Finites debut not short on melody or hooks
Maturity may not seem like the most valuable of assets to acquire when you’re playing in a rock ’n’ roll band.
But Stephen Schroeder admits returning to music after a long break may have served members of Calgary guitar-pop act The Finites well as they recorded their selftitled debut, a 14-song opus that divides writing and singing duties between three of four members.
“We’re just over so much stupid stuff,” says Schroeder, drummer and one of the vocalists.
“When you are in your late teens or your 20s, I think in a way you have more ego in a bad way. You think you have something to prove. If you are writing a song and somebody else has input or constructive criticism or even, heaven forbid, not everyone in the band likes a song, there’s so much drama that comes with that when you’re younger. Now we’re just kind of over that and you can tell each other honestly what we think. We’re a lot more mellow.”
Mellow is probably a good thing to be for a band that takes a writers’ guild approach. Schroeder, probably best known in these parts as executive director of the Calgary International Film Festival, played in bands for years when he was younger, often with Finites guitarist-vocalist-songwriter Dan Willock. But, as is often the case with youthful musicians, life got in the way.
“We both went through quite a number of years where we got out of music,” Schroeder says. “I was quite active in the ’80s and ’90s and into the early 2000s and life and work and family took over for everybody. I didn’t play for years and I really missed it. It really bothered me that we didn’t play and that it was something that was gone from my life.”
The Finites began life somewhat informally and initially as more of a songwriting-studio enterprise. Willock and Schroeder recruited Andrew Long, a guitarist-singersongwriter of similar vintage who also worked at the film fest. To play bass, Willock enlisted his son Luke, the “baby” of the band but, Schroeder says, the best musician of the bunch.
Formed in 2015, the band spent much of its early days recording in the Willocks’ basement studio.
And while the songs do bear the writer’s personal stamp, there is a cohesiveness to the album as it showcases jangling guitar-pop (Just A Little Pinch), charging post-punk (Alison Capone) and even hints of twang (Song for Kentucky.)
The Finites seem to use 1970s power-pop grandaddies Big Star and its many disciples as a jumping-off point, particularly in their ability to mix guitar crunch with memorable melodies.
“That’s what binds the songwriting together and keeps it from being a complete smorgasbord,” Schroeder says. “We all like relatively tight pop-rock songs, we all really love melody and we all like catchy hooks.”
Willock, Long and Schroeder continue to be prolific writers. But for the next while, the focus will be on live performances. The Finites will hold a CD release party March 2 at The Nite Owl, where they will perform at 9 p.m.
“This is our coming-out party,” Schroeder says. “Now that the album is done and ready for release, our focus is shifting to play live much more often. We already have probably half of the next album written. As much as we love recording, it’s kind of an addiction we have, we’re going to force ourselves to not record any of it for a while and focus on playing live.”