Sherwood Park / Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Massive shoutout to the legends in Famous Strangers 🤘🔥 for taking the time to chat with us here at The Riff Report!
Absolute top bunch — proper sound, proper riffs, proper job 👊
Always buzzing to support bands grafting hard and bringing the noise.
Stay loud, lads 😈🎸
For anyone discovering you for the first time, who are Famous Strangers, where are you from, and what sort of noise are you making?
We are a heavy rock and roll metal band from Sherwood Park, Edmonton area, Canada. The noise we make ranges from rock, metal, and punk all the way to blues. The deeper you get into our music, the deeper you’re going to go with our riffs. People have called us haunting, melodic, and atmospheric. That’s pretty cool.
How did the band originally form, and was it smooth sailing or absolute chaos from day one?
We’ve all known each other in the scene for a long time. Beej, Braden, and Jeff have known each other for twenty years and have played in bands together. The three of them were jamming a long time ago and had a lot of songs already written, like a decade ago. Then Braden came into the mix, and eventually I came into the mix.
We started out just jamming cover songs. This band wasn’t even supposed to happen. We were just messing around with cover songs, sitting in the basement, having a couple beers, smoking some weed… it was so relaxing and so chill. Smooth sailing from day one.
Now that things are taking off, it’s getting a little more challenging. But the four of us are such a good team that we really work well together and we’re learning and growing together. It’s amazing, and I’m thankful for these boys.
Describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you, without using genre labels.
Haunting, moody, and atmospheric. I’ve heard a lot of comparisons to Lzzy Hale, and we’ve been told we sound in the realm of Judas Priest and Skid Row when we play live. We definitely have that old eighties vibe going on. And we’ve also been told many times now that we’re a breath of fresh air, which is so awesome.
What bands or artists first lit the fuse for you growing up?
The bands that keep coming up in these interviews are Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Judas Priest, The Doors, Led Zeppelin… that whole era of music. We grew up on all those wicked bands. And then that led into Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam. Just, yeah.
You’ve released your latest singles. How are you feeling about them now that they’re out in the wild?
Our most recent single is LSC, and I’m so happy that’s out now, because I was ready to throw my lyrics in the trash. I was really contemplating, self-doubting, all that. The boys were like, no, it’s awesome, let’s make the song, let’s do it. And now it’s out and I love it. I’m really proud of that one.
We also just released the music video for Deep Star, which was our very first single. The music video came out years later. Of course we were going to release the single with the video, but challenges came about, as they do. Time, money, all that. So it was kind of neat how we released Deep Star years ago, and then the video almost revamped it all over again. Now it’s getting a lot of attention, and we’re having meetings with some really important people because of it. We’re honored and blessed to have that song out there, and to have it come back to life with a music video, thanks to Brad Thompson.
Pick one track from your current releases that best represents the band right now.
Everybody would pick something different. I say LSC and the boys say Deep Star. Deep Star keeps that rock and roll spirit alive, for sure. But I feel like LSC is a good representation because it’s got that chill, soft side that I really want to dig deeper into, and then it also goes into the heavy metal stuff. It shows both sides of who we are.
How do songs usually come together in Famous Strangers, riffs first, lyrics first, jamming, or full chaos?
Thankfully, the boys had already dropped about twenty songs on me when I joined the band. Songs that had been written and had a life of their own for decades. Then, finally, they got lyrics and a vocalist on them, and they completely transformed and changed shape into something different. That’s been really cool.
Usually we do riffs first. We record all our jams, freestyle stuff, just chill and keep writing. I’ll freestyle my lyrics. Sometimes it is full chaos. These songs either get written in a day, like we black out and wake up with a finished song, or they take months and months. We still have so many songs on the back burner, just going through them and making them better. It’s funny how a song can take forever to write, and then one day somebody has an idea and the whole thing clicks.
For me, I listen to the feel of the song and write down how it makes me feel, then try to attach that feeling to an experience I’ve had in my life. Recently, our new album track Ghosts of Men was the first time I brought finished lyrics into the band and we put them onto a song. That was a cool, different way of writing for me.
When you’re locked away in the studio, what’s the vibe like, intense focus or organized chaos?
