NxEW Interview with Columbia
Mar2001:39 PM
Filed in: Music News
Interview with Columbia's Richard Jaquard and Kevin Schallie
In the band Columbia, there are five members that have come together to form a dynamic yet naturally appealing band in today's music. They also have the technical know how with innovative Management representation in the form of Thorny Bleeder Records. Managing partner Brian Thompson adds another dynamic to the band's already impressive foundation.
I first met this band back in August of 2009 through a networking site, Supernova.com. Columbia was at that time in the Battle of the Band Finals, which I ended up covering this past January. They won and placed first nationally. The first thing that struck me was their easy-going approach but as I interviewed them after a photoshoot in Gastown, I realized that these guys knew exactly what they wanted and where they were going. This one element sets them apart from most bands here in Vancouver. In the past seven months, they have found a drummer, Brian Welsh, that fits in with the other guys so well that it's a seamless fit. They have found a manager and promotional company, Shameless Productions, have toured down the West Coast of the United States late last year, and are currently on tour in Western Canada. The band will also be touring later this year. Their self titled CD, Join Our Ride, has done very well and is a big hit with fans in North America.
Due to time constraints on both ends, I originally wanted to interview Richard and Kevin in person, but circumstances were beyond anyone's control. So instead, we agreed to do the interview via email. What follows is a direct question and answer interview and it is as follows:
(Note to reader: R-Richard, K-Kevin, J-Jade)
J: How did you both meet?
R/K: We met in Elementary School in our home town of Surrey BC. (also known as Cloverdale)
J: What kind of goals, if any, did you both set early in your partnership?
R/K: We have basically had the same goals since day one. Become a touring band, get on the radio and make music that people will like.
J: Do you feel that you have you achieved that first goal?
R/K: We have achieved that first goal we set long ago, but now our goals are to find a bigger audience, bigger tours, more radio play and have better songs.
J: What goals are you currently setting your sights on?
R/K: Writing the songs for the next album. We're very excited about the songs we're writing now. They will really get us to the next level.
J: What was it like for each of you growing up in Cloverdale (Surrey)?
R/K: We had a good up bringing with good parents. Cloverdale is a small town but we’re so close to Vancouver that we’re actually city boys, with a good sense of reality.
J: Tell me about a band called Straightpipe which I believe is a band from your shared past.
R/K: It was really just the start of our music careers so it doesn’t have that much to do with us now but it did teach us about music, how to be in a band and to play shows that people would like to see.
I also asked questions to each Richard and Kevin, and here are their answers:
Kevin Schallie
J: When did you start singing?
J: When did you start playing the guitar?
K: I actually played the bass guitar when I started singing, but quickly went to the guitar and singing.
J: Have you taken guitar lessons?
K: No lessons, I’m self taught. I’m quick at picking up things I'm passionate about.
J: Have you taken singing lessons?
K: No lessons, I just learned from listening to all my favorite singers.
J: When did you start writing music/songs and why?
K: I just love to write songs and getting them recorded so that people can hear them and get into the band. It’s our life now so I couldn’t imagine not writing songs all the time.
J: What motivates you to write music?
K: Meeting fans on tour and just making music I like to listen to.
Richard Jacquard
J: When did you start playing the guitar?
R: I started to play when I was 16. I got an acoustic for Christmas.
J: Have you ever taken guitar lessons? Who initially inspired you to pick up the guitar?
R: I’ve never taken any guitar lessons. I first learned how play Green Day and Nirvana songs, but Hendrix was the first guitarist I remember looking up to.
J: When did you start writing music/songs? Why did you start writing music?
J: What motivates you to play guitar, write music and perform original songs? Is there an inner drive or does it feel natural that you should be doing this?
R: I love music. It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to write music and have other people really get into it. Music is something that I’ve always had inside of me. I love that I’m in a position to write and perform. It’s my favorite thing in the world.
J: What is your personal inspiration to perform in a band?
R: To write better music. That will be my inspiration forever. I can’t sit still with music.
J: What band or artist inspired you to begin a musical career?
R: I don’t remember a certain band being an inspiration for a career. I never thought of it like that. Once I got a guitar I started to write and wanted to learn as much as I could. From then on music was full time for me.
J: When you were a teenager, who were some of your early influences in music? And, what was it about that particular artist or band that you liked?
R: From the beginning I was drawn to the songwriters. Hendrix was huge for me, but you have to remember that underneath his wild playing was always a great song. That’s what it’s all about.
J: What kind of jobs have you had in the past that supported your dreams of being a full time musician?
R: Teaching guitar lessons has been the best. It’s great to turn people on to music.
Thank you to the guys in Columbia and also to Brian Thompson at Thorny Bleeder Records for making this possible. Join Columbia on tour by checking out the following links to the band:
Columbia band website http://www.columbiaband.com/
Columbia Myspace page http://www.myspace.com/columbiaband
Columbia on Twitter http://twitter.com/columbiatheband
This article appears as originally published by Jade Sperry here:
http://www.nxew.ca
http://jadedphotography.com
