The Simcoe Scene

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#34 - Dec 31, 2022). New Year’s Eve marks the end of one year and the beginning of another. And what better way to celebrate the start of a new year than with live music from great Canadian musicians.  The annual Downtown Countdown, hosted at Barrie City Hall features skating, family activities, fireworks, and of course, live music. This year, attendees can ring in the new year with nationally-recognized band Sloan and Grant Boyer.  Before they hit the stage this weekend, I had the opportunity to ask Jay Ferguson of Sloan and Grant Boyer a few questions.  Richard: Jay, With over 30 years of experience as a band, how do you keep the creative process fresh? Jay: For me, the creative process of songwriting remains fresh by still having an interest in not only music, but also in the process of songwriting and producing records. I'm still discovering new music (or more often, old music) that gives me idea...

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#31 - Nov 19, 2022). Personally, nothing hits me in the nostalgia receptor and transports me back to my youth quite like a good pop punk anthem. It was the soundtrack to many formative experiences and over the last few years, the pop punk revival has been coming in full swing.  A driving force behind the aforementioned revival is Barrie-based outfit 30 Going On 13. In honour of their latest EP, released on Friday, we’re taking a track by track look at Sophmoronic. From the first 10 seconds of the EP, it is clear that band members Adam Dyke (Vocals), Cheddarr McBoohawk (Guitar & Vocals), Mike Smusiak (Guitar & Vocals), Kiegan Christie (Bass & Vocals), and Alex Reid (Drums) have fully realized their sound which feel at home with Saturday morning cartoons, a montage of questionable hijinx, or on a Warped Tour compilation mix.  Sophmoronic is a collection of 6 tracks boasting fresh energy, catchy ...

  Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#29 - October 23, 2022). When you think of your favourite albums of all time, when did you first hear them? For many, the foundation of their musical tastes started to take shape in highschool. For me, I was a teenager in the early 2000s and had my musical awakening thanks to bands that didn’t fit into the mainstream categories of the time.   It was a turbulent time for music and musicians. Genre-bending became the only way to break and survive in such a fickle industry. While it is easy to slip into feelings of nostalgia, it has to be said that the early 2000s alternative music scene was a playground of exploration, experimentation, and is responsible for some formative albums. They defiantly carved out their own space outside of their musical predecessors. Something every young person can connect with.   Nearly 15 years after its release, one of those gems is hitting the road to celebra...

Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#25 - August 28, 2022). After more than 2 years since they were supposed to play in May of 2020, hardcore heavyweights Cancer Bats are returning to Barrie. Since bursting onto the scene in 2006, Cancer Bats have carved their name into the foundation of hardcore music and have brought their supercharged blend of influences to stages all over the world.  When the Bats release new music and come screaming into a new city, it’s a challenge - Not for the band to get the crowd moving but for the crowd to keep up with the band.  I had the opportunity to ask Cancer Bats frontman Liam Cormier a few questions before they roll into our city next month.  Richard: How did you find or create the sound and tone of Cancer Bats that people fell in love with and continue to pump into every release?  Liam: I feel pretty lucky that people have been into what we’ve been making for this long. To be honest, we just al...

  Originally posted on Barrietoday.com as part of the Scene Setter series (#23 - July 30, 2022). We’re switching things up a little bit this time and taking a deeper-drive into an upcoming release and getting the inside scoop, track by track.  Not That I Care, the all-female four-piece who currently call Barrie home were making their way in the local scene and ready to unleash their original music. Unfortunately, they were primed to hit the clubs in early 2020 when, well, you know.  Two years later, Leighla-Jane Quail (Guitar & Vocals), Samantha Brown (Lead Guitar), Jessica Rosati (Bass), and Alyssa Rosati (Drums) are releasing their first EP this Friday, August 5th.. Before their EP release party on August 11th, I had the opportunity to ask the band a few questions about their journey so far and have a deeper look at each track.  Richard: How did Not That I Care come to exist as a band and what prompted the formation of the band? Jessica: We all took music lesso...