Bleeker Ridge

I definitely think there is a closer bond between all of us. After 7 years, we are all brothers. We’ve fought about important things and things that don’t matter. We’ve enjoyed times people would have went crazy of boredom over. We’ve even gotten into and out of trouble together. This band is a family and our parents and friends look at it that way too.

We’re influenced by all music. We try to keep an open mind and listen to everything from rock, to pop, to whatever we come across through radio, TV, friends, and family… We change the music we listen to all the time but some standbys are U2, Sevendust, Zeppelin, and John Mayer. Our surroundings are also a major influence. Issues people have and what is important in life. Good or Bad.

Sometimes it seems like it comes from nowhere, and it just writes itself like “You Would’ve Liked it”. But in most cases the songs are about our lives and relationships of our own or people we know like “Small Town Dead”, “Bitter Soul” or “From Now On”. We don’t write about things we don’t know about. Keep it as real as possible because that’s what people will relate to.

Songs like “Easier Today” and “From Now On” are about doing what you want to do and not following what everyone says you’re supposed to do. Those came from the people who believed our band would never go anywhere, but can translate to so many other situations. In songs like “Bitter Soul” we try to say what other people may not know how, or are too afraid to say. But the majority of our songs I think people can relate to and that’s what it is all about.

Different songs reach different kinds of people. We do have a strong teenage audience but in saying that, their parents can throw in the CD and love some of the songs too. When writing, we don’t think about who it’s for, but more “Would we listen to it?”

We love small towns! A small town is a place with family restaurants, one or two places to go on the weekend where everyone is out for a good time. Not being able to go out without seeing someone you know. And we love visiting all these small towns across Canada that are just like our hometown of Orillia. So many places are so much alike. I think that’s what we’ve realized. We’re not alone in this.

Start making little changes in your life. Get out of your routine day or week. Go somewhere you haven’t been. Talk to someone you don’t know too much about. The little things will add up. Get out of your comfort zone, and find something new and enjoyable because it can be found anywhere.

You have to take time for yourself, and look around. I make sure my life isn’t focused around just one thing. Also, keep contact with the outside world! Touring can make you strange, so it helps to talk to friends and family from home. Good food helps too! McDonald’s everyday starts getting old, quick.

Its starts with a vocal melody or riff someone randomly thought of taking a shower, or out at dinner. I’ll have some random lyric that makes no sense at the time, and usually end up writing around that lyric or idea. But from when we start a song, to when we finish, all the ideas have either been changed or swapped out for other ones. It’s almost like the song is never done until it’s laid down in the studio. But the best songs are the ones we write in 10 minutes and just happen like “You Would’ve Liked It.”

We always make sure we look at the source. If it’s from our producer, or someone we trust, we take it in and think about what they are saying. But if it’s a YouTube comment or bad review we just laugh and make fun of each other about it. Can’t take things like that seriously. If we did we would have gone crazy a long time ago. We are doing our thing and if someone doesn’t like it that’s ok. It’s not a big deal as long as we are enjoying what we do.