Fresh off the back of their brilliant gem ‘Dig Me Out’ earlier this year, Canadian duo Misha & The Spanks are back once again with their pounding new single ‘I Can’t Wait’.
Produced by The Buzzcocks’ Danny Farrant, their newest jam is another heady dose of vibrant garage-rock grooves, perfect for getting loose to. And with so much energy packed into this new delight, we decided to sit down with both of them to find out more about their origins and influences over the years.
–
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Miesha: Drums. Every Christmas as a kid I would ask Santa for a drum kit, and my mom would say she wrote him too and told him not to bring one. Eventually she bought me a guitar!
Sean: A classical guitar that sat in my uncle’s house. After dinner I was allowed to go play it, and I would hit a string and just let it ring. I just loved how long notes could last for.
What was the first band or artist you enjoyed when you were younger?
M: The Boss! My dad would only listen to Bruce Springsteen so all our drives on long mountain roads were the boss and I loved it.
S: Bruce. That descending bridge in Born To Run. My mom tried to raise me on classical music and that was the most classical moment in a rock song.
What was the first album you remember owning?
M: I bought Salt N Pepa’s Very Necessary cassette when I was like 8 or 9. It’s still one of my favs.
S: The Aqua album with Barbie Girls, my sister and I had to share it.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
M: This punk band from over here Bash Brothers has this awesome song that’s like “When I was born I had a party hat on! I had a party hat on, when I came out of my mom!” And it’s the best. All of their music is fun and punchy and catchy and clever.
S: Nightmare Town by Alameda. I saw them perform it live at Liverpool sound City and I just thought – I have almost written this song a few times, and this is what it sounds like finished.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
M: I’m really digging into Little Destroyer recently, and Monowhales. Some songs on our new album have some electronic elements, so I started listening to bands who add that to rock flawlessly for inspiration and now I’m just hooked.
S: I think my thing is I’m really feeling big riffs right now, so the new Alexisonfire is great for riffs but also cool for unique sounds. Hellacopters are classic riff masters. I’m also listening to Amyl & The Sniffers a lot right now.
M: Oh shit me too on Amyl! So good.
If there was any moment in your career you could relive, what would it be?
M: We opened for Queens of the Stone Age like a decade ago, and we were pretty good back then but not like we are today. I would love to relive that moment with our current music, stage set-up, live show etc.
S: The Canada House showcase at the Green Door Store for Great Escape. It was such an incredible show, but I forgot my stick bag at the venue the night before, and so we started late, borrowing sticks from the audience. Would love to play that again, but have my sticks from the start, and play a full set.
Which artist would you most love to share a stage with?
M: Amyl & The Sniffers.
S: Same.
And is there an artist you would love to collaborate with as well?
M: So many! Kimmortal, Sate, OBGMS, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Little Destroyer…
S: I’d want to write a folk rock song with Max Martin and see what we come up with. Maybe a punk rock song with Dustin Bentall.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
M: It’s the money. Just kidding. Writing music and putting yourself out there can leave you pretty vulnerable, and when someone connects with something I’ve written there’s just nothing else like it.
S: The instant gratification of playing live, and the free high I get while drumming. And the deeper satisfaction of recording and putting records together
M: And all that.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
M: I spend a lot of time doing business/career development because I’m also the person running things behind the music, and the best advice I got was while I was in a music incubator from one of the mentors, and it’s basically like – yeah you can do all of this, work super hard, get organized, network, put it out there – but none of that matters without a really good song. I think about that to ground myself and pull back to why I started any of this in the first place, the music.
S: Don’t be an asshole because there’s somebody better and nicer than you, ready to take your spot.
–
Misha & The Spanks’ new single ‘I Can’t Wait’ is available to stream now. Check it out below.