I love that you keep using the word chaos. It’s all of it. Intense, focused, and chaotic all at once. The studio is like a microscope. It can destroy you, or you can believe in yourself and do your best.
The whole time I’m in the studio, it’s the same as when I’m on stage. Those self-doubts creep in, and the whole time I’m just talking myself down to get the best performance out of me. Because how you feel really does affect how you perform. The studio means long, long hours, up until three in the morning just hashing away at all the little bits and pieces.
The vibe is really chill and cool, but it’s also challenging. Mindset-wise it’s quite chaotic for me, because you’ve been playing these songs for years and then suddenly they’re under a microscope. You can hear every little thing. But that’s where things change and grow into something amazing.
Be honest, what’s the band’s go-to food and drink in the studio?
We are honored that Jeffrey is our chef. We call him Jeffrey. And our studio is in Jeff’s house, which is perfect. He spoils me rotten. He makes us pasta, he makes us wings… the last time he made wings he did seven different flavors. He’s a spice fanatic, like insane. He loves the death sauce stuff. Some people in the band aren’t spice fans at all, so you can go from lemon pepper to death sauce wings, and it’s just fricking delicious.
The drink is definitely Lucky’s. We love our Lucky lager and our Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels definitely got me through the recording sessions.
What does a Famous Strangers live show feel like from the stage?
Oh, it’s the only fucking reason we do this. I think any band can say the same. Being on that stage is better than anything I’ve ever felt in my entire life. Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things, but the second my foot hits the stage, something happens to me. It’s the only time my brain turns off and I turn into something else, like a higher power switches in. The adrenaline and the high of it, you know?
You wonder why we spend all this money, all these days and nights jamming and driving and doing everything for what feels like one minute on stage. But it’s all worth it. Even just band practice, you could be having the worst day, and then you go to practice and it just fixes everything. It fills your cup right up. It’s an addiction, and I ain’t never going to stop.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played, and what made it so special?
Famous Strangers is pretty new, only a couple of years old, but we’ve all got twenty-plus years of experience between us. With Famous Strangers, I know Jeffrey likes to say the very first gig we ever played, opening up for The Devil’s Sons at the Starlite Room. For him, that solidified it. Famous Strangers was happening. We were all in.
For me, a couple really stand out. Loud as Hell, we played the pancake breakfast on the Sunday, and everybody was there. Packed. Pouring rain. Everybody just stood out with their umbrellas and got soaking wet with us. I came out from the stage and got soaking wet right along with them. I’ve been playing Loud as Hell for as long as it’s been a festival, so it was just an honor to bring a whole new band and have old supporters and new supporters show up for us, early in the morning, in the pouring rain.
The flip side, what’s the worst gig you’ve played so far?
This has nothing to do with the people or the venues. This is just me and my own head. We went on a mini tour last year, four days with Shackled to the Throne, and of course I got excited, had a couple drinks, got a little irresponsible. When you’re twenty, you can bounce back quick. Not twenty anymore.
The last show was at one of my favorite places to play, the Vat in Red Deer. Been playing that venue for twenty-plus years. It always is such a riot. But I had lost my voice because I was up drinking all night like an idiot, and I paid for it.
I’ve been really proud of my voice lately. I feel like I’ve finally found it and I’ve been performing well. So to finally be back at the Vat and not be at my best was a really, really shitty feeling. I went home and rethought my whole deal. But you make mistakes, you learn from them. You have to fail your way to the top, as they say.
Have you ever had a gig go wrong before you even hit the stage?
Oh my god, all the time. How many things can happen? With Famous Strangers, you might forget something gear-wise. We have our own mixing board and everything, so there’s a lot going on. Car trouble is always a thing. In my old bands, being broken down on the side of the road was a regular occurrence. With The Order of Chaos, I remember on the way to Lethbridge we got in a car accident, and we still managed to get to the show and play.
But the wildest one, not with Famous Strangers, was when we went on tour and showed up to find out the promoter had canceled the whole run. Most people didn’t even know. We’d show up and no one would be there because the promoter didn’t communicate that they’d canceled. It was a fucking mess. But we got through it.
What’s the smallest, weirdest, or most unexpected place you’ve played a show?
