INTERVIEW: Jane’s Party — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Jane’s Party

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AS we head into the weekend…

I have been setting time aside to chat with the guys of Jane’s Party. It has been great speaking with the Toronto-based group about their new single, You’re the Light, and how it came together. I ask whether there are gigs coming up; what it was like shooting the video for You’re the Light – they reveal if they are coming to the U.K.

I was eager to explore their musical tastes and the music scene in Toronto; how they spend their time away from music; if they have any advice for new songwriters of the moment – the guys end the interview with song selections.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Great week so far! Indie 88 in Toronto premiered the new video for You’re the Light and the single was released across all platforms on Friday.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Jeff (Keys, Guitar and Vox), Devon (Bass, Keys and Vox); Tom (Guitar, Vox) and Zach (Drums)

How did Jane’s Party get together? What is the reason behind that name?

We started jamming in a garage up in the Jane and Finch area of Toronto where we were all going to school together and made our first record, The Garage Sessions.

You’re the Light is your new single. Can you talk to me about the song’s story?

The song uses nautical imagery to paint a picture of being lost at sea overwhelmed by the feeling of helplessness and confusion. This refers to, simultaneously, searching for a figure or idol that is one’s guiding light through the maze of commotion we find ourselves trapped inside.

It was made in collaboration with Matthew Angus of Fast Romantics. What was the reason for that? What was it like working with him?

We’ve known Matt for quite some time now and have always seen eye to eye musically and creatively over the years. It was really only a matter of time before we collaborated on something special and, after bringing a handful of tunes to him, this one jumped out of the bunch and what he added instantly took the song to a place we couldn’t have reached without his guidance.

The video is quite energetic and engaging. Was the concept designed to highlight your performance skills and personalities? Was it a cool shoot?

The video was born out of a performance style aesthetic. We wanted visuals that showcased to fans what the band looks like live - the energy, emotion; passion and skill. The lighting design was done in collaboration with Nathan Whitford from Urban Visuals in Toronto. He is an acclaimed lighting designer and installation artist.

Directors Julian Peter and Kat Webber as well as art director, Tom Ionescu (also in the band), came up with the idea of having different lighting ‘worlds’. The video was shot on two Alexa mini-cameras, as well as a mini D.V. to create contrast.

We used a steady-cam and dolly-track to create different types of movement and combined L.E.D. lights with projectors to get different colour palettes.

What is the music scene like in Toronto? Do you have favourite venues and local artists?

We have been playing around Toronto for almost ten years now and, regardless of where we reside in the future, it will always be home to us. Venues like The Cameron House, The Horseshoe Tavern and The Dakota Tavern are where we learned to play live and they offer a sense of comfort I don’t think anywhere else can.

Do you have any gigs lined up? Where can we see you play?

We are very excited about playing Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit this summer along with a number of other festivals in and around Ontario. More immediately, we are supporting Jeremy Loops in Toronto and Montreal on May 3rd and 4th.

Will you come to the U.K.? Have you played here before?

We haven’t played the U.K. but we will - with Tom Odell, ideally!

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

We hope to release a full-length record supported by an abundance of visual content and we hope to take our new music far and wide.

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

Touring Europe with Tom Odell last year. Walking on stage every night to audiences that were so energetic and supportive hasn’t been topped yet. We also got to experience touring Europe with arguably one of the best singer-songwriter pianists to come out of the U.K.