An Interview With The Five Piece Canadian Indie Rock Band, KASADOR!

Photo Credit- Taylor Simon Photography

Get to know the indie rock act Kasador, a band building buzz in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario and beyond. Having spent the past year touring and drawing influence from various environments and encounters along the way, the band just released their first new song since putting out their self-titled EP in 2016. The guys channeled their signature energy for their newest tune “Come Get Yer Money,” but the next song they’re releasing shows a completely different side of Kasador.

“Skeleton Park” is that new track and it is soft in sound, but dark and captivating when you look at the lyrics. Nick Babcock steps out from behind the keyboard to take the lead on vocals, and his falsetto is absolutely bewitching. This song is by far the most diverse from any track the band has released before.

Kasador are a 5-piece indie rock band from Kingston, Ontario, formed in 2015. Born out of a university town, Kasador brings the energy of a party to the stage and into the audience. The band released their highly anticipated debut EP, ‘KASADOR’, in September 2016, which was recorded at The Bathouse Recording Studio with producer Nyles Spencer. The EP has had a strong reception, and singles ‘Talk About It’ and ‘Neighbourhood’ continue to receive radio play in Ontario.

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Learn more about Kasador in the following All Access interview with Kasador vocalist/guitarist Will Hunter:

Thanks for your time! Where does this interview find the band today? Is there music playing in the background? What is it? What is one song that you are all loving right now? What is a song that you disagree about loving right now?

We actually disagree on a lot of music – we come from very different musical backgrounds so sometimes we have debates about things we like in songs vs the intention of the song etc. Right now a few of the records we are all digging are Busty and the Bass ‘Uncommon Good’ and Texas King ‘Circles’.

How does 2017 compare to last year? How differently did you all approach this year then you did 2016? What all are you most excited about for 2018?

2017 has been an amazing year – lots of growth musically and as performers and that’s mostly because we have doubled the number of shows we played in 2016. We also released music in the later half of 2016, which started to pick up interest in the band through the remainder of 2016. I think we approached 2017 like the band was more than just a dream and I think that mental switch really made us stronger.

Can you recall the moment that you realized that you could really make music together? Was it difficult to come up with a band name you could all agree on? What other names were you considering?

I wouldn’t say there was a moment where everyone clicked and we felt like a band. For me at least, there are a few specific moments where I’ve felt that way about each of the guys, but not really a collective moment. There have been countless times on stage where we have felt unstoppable, but I don’t think that’s the moment we’re talking about.

Coming up with the band name was a nightmare – the only advice I can give is that if you can survive that, you can get through anything.

I always like to ask artists how their hometown has been an influence on the kind of music they make and really what kind of a band they are today. So how do you think your hometown has affected you and the music that you create?

We all grew up in different cities across Ontario. That being said, the band’s hometown is Kingston. We grew up musically there – writing in basements, jamming in music rooms at Queen’s University and by playing every place that has electricity and beer. The way that Kingston has shaped me as a performer is that it taught me that when someone comes to your show, they are giving you their night out, so you owe them a good time and a good show.

Let’s talk about your recently released new songs, “Come Get Yer Money” and “Skeleton Park.” How are these two tracks different or similar to anything else you have put out before? How do you think they prepare listeners for more music from you? What inspired you to write these singles?

Putting out those songs first was a conscious decision: Come Get Yer Money is the first overtly political thing we have done, so it was a bit of a departure and growing moment for us as songwriters. Skeleton Park came out of the band jamming a chord progression and drumbeat – we loved the feel and started to put lyrics to it. Two days later we were tracking it. Skeleton Park came together so organically and I think this comes across in the recording. We are also introducing new lead vocals into our songs on this record; Nick sings the whole song and spearheaded the lyrics. We chose these singles because they are different and we are excited about that!

When do you hope to release another EP or a full-length album of new songs? Are you currently in the studio working on new material?

We have more studio time booked for the New Year. The goal is a full-length  in 2018, but to put out music as we go. Last time we sat on the songs for a long time, which was frustrating because we were so excited about the songs and wanted to share them…won’t be doing that again. Currently we are all working on new material to bring to the band and get ready for the studio.

You had a pretty busy fall tour scheduled so I am curious to know how you keep up the energy night after night? Where are you looking forward to playing at the most?

The guys all have different ways of staying happy and healthy between shows – I would say the common thread between us is that we all have pretty ridiculous sense of humor and imaginations. In the van we have conversations that spiral into uncharted waters very quickly.
We love playing hometown shows (love the Brooklyn in Kingston), Watertown has also always been nice to us. Just getting on stage is what is exciting for us!

What makes for an ideal show for Kasador? What have been some of your favorite performances in the past?

When you give yourself to the show (as an audience member or part of the band), that’s when you get the best shows. There is a beautiful thing that happens when you make yourself vulnerable as an audience member and jump around singing the songs. The band sees that and builds off of it. All of my favourite shows have had these moments where everyone is in the song and you can feel the song coming to life.

With winter in full swing, what was your favorite part about the summer? What was something fun that you did or tried for the first time?

One of my favorite parts of the summer was the big outdoor stages – we were lucky enough to do a bunch of festivals and really loved the room to move around. But the best part was two sold-out shows with Sam Roberts Band at the Kee To Bala. Energy and history in that room is incredible and we grew up listening to SRB (like lots of Canadian indie groups), so those were bucket list shows.

We are living in a crazy and at times rough world right now so I am curious how you think being in this band gives you the most joy in life today? Do you think that new music being created today is going to reflect this difficult time?

I think that people are writing meaningful songs that reflect what is going on, but there is so much content in the industry that it’s hard to gauge what will be remembered. It’s hard to carve out a space for it in the public space when music has become entertainment over any kind of a political vehicle, like it has been in the past.

Who are some of your favorite artists? 

We all came from different musical backgrounds – which I like to consider a positive thing as it adds to the arsenal of influences to draw from. I’d say that the common thread through the band is rock and roll music, ranging from Counting Crows to Arctic Monkeys and John Mayer to Oasis.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

I’ve always felt that good songs can have multiple meanings and inspire different feelings. Songs are born out of the intention of the songwriter/writers but meets people at different stages in their lives, which can bring different meanings to the same words. So I don’t hope that people take away one specific message, but rather they see something in what we are doing and respond to it. If that response is jumping around and partying or if its thinking about someone you care about, we’re happy.