Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Toronto up-and-comers Northpark were kind enough to join TGEFM in a Roll of the Dice interview after the release of the new single “Ink.” We chatted about their sound, their city and their future.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations on the release of “Ink”! Let's start it off by talking a little bit about how that track came into existence. What was going on at the time that helped kickstart and influence the songwriting process?
(Miguel) i like to think of us as a very calculated band. We're always planning things so far in advance that we knew we would want to release a single within a proper amount of time after our album. With almost enough material for a second album it really came down to picking an instrumental that we thought would best represent our evolved sound. The lyrics came very naturally as they stem from a situation I myself have gone through recently. it relates to new beginnings and moving on so it felt very fitting as this is our first single since our album.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst?
(Miguel) regarding what influenced this band I think personally for me in all my years of making music, which were mainly rnb/hip hop and hardcore, I knew I wanted to do a “pop punk” project eventually as I've always been a huge fan of the genre especially the more modern sounding bands like Knuckle Puck, Movements, Real Friends, Hot Mulligan etc. but going deeper then that in general about what influenced me to want to do music would be my dad. He was a sound engineer and sound technician for most his life and once he found out I shared the same passion for music, the support was endless. From showing me music to getting me my first guitar and drum set to pushing me to practice. Without him I would not be what and who I am today.
We've all got a few, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn't take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
(Brad) stepping away from music for a period of time when life got busy/growing into an adult.
I wish I continued in the background, but after picking it back up after a few years of being away I instantly remembered the enjoyment it brings to me and it's something I will continue to do for the rest of my life now. Every time I pick up my guitar I feel like a kid again it's one of the only time where I can shut the rest of the busy world off in my mind.
What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiences as a touring musician so far? What's been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
(Riley) as always watching the growth of our fan base in not only our hometown but when we get farther from home. People watching at Tim Hortons has been interesting for me too. Can be pretty scary /weird just getting a coffee these days. We all have also had a ton of fun making funny/ weird promotional content too. Most importantly tho being on the road with the guys whether it's venturing out for a video shoot or a show we are always making the best of it doing whatever we can in the area while we're there.
(Miguel) a few memorable moments for me would be the construction of our loft jam spot/studio, touring for the first time as a band, seeing the quick growth and huge support from our fans and running and performing at Farm fest , which is a festival Bradly started that I helped with 2 years ago containing a car show, live music and a bbq ! In reality everything this band has done has felt memorable as we haven't for one second stopped pushing our selves to be better in result creating lots of milestones in a short amount of time.
Northpark is from Toronto. It's such an interesting, diverse and generally under-appreciated place that has bred so much amazing music. Why do you think the area churns out so many brilliant musicians and songwriters? How does the area feed into the music you are writing, if at all??
(Justin) Having lived in the city you see the various types of venues, music, shows, and the artists behind each band or solo musician, you develop a different kind of appreciation for the music that you hear and the music you create. You see a whole world of music within one city. The whole city is on stage. Everyone has a spot to perform. Be it a street performer, busking. Someone playing guitar in the subway stations. A choir singing outside. It's everywhere I feel that we as a band are just making our mark in that city. And our music is a reflection of our own growth as a band and the appreciation we have for the music surrounding that whole scene.
How does this current round of recordings compare to your time writing and recording Wasteland?
(Miguel) as the studio engineer behind Northpark I'm always looking to better the sound quality that I produce from my studio making the quality for ink a step up from our album. I also think after a year as a band our direction of what we want to release and sound like has become more unified and clear.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
(Miguel) without a doubt Lostvoy from Toronto. They are a great group of guys and have an awesome sound. We were lucky enough to be brought on tour with them which was super successful. Shout out to them and Vince Anastasi for making that happen and shout out to Mike Masson for putting us in touch with them.
What's next for Northpark?
(Riley) I guess none of us REALLY know but I know we all share the same feelings in respect to jumping on bigger stages one day playing the songs we know everyone will really love as we continue to grow. Like Miguel stated, we have lots of material and we are far from settling down on releasing great material for our current fans and new fans to Love.
(Brad) Finish creating our second album. Continue to perfect our sound, set, and performances for our fans. Playing infront of many new faces hopefully making it onto the big stage that every musician dreams of.
Being in a band with so many creative minds leads to a lot of different possibilities for our music, content, and business strategies into making a bigger name for Northpark in the future.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed's musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he's self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/