ROBOT HIVE FINDS SWEET SPOT
Band values slow, steady growth
The music industry has always, and will always, be a continuous cycle of bands beginning and ending. While some bands may turn a spur-of-the moment opportunity into a fulfilling lifelong career, the reality is that many artists only benefit from a small window of success in their musical endeavours.
This is generally because of several factors such as other professional goals, raising families, exhaustion from the work involved or simply just not being able to keep up to the rapid speed of their popularity.
For Henry Brass — bassist for Regina’s Robot Hive — going against the grain of this traditional model has helped his band continue on a path of slow but steady growth over the past six years. Resisting the impulse to rush after its dream, Robot Hive has used the slower pace to perfect its sound and get to know each other better while strategically planning each step along the way.
“We went on for awhile before anyone really knew what Robot Hive was,” Brass said. “We grew organically, which I feel never really impeded us but only helped us.
“Now we have a band that took years to create."
Experimenting and succeeding with the complexities of electro pop, Robot Hive released its debut single V.E.R.O.N.I.C.A. in 2013 to great acclaim, and shortly afterward returned to the studio to continue to create and define its unique sound. Seasoned veterans of the local music scene — with members being involved in prominent past bands such as Sylvie, Generals and Majors, Geronimo and Bright Black — the sporadic live appearances of Robot Hive were a calculated decision to ensure they didn’t disappear as quickly as they had formed.
It was an approach that, according to Brass, was their own way of maintaining longevity on the scene.
“At first, people had no idea what we were doing,” Brass said. “Although we have a really good music scene here, we needed to figure out where we fit in. We wanted to start seeing regular faces at our shows.”
Comfortable and confident with its music and each other, Robot Hive has slowly started to return to the stage, most recently opening for the eccentric Bob Log III on Aug. 1. Currently in the studio, Brass and the members of the band finally feel they are ready and prepared to share what has taken them years to create.
This new-found and highly anticipated return has also been planned alongside the release of more music which, with its expected approach, won’t follow any of the traditional music industry models of the past.
Through tireless dedication, consistent practice and the opportunity to grow alongside each other, musically and professionally, the future will see Robot Hive slowly begin to reveal new singles piece by piece.
That is part of the band’s strategic master plan, which is not surprising, considering its slowly progressive past.
“We’ve finally been able to get a sound that adheres to what we do,” Brass said. “So instead of trying to make the big ask of listening to 12 songs from a band you don’t know, we thought we’d be more strategic about what we’re doing.
“When it comes to our music, we do want to do it all — just in a different format.”
With just one single under its belt and a handful of live, local performances to its credit, Robot Hive has gone against the general idea of maintaining a consistent presence in the scene and instead chosen to remain relatively anonymous while writing and recording.
That’s not unusual when you consider that many of their members have seen their own bands come and go over time for various reasons.
For Robot Hive, gone are the days of plug-and-play rock and roll as they embrace the slow birth of a new approach made even more special with the creation of a truly unique, brand new sound. It’s a sound that, according to Brass, wasn’t created from the history and experience of the band members, but their ability to take what they know and share it with each other.
“These tracks really came out of nowhere,” he added. “I guess that’s what happens when you get comfortable with each other. You eventually take a break from certain styles.”
Comprised of Brass, Daniel Besuijen, Matt Kaip, Chris Notenboom, Les Schaeffer and Elton Roscoe, Robot Hive will give Reginans the opportunity to check out its sound firsthand Aug. 25 with a show at The Artful Dodger.
Space Port Union will also be on the bill.