Forgive me, this one isn’t about Famous Strangers, but I have to mention it. The Order of Chaos went on a European tour, and I wish I had Timothy Prevost with me right now because he remembers every venue and every city. Tours can get pretty crazy, you lose track of time, date, where you are entirely.
But I’ll never forget this one, it looked like an old war bunker. You loaded your gear onto this steel platform and pulled a chain to bring it down, like an elevator. Back in the day that’s what they would have used to move ammo and gear. And there was a show in what I’m pretty sure was Vienna, again underground, just stone walls and a single narrow tunnel as the venue. So cool. There are incredible places out there. I wish I remembered all the names.
Any gigs where everything went wrong but the crowd saved it?
With Famous Strangers, we played Calgary on the Shackled to the Throne tour, and the power went out partway through. Most of the band’s guitars cut out. Me and Beej just kept going. I put my wireless mic down and grabbed Jeff’s mic off the stand, and Beej just kept playing. Shackled to the Throne buddies helped us out and we didn’t even skip a beat. Then the power came back on and the band just picked up and kept going. I was really impressed with us that night.
I’m honestly excited for more of that stuff to happen, because sometimes that’s where the magic is. The power goes out, and suddenly you’ve got this moment, get the crowd involved, put the lighters up, do something acoustic. The show must go on.
Which venue, city, or festival always delivers for you?
We’ve been really blessed with that situation. The four of us have been in the scene for so long that we already have incredible friends, family, and supporters who will always be our ride or dies. Edmonton has been amazing, but that’s hometown, so of course. Red Deer, they’re always just crazy. They mosh like crazy and they’re amazing. Drumheller at the Neighbor’s Pub, and Loud as Hell. We thank everyone who always shows up for us, because you’re the only reason our dreams come true.
Is there a gig moment that still gets talked about in the band?
Lately the big topic has been opening up for Danko Jones at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. Not only because we got to open for Danko Jones, which is amazing, but also because it’s the boys’ stomping grounds. Beej, Braden, and Jeff were born and raised in Sherwood Park. Beej played that venue when he was a young kid. It was pretty rad to see their eyes light up.
For me, I’ll never forget the Neighbor’s Pub in Drumheller. We had a song that wasn’t finished yet lyrically, but everybody was asking for an encore. So I said, you know what, let’s play it. I’ll freestyle it on the spot. I asked the crowd what the song should be about, and of course, we’re in Drumheller, so someone yelled dinosaurs. So I freestyled a whole song about dinosaurs. Really funny, hilarious, and fun.
Now that song is called Fire Inside, and it’s on our new album. But that crowd at Drumheller will always be the only ones who ever heard the dinosaur version in that one unrepeatable moment. That dinosaur song will never happen again. Pretty rad.
Pre-gig rituals. What has to happen before you walk on stage?
I have a hard time pre-show. I get so nervous, a bit of anxiety, which I really hate. But I’m blessed to be in the position I’m in.
We definitely all warm up. For me, if it’s a home gig, I do a sauna earlier in the day. I run the shower and do my warm-ups in the steam, jaw massages, tongue exercises, face stretches, all of it. Lots of water and teas.
Right before the show, we definitely love a shot of Jack to take the edge off. We’ve also started coming together as a band right before we go on, just huddle up. I almost want to make it a thing where we put our hands in and go, Famous Strangers. The whole time, just talking yourself up in your mind. For me, I have to be in a really calm, peaceful, and happy place before I hit that stage.
What’s the one thing that can instantly kill the vibe at live shows?
Me. My brain, my mindset. Back in the day, sometimes there was negativity in the air and it was just soul-sucking. It’s weird, because when I’m happy, at peace, and feel supported, there’s a voice that comes out of me that I’ve never even known. My family and friends lately are like, where does that come from? And I don’t know. But I know I’m happy and relaxed and feel supported, and it’s amazing what can happen when people show love.
Crowd energy can be tricky too. If they’re just standing there staring at you it can feel odd, but we’ve had crowds that weren’t doing anything and then afterward everyone said it was amazing. So you just have to keep fucking going no matter what.
