit the hay.

B: Do you take a break after fashion week?

E: Yes. I usually work really hard for a couple months and then I take a couple of months off.

B: Do you follow trends? Do you believe in following trends?

E: I think trends are okay. I think it would be boring to be a little too trendy. I definitely pay attention to what’s going on out there, I think that’s what trends are. You need to know what the other guys are doing. For example shoulder pads are hot right now, so if I was to do shoulder pads next year when everyone had done them this year then I would be shooting myself in the foot. So it is good to know what’s happening. Same thing goes for doing something a little too early. I did the drop crotch and then all of a sudden it was everywhere, so then I thought maybe I should do it again. Last season I kind of had it across the board and now this season I only have a couple. I still think it’s cool and I am not just doing it for the trend, but I don’t want to exhaust it because people are getting sick of seeing it. I still think it’s relative to my brand entirely; it wasn’t just a seasonal thing.

B: Why do you like designing clothes for the female form?

E: That’s just the name of the game.

B: You would never venture into menswear?

E: No because I think you can have more fun with girl’s clothes.

B: Are there any designers you look up to?

E: Obviously Nicolas Ghesquière and Alexander McQueen, all those heavy hitters. I like Jeremy Scott, he’s got some balls.

B : My last question…are you planning on wearing a mask for the upcoming show ?

E : Possibly. Possibly a helmet. Right on.