Rockers stay in the (spot)light
Sept. 24 show at The Venue to benefit Five Counties, Torch Run
TIMMINS -- When Honeymoon Suite busted out with their selftitled debut album in 1984, my friends and I remember hearing and later even performing their songs like New Girl Now and Burning In Love in our own sets.
These ‘80s songs had tight rock arrangements boosted by Johnnie Dee’s solid vocals and lead guitarist/songwriter Derry Grehan’s intelligent song craft and inventive guitar work.
The Niagara Falls rockers still do a large number of tour dates and are scheduled to rock The Venue in Peterborough at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24.
If that was not enough the group will be releasing a new album through Pledge Music, a direct-tofan music platform which brings artists and fans together to share in the experience of music as it happens.
“I was a bit skeptical at first, I have to admit,” said lead guitarist Derry Grehan in a recent phone interview.“
But when I started to see names like Cheap Trick, Dweezil Zappa, and Melissa Etheridge and many others, I researched it and found it to be almost a new music business model.
“You eliminate the record label and basically your fans help you make the recording. They in turn can buy different packages that might include digital downloads, meet-and-greets with the band, etc.
“This helps us as a band with the cost of mixing and recording the album.
“I think it’s a win/win for new bands, older ones and the fans. Our campaign level has been reached and we have finished recording the album, and right now we are mastering the tracks and getting the artwork in order.”
Grehan said the new songs will still contain their trademark melodic rock vibe but with more songwriting help.
“This time out, it was more of a collaborative effort than on past albums. We brought in Sean Kelly (Nelly Furtado, Lee Aaron) who really had great ideas, Johnnie (Dee) contributed in a big way and myself.
“Previously, I was the main songwriter in our band but you have to challenge yourself as a songwriter and maybe I did pick up some bad habits.
“With this in mind and also because I live in the US., I have started to take trips down to Nashville. I don’t write country music by any means, but I noticed the lyric was very important and with the new country there is a lot of ‘80s rock vibe and attitude in there.
“In the end, it made me pay attention to what I was trying to say in the song and when you write with people who do it every day, you get different ideas for song structure.
“It made me a better writer and I know it has already made an impact with HMS.
“At the end of the day we don’t try to mimic or do anything new to be cool. We know what we do and sound like as a band and that core is always there.”
HMS, like many bands in the last 10 years have recorded digitally, because of all the band members living in different cities.
“Straight out, I can tell you there is no substitute for recording all in one room as a band (the group worked in Los Angeles with producer Ted Templeman (Van Halen, Doobie Brothers) engineer Bob Rock and with Bruce Fairbairn (Bon Jovi).
“However, now John with Pro Tools and file sharing, we would record live drums in Toronto with Dave Betts; I receive the file add guitar and vocals, over to Johnnie for lead vocals and Gary Lalonde for bass. We also have Peter Nunn on keyboards.
“Having said that, new songs and old songs are always amped up when we play as a band onstage and the fans love the aspect that we stay true to the song but tend to drive it a bit harder.”
HMS have had a solid career and many people may have forgot in 1987, the band performed the title track for the Mel Gibson film
Lethal Weapon and later had their songs included in films with John Cusack and the mega Miami Vice TV series.
HMS has recorded seven studio albums, two live albums and 25 singles and still do American tour dates which included some unlikely pairings at the beginning of their career, said Grehan.
“Well back in the ‘80s, we were offered up a tour with Jethro Tull when our debut album exploded and their fans are hardcore, but they treated us well and tolerated us, you could say.
“We did two- and three-month tours with Heart in the U.S. and we toured with ZZ Top. We really had to play our buns off and prove ourselves. Those tours were grinding and gruelling being away for long periods.
“Now it’s much different with fairs, festivals and we all have families --but for sure we benefited from that work ethic.”
Doors for the Sept. 24 show at The Venue open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available for one day only, Saturday, Sept. 10 between 10 a.m. and noon at Peterborough Volkswagen at 500 Towerhill Rd., Peterborough, Smithavens Brewing Company at 687 Rye St., Peterborough and Almost Perfect Frozen Foods at 513 Division St., Cobourg.
Tickets are $20, cash only. There is a limit of four per person.
All proceeds will benefit to Five Counties Children’s Centre and The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.