It's the music, not youth, that defines Tokyo Police Club
For most of us, coming to college was a huge transition. It involved moving out of our parents' houses, figuring out how to cook and clean for ourselves, and adapting to a whole new lifestyle altogether. But imagine, for a moment, graduating from high school, skipping college and going straight for a job in which you travel for months at a time to anywhere but home. That's essentially what Tokyo Police Club did, and so far their plan has been working pretty well.
The band, made up of Greg Alsop, Josh Hook, Dave Monks and Graham Wright chose the life of a rock band a few years ago, and have since spent loads of time touring North America, Europe, and even exotic locations like Brazil. Before all of that happened, though, Tokyo Police Club were just a local band from Newmarket, Ontario.
In fact, the guys met during their years in high school. However, unlike most young groups, their seriousness about music left them with no desire to break up upon graduation, and instead, they agreed to take one shot at success before going off in different directions.
Did their parent's approve?
“Uh, no, not at first,” Graham, the band's keyboardist, said. “It's your parents job to sort of worry for you when you're making stupid decisions, like foregoing education to play in a rock band... but they didn't forbid me from doing it... and luckily for me it's been the right decision.”
After playing several local shows, buzz got around about the band and it wasn't long before they started attracting attention. Then, at the Pop Montreal Festival, they were discovered by Paper Bag Records and were signed soon thereafter. Things were already starting to look up.
The band then started branching out, extending their fan-base outside of the 416. In fact, last year, TPC played a lunchtime concert in Forwell Hall. I remember walking past them as they were setting up; a small audience of 25 or so people were sitting at tables eying them indifferently, wondering who this band might be. Little did we all know that a few months later they would have a hit single on 102.1 The Edge in Toronto.
At the time they played at Fanshawe, Tokyo Police Club were touring in support of their A Lesson in Crime EP, which featured said hit, “Nature of the Experiment,” a catchy, short and to-the-point rock song. The whole album, in fact, shares the same aggressive energy.
Interestingly, though, it only clocks in at 16 minutes, despite its seven-song track-listing.
“We were shocked,” Graham said, “when we actually timed ourselves for the first time and [the songs] turned out to be so short.”
As a result of the quick song length, their live show has both benefited and suffered. On one hand, Tokyo Police Club have become quite renowned for their live shows, particularly the amount of energy that their music generates. There is always an instrument in the members' hands, whether it's a guitar, keyboard, or tambourine. Oppositely, with only a string of EPs released, headlining concerts proved to be difficult for the band, as far as set length.
That's all changing, though, now that the guys have finished their first full-length album, which is expected to be released in April of 2008.
Graham said the sound is “quite different” than their previous work.
“A lot of the songs on the EP were really well suited for the small club format - very raw, quick, down and dirty like that. But we've started playing venues that are a little bigger than that, and I think that the songs reflect that a bit,” he said. “That's not to say that we're writing arena-rock songs or anything like that, but I really feel like they make sense in this context.”
Certainly, expectations for their debut LP have been high, ever since Rolling Stone, Pitchfork Media and NME all released articles that praised A Lesson In Crime, but part of this pressure has also resulted simply because of the group's achievements at such a young age. Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Coachella - three of the biggest music festivals, and Tokyo Police Club have played them all.
But in the end, the band tries not to take such pressures to heart.
“We're younger than most bands out there and it is something that people look at... but I hope it hasn't been too much of a factor, “Graham said. “I mean, we'll be [making music] when we're 45-years-old, and we were doing it when we were 16-years-old.”
And as long as they're making good music, who really does cares?
Tokyo Police Club will be playing at Forwell Hall on February 1st. Tickets are $8 at the Biz Booth, $10 at the door.
The band, made up of Greg Alsop, Josh Hook, Dave Monks and Graham Wright chose the life of a rock band a few years ago, and have since spent loads of time touring North America, Europe, and even exotic locations like Brazil. Before all of that happened, though, Tokyo Police Club were just a local band from Newmarket, Ontario.
In fact, the guys met during their years in high school. However, unlike most young groups, their seriousness about music left them with no desire to break up upon graduation, and instead, they agreed to take one shot at success before going off in different directions.
Did their parent's approve?
“Uh, no, not at first,” Graham, the band's keyboardist, said. “It's your parents job to sort of worry for you when you're making stupid decisions, like foregoing education to play in a rock band... but they didn't forbid me from doing it... and luckily for me it's been the right decision.”
After playing several local shows, buzz got around about the band and it wasn't long before they started attracting attention. Then, at the Pop Montreal Festival, they were discovered by Paper Bag Records and were signed soon thereafter. Things were already starting to look up.
The band then started branching out, extending their fan-base outside of the 416. In fact, last year, TPC played a lunchtime concert in Forwell Hall. I remember walking past them as they were setting up; a small audience of 25 or so people were sitting at tables eying them indifferently, wondering who this band might be. Little did we all know that a few months later they would have a hit single on 102.1 The Edge in Toronto.
At the time they played at Fanshawe, Tokyo Police Club were touring in support of their A Lesson in Crime EP, which featured said hit, “Nature of the Experiment,” a catchy, short and to-the-point rock song. The whole album, in fact, shares the same aggressive energy.
Interestingly, though, it only clocks in at 16 minutes, despite its seven-song track-listing.
“We were shocked,” Graham said, “when we actually timed ourselves for the first time and [the songs] turned out to be so short.”
As a result of the quick song length, their live show has both benefited and suffered. On one hand, Tokyo Police Club have become quite renowned for their live shows, particularly the amount of energy that their music generates. There is always an instrument in the members' hands, whether it's a guitar, keyboard, or tambourine. Oppositely, with only a string of EPs released, headlining concerts proved to be difficult for the band, as far as set length.
That's all changing, though, now that the guys have finished their first full-length album, which is expected to be released in April of 2008.
Graham said the sound is “quite different” than their previous work.
“A lot of the songs on the EP were really well suited for the small club format - very raw, quick, down and dirty like that. But we've started playing venues that are a little bigger than that, and I think that the songs reflect that a bit,” he said. “That's not to say that we're writing arena-rock songs or anything like that, but I really feel like they make sense in this context.”
Certainly, expectations for their debut LP have been high, ever since Rolling Stone, Pitchfork Media and NME all released articles that praised A Lesson In Crime, but part of this pressure has also resulted simply because of the group's achievements at such a young age. Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Coachella - three of the biggest music festivals, and Tokyo Police Club have played them all.
But in the end, the band tries not to take such pressures to heart.
“We're younger than most bands out there and it is something that people look at... but I hope it hasn't been too much of a factor, “Graham said. “I mean, we'll be [making music] when we're 45-years-old, and we were doing it when we were 16-years-old.”
And as long as they're making good music, who really does cares?
Tokyo Police Club will be playing at Forwell Hall on February 1st. Tickets are $8 at the Biz Booth, $10 at the door.
