Interview with Pretty

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

Torin Craig (guitar/lead vocals): School of Rock, with Jack Black

Morgan Zych (drums): I wanted to be in the School of Rock

Brian Heyes (keys): I was forced to by a teacher that wanted me to play piano

Eliot Rossi (guitar): I have musician parents so I really stood no chance. If I wasn’t doing this…I don’t know what else I would do because this is the only thing I really know how to do

MZ: I’d be spending my free time watching dumb streaming shows and my brain would drip out of my ears

TC: I’d probably be a better artist

BH: If I didn’t play music I’d probably be missing a few fingers. Wouldn’t care to be as careful with them

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

MZ: When I’m not playing music I like to eat and sleep, and talk to my cat

TC: I like to paint and read, sometimes do occult rituals.

BH: I like to tinker with things, cause it’s fun and things need to be tinkered with

ER: I like to pace aimlessly in circles

How long has your band been around? Also, please tell me about the dynamic of the band of what brought you all together.

TC: The band has existed in some form or another for eight years. We were all brought together by blind chance and mutual neurosis.

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

TC: We’re based in Toronto and it makes us want to die. I’m kidding! It makes our music pretty aggressive, because it’s hard to live here and play music.

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

TC: When I started the band, I needed a name, and we were a grungy punk rocker band that sounded really bad. So I called us Pretty, because I thought it was funny. Har-dee-har-har! I was eighteen.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

ER: The one where Torin’s pants ripped and he wore a skirt onstage.

TC: The seat of my pants ripped just as we were setting up to play our set!

ER: Also the time we played the backyard party in Bracebridge but I don’t know if we can talk about that

BH: I remember looking over at you during that and you looked like you were having a moment

ER: I had many moments during that show

BH: That one was also memorable to me because they set a bunch of fireworks off in the valley, and we were at the top of the valley so it was extremely loud

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

BH: I do like Bracebridge Hall.

MZ: Huge fan of Bracebridge Hall. I like eating chips for dinner in Bracebridge.

ER: It’s always nice to play at the Horseshoe Tavern

TC: Locally we’d love to play at a venue like Lee’s Palace or the Danforth Music Hall.

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

TC: Ty Segall, La Luz, and…

ER: Kikagaku?

TC: Kikagaku Moyo would be very cool

MZ: I’d like to play with Keith Richards’ reggae project and Charli XCX

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

ER: Don’t worry, no one else has any idea what on earth they’re doing, either.

TC: Spend less time playing music and more time reading about guitar effects pedals on the internet.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

TC: “Outta Sight,” because it’s about a very special and private dream I had.

ER: The song that means the most to me is “Brain Pan;” it came out on a compilation mixtape years ago and I successfully bullied the band into re-recording it for our first album.

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

ER: I like playing Outta Sight the most, I think.

BH: I like “Outta Sight” too, I like “By the Beach” also, that one’s fun.

MZ: I like playing the new songs we’ve been working on, [redacted] and [redacted], the best.

TC: Me too! The one that gets requested the most is Mushroom Man, of course.

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

TC: I write a song, and then the band gets together and turns it into a real song. The biggest creative inspiration is probably the unscratchable itch deep in my cerebellum.

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

TC: Sex, drugs and crimes against humanity.

ER: The benefits of traveling with your fellows.

Do you have any new singles, videos, or albums out that you would like to tell me and your fans about?

ER: Food For The Moon and Wait For The Sun are the singles off our new EP Citrus Magic, which comes out July 28, 2023. We also have a couple unplugged songs from a video session coming out over the next month or so.

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

ER: In the next couple weeks we are playing at the River and Sky Festival in Northern Ontario and at our EP release at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on July 28th. Also making early plans for our next album.

https://prettytheband.bandcamp.com/