It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with our friends in Hey Slugger, they released “Set to Explode” so we’re lucky!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
John: When we started it, Jeff, our old bassist, came up with the name Hey Slugger. His vision was picturing a grandpa hugging a kid, maybe rubbing his hat or hair and saying “HEY SLUGGERRRRRR” That and we’re all baseball fans. Go Blue Jays! So it just sort of worked for us.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
Andrew: I started playing guitar near the end of grade school and when I went into high school, I took Music as my mandatory arts credit only because I figured I had a leg up. I started playing trumpet and failed quickly and painfully, so I switched to saxophone where I stayed for the next 5 years of high school and 4 years of university. I played in a ska band that was relatively well known around my area through high school and had a blast, but it was my first taste of being a frontman and a gigging musician.
John: I started taking piano when I was in Grade 1. We didn’t have a piano at my house, so we had a rental keyboard that sounded like trash. So I wasn’t motivated to practice. A few years later I started playing around with my Uncle’s organ at my Grandma’s house, just messing around figuring out simple songs like the Flintstones theme song, Phantom of the Opera and anything else I heard on the radio by ear. Eventually started playing guitar in the summer after grade 6 and picked up drums in Grade 9 in high school. My Papa on my Mom’s side was a drummer and so are my uncles. My Papa filled in for The Glenn Miller Orchestra during World War II for a short period, one of my uncles did session work for Platinum Blonde. All 3 were accomplished Pipe Band Drummers as well. Fun fact, I ended up teaching drums and guitar at the 1st music studio in my town on 3 separate occasions. The 1st time was in high school, 2nd was just after I graduated from University and 3rd was a few years ago and stopped during the pandemic.
How would you describe your sound?
Andrew: Like old men clinging to their youth…but it sounds better because we can actually play our instruments now.
John: Like Andrew said, straight up what we grew up on, pop punk. I’ve done the hardcore thing and it was fun, but at this point in my life, I like music with melody and hooks.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
Andrew: Lifetime is probably my favourite band in our genre, but bands from my youth like Four Year Strong, The Starting Line, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Gob are just fun to listen to and get the blood pumping, and that’s what I want our sound to be.
John: Grade. We don’t have any screaming parts but the album Under the Radar musically is 4 chord pop with distortion. It’s tough for me to pick an artist, for me I’m inspired by moments or times in my life and when I’m writing it’s a combination of a bunch of stuff as opposed to a few specific bands I’d like to sound like.
What’s the last song you listened to?
Andrew: Caught me at a great time; “Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll” by Long John Baldry
John: I can’t remember the last exact song but I listened to Worst is on the Way by Korn a bunch the last few days. I actually was staying in a hotel in Buffalo once and Jonathan Davis and his kids were in the next room over. I asked for a pic but his assistant said no. That night my wife and I ran into Munky at a bar called Misuta Chow’s (found out about it from the ETID ‘Tid the Season recommended list) and he sat with us for like 10 minutes. Super nice guy.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
Andrew: my friends honestly. I’m a creature of habit and listen to the same playlist until I’m sick of it. I don’t delve into new music in adulthood like I used to as a youngster, so I count on my bandmates and friends to recommend what they are listening to.
John: Mostly hoping that something good pops up on Spotify new releases. That and bands reposting stuff from other bands. If the 10-15 second clip sounds good then I’ll give it a listen. I guess it’s like this generation’s version of reading the liner notes and seeing who the bands CD you bought thanked and the Punkorama and Victory Style comps as a kid.
Who is your dream producer?
John: This is something I’ve never really thought of. Mainly because we do everything in house at Hey Slugger. However, someone like John Feldmann (grew up a goldfinger fan) and/or Zakk Cervini. They both have a handle on old school and new school stuff. Though I’ve always wanted to work with a metal or heavy music producer with a pop punk band. Just would give a different take on amp/drum tones. I personally love Andrew Wade’s STL tonehub pack tones. He mostly does heavy stuff but did a bunch of A Day to Remember albums that sound great. Him or Will Putney.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
John: I’d love to do a song with Chris from the Flatliners. I grew up with those guys. Before they were the Flatliners they were called Short Notice and they used to open for my high school punk bands. Back then we had OAC (Ontario Academic Credit) which is a fancy word for Grade 13. The Flatliners were in Grade 9. I used to often go up and sing their Against All Authority cover.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
Andrew: I don’t come from a musical family so I don’t know what led me to music but I’m lucky it did. Music gave me a direction in life; by the time I was halfway through high school I was determined to go to university for music and I did, and after that went to teacher’s college and I’ve been teaching music in one form or another for 10 years. The motivation to create comes from a desire to always be improving, always be learning, and taking on new challenges. Craig, John, and Matt all know what they’re doing when it comes to recording in a home studio so that’s the next challenge I’m taking on.
