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A RT S & CU LTU R E
PL AY LI S T
ON MIdterms & ME
N OVEM B ER 2, 2017
TH E O NTA R I O N
LUVR on the brain UP AND COMING INDIE BAND TALKS ORIGINS AND RECORDING SARAH SEUKERAN
BY: S A R A H S E U K E R A N I Don’t Like You Eva Simons Hard Times Paramore Academia Sia Idk Reneé Dominique ft. Asch Up All Night Best Coast Lost in Translation Moira & Nieman Sometimes I Cry Chris Stapleton The Hardest Part Coldplay Cry Baby Demi Lovato Bad Mood Miley Cyrus La Tortura Shakira ft. Alejandro Sanz
GUELPH BAND LUVR just played their first show this summer. Their unique sound comes from the combination of Tudisco and Macfarlene’s captivating vocal harmonies, McGivney’s intricate riffs, and Stewart and Raffin’s pulsing rhythm section. We interviewed LUVR as a group about the band’s origin and what’s in store for the future. Sarah Seukeran: How long have you guys been playing together as LUVR? LUVR: We’ve been playing together with our full lineup for about nine months. The length of a pregnancy…. Coincidence? SS: W here did the name LUVR come from? LUVR: Mike is a huge hippy and wanted to call the band Lover, ’cause he’s a lover, not a fighter, but that was already taken so we shortened it to try and be cool. We’re still not cool, but we think our band name is cool.
Thinkin’ Miley Cyrus
M E E T LU V R • Mike Tudisco | vocals and keys • Mariah Macfarlene | vocals and synths
SS: How would you describe your sound? LUVR: There’s two answers to this… We’re indie pop rock in the traditional sense, but really I think we sound like if you were eating pop rocks while watching Gilmore Girls in a bathtub full of craft beer. SS: What are some of your
• Garrett Stewart | bass • Arthur Raffin | drums • Shawn McGivney | guitar
musical influences? LUVR: It’s hard to nail down specific bands. We seem to like a lot of ’90s music, but are also constantly looking for the raddest bands who haven’t been discovered. So a good mix of new and old. SS: I was told that you all started recording in October.
How’s that experience been for you all? LUVR: Recording these songs is nothing but good times. We all love the studio — Catherine North in Hamilton — because it’s super chill to hang out in and they have a keg and cookies. We’ve been working with the producer Dan Hosh and he’s been super accommodating and making our little song babies into rocking tracks. We’re recording three tracks, but we hope to have a single out by Christmas. LUVR plays DSTRCT on Friday, Nov. 10.
Flicker of hope for life after One Direction
Lift Up Your Head Everton Blender
NIALL HORAN’S
Try Again Aaliyah
WWW.THEONTARION.COM
Survivor Destiny’s Child
SOLO ALBUM DEBUT FEATURES
Ontarion Web
Confidently Lost Sabrina Claudio
GOOD VIBES AND SOLID LYRICS
Concentrate Demi Lovato
LESLIE THOMPSON
’s Top Ten Albums B IRD CIT Y** Winnowing (Label Fantastic/Coax) PA R T N E R * In Search Of Lost Time (You’ve Changed) RE NE LUSSIE R* Meuh (Self-Released) C H A D VA N G A A L E N * Light Information (Flemish Eye) W E AV E S * Wide Open (Buzz Records) O F F WO R L D * 2 (Constellation) MAUNO* Tuning (Idee Fixe) TOUG H AG E * Shame (Mint) T H E W E AT H E R S TAT I O N * The Weather Station (Outside Music) K A I T LY N A U R E L I A S M I T H The Kid (Western Vinyl ) *C A N A D I A N A R T I S T
LUVR’s personality colours their indie-rock sound and energetic shows. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY BOBBY RAFFIN
* * LO C A L A R T I S T
W W W. C F R U . C A
NIALL HORAN is known for being
the Irish member of the worldfamous boy band One Direction. During years of nonstop touring with the group, Horan sang nothing but upbeat pop songs and intense ballads. Since the group’s hiatus in 2015, its members have slowly, but surely, been releasing solo songs and albums, all of which have an entirely different sound and feel. Horan’s solo debut album, Flicker, consists of mostly chill, guitar-based tunes, alongside a few more upbeat songs. The whole album is simple, folky, and feelgood, with the exception of a couple of tracks. These exceptions are, notably, the title track “Flicker,” a song about losing the spark in a
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR
relationship, as well as Horan’s first solo single, “This Town,” about the loss of a first love. The energetic “Seeing Blind” features country singer Maren Morris, who will be on tour with Horan next year. “On the Loose,” “Slow Hands,” and “On My Own” are fun, up-tempo songs scattered throughout the album to break
up the more serious feel. Other notable songs are drum-driven “Paper Houses,” the folky “Since We’re Alone,” and “Too Much To Ask,” Horan’s third single from the album. Horan is co-credited with writing all the songs on the album, as well as playing guitar on most of the tracks. Lyrically, the songs are generally more impressive than One Direction’s. Some of my favourite lyrics include the second verse of “Flicker”: “And I tell you things you’ve never heard before / Asking questions to the ceiling.” Compare these to One Direction’s awkward paroles, like “Making them drool down their chinny-chinchins,” or, “We’re like na na na / Then we’re like yeah yeah yeah.” Niall’s first solo attempt is simple and pleasing to the ear — a great album for easy listening.
Horan is co-credited with writing all the songs on the album...