Interview: Stonebrother

Feb 26, 2021

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What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

(Zach) Mine and Ethan’s parents are music lovers, and dad played in rock bands, so I’ve been around it my whole life. I can remember when I was very young going through the CD collection and listening, and listening in the car. I honestly don’t know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t into music, probably something I didn’t like that much though.

What do you like to do when you're not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

(Ethan) When not playing music, we’re either in school or practicing. Zach’s actually studying music in university, with Leo and myself approaching our last year in high school.

How long has your band been around?

(Leo) Jee, Zach and Ethan have been playing together their whole lives, so I guess you could say ?’s of the band has been together 17 years. The more “official” band started about 5-6 years ago, went through about as many bass players as name changes (4 of em!), and eventually ended up with the lineup and name we have now. Leo Cox (me) on bass, Zach Smith on guitars and lead vocals, and his brother Ethan Smith on drums and backing vocals. The three of us make up Stonebrother.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

(Zach) We come from the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Being Canadian we’re very familiar with the works of The Tragically Hip, Rush, and lots of other great Canadian bands, but those two stand out to me, because when we’re writing we try to think like The Hip lyrically, and Rush musically.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you.

(Ethan) The name Stonebrother doesn’t actually mean anything. We went through a lot of names (some better than others) while trying to find one we liked, and one day Zach came up with “Stonebrother” and we all liked it, so we decided to use it.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

(Leo) The worst show we’ve ever played was definitely opening for a bluegrass band (that shall remain nameless) and getting blamed for their instruments being out of tune because we were the sound guys (you read that right). Our best gig, on a lighter note, was any of the Trunk 7 music festivals, or really any show where we get to do our full on electric sets. They’re always fun, especially larger outside ones, or packed bars.

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

(Zach) We love playing the Trunk 7 Music Festival. It’s a great event with lots of great music, and it’s just a great weekend to play. We’ve also played a few places around the province, but post COVID-19 we plan to gig as much as possible. In future we’d love to play the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. And of course, if the stars align and all that, someday we’d love to play Wembley Stadium.

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

(Ethan) I’ve often thought that it would be really cool to play a show with Green Day or Queen, maybe Iron Maiden, but I think Palaye Royale would also be really sick. There’s a lot of bands that would be cool to play a show with.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

(Zach) Find a way to get out and play more. We were always kind of discouraged because we live quite a ways away from any venues, and we were (and two of us still are) underage, so it wasn't easy to find gigs. We still played, and we rehearsed and wrote new stuff all the time, but gigging was not easy.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? (Zach) That’s a hard one. For me, I’d say Mary Jane. Even if it’s not my favourite to play live. I still love playing it, it’s not as technically challenging as some of our other stuff. But I think that one means the most to me just because of what it became, and how fun it was to record. It started when I was driving my younger sister home from a dance class I believe, and I heard something on the radio, like a line in a guitar solo or something, and from that I changed a couple notes in my head to make it the line “Heaven loves Mary Jane”. I threw my phone back to my sister in the backseat and got her to write down lyrics as I came up with them. I believe I came up with a verse and a chorus on that car ride, and the boys and I finished it in the next practice.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

(Leo) My favourite song to play is “Faceless Unknown” because I get two bass solos (it’s awesome). Our highest requested one is our original “Mary Jane” because it’s a lighter more acoustic tune that appeals to a wider audience. As a band, if we’re playing originals, we’re having fun. (Oh and “Hot For Teacher”)

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

(Zach) Leo’s always got riff ideas, and he’ll show us something, and usually something new comes out of it immediately. Usually Ethan or I, or both of us, write lyrics, and we get something down. There are lots of ways it happens though. Sometimes it’s a lyric, or a riff, or a chord progression, etc. We’re inspired by all sorts of things, but for me it’s normally what I see around me in day to day life.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

(Zach) That depends on the song. Ethan’s lyrics are generally more political than mine, so that in itself brings on a whole new thing. I generally write about what’s going on in my life, or what I see around me. But my lyrics sometimes become very sarcastic, like in “Unwound.” The lyrics in that tune are very backwards and sarcastic.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

(Leo) Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

We don’t have any large disagreements that often. The most important thing is that you stay open and receptive to each other’s ideas and to not get upset if something doesn’t go your way. Major conflicts can be avoided pretty easily with this. Just have a good time and keep an open mind.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?

(Zach) In future we plan to gig as much as possible, and if possible do some small tours in the near future. We plan on hitting the studio again this year, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, check out the Every Second Counts EP on all major streaming platforms, follow stonebrother_official on Instagram, Thanks!