This Is A Standoff – Be Delighted – Interview / Stream

THIS IS A STANDOFF
Interview with John Meloche (Guitar) 
By Johnathan Marshall 

It was a couple years ago that I stumbled across This Is A Standoff, I think I got a lot of iTunes cards or something along those lines for Christmas. I was hungry for more music, and had a bunch of money to spend. I can’t remember which band I got to that referred me to TIAS (I think it may have been a band called MARATHON Ex-POLAR BEAR CLUB Members.) But there it was, sitting on the sidebar “People who downloaded this album, also liked…” There it was, “Be Excited,” the first full length from THIS IS A STANDOFF. I gave the tracks a preview, and quickly downloaded the whole album. Two years later and I’m all in, TIAS continues to deliver technical, catchy songs. I reached out to guitarist John Meloche to get some information about their latest release Be Delighted, their 5 track EP that we’re streaming below.

[mp3player width=600 height=250 config=tias.xml playlist=thisisastandoff.xml]
Be Delighted. Give us some back-story. I know your last album had a lot of content on world events, the status of the planet, etc.
What fueled the fire for these songs? 

Steve would be the better candidate to answer this question, but I’ll do my best. There are a couple songs about being in a band these days and the state of touring; songs about what’s been happening in the world, dealing more with events that were happening around the time that we were writing; and some narrative story telling, which is a bit of a new venture, lyrically. Although, there’s a good chance I’m completely wrong and it’s all just about partying.

I also noticed you guys as always, stepped up the guitar work once again. Do you plan on releasing any videos, like the one’s we saw before, of you playing the tunes for some folks to try and learn? 

Thanks! The videos were something I had recorded for our friend Allan who filled in for me on a tour a couple years ago, so the original intent actually wasn’t for them to make their way to internet-land, but I had been getting lots of emails — or at least one email — from people asking for tabs or videos, and eventually decided to turn a few of those videos loose. I didn’t expect much, but the response was great, and people seem to be stoked on them.

I’d love to get around to doing all the songs on the EP and having them online at some point. I hope that if I do, I’ll put a bit more effort into them.. Those last ones were slops. I am hoping to tab the EP out once we’re on the road, but I guess we’ll see how much free time I actually have, haha.

With this limited release, and how busy I know you guys can get, what’s on the radar next? Is there a full length coming down the pipe any time soon?

It’s hard to say at this point. When we took time off to write last fall, it was with the intention of writing and recording a full length, and at the same time, getting our own personal lives a little more on track.  But in that year, Graham became a father, Steve started doing his solo stuff, and I was happily consumed by my work with my design company, Melodic Creative.  Mix all that with the fact that we live on opposite sides of the country, and it really slowed the process. So instead of taking forever to get a full length out, we decided we would go full steam ahead with the five songs we had been working on, and get back on the road by September with a new release

I think we’d all like to get a full length started sooner than later, but I guess we will have to see how this year shapes up. I have some more song ideas kicking around already.

I would assume after this much time under your belt you guys are able really get in there and smash out some content when you’re recording, are there any elements of recording your music that you guys still have to take slowly when you’re in the studio? 

I feel like our writing and recording process has gotten a lot quicker each time around. Our first album took a long time to write and jam, but that is to be expected since we were starting from scratch and figuring out what this band was about. We had the benefit of touring those songs for a full month before recording, which gave us a big advantage in the studio. The second album was a bit quicker and a bit smoother, but this time around it all felt like it clicked very easily and was more natural than ever.  At this point, Graham and I click really well in the writing process and are able to work things out very quickly.

As far as the studio goes, Graham is a machine, Steve is a dreamboat behind that mic, and I putter around on guitar and dwell on every single note.

Any plans for another video anytime soon? 

Not at the moment.

I happen to know you’re hitting a pretty big European tour pretty soon, any plans to make your way over here to the states? 

Man I hope so; we are so far overdue for that! Until now, we’ve always been restricted to a certain amount of touring because of work schedules, so the only time we’ve managed to tour the States was with Strung Out in 2009.

We are really trying to make something work over the next year though. I think our schedules will allow us more opportunity to get to some new places this year. Steve has converted to a full time music man these days, and because Graham will be busy with his new baby for a while, we have an insanely talented touring drummer, Simo, who loves to tour. Personally, I am dying to tour the US more.

Speaking of tour, I have to ask…. Ok let’s say you’ve spent 2 weeks on the road, WHO smells the worst. 

Would you believe me if I say we don’t smell that bad? It’s weird. My money is on whoever’s doing merch.

What spot in Europe are you looking forward to playing most? And why?

That’s a tough question.. Europe is amazing everywhere we go. I’d say Italy has a special place in my heart, though. The food, the cities, the people, the shows. From day one, people have been so welcoming there, and our pals in ACTION MEN always take us to their parent’s homes for powerful lunches that leave us all in food comas for the rest of the day.
Okay, pick 3 bands that you could bring with you on tour, past, present, anything. What is your dream tour lineup that TIAS could roll across the globe with? 

Only 3.. Yikes! Hmmm… THE FLATLINERS, A WILHELM SCREAM, LAGWAGON. That would be the “great dudes, great bands” tour. I’d definitely throw in some Protest The Hero for good measure.

Steve recently went on an acoustic run with Russ Rankin and Tony Sly. How jealous were you? I know that I’d have been the first one to sign up as the merch guy. 

