Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A) OBS formed in Saskatoon in 2004, which is nearly 20 years now! Hard to believe. We are so grateful to be still making music we’re passionate about, and we owe a lot to our hometown of Saskatoon. We wanted to make music because our idols like Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains and the Who changed our lives, and we wanted to carry that torch.
And what other artists have you found yourself listening to lately?
A) For me personally, I’ve been revisiting certain artists and albums that inspired this recent recording. Alice in Chains – Dirt was a big one. Others include Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti, Joni Mitchell – Blue, and The Velvet Underground – White Light, White Heat.
Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘One Bad Son’
A. Honestly, I think the key to our sound is taking early 90s grunge (AIC, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) and mixing with the 70s hard rock (Zeppelin, Sabbath, Thin Lizzy). Then you put that through Shane and I’s lens, and the result is something unique. There’s no real story behind the name, but for me it represents the idea that every family or every group of people has one outcast, one loner, one person that doesn’t fit into society’s typical definitions of “normal”. And put 4 of those people together and you get a killer rock and roll band.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new single, “I Come Alive”?
A) For me, it’s about breaking free of society’s rules and expectations and pressures to conform…and in doing so, feeling alive for the first time. It’s about finding your true self, and not letting others define that for you.
Were there any specific artists or influences that played a role in shaping the song’s style?
A. I love Shane’s vocals on this song, they have a real early 90s rock feel, then I brought my version of John Bonham meets Stone Temple Pilots on the drums, and Tara brought that spacey, monolithic guitar riff, and it all came together.
Were there any particular challenges you faced while working on “I Come Alive,” and how did you overcome them?
A) The main challenge was just the distance between each of us, as I’m in Saskatoon and the rest of the band are in Alberta. Prior to this song, OBS had really only written songs in a jam space together over weeks and weeks of working on the songs. This was the first time we approached writing in a completely different way. We started with some Zoom calls with the band and producer Brian Moncarz. We immediately gelled as writers and the song completely changed from its original form. Then once we got in the studio together with drums and a full band, it changed even more. The final product is entirely different from the first demo. It’s the first OBS song in over 6 years and I’m so excited to share it with everyone!!
Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A. Music gives me so much!! It’s the gift that keeps giving, keeps me inspired, keeps me humble, keeps me hungry, keeps me innocent. If there is magic in the world, it’s music and love. And they are sometimes the same thing.
Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A) We almost always start with a guitar riff. Then a drumbeat. Then the melody will come and lyrics typically last. But if the riff doesn’t inspire one of us, we move on.
What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A) The pandemic was hard on OBS. We lost our founding guitarist Adam Hicks. That almost broke up the band. But Shane and I took some time and had many conversations, and realized that we weren’t done making that magic. Thankfully, when we started writing songs with Tara and Kuly, the magic was still there and stronger than it had been in years. What a gift!
On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A) Getting our first #1 song or sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones are moments that are special and I’ll remember until I die, as we know how much work and sacrifice (both by us and our loved ones) it took to get there. But honestly, the thing I’m most proud of is that Shane and I can sit down and have a coffee twenty years in and laugh Like we did in the early days. That is a mutual respect that is earned over 20 years of wins and losses. Nobody truly knows the road we’ve had to travel but us. And that’s what makes a friendship.
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