And sound issues. That’s a big one. That’s why we brought on our sound guy, Tyson Travnik. We always make sure we have good sound. My in-ears were giving me grief at the Danko Jones show, and it’s really hard to perform when your in-ears are being dumb.
Do you write songs with live crowds in mind?
Oh my god, yes. A lot of what I’ve been writing lately definitely has that call-and-answer vibe. I’m always imagining the crowd singing a part and then me coming in on it. I love to do that. I want to get more into it, the Freddie Mercury thing, just getting the crowd fully involved.
Dream support slot or festival booking. Who are you sharing the stage with and where?
There are way too many. We literally want to play with everyone and anyone in every freaking town on this planet. But if I’m picking right now, in this exact moment… opening up for Slipknot at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. That outdoor venue looks like a pretty incredible place to play.
After the noise, the sweat, and the adrenaline, how do you chill as a band once the gig is over?
It’s funny, because you have so much energy within the first hour or two. But then, oh goodness, it just completely depletes. After Danko Jones we were so fired up, and then the after party, I pretty much just started to power the fuck down. I give everything I’ve got up there.
Especially at our age, if we’re not on tour, we just go home and sleep in our lovely beds. If it’s a tour, I need to sleep for two weeks straight and just be alone. It’s a huge comedown. One minute you’re up on that stage and it’s the best feeling in the world, and then it’s over. I really hate to say this, but I get pretty fucking depressed after the fact. Which is bizarre, because I feel so thankful and blessed to do what I do. But when it’s not happening, when the show is done, I need a few days to recharge.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far as a band?
For Famous Strangers, since we’re a completely independent band, the lessons are about communication and planning. We’re doing everything on our own, so spacing things out so everything doesn’t pile on at once is huge. When everything hits at the same time, it’s overwhelming and the challenges get bigger than they need to be.
It’s great to have plans, ambitions, and goals. But how are you going to get there? Write out an itinerary, have a game plan. There are lessons daily. We’re still learning.
The rock and metal scene runs on community. Who do you want to shout out?
That’s just impossible. Everyone. Every single one of you.
Shout out to all the amazing Canadian festivals. Jeff Barry from Loud as Hell, Sloan from Decimate, Jesse from Armstrong Metalfest, Tyson from the Starlite Room, Calvin from the Rendezvous. We’ve been working with Asher Media, thank you to Ash. And of course, thank you to our graphic designer Art.
I couldn’t possibly name everyone in that crowd. You all know exactly who the fuck you are. Those beautiful friends I’ve known for twenty-plus years. Little did I know when I snuck into a show at sixteen that I would know all of you for the rest of my life. So I’m not even going to try to name everyone, because if I start, I’ll be there all day, and you all deserve to be said. We’re just honored and blessed for this community. Because I think that’s what makes life go around, love, support, community, friends, family, and music. It’s such an important part of life, if not the most important.
What’s the ultimate goal for Famous Strangers?
World domination. Pinky and the Brain style.
We want to be worldwide touring musicians. I want to be so busy that we’re constantly on the road, playing every venue there is to play, alongside every band out there. Spreading our love and our messages, meeting all the people, writing music that speaks to people and helps them get through their day. I want to tour the world, and I want being a musician to finally be a career.
What’s coming next? New music, tours, festivals, secrets you’re not allowed to spill yet?
Ha, nice try. We’re not spilling nothing. But I’ll spill a little. Next up is a seven-song vinyl, and it’s in the making right now. We just sent the songs off. Shout out to Maor Applebaum, Phil Anderson, and of course Jeff Kittlitz for all his hard work. There are tours in the works too. I can’t tell you the festival we’re playing, but I definitely mentioned it earlier in this interview. I’ll leave it at that.
We do want to get out to Toronto, we want to get out to BC, and we’re going to do a sick old-school hall show here in Edmonton in April. That’ll be fun.
Finish this sentence: If you like your rock and metal loud, honest, and played like it means something, you should check out Famous Strangers because…
…we will take you on a journey into the past, back into the roots of your childhood, the eighties, rock and roll. But with a hint of something new, a breath of fresh air that still feels like home. Nostalgic, but alive.
Thank you so much, Riff Report. We appreciate you.