I was so stoked when Steve did that tour. What an awesome way to kick off a solo career, right? Plus, Tony is one super rad fella.. and handsome.
Now, this could just be a rumor, but I heard something happened in the past that could have hindered your ability to play guitar. Is this true? If so is it alright to share with the readers? 

The rumours are unfortunately true.. About four years ago, on a drunken and insanely cold Canadian night, I wound up wandering around the suburbs of Ottawa for several hours wearing only a hoodie. I ended up with frostbite on all of my fingers, and almost lost a few of them. To make a very long story short, we had to cancel some winter tour dates, and I spent the next 3 months at my parent’s home with my hands wrapped up, and was told I’d likely never play guitar again.

It was a humbling experience, to say the least, and as cliche as it sounds, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I had started getting a little to nuts and it put it gave me a chance to sit back and put everything in perspective and figure out my life a bit more. On the plus side, I was able to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream just about every day.. Mmm.. The delicious road to recovery!

Since then, I have been the no-fun, sober John that you will often see drinking Orange Juice by myself in a dark corner at shows. I’m a walking party. Come say hi.

Anything you’d like to let the readers out there know about before we wrap up? 

We’re some nice, friendly, hard-working gentlemen, and would love for you to check out our new ep Be Delighted, spread the word, and maybe even come hang out with us at a show some time. Maybe we could play some frisbee together? I think that would be lovely.

Also, I want to send a gigantic thank you to Johnathan and the good people at Amp for all their support — We’re not worthy!

Europe Tour

 

w/ Carpenter

September 02, 2011 – Obererbach, Germany @ Pell Mell Festival

September 03, 2011 – Kessel-Lo, Belgium @ Sojo

September 04, 2011 – Guildford, England @ Backline

September 05, 2011 – Bristol, England @ Croft

September 06, 2011 – Manchester, England @ Night and Day

September 07, 2011 – Leeds, England @ Santiagos

September 08, 2011 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Gaslab (Technical University)

September 09, 2011 – York, England @ Stereo

September 10, 2011 – London, England @ The Macbeth

September 11, 2011 – Hazebrouk, France @ Shaka Laka

September 12, 2011 – Frankfurt, Germany @ 11er Club

September 13, 2011 – Cologne, Germany @ Underground

September 14, 2011 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Winston Kingdom

September 15, 2011 – Groningen, Netherlands @ Shadrak

September 16, 2011 – Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle / MarX

September 17, 2011 – Berlin, Germany @ Cassiopeia

September 18, 2011 – Zittau, Germany @ Emil

September 20, 2011 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Club Zwolfzehn

September 22, 2011 – Paris, France @ Les Combustibles

September 23, 2011 – Harlingen, Netherlands @ Cafe de Lichtboei

 

w/ The Evidence

September 24, 2011 – Vlaardingen, Netherlands @ Kroepoekfabriek

September 25, 2011 – Brussels, Belgium @ Magasin 4

September 26, 2011 – Tours, France @ Canadian Café

September 27, 2011 – Bordeaux, France @ Heretic Club

September 28, 2011 – Donosti, Spain @ Mogambo

September 29, 2011 – Oviedo, Spain @ La Antigua Estación

September 30, 2011 – Porto, Portugal @ TBA

October 01, 2011 – Madrid, Spain @ TBA

October 02, 2011 – Barcelona, Spain @ Rocksound

October 03, 2011 – Toulouse, France @ TBA

October 04, 2011 – Nice, France @ Le Tapas

October 05, 2011 – Lyon, France @ Warm Audio

October 06, 2011 – Cuorgnè (Torino) , Italy @ La Cantina

October 07, 2011 – Settimo Milanese (Milano), Italy @ Palazzo Granaio

October 08, 2011 – Bologna, Italy @ Blogos

October 09, 2011 – Molfetta, Italy @ Le Macerie

October 10, 2011 – Rome, Italy @ Sinister Noise

October 12, 2011 – Basel, Switzerland @ Sommercasino

October 13, 2011 – Regensburg, Germany @ Zimmer 4

October 15, 2011 – Zele, Belgium @ JC Juvenes

 

Canadian Tour

 

October 18, 2011 – St Catherines, Ontario @ L3 Nightclub *

October 20, 2011 – Kitchener, Ontario @ The Schwaben Club *

October 21, 2011 – Toronto, Ontario @ Sneaky Dee’s *

October 22, 2011 – London, Ontario @ Call The Office *

October 23, 2011 – Hamilton, Ontario @ The Casbah *

October 24, 2011 – Collingwood, Ontario @ The Casbah *

October 25, 2011 – Kingston, Ontario @ The Mansion *

October 26, 2011 – Ste-Therese, Quebec @ Le Bar Le Monte Cristo *

October 27, 2011 – Quebec City, Quebec @ Le Scanner *

October 28, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario @ Mavericks *

October 29, 2011 – Montreal, Quebec @ Underworld *

October 30, 2011 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ TBA ~

November 01, 2011 – Regina, Saskatchewan @ TBA ~

November 02, 2011 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan @ Amigo’s ~

November 03, 2011 – Edmonton, Alberta @ The Pawn Shop ~

November 04, 2011 – Calgary, Alberta @ Dicken’s Pub ~

November 05, 2011 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Media Club ^

November 06, 2011 – Whistler, British Columbia @ Garfinkels ^

 

* w/ Sparrows

~ w/ Sanity In Numbers

^ w/ Party At The Moontower

 

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