The Exit

The social impact of post 9/11 America. Songs that capture the unsettled feelings of these times in the US.  But also songs of love and passion. This is a band of many influences and sounds, that worked to make the ultimate mixed tape feel on their new release Home For an Island that releases October 11th. I spoke to Gunner, the talented and energetic drummer of the band just a few hours before their Vancouver gig.  He gave a lot of insight on how the band writes, and gets their content, as well as gave me a good feel about the positive relationship The Exit has with their new label, Wind-up Records. Read on and learn more about this trio from NYC.

Toe: So how has Vancouver been treating The Exit? Gunner: Well, we got in at about 10:00pm last night, and rushed over to GM Place to catch a show. (seether and Audioslave) but we missed Seether, and caught Audioslave. There must have been 18,000 people at the show. Then we headed for an after party. It was a late night. We toured here last year, and have a soft spot for Vancouver. Toe: You have been gigging on average 1 in 3 nights over the last 3 years. Has that worn you guys down at all? Gunner: The majority of this year (from February until June) was spent in the studio. It was the longest time off of the road that we have had in a long time. If I had it my way, I would like to play every night. Some things in the songs change every night. A good touring band always leaves the audience wanting to see more. Toe: The Exit seem to be very in touch with the goings on in the USA, particularly after 9/11. Does that have an impact on song writing? Gunner: It is hard for it not to be. I was in NYC when 9/11 happened. When you get out on the road, you start seeing what people in other countries think of the US. But when you look at our songs, there is a good mixture of social commentary along with love and other subjects. We are not one of the most politically spoken bands out there, but we are very conscious of what goes on around us. Toe: You guys have 2 very different songwriters with Ben and Jeff in the band. One is very heart on the sleeve, the other, very outspoken and in your face. Does this ever cause difficulty in getting a song written? Gunner: Every song we write is approached in a very different way. Sometimes Ben or Jeff bring some lyrics to the table, and we write around those, or I may put a melody together on the piano or on the guitar. We always seem to be able to bring something personal of ourselves away from a song. No song is really all about one member of the band. It is always a collaborative effort. We are always finding better ways to write songs, and of course, there are always some differences in opinion. Toe: There seems to be a really large group of musical influences on the CD. What are some of the bands you guys listened to growing up? Gunner: Myself, The Beatles, Bob Marley, The Police, The Traveling Wilburys and Tom Petty. I had a great musical background when I was growing up. And then I heard Nirvana, and then knew, I had to play drums and do music. I was enthralled by Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, ex-Nirvana drummer). A couple of Jeff's influences would be The Clash and Bruce Springsteen. Ben was really into Reggae and Soul. One thing is, our influences and tastes in music are constantly changing all the time. we are always getting into something that is different. Toe: Windup Records seems to be a very open, liberal and approachable label. How has your experience been with them since you became part of the family there? Gunner: It has been great. There is a reason we are there. They sat us at a table, and told us they knew there were other labels that wanted to sign us, but Windup saw us as a career band, and wanted to make sure that we were treated in that way. Not to jut throw us up on MTV and sell a million copies of one single, and never be heard from again. They want us to be able to record, and get out to the fans, and build a solid fan base. With about 18 artists in the stable, they are still a grassroots type of label, but are excellent to work with. Very personal. Very good to us. They put a lot of love into us, and let us shoot a great video. Toe: DO you guys find it hard to not bring too much of the social issues into your music, causing it to perhaps become too dark? Gunner: It has never been a thing where we say "this is too dark, and we should not write about it." We have not felt the need to censor what we are writing, or cut songs. We wanted this album to sound like a mixed tape. We placed songs in order to give a good variety of tunes in order, and have a really good flow. As I said before, we have some political and social topics in our music, but there is love, and many other topics. Toe: DO you have any favorite bands or artists here in Canada? Gunner: well, the first one that comes to mind, that I own a few albums of is Sloan. They are a great band. I am sure if I sat here and thought about it, I could come up with a bunch more. there are probably many bands I love, that I did not even realize were Canadian. Toe: DO you have any particular favorite places to play gigs in Canada? Gunner: We had great shows on our last tour in Vancouver. I also love the crowds in Toronto and Montreal. But if I had to pick a favorite place right now, it would have to be Vancouver. I have great memories of our previous shows there. Toe: Which do you prefer: Gigging or Studio? Gunner: Well, I love to record and be in the studio. One day I would like to try my hand at producing. But when you are out on the road, the songs can change. You can bring new things to the table, whereas when you are in the studio, what gets tracked, is the final product. When you play live, the songs can differ from night to night and have a different feel. But, we have been in the studio so much this year, I want to get on the road. 3 months from now, I may very well say, I love being in the studio! Toe: What can be expected at a live show from The Exit? Gunner: We love to have fun when we perform. Not to sound too cliché. We like to put on a good show. We are playing to crowds that may have never heard us, and we want them to remember us, and come out and see us next time. I walk off of the stage drained. We work really hard. We really want to try and connect with the people at the shows. Toe: What can we look forward to in the future with the Exit? Gunner: Some very cool touring. Some more writing. We recorded a cool song not too long ago, that we wanted to get down while it was fresh. We do not want to be a band that releases an album every 2 years. Toe: And last but not least, your Windup Records has your album slated to release on October 11th. Is that still a go? Will we be seeing the release here in Canada at the same time? Gunner: Yes, the album will be available in Canada also. Right across North America! Toe: Gunner, good luck to yourself, Ben and Jeff with your show tonight, and the rest as you move back across Canada. Gunner: Thanks!