Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: Hello! My name is Rylan Whalen. I am the lead singer and one of the co-founders of Harm and Ease. I was born and raised in Burlington Ontario, but I have lived in many different places throughout my life. I’ve always had a passion for music and melody, and for as long as I can remember I’ve had a desire to express myself and my feelings in a creative way. I believe this life should be enjoyed, and we should never feel limited, especially when it comes to our dreams. I have always been inspired by certain songwriters of our past and I’ve always had a desire to connect with others in the same way those artists and their songs connected with me. Music is my outlet.
Q: And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A: I’m almost always listening to Supertramp. They are easily one of my all-time favourite bands and I never seem to get tired of their albums. But as for new music, I’ve been listening to this Australian band called Parcels. They are super funky, and their harmonies are just beautiful.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Harm and Ease’?
A: My parents were always playing great music when I was growing up so I can probably thank them for my early interest in it. My Dad listened to a lot of folk rock from California in the 70’s and my mom listened to a lot of British rock from the 60’s. So, from an a pretty young age I was really inspired by bands like The Eagles, The Beatles, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Electric Light Orchestra. I came up with the band name Harm and Ease walking home from school when I was 14. We used to have a different band name and we felt it didn’t quite represent us, so I was brainstorming one day and kept saying the word harmonies and realized it actually sounded like 3 words. We go through this life experiencing both the harm and the ease and it makes us who we are. It’s that duality of life, the Ying and Yang.
Q: Is there a story behind your EP, ‘Camino Loco’?
A: The name Camino Loco roughly translates to “Crazy Road”. It’s an homage to the many years we spent in Argentina and the long journey we took to relocate to Canada. We really grew musically down there, and it definitely shaped us into who we are today. Although we are thrilled to be back in Canada, we will always hold a special place in our hearts for Argentina.
Q: What is the message of your music?
A: I don’t know if there’s an exact message to our music, but we have always believed in making the best out of bad situations. Since the very beginning there have been many challenges we’ve had to face and somehow, we’ve always made it through. We are so passionate and dedicated when it comes this band and I think that shows in our music. Staying truthful to yourself and always striving to grow.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: We’re all very eclectic when it comes to our influences, and we all bring something different to the table which I think makes our sound unique. At the end of the day, we are a modern rock band but we elements of Latin music, funk, disco, folk, even metal. We push ourselves to make rock music that represents these times while also taking influence from different genres and decades of the past.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: It’s sort of cliche but it’s truly about following your dreams. If you want something you really got to want it and you have to stick to it. Things don’t happen overnight and if they did you wouldn’t appreciate them as much. When put your heart and soul into your work you will see the benefits with time. You should always want more, and you should never slow your roll. Hard work and dedication pay off.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: There’s not exactly a specific method when it comes to the writing process. Sometimes one of us has a riff or some melody and we all come together and build the song from there. Other times we write separately and finish most of it on our own. At the end of the day, we are all musicians and we’re always working on our own craft. For me I typically sit down on piano or acoustic guitar and just start humming along to different chord progressions until I feel a certain vibe and lyrics come out. Maybe I’ll already have some lyrics I wrote, and I’ll work them into the progression. It’s not always the same method.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Gosh there’s been so many hurdles to overcome in the past and there’s always new ones to come. I think the hardest thing we’ve had to endure is that we’re all from different places in the world and the difficulties that come with that. All we want is to work together in the same country and be a normal band but to do that you need visas and the process to get them takes a lot of time and money. It literally took us years to figure out how to get the band here to Canada but somehow, we did it. At the end of the day, we just want to make music together but the government just sees us as another number.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: I think the whole band can agree our proudest moment so far has been this Juno nomination for breakthrough group of the year. We’ve only been back in Canada for about three years, and it blows my mind just how far we’ve come. It really validates all our hard work and the sacrifices we’ve had to make to keep with project afloat. Hopefully we win the Juno but even if we don’t, we’re just so honoured to be nominated alongside such awesome musicians and artists. It’s really a dream come true.
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