John: It’s just pure love. When I first started teaching, I was teaching Grade 5, Grade ⅚, and 6/7. When I transferred to my last school 10 years ago, I thought I’d be teaching ⅚ again. The principal who was leaving changed it to music/drama/dance for Grade 1-6. I was a bit upset as I was still playing in bands and thought I’d never want to do my own music. 2 months into my first year teaching the arts my band broke up and didn’t play my own music for years, got really into fitness and CrossFit which was great. Around 2016 a new teacher joined my school, my buddy Ryan (who now teaches at Andrew’s school) he was our French teacher and we had the same classes and shared an office and both play left handed. We worked together on various student music groups and seeing my students excel in music really brought back the passion in me to want to start something on my own. So Jeff, our original bass player and I started HS and we tricked Craig into joining us. Jeff and Craig went to high school together and I’d known Craig through local bands for over 20 years. He’d since moved to Bradford the town I grew up in and still live in and moved around the corner from my parents place where they still live. Like Andrew said, having Craig being one of the best musical brains and drummers I’ve played with, Andrew, who I’d been in two bands with and Matt who I’d played with years ago with Andrew makes it motivating because everyone is a musician and just “gets it”. It’s a tough thing to find. Especially at 39 years old.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
Andrew: The instrumentals are usually the first aspect that gets created and usually come from John or Craig. Those guys are great with the recording aspects of it so sometimes they’ll throw fully fleshed out songs in the drive that need no tweaking and just need a more polished re-recording. Sometimes it’s instrumentals with a chorus finished or melody idea and then I get to work on lyrics and melody. Craig and I work closely together on that part of it, and he’s good at taking my cat screeching and taming it into a proper melody.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
Andrew: we’re on all the socials except tiktok I think; likely because we’re too old for it. We try to engage with polls, questions, and what we’re doing at the moment. Lots of sports stuff, music stuff, what we’re listening to, what our friends’ bands are up to.
John: trying to figure out the social media game. It’s completely a different beast than it was 10+ years ago. We used to give out full CDs for free to people at shows. Eat the cost of the CDRs and make sure everyone got a copy and hope they’d become our friend on MySpace. No one listens to CDs and most people have access to decent recording software so it’s easy to get in the game and with so many other distractions it’s tough to get people to listen to your 3 minute song.
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
Merch Store
Spotify
Apple Music
What’s next for you?
Andrew: We’ve got new singles coming out in December and January, one of which we’re shooting a music video for. We’ve got new t shirts and hoodies coming out that we’ll be selling online and at shows. And we’ve got a couple shows coming up in November, reach us online to find out more!
John: Set to Explode comes out on December 2nd. We have a video to go with it. Another single and video in the new year and a few in the bank. It’s cold in Canada in the winter so we’re going to finish up what we’ve got written and record it and be ready for shows in the spring.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
John: I love that I’m still fortunate enough to play original music with 3 other buddies who are all in the same boat. We have careers, families but we all love playing music. If we go on a few weekend runs and don’t blow the bank, you’re up. I think about my dad who played in men’s league hockey tournaments when he was my age or buddies who do play in hockey, baseball, soccer tournaments etc, they have to pay to play in tournaments at least going on a weekend run we make some money back haha. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to get back into a somewhat competitive men’s baseball league, I’m happy to be back playing hockey after a few years off. Great to have balance in life.
Bio:
War, sickness, natural disaster, economic turmoil, the 2000s were lousy and filled with tragic events, and a cloud of uneasiness smothered us. For kids who could barely understand, let alone comprehend the constant tension they found themselves in, there was Punk Music. To run, jump, skate, fight, scream that tension away was all some knew in the ceaseless fight for a place to belong. The search for something happy in a vast, confusing world full of unhappiness was a continuous task for teenagers. But “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.” Or if you’re Hey Slugger, it’s just the beginning. Don’t put an end to the childish ways. Keep chasing that feeling you feel at the front of the crowd, scoring the game-winning point, or throwing caution to the wind. The 2000s were tough, but all of that stuff sounds eerily familiar. Lace-up, Slugger.
Read our review on “Bro Jackson” here.
Check out our review on “Undeniable” here!
See our review on “With Us or Not” here.
