Nothing clear-cut with local band Forestry
Photo by Sol Kauffman
Whether it’s Cream in 1968 or Them Crooked Vultures in 2010, music fanatics will always be quick to shout “supergroup” when great musicians get together and form a band. For Blake Enemark, guitarist and vocalist in Victoria’s Forestry, the thought never entered his mind.
“I never really thought about that,” says Enemark. “‘Supergroup.’ That sounds weird.”
The line-up of Enemark, guitarist/vocalist Peter Gardner (who also writes Nexus’ Noise Addict column), drummer Danny Costello, and bassist/vocalist Talia Este bring years of experience to the table, coming from previous Victoria bands Ruthie & Winfield, Vegan Holocaust, Vincat, and Onaping Falls.
With musicians coming from that many bands, it’s easy to see how these guys could get into creative squabbles. But in the case of Forestry, it actually worked out perfectly.
“At first I classified our sound as ‘alt-country dude rock,’ but then Peter started writing noise parts for some of the songs,” says Enemark. “It’s the kind of thing Wilco does live, where the song will be totally mellow, then Nels Cline switches on his fuzz pedal and starts ripping on the neck of his guitar with a screwdriver.”
In just a year of playing together, the band has accomplished more than most local bands, including opening up for Band of Skulls at Sugar last December.
“I had no idea who they were besides the fact that they had a song on the new Twilight soundtrack,” says Enemark. “Before the show, we kept joking that we were basically opening for Robert Pattinson.”
Although they find it funny, the band was flattered when they heard they had been hand-picked by Band of Skulls as openers.
“The show’s promoter, Atomique Productions, hadn’t narrowed down an opening act for that show, so they sent Band of Skulls three local bands’ MySpace links, one of which was ours, and asked them to pick a band to open for their Victoria show,” says Enemark. “They ended up choosing us, which still confuses me. It’s weird, because we’re the weirdest Wilco rip-off in the world and we opened for this British riff-rock hype band that’s been getting regular play on the Zone.”
Another impressive feat Forestry has accomplished in just one year of being a band is recording their first album. Costello recorded the disc and the recording process brought the four together.
“The process of recording the record itself was long and hard, as it probably is for any band,” says Enemark. “But I feel like the relationships that we had with each other became stronger by the end of it. We were just spending so much time together, recording all day, every day for about two weeks. Those guys are my best friends now, if they weren’t already before.”
Forestry’s self-titled debut should be on the shelves of Ditch Records this February, with a Feb. 23 CD release at Lucky Bar.
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