Things are starting to heat up, and we aren’t just talking about the weather. It’s hard to believe that July marks the penultimate Band of the Month for the 2023 season on The Zone @ 91-3. This band is set to set the airwaves on fire with their new single, Shake.
Sooke-based indie rockers Shale are one of the hardest working bands in the Victoria music scene. That hard work and determination led to them becoming July 2023’s Band of the Month. The band is led by Kiarra O’Connor on vocals, with Adam Baines on guitar, Breanna Montague on bass, Rowan Hensley on keys, and it’s all rounded out by Michael Voytash on drums.
After our slightly anxiety-inducing photo session with Shale around UVic (Sorry, Kiarra!), Tyson Elder chatted with the band about their latest single, Shake, tigers, and their dedication to live music.
Tyson Elder: It feels good to finally say this to you: congratulations on being The Zone’s Band of the Month.
Everyone: Thank you! We are honored to be featured on the Zone and so excited to share our latest release Shake.
TE: I know it’s been a journey with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for you as a band to get to this point. What does it mean for you both personally, and as Shale, to be Band of the Month?
Kiarra O’Connor: Becoming Band of the Month has been a big dream for Shale since we first formed in 2018. It’s been a goal in the back of our minds during each of our gigs and throughout all our music releases. Personally, it is hard to put into words how much it means to me. For 6 years I looked up to every Band of the Month, embarrassingly in a bit of a stalkerish way, and it’s an honour to now join my Victoria music scene idols. I remember walking across my high school graduation stage and saying to the crowd “one day, you’ll hear me on the radio.” It’s even better to share this accomplishment with my killerband mates.
TE: This weekend (July 1st holiday weekend) is big for Shale, not only because you’re being crowned Band of the Month, but you are also kicking off the final day of festivities at the monstrous Laketown Shakedown Music Festival. You must be over the moon to be performing with the likes of Shaggy, Aqua, and Classified. Is there anyone you are really excited to see?
Breanna Montague: It’s seriously such an exciting month for us!
We are big Portugal. The Man fans, and we also love Third Eye Blind! We’re equally excited to see some of our favourite local acts like Wet Future, Base Collective, and Pastel Blank! It’s so cool to see the Victoria music scene being represented at such a big music festival.
TE: Honestly, I’d personally have to say that Shale is one of the hardest working live bands in Victoria right now and a real treat to see you live. You’ve got several gigs lined up in July including one with former Band of the Month Sarah Osborne, and another with Quadra Sound. What should people expect when they come to a Shale concert?
Breanna: We’re always striving to take our live performances to the next level. We have really taken the time to nail our stagecraft to make a live show that’s as energetic and engaging as possible. One example is Adam absolutely loves jumping off the stage and playing in the crowd. There are always familiar aspects during our live set as well: Rowan’s infamous top hat, and always having our tiger on stage. These are really memorable aspects for our audiences.
TE: I’ve also heard some rumblings about a tour with Cold Fame on the horizon…
Breanna: You heard right! We are travelling across BC to tour with our good pals in Cold Fame at the end of the summer. We have a great list of venues we’ll be at, so keep your eyes peeled.
TE: I want to dig into your latest single, Shake, which is your Band of the Month feature song. While we were walking around UVIC during out Rocktographers photo shoot Kiarra mention that the song came from the anxieties she felt during her first year in University. In particular the building we took some photos in… sorry for bringing that trauma back. Can you speak to the writing process of that song and how it formed to what it is now?
Kiarra: The song formed during my first year of University while I was fighting intense anxiety and emotional overload. I was lying on my back, blankly looking up at my ceiling, feeling an internal shakiness towards my day-to-day obligations when the premise for Shake hit me. I took a break from studying, grabbed my guitar and songbook, and wrote out the lyrics and guitar hook that would one day evolve into Shake. I took the idea to the rest of the band, and everyone added their own flare. The song transformed from an acoustic singer-songwriter style piece into the hard-hitting rock song that it is today. Having the photoshoot in the same Biology building that caused a lot of my struggles was a HUGE full-circle moment for me.
TE: While working on Shake you had the opportunity to work some amazing people in the music industry both locally and internationally. From what I remember you recorded with Brett Smith-Daniels on the song at Catalogue Studios here in Victoria. How was that process different then recording your earlier work?
Rowan Hensley: We previously recorded everything in one studio, basically all within a couple days. For Shake we took a lot more time. We recorded drums and bass at Catalogue Studios with Oliver Hollingshead, who’s the drummer from Hillsboro and a talented recording engineer. We then recorded everything else in Brett’s attic, which allowed us more time to try different creative directions and to really focus on getting the perfect take of each part.
TE: Between photos someone was talking about getting Darrell Thorp and Brian Lucey to master Shake. Combined, those two have worked with some of the biggest names in music including the Foo Fighters and Cage the Elephant. How did working with Darrell and Brian come about?
Rowan: It honestly came about pretty naturally. Our producer Brett is pretty well-connected, and he knew how to reach out to them. We got on a zoom call with Darrell Thorp (credits include Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Metric, Elton John, Joni Mitchel) and he loved the song and agreed to mix it. Brian (credits are The Black Keys, Royal Blood, Cage the Elephant)was down to master Shake after that.
TE: What’s next for Shale?
Rowan: We’re already working on our next projects. Keep an eye out for a music video for Shake later this summer. Also, I don’t want to give too much away, but we’ve already been back to the studio since recording Shake. There’s more new music coming your way in the not so distant future. Beyond that, we’ll continue gigging and growing, especially alongside Cold Fame on our BC tour later this summer . I personally have a lot of ideas for distant future projects, so there’s no shortage of inspiration.
TE: Before we end the interview I have to ask a question that has been on my mind since the first time I saw Shale play at the Victoria Event Centre. What’s your tiger’s name?
Breanna: Jimmy Tigerious Kirk! He was named by our drummer Michael. We call him Tigerious for short, and he comes with us absolutely everywhere. Studio, concerts, you name it. He’s kind of become our good luck charm!
Rowan: Michael named him after Captain James Tiberius Kirk from Star Trek, which is ironic because none of us are huge Star Trek fans.
TE: Shale, as always, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you and I want to sincerely congratulate you on being June’s Zone Band of the Month. You’ve worked really hard to get here and it shows.
July 2023’s Band of the Month, Shale, will have The Zone @ 91-3 shaking with their single, Shake. The song is available for download (along with two other tracks) on their Band of the Month microsite. There you can also find out more about the band and more photos from their Rocktographers photo session.
Rocktographers is a proud supporting sponsor of The Zone’s Band of the Month program.