Hollerado,
It’s no surprise Hollerado’s favourite movie is 1989 comedy classic “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”
“Yes, we have been living it. This is what it is,” says lead vocalist/guitarist Menno Versteeg with a bodacious laugh.
The band just finished another excellent adventure touring the U.K. with Canuck punksters Sum 41.
Versteeg, Nixon Boyd (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dean Baxter (bass, backing vocals) and Jake Boyd (drums, backing vocals) began as four 17-year-olds growing up on the same street in an Ottawa suburb. The four listened to their parents’ preferred vinyl, developing eclectic tastes from The Who to the Traveling Wilburys, as they began playing guitars and rocking out in the garage.
The boys moved to Montreal where their first excellent “top up-and-coming band” adventure began sharing the stage with Montreal band The Stills, and meeting their longtime producer/pal Gus Van Go who works with The Stills, Arkells, Said The Whale, and The Trews.
They got hand-picked by music visionary Jack White to open for his band project The Dead Weather. Hollerado had a happy-golucky lyrically smart sound and killer guitar riffs which fans instantly loved. In no time, they were playing the festival circuit from South By Southwest (SXSW), North By Northeast (NXNE), Pop Montreal and more. They have shared stages with The Flaming Lips, and Weezer, in addition to touring across North America, South America, throughout Europe and China.
Musical catalog includes 2009 EP “Demo in a Bag 5,” “Record in a Bag” (2010), “White Paint” (2013), “111 Songs” (2015) and latest release “Born Yesterday.”
The band is also known for their innovative videos, some which feature “’Kids in The Hall”/“News Radio” star Dave Foley — almost like Hollerado’s “Rufus.” Foley is hilarious in early 2008 video for the song “Americanarama” — a savvy satire with Foley as American apparel founder/CEO Dov Charney. He’s also outrageous in “Desire 126” from 2013 release “White Paint.”
Versteeg says the band likes hanging out with comedians including Foley and other Kids in the Hall alumnus Kevin McDonald.
“We are huge fans of ‘Kids in the Hall’ and ‘Monty Python,’” says Versteeg. “Dave Foley is a good friend and mentor in many ways. And we love the “SCTV” stuff. My wife (Annie Murphy) is in (TV comedy) “Schitt’s Creek.” So a lot of fave stuff is there, with (Schitt’s Creek’s stars) Eugene (Levy) and Catherine (O’Hara),” he adds.
Other excellent video adventures include riding ostriches creating their own ostrich rodeo in loving Queen/Freddie Mercury tribute “Great Day at The Races” partially shot at Hendrick’s Exotic Animal Farm in Nickerson, Kansas.
Ostriches are not meant to be ridden. “We had a few scrapes and bruises but when you watch the video footage you realize how close we came to getting seriously hurt,” notes Versteeg. “You get on the ostrich and you are on it for such a short time that you fall off. It’s 20 seconds at the most,” he recalls with a laugh, adding they were “sort of ” trained.
“And So It Goes” is a music video based on the heartfelt true-life historical account of Versteeg’s grandfather’s life during the Second World War, a German officer, and the incredible connection that resulted in Versteeg’s life because of it.
On latest release “Born Yesterday,” Hollerado’s high-octane hollering continues but it’s a little more critical rather than the “anything goes” approach.
In addition to the album’ s title-track rocker, “Grief Money” is scathing summary of the current U.S. president before he was elected, and “Don’t Shake” is about a band member’s personal health issue.
The album is a series of observations and sentiments about today’s crazy unpredictable world and still having faith for better or worse.
“There is a goal that we have in mind and we have a standard,” notes Versteeg. “Before we used to be fine with just putting out something that was a joke,” he adds, admitting that the band’s songwriting process has changed.
“That is only inevitable when you get older,” he says. “It is more about the narrative. We still do not take ourselves too seriously. That is for sure. But there are issues in the world that we do take very seriously and I find sometimes, with some bands it is one or the other — if you take an issue seriously in music, you often take yourself very seriously too. That has never been our style so that led us a little bit away from being overtly political. So now we just say screw it — we are going to write these political songs and is not going to change who we are,” he notes.
Versteeg is also the founder of Royal Mountain Records whose roster also includes Mac DeMarco, Tuns, Metz, Alvvays, Homeshake, Little Junior, and Everett Bird. He’s excited about newest label artists Little Junior and Everett Bird who will open the Starlight show.
Hollerado has been with Royal Mountain since Day One. Their excellent adventures continue as they embark upon another cross-Canada tour introducing fans to “Born Yesterday.”
“There is no real theme on the album,” Versteeg admits. “The theme is things we believe in, you know,” he adds with a laugh. “This album took us a long time to write and we are really proud of the fact that we meant every single word on this record. Everything is very from the heart and we like to think we articulated it well.”