This week, we hand the new band torch over to Canadian rockers The Glorious Sons, whose modern take on big-sounding melodic stadium rock has seen them gather fans across the globe, most recently earning them a coveted slot on the Reading And Leeds Festival stage.
We catch up with frontman Brett Emmons to find out everything you need to know about the band and their journey so far.
Can you introduce yourselves – where are you from, who does what and what are your roles in the band?
"We are a Canadian rock and roll band from Kingston, Ontario. We're Brett Emmons: lead vocals, Jay Emmons: guitars, Chris Koster: guitars, Adam Paquette: drums and Chris Huot: Bass. As for roles outside of that. I would say I am the main songwriter, or at least became that. I deal mainly with vocals and melody. Jay is a huge contributor as far as arrangement goes, he is also a great lyricist and has helped greatly in that aspect. Chris Koster is a musical genius and can make anything sound interesting. He is the secret weapon in the band, and has influenced our sound greatly since he joined the band in 2015. Packer is the backbone of the band. He’s the hardest worker, and an incredibly versatile drummer. Mamba is simply my favourite bassist in the world. He understands groove like no one else I’ve met. He sees music from a different angle than the rest of us and I think that’s been a huge help to put band."
How did you guys meet and start making music together?
"This is all Jay’s invention. He was tired of working carpentry. He started jammin' with different people around town. Mamba and him stuck. At around the same time, Packer and our first guitarist Andrew Young were jamming across town. I gave Jay Packer's contact info and they all met up. I was out east at the time and had just dropped out of school. They would jam every night and call me on a regular basis when they were drunk and try to convince me to join. I kept saying no. I ended up coming home for Christmas, at which point I realised they were actually good. A month later I called Jay and asked if the offer still stood. I boarded a plane from Halifax to Kingston a week later, and that was that."
What were your key influences/inspirations in getting the band together?
"Music. Jay and I had been writing music separately (and sometimes together) for years. We always knew we’d be in a band together. We always wanted to be rockstars."
How would you describe your sound in three words for people who’ve never heard you?
"I don’t know."
What makes you special/different to other bands out there?
"We’re great songwriters. We don’t approach the process with apathy. We could give a shit about irony and sarcasm, we love what we do, and we understand the importance of immediacy."
What’s the story behind the new album Young Beauties And Fools – how did you approach writing and how did it come together?
"This album was hard to come by. We had been in the studio a few times and come out with nothing. It was hard for us to take the next step after releasing our first album. We had a vague understanding of what we wanted to do, but we couldn’t get there ourselves. We went to LA and met a trio of producers, Fred, Tom and Ryan (Fast Friends). The first thing they did was help us understand which songs were best to pursue (out of hundreds). Next, they helped usher us into the 21st century. The key to this album was finding a balance of the immediacy and dirt of rock and roll, between the modern colours and tastes of pop sensibilities. We cracked the code the first day with the guys from Fast Friends, and after that it was like releasing a dam. Everything came pouring out and it was recorded in about 15 days."
What’s your favourite story/anecdote from recording the album?
"There’s so many; Fredrick’s danish style dance moves, Jay saying “a round of kisses for the boys” after listening back to a song, Ryan’s twisted mind. But mainly just watching these songs come together so fast, exactly when we needed them and being around my best friends and new friends and being able to share experiences and smile with them."
What, in your opinion, is the stand out track on the album?
"All of them. I’m proud of this album, they all can live as singles. But they are all stories that intertwine with one another and add the the whole story of the album. If I had to say my favourite, it would be Sawed Off Shotgun."
What do you hope people will take away from the album and your music in general?
"I hope they can see themselves in the stories and feel some of what I’m feeling. I hope it makes them happy when they want to be happy, and sad when they want to be sad. Mostly I just want them to enjoy the music."
What's been the highlight of your time in the band so far?
"Come on, there isn’t one, and the highlights don’t exist apart from one another. Anytime you can make money doing what you love, you should be thankful. Anytime people are singing your songs, you should be thankful. There's too many highlights to convey. There are also things that suck, but the good completely outweighs the bad. The latest highlight has been releasing an album that has allowed us to tour the world, so I’ll go with that one."
What can people expect if they come to see you live?
"Sweaty, dirty rock and roll. A train about a centimetre away from falling off the track. A man and his brothers pouring his heart out. Passion, love, vulnerability, anger, excitement, joy, sadness."
What are you most looking forward to about the future – what’s coming next?
"I’m just looking forward to playing these tunes and releasing more music. That’s all."
The Glorious Sons’ new album Young Beauties And Fools is available now via Earache Records.
