A successful summer for local rock band Anti-hero

Not too many bands can say they produced their own full length CD on their own label, shot a music video and performed at one of the most popular summer punk tours.

Local rock band Anti-hero has a pretty impressive resume, but what's more remarkable is they have accomplished this all in just under a year.

Anti-hero


“We are on our own label and it's going really well,” said lead singer and songwriter Rose Perry. “At this point we are happy where we are.”

After a busy summer of traveling southwestern Ontario promoting their debut CD, Unpretty, Perry, along with Nicole VanHaverbeke on bass guitar, Jesse Tomes on lead guitar and Matty Cole on drums, will bring their exhilarating passion, fresh meaningful sound and hard hitting dedication to rock n' roll to the Out Back Shack on September 30th.

Perry, who is currently in her second year of the Liberal Arts program at Fanshawe, said the school has been great to her and is eager to play for the home crowd.

The video for Unpretty, which the band has sent off to Much Music in hopes of getting airplay on programs like the Wedge and Loud, was filmed in the library and halls of Fanshawe in May.

“We don't want to be the next Britney Spears… we're not the sex kittens of the band,” Perry said about the obvious female presence in the band. “We want to be treated as equals.”

Perry and VanHaverbeke, who are both dedicated hard rock musicians and fans, bring a female perspective to a male dominated industry and communicate their unique obstacles through songs like Unpretty.

“Beauty is more than your superficial appearance,” said Perry, who once worked as a model and was told to dye her hair blonde and get breast implants. “We used to think Marilyn Monroe was beautiful. Today she would be considered obese and that's really sad.”

As a whole, Anti-hero operates on the premise of making music that will inspire people to think about social norms and create a new dialogue for listeners.
“We look at music as a form of art… The art has been removed from music and it's more about physical assets and marketing,” explained Perry.

Considering the whirlwind of success the band has experienced over the past year, it's not surprising that their performance at this summer's Vans Warped Tour in Barrie was a defining moment.

“It was indescribable. It was a great starting point to get our music out there,” Perry said.

Anti-hero's unique sound can be attributed to their inability to agree on musical tastes. While Perry finds inspiration in female empowered bands like Veruca Salt, Blondie and Hole, lead guitarist Tomes prefers the more intense sounds of NIN and Tool and says his personal style incorporates “controlled chaos and orchestrated noise.”

All these influences and preferences bond into one giant melting pot of style and sound to create an original masterpiece which is sure to be making music for years to come.