Some of Canada’s most well-known bands have come out of Toronto and Montreal; the cities are known for having a much larger music-industry infrastructure than the west coast. Still, that didn’t stop Montreal R&B/soul musician Fraser Hamilton—better known by his stage name FRASE—from moving to the small town of Ymir, BC to focus on his craft.
Ymir is near Nelson and has a population of approximately 230 people; living there allows Hamilton to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The setting lets him focus on his music and play the sounds he wants to hear.
“I was in Montreal and had been soaking in the music there for about 30 years of my life. During one summer, an opportunity arose for me to come out west and play for a small festival out in the Kootenays. Before then, I had been touring overseas in Europe, and when I came back to Montreal, I didn’t really feel the power of my music, to a certain degree,” says Hamilton. “You know, it’s a crazy city, and the reverse story of me is a lot of people develop their craft and then they go to the city to make it big. For me, I wanted the opposite, because I feel like Montreal is a little bit saturated and it’s hard to stand out, honestly.”
Hamilton says that the small town allows him to easily reach nearby festivals, but there are many other reasons why the musician enjoys life in Ymir.
“The idea of a smaller community really appealed to me as I age. With the internet, collaborating and staying in touch with people is easier than ever, and I learned I don’t need the city lifestyle,” says Hamilton. “I guess my first international show would’ve been in India after a friend of mine took me out to India. My manager said he knew this booking agent there and so he sent him my stuff and the guy really liked it… I had, like, six shows while I was there. From there, I realized I could actually do this, and it just sort of took off.”
Hamilton adds in hints of electronic, house, and techno to his R&B and soul to create his own hybrid genre, one that he’s stuck to. He says that it just made sense, given his taste in music and the realization that people don’t want to hear down-tempo music in the club.
“I’ve always really liked more chill down-tempo music since I was a teenager, but I found that when I played that, it wasn’t what people in clubs wanted. When I was in Italy, the people aren’t going out to listen to your music, they’re going out to dance,” says Hamilton. “If you’re not playing heavy drum and bass or some crazy electronic, they won’t really know what to do. A lot of what I do was inspired by old club songs, and I find it cool that’s what it’s come back to now.”
FRASE
Friday, March 9
$12.50, Lucky Bar
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