EMQs With Sons of Butcher
EMQs With Sons of Butcher
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Cartoon Rock band, Sons of Butcher. Huge thanks to Guitarist/ Vocalist, Ricky Butcher, 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?
My name is Ricky Butcher, and I play guitar and sing in the band Sons of Butcher! We are Canada’s only Cartoon Rock band. We had two seasons of a cartoon series aired on Teletoon (sort of like Canada’s Cartoon Network) and on MTV International worldwide. We released albums of original music initially in support of the cartoon, but we have since transcended the screen and exploded onto the stage live in full spandex! We’ve been touring since 2004 and releasing albums and videos for most of that time.
How did you come up with your band name?
The band name was originally Butcher and Son, but was later changed to Sons of Butcher after a network executive at MTV US suggested it! We were pitching our show as a father/son duo, but they expressed the need for other dynamics, citing many other father/son shows at the time. After the change, they ultimately didn’t pick up our show, but in the end, we actually preferred the new name and logo. We also like that it comes with the acronym S.O.B.!
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We are from Steeltown, Ontario (Hamilton), and the music scene here is cooking! We’ve had huge successes from born and raised locals such as The Dirty Nil, Monster Truck and Teenage Head. We have lots of great venues and no shortage of new, amazing bands cropping up all the time!
What is your latest release?
Our new release is “Skids”, a 4-song EP about living the Skid lifestyle in Steeltown. It’s all about cheap thrills, cheap eats & the type of denim-clad debauchery that comes baked into our souls growing up here. It’s short but sweet, with ripping riffs and pounding drums courtesy of the legendary drummer Kellii Scott of the band Failure.
Who have been your greatest influences?
I’m greatly influenced by 90s Grunge bands & Black Metal! Bands like Blinker the Star, Screaming Trees, The Mars Volta, Immortal & the riffage of Soundgarden have been infused into the sound of my writing since my teenage years.
What first got you into music?
When the Grunge explosion happened, I was about 12 years old. Nothing looked cooler than those bands rocking out on stage with those sweet guitars! It made me want to write my own songs. I bought a super cheap piece of crap guitar and taught myself how to play by reading Alice in Chains Tabs in Guitar Magazine. Learning my way around those monster riffs helped me to tap into a new flow of riffage from deep within me.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would love to collaborate with the Dirty Nil! That band has a ferocious approach to Rock that I have always admired, and I could foresee a truly great single if we joined forces! It would be cool to have two Steeltown bands fused with our distinct sounds fused into one mighty instrument of Rock destruction!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
I would love to play Coachella! When I was in college, I worked at a horse jumping event in the same field where they hold the festival. I fell in love with the Valley, and I attended Coachella twice in the early years. It would be so meaningful to reach that level of success where we could be on stage while looking at the mountains and the palms in the background. A full circle moment!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I was once mailed a Star Wars action figure of Darth Vader! I have never proclaimed any love for Star Wars (it’s ok?). Don’t get me wrong, I still think it’s cool, and I am grateful for any item a fan is willing to send me! But that’s a weird one!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Get out to see us when we play live because we aren’t getting any younger, and eventually the spandex suits may disintegrate! (same outfits since day one!)
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Chris Cornell, his songwriting influence on me cannot be overstated. I cried when he passed, the end of an era. His riffage and vocal melodies will forever be ingrained in my head. It’s so sad to me that there will never be more.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I enjoy writing new material and the process of recording an album. The band dynamic in the studio always tightens the bond! I hate the last part of the journey, which is actually getting the album to market! The amount of content needed to successfully deliver these tunes to the masses has multiplied year over year. But it’s an important part of the process!
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I wish there wasn’t so much gatekeeping on the radio. I’d love to hear local bands featured in heavy rotation. We, small bands, need assistance to help grow our fanbase and bring people out for live shows. When I turn on the FM radio, it’s basically 80% the same songs I’ve been hearing since the dawn of time. You’re lucky to get one new song from an emerging indie artist. Those platforms are massive and have influence, and yet none are helping the local music scene.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
One of my all-time favourite albums is the first, self-titled Tenacious D release! It really showed me that Comedy Rock can still be viciously rocking, even if a song or album has ridiculous concepts and lyrics. This was actually a pivotal album in the creation of Sons of Butcher, especially because of the fact that they had a TV series about their band, just like we did!
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Vinyl is best! But I do have an affinity for CDs. We pressed CDs of our new EP, “Skids”, because it sounds so damn good that way!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
One of the best gigs we ever played was at The Mod Club in Toronto in 2006. It was the final performance for our Tourin’ the Canada special that Teletoon produced to help promote the cartoon. They filmed us with this multi-camera affair as we went on a cross-Canada tour, and by the time we got back to Toronto, the show was almost sold out and had a long line of fans seeking signatures on their body parts! Definitely a memorable show.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
If I weren’t a musician, I’d probably use the same creative energy to make my own movies! I am currently writing scripts for some short Horror concepts and will hopefully begin making them soon!
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
It would be cool to have a dinner party with the band members of Failure & our long-time producer and mutual friend Jordon Zadorozny!
What’s next for the band?
Well, we have a run of live tour dates in the spring and then we have another EP that’s almost done! I’m also working on demos for a full length album sometime down the line. Of course, we’ll be releasing more music videos for Skids and we’re discussing a potential made-for-YouTube spinoff of the cartoon show but done in a new style.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Official Site – Sonsofbutcher.ca
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/therealsobs
Twitter – https://x.com/therealsobs
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/sonsofbutcher
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/therealsobs/#
Bandcamp – https://sonsofbutcher.bandcamp.com/
Apple Music – https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/sons-of-butcher/119207984
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/66fr3Ie1bDALvd92OF0p0q?si=9_d588rfTfqrA_bgConnHg
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?
I know I’ve heard Bap before in relation to a bun. My all-time favourite salmon sandwich from this tiny corner sandwich shop in my neighbourhood was served on a bap bun! My final answer is Bap.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I have another band called Moonlight Desires, which is basically the same members as Sons of Butcher, but we’re exclusively doing our own heavy Rock versions of 80s pop music hits! We’re going to be dropping a new EP for that band as well, but in the meantime, you can check it out on Spotify or at www.moonlightdesires.bandcamp.com .
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.