EMQ’s With LOVER
EMQ’s With LOVER
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Rockers, Lover. Huge thanks to Vocalist and Guitarist, Aidan, and Drummer, Hunter, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Aidan: I’m Aidan from Lover, and I am lead vocals and guitar
Hunter: Hey, I’m Hunter, and I play drums and sing.
Aidan: So I originally started the band with our bass player, Jake. We were looking for a drummer and a second guitar player, and Jake’s buddy Hunter ended up moving back to Calgary from Toronto. We ended up meeting at one of our other bands’ shows, along with Chris, who knew Hunter from way back. Our mutual friend Cale Savy from Riot City also had suggested that Chris come jam with us around the same time. We all pretty much became friends that night and jammed a couple of days later, and the rest is history. Instant chemistry.
How did you come up with your band name?
Hunter: So one of the first jams we had together, Cale from Riot City was there and threw out the name Lover, which we all looooooved right away. One word and straight to the point. Easy for the fans to scream!
What Country / Region are you from, and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
Aidan: We are from Calgary, AB Canada. The scene for Rock and Metal is good in Alberta, and there are definitely some heavy hitters here. We are hoping to expand the genre even more, however, and want to bring some of the glory back to Alberta and beyond.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Hunter: “Fatal Attraction” is the name of our new EP. It features 2 songs that are about 5 minutes long each. The first song, ‘Fatal Attraction’, was written about substance abuse and how women can both ruin and make your life awesome at the same time. ‘Bad Love’ is the 2nd song on the EP. It was written about my ex-lover and a basement apartment. The ups and downs and the volatile nature of young love.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Aidan: I think all of us grew up with the classics, Van Halen, Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Maiden, W.A.S.P., Motorhead, etc. Anything loud and with attitude! We also have some punk and outlaw country influences.
What first got you into music?
Aidan: Probably the first time that my stepdad showed me Rush for the first time in the second grade. That blew my mind and made me want to worship music forever.
Hunter: I remember I was about 5 years old and my dad took me to his buddies’ glass blowing shop, they gave me a toy tractor to play with and as I was minding my own business the radio started playing this heavy wild riff and I immediately stopped everything and just stared at the Radio. It was Van Halen’s cover of ‘Pretty Women’ by Roy Oribison that changed my life forever.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?
Aidan: If we are talking about going on tour, we would like to tour with anyone that’s cool, haha. In terms of collaborating on a record, it would be cool to have some crazy guitarist do a guest solo. Like maybe Uli John Roth or Scott Gorham or something. We also like going on tour with our buddies, so maybe Riot City or Tumble would be awesome.
If you could play at any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Aidan: Probably Wacken or Hellfest. Anything of that magnitude would be an absolute dream.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Hunter: The Weirdest gift I ever got was probably a tooth. This girl gave me her baby tooth in a little box. That was a weird one. I didn’t really know what to do with it, haha, I was hoping it didn’t have some spell on it or something. Most of the gifts I have gotten were awesome, cool flags, bandanas, hugs and kisses.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Aidan: Probably to come out and see us and support, and have a good time. We hope to see as many people as possible singing along and rocking with us.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Aidan: I’m not sure if picking one is even possible. I think it’s gotta be a toss-up between Lemmy, Phil Lynott, and Eddie Van Halen. Never got to see any of them live, so that would be pretty amazing.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Aidan: I’m not sure if there’s a whole lot I hate other than to say that there are shitty people everywhere you go in life. As long as we stay aligned with the good ones, then it’s all pretty good to me! Honestly, playing live and making music are the things that I live for, so nothing can really taint that experience.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Aidan: Probably that there are a lot of people who run the show who think they know what will sell, and sometimes that’s not always right. I mean, look at Van Halen, they got shot down in the late 70s a bunch before signing to Warner Bros. because they were a Rock band in the Disco period. Then someone gave them a chance, and they took over the world. It’s crazy to think about. And also ticket prices and merch cuts. Everyone should be able to go see a band, and the band should be able to live off of what they do.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Aidan: For me, I’d have to go “Van Halen 1”. Definitely have so many memories as a kid rolling with my stepdad in his 89’ Firebird in the summer, cranking that record.
Hunter: I have so many favourites, almost everything I listen to is my favourite at the time. I’d have to go with “Iron Fist” MotorHead, that was one of the first albums I remember buying, and I snuck away from a school trip to buy it too. I think Lemmy would be proud.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Aidan: Downloads and streaming are definitely the most convenient these days, and that’s my go-to when I’m out and about, but nothing beats Vinyl. They sound better, they show the artwork better, the liner notes and lyrics are always fun to read, and it’s a time capsule of what our favourite bands were doing.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Aidan: The one that comes to my mind is probably with my other project, Flashback, Jake and I got to open for James Hetfield’s son, Castor. His band is called Bastardane, and they rip! The show was sold out at the Starlite Room in Edmonton, and we saw Papa Het and Rob Trujillo backstage. It was a crazy night.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Hunter: Well I’d have probably gone way more hardcore on the skateboard. I love skateboarding, and I know Jacob is all about it too. Jacob and I go out ripping from time to time, nothing like we used to, but still gotta shred. In real life, I do carpentry to make money.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Hunter: Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Lynott, Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Waylon Jennings. I’m pretty sure we would have one hell of a dinner party. Rent out a castle on a mountain for a week with all the gear and gear any superhuman could need. A younger version of all of us would be necessary.
What’s next for the band?
Hunter: We are going to be playing the Armstrong Metal Fest 2025 this summer in BC Canada. We also have a few dates lined up for around Alberta. I just finished recording the drums for our first full-length record, hopefully, we can get that out to the people soon. I think people are going to love it!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://www.instagram.com/loverrockofficial
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558776600018&mibextid=JRoKGi
https://loverrockofficial.bandcamp.com/album/fatal-attraction
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll, or a Tea Cake?
Aidan: I mean, as a Canadian who has never been to England, I’m going to take the high road and say that they are all correct depending on the region. Kind of like how a Birmingham and Newcastle accent are still both British but also very different. Maybe? I have no clue.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Aidan: Thanks so much! We hope to see some new faces at our shows coming up! Hopefully, it funds our trip to England so I can learn about these delicacies.
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