Q&A: Wake Owl band frontman shares inspiration

The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information. 

Vancouver-based indie band Wake Owl is comprised of four artists that, although separated by space, come together to make music. Consisting of vocalist and guitarist Colyn Cameron, drummer Andy Shauf, bassist Josh Daignault and violinist Aiden Brant-Briscall, Wake Owl’s sound will be familiar territory for anyone accustomed to the indie scene; the band isn’t breaking any boundaries. Wake Owl’s harmonious musicality and ability to mesh with one another is evident in their new EP “Wild Country.” As part of the band’s first tour of the United States for its EP, Wake Owl is visiting Los Angeles for a performance at Hotel Café in Hollywood. Daily Bruin’s Faizan Ghori spoke with Colyn Cameron about Wake Owl’s musical growth over the years, his perspective as an artist and his inspirations for writing.

Daily Bruin: How did you guys get your start?
Colyn Cameron: I recorded the EP about a year and a half ago. Aiden plays violin on the EP, we shared some shows together in Vancouver, did a few tours in Canada, and then met up with Josh and Andy and started the first U.S. tour.

DB: Describe the process behind writing the “Wild Country” EP.
CC: It was mainly just a one-summer thing. I had a lot of inspiration. The songs started with acoustic guitar and the melody. From there I made a bunch of demos and I fleshed them out with the band.

DB: What were your inspirations behind the “Wild Country” EP?
CC: It was just me trying to challenge myself to write songs that were mainly just exploring the joys and pains of my life at the time, and the ups and downs. It was an intense summer. So I just wanted to write music about my own dealing with those problems.

DB: What were some of these ups and downs that you faced that were impactful enough to write about?
CC: To be honest, they were pretty much the same things that everyone goes through at one point or another in their lives. For me, I had a big, really long-term relationship end that summer and a lot of the inspiration for the “Wild Country” EP is a direct result of the demise of that relationship.

DB: Is there anything specific you use in terms of instrumentation to get the sound you are going for?
CC: It’s always changing. On the EP you hear quite a bit of harmonies and some violin and some keyboards, which make it a pretty lush soundscape, but that was mainly just me at the time and the guy in the studio giving some of his input.

DB: What are your influences musically?
CC: Tons of stuff. Right now I’m really into Damien Jaroto, his last record. The Dirty Projectors record that came out this past year was really good. We listen to quite a bit of stuff and keep it varied. The band recently was listening to “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem, although it won’t influence much of our new music. We’re huge rap fans.

DB: How do you feel being in a position to make music that has the potential to influence others’ lives?
CC: You just gotta make music that you’re happy with and I think is not forced or anything like that. You’re following some real inspiration and (have to) let that come out how it has to. You’ll end up with something that is more pure in terms of creative time, and you never know if people are going to like it or not, or make a difference in someone else’s life. I think that actually all you are is a cup as an artist, and the song is the liquid that fills the cup. If someone comes and drinks from the cup, it’s not your responsibility. It’s just your job to hold the cup as the artist. You’re just a host.

Correction: As part of the band’s first tour of the United States for its EP, Wake Owl is visiting Los Angeles for a performance at Hotel Café in Hollywood.