Artist of the Day | BLACKOUT ORCHESTRA
ARTIST OF THE DAY
19.11.2021
BLACKOUT ORCHESTRA
LOCATION
Toronto, ON, Canada
GENRE
Alternative Rock
CURRENT MEMBERS
Ben VanBuskirk
Morgan Thompson-Reid
With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?
Blackout Orchestra was born out of lockdown. We've both been in bands for years, but this one was the result of being locked down together and wanting to sort through everything we'd gone through over the last couple of years.
How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
Since the whole project was conceived during the pandemic, we had to go about it very differently than we otherwise would have. It forced us to learn home recording, think differently about how we reach people sincerely amidst the social media glut, and got is in touch with other bands, organizations like Save Toronto Music Venues, QuickFix recordings and Eric Alper who have helped us create a really exciting community in the local scene.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?
It's a bit of a cliche, but music really is therapeutic for us. I wrote the album after bouncing back from alcoholism, a devastating break up, and actively addressing my depression and anxiety. Writing songs really helped me process all those feelings, and still does. But it's also taking all this tumultuous stuff and making it fun and positive. Writing is part of it, but filling my free time with learning everything I can about the production, engineering and even promotion side of things has been a great project to fill my hours with.
As things are reopening & restrictions are lifting have you booked any new gigs? Tours? Etc? If your region is still under restriction, how are dealing with the Covid third wave?
Everyone is still finding their footing - things can change so much from moment to moment, safety wise. We've been pretty selective about where and when to play, but we're working on several iterations of the live show and band, from an acoustic duo to a full 6 piece line up, so every show will be a different experience.
Favourite Starlite Room Moment?
I'm a constant devoured of music podcasts, so everything available on the Starlite Room site is like a candy store to my proverbial kid.
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
If we were to impart some sort of "wisdom" to anyone, it would be "make stuff" . Make art, write, sing, paint - take whatever you're going through and make something positive or cathartic from it. Not only does it help you turn negative experiences into something positive, but you never know who out there needs to hear it at a given moment. It's powerful.
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