By Will McGuirk
Makers don’t stop making. Even a global pandemic won’t stop makers making and thankfully so. For the rest of us, going forward will require new thinking, creativity, innovation, outside, inside, other side of the box thinking and it will be to the makers we will turn. Here in Durham Region, our artists are woodshedding new ideas and finding new outlets for their creativity. We take a peek behind the stage curtain to see what musicians are doing as shows have been cancelled worldwide.
Each photo will link to the Unison Benevolent Fund.
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Play Grounded - Excuses Excuses
Slowcity.ca: Who are the members in your band?
Kyle Wilton - Vocals, Guitar, Trevor Bowman - BassJason Nicoll - Drums
SC: Where are you from?
The band is technically from Oshawa, though one member lives up near Lindsay.
SC: Have you been able to perform together in any capacity - if yes how?
We have been fortunate enough to be able to still practice together since our jam space is able to accommodate us safely. That has been the biggest saving-grace for us throughout such a tough time. In the late summer we also had the opportunity to experience playing a socially distanced festival (Voodoo Rockfest) with a bunch of other Ontario rock bands we are close with. Although it was definitely a different experience than we are used to at festivals, it felt amazing to step on that stage and let out some of the pressure.
SC: Where and when was the last gig you played before Covid-19 guidelines on shows kicked in?
The last show we played before COVID took over was in late February at The Babylon in Ottawa. Luckily it was a really awesome show for us, and we got to try out some new songs we had been working on for a while. The real kick in the pants was having to cancel the “Up S*** Creek” Australian bushfire fundraiser event with The Lazys and friends at The Oshawa Music Hall, which was scheduled for the weekend after the restrictions started.
SC: Do you have any recorded music available online, if yes where?
We currently have a few EPs worth of tunes available for both streaming and purchase. They are available on all major streaming platforms (ie. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play, Tidal, Deezer, etc) as well as on our bandcamp page that can be found through. Best way to navigate all things Excuses is our website:www.excusesexcuses.ca
SC: What are you doing during this break from live music, any new hobbies?
Although the our life in live music has drastically changed, we have still been super busy as a band since March. We took the time to write and record a bunch of new songs and ended up making something very special that we are excited to finish up and share with the world. It has been a lot of work, but has definitely helped us to continue to at least feel somewhat fulfilled as a band throughout the live restrictions.
Each of us also work day-jobs that keep us busy and keep us afloat. Trevor and I work in construction, and both enjoy building stuff and working with our hands. Jay is a very skilled photographer/videographer, doing mainly media for realtors. Nonetheless, we are doing the best we can to stay busy, happy, and hopeful.