Artist Spotlight - Witiko
Hey Music Fans! Are you ready to be introduced to some of the amazing local talent we have here, and to be reacquainted with some of your favourites? We have such an incredible music scene here in the GVA, and there are so many amazing artists just waiting for you to check them out.
As the weather turns colder and the leaves fall with the downpour of raindrops, we invite you to hunker down with a hot cup of steamy goodness, and take a moment to check out our next spotlighted artist:
Witiko
 |
| Witiko is an alt-rock back from Vancouver, BC. |
Here's what they had to say...
♪ ♫ ♪
Q: For those who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself and describe your sound?
We’re Witiko, an alt-rock band from so-called Vancouver. Our sound is generally rock leaning, though we enjoy exploring a variety of genres as we have a diverse range of music tastes amongst our four members. You’ll hear inspiration from grunge, psych, surf, punk, and stoner music in our tunes, and may even pick up on nods to other genres like metal and jazz. We love being able to play whatever we want, but in such a way that we make it uniquely ours.
The band originally formed in 2019, though it’s changed quite a bit since then. Our current lineup is Josh McKenna (vox, guitar), Lucas Grabi (drums), Luke Bidulka (guitar), and Walter Sawan (bass). We take our name from Witiko stories, prominent in McKenna and Sawan’s communities, Métis and Cree respectively.
Q: What’s one of the biggest successes you’ve had as a musician?
Our biggest success has been meeting the goal we set for ourselves for 2024. After forming with a complete lineup in November 2023, we played our first show all together in January 2024. At that point, we set what we thought would be a lofty goal for ourselves, to play ten shows in 2024 and record our own album. We’re now set to play our tenth show on November 22nd at The Cobalt, and it just so happens to be our record release show for our debut LP, A Century of Sleep.
Q: What’s your favourite venue to play?
This is a tough question. We’ve played some great venues in the past year but have yet to play a lot of local staples of the city. For uniqueness, it’s hard not to go with the basement show we set up. My (Josh) basement has served as our primary jam space for the last year+. In January, we converted the space into a DIY venue for one night only, fit with a PA system, lighting system, smoke machine, and a bar selling drinks, merch, and show posters. All money we made from the bar went to our band fund to support future band initiatives with a portion of the profits going to MECA (Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance), providing aid to Gaza. We packed the basement with 70 of our closest friends and family and played live all together for the first time. It was an experience that will never be replicated.Q: What do you think was the best Medium for music to be on? (Vinyl, Tape, CD, Digital)?
JM: For convenience, streaming. For overall listening experience, vinyl. I have a massive record collection that I’ve been working on for the past ten years. You can argue for or against the sound quality of a vinyl LP, but what is indisputable is the intentionality that the format brings to listening to music. In a time when we are constantly overwhelmed by choice and regularly engage with the virtual, it’s refreshing to engage with physical media. Going through the small ritual of getting a record set up to play, being forced to listen to an album as it is, and listening actively enough to remember to flip the LP halfway through all contribute to this experience.
LG: Streaming is my preferred medium for music because it offers instant accessibility, high sound quality, and a vast diversity of genres and artists. With streaming, I can discover new music effortlessly and revisit classics whenever I want. It’s the perfect balance of convenience and quality.
LB: Overall I just have to say Digital since it’s so accessible. How else could I explore new artists or bring music around so easily? While it might enrage analog purists, really the quality is equivalent. That said, I do have a budding record corner in my Appartment and the vinyl experience is very special. Having an album as physical artifact to interact with intentionally listen to sans any association with algorithmic horrors is something to appreciate.
WS: As the old guy of the group. I have been a part of all of these mediums. I do love the hiss of a cassette tape. There is something about it that warps me back to the early 90s. Trading tapes with friends. Or making mix tapes from various borrowed tapes. There is no classy way to skip a track. You just out the tape in and let it play. My favorite cassette I ever owned was "Animals" by Pink Floyd.
Q: Who is your favourite local band to see perform around town?
JM: Needs. Great local punk band with a bit of an experimental flair. These guys were the first band I saw at a 19+ venue when I was (finally) of age, back when they opened for The Bronx at the Rickshaw in 2018. Great tunes and politics, and completely nuts live performers. Sean Orr is an absolute animal on stage. I always jump on the opportunity to see these guys when they play local shows.
LG: Peach Pit. They are one of my favourite bands, and the fact that they are local is a real cherry on top for me because I get the privilege to see ‘em more often. Sept.10th, 2022 Peach Pit performed at the Malkin Bowl and the show was surreal -- hundreds of moths were out doing their courtship display, flying and dancing together, as the sun set, and Peach Pit was performing. I would see them again in a heartbeat.
LB: Tough question since there’s so many great bands in this city but for me it’s Waingro, closely followed by Heavy Trip (who I just have to mention since they rip so hard). Waingro is a stoner metal band who were my gateway drug (no pun intended) to live shows when I was just old enough to hit them. They’ve got such a pure and intense energy in their live performances, seeing them was really formative for me as a musician. Josh was the one who introduced me and we’ve made sure to catch their shows together every chance we get.
WS: Not too sure on locals bands. As I've been out of the scene for a while. But I will say, one of my favorite shows was when local band Crystal Pistol opened for Manson back in the day.
Q: What’s coming up next for your music?
We’re really looking forward to leaning further into the various genres we all vibe with. It’s very freeing to have our debut record finally finished. We’ve been sitting on the songs that comprise the record for a long time, and having them all finalized has opened up a lot of space for us to push forward. We’ve already begun writing for a follow up record, and have a few songs that are essentially finished. For the next little while, we’ll be testing out some of these unreleased tracks live, seeing how live performance shapes and molds them, and then will hopefully record and release them next year as a part of our second LP.
♪ ♫ ♪
Comments
Post a Comment