Thankfully indie rock band ON’s guitarist, Steve Fall, was game for a round of questions today. Some people don’t want to play 20 Questions. So we are extremely glad to have him on the blog.
ON has released the single and a video for “Break You” from their self-titled album. The band is made up of Lucy Di Santo (vocals, bass), Dan Cornelius (drums) and Steve Fall (guitars).
Please read the interview to find out more about the band.
Please tell us about your latest release.
This recording was written in Toronto and New York ( Lucy and I live in Toronto and Dan lives in New York).
We started the process with a jam at Funkedelic Studios in Manhattan ( we love going in there to hang out and its in the city which makes things fun). Then Lucy and I did some writing back in Toronto. Next, I flew back to New York where Dan and I wrote some sketches of ideas at his apt in the city in Manhattan.
I took those ideas back to Toronto and presented them to Lucy. Lucy worked on her vocal melodies and lyrics but she also opened the door to allow Dan and myself to present her with ideas. Sometimes, Lucy would present Dan and I with a riff , such as FLA ( that was her with her bass line and vocal and we wrote parts as layers to accompany her).
With Dan in another city , we would sometimes write on google chats, that was very low key, and useful. It forced us to be organized do individual homework on parts and structures plus work at low volume to discuss and hear and interact parts.
Next, we all decided to visit Florida for a vacation with the idea of jamming out these loose arrangements live. Lucy found a great recording facility called The Starsound Studio in Cape Coral run by Drew Producer Howard. Drew suggested we just try recording some of the ideas at the studio. That started the process for the album.
Unfortunately, all of this was being navigated through the pandemic and we needed to get back to Toronto to finish the record due to border restrictions and the pandemic getting out of control. We finished recording and co producing the album with our close friend Darius Szczepaniak, whom has his own room he operates in Phase One Studios in Toronto.
So after 2 lockdowns and 2.5 years of the pandemic – here we are.
Where was your first concert as a fan? As a performer?
My personal first concert was at age 13 watching Loverboy and The Headpins at the Halifax Metro Center. My uncle took my sister and I.
Do you have a bucket list? If so, what’s on it?
Sure. Bucket list is mostly places to visit. First up, Napal.
I want to also visit Australia (Lucy was born in Perth ). I would love to swim and surf in Hawaii. My Dad did that as he used to fly into Hawaii when he was in the Canadian Air Force ( we lived in BC at the time)
I have played hockey my whole life and it would be a thrill to get into mad shape again and try to participate in a pro practice or shinny game with the Toronto Maple Leafs .
Finally, a visit to mount Arat would be meaningful to me.
What was the last thing that you read?
Jazz and Popular Guitar by Arnie Berle. Highly recommended for guitarists wanting to explore chord extensions and substitutions.
What are you listening to at the moment?
At the moment, commercially speaking I love my old Refused catalog and Sleeford Mods. I am a huge PJ Harvey fan. Dallas Green’s City and Color always inspire me. Blood Clot because my good friend Tom Capone is in that band. Quicksand because that is still close to me ( where Tom and I met). Touche Amore whom I saw once in a Skate Shop all ages show in Halifax and they blew my mind. I took them out later for drinks. I still enjoy some old Helmet ( Lucy and I opened for them once at the Mod Club in Toronto under the name LEI).
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
Playing hockey for fun and possibly would have gone into some type of Sports management.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
PJ Harvey, Dallas Green , The Weekend, my own band, Darius ( just because he is a home base for myself and Lucy) Drew ( on my radar to write some music again he is my escape plan and a great guy to work ideas with ) Finally, Ed Stasium ( whom we are going to visit soon at his home studio in San Diego).
What do you want people to know or think about your music?
That it is honest and comes from a very real place from within .
What have you been doing during times of quarantine (music-wise and hobbies)?
Writing music, walks, hockey when it was available.
Has your songwriting process changed in the past year?
Yes. I am still learning about myself and how I share that with others.
Is there a message you’d like to share with your fans or soon-to-be fans?
Just believe in yourself, be good to each other, think about your neighbor, be proud of your community. Be kind to each other.
What is something positive that happened to you in the past Covid-laden year?
I taught Music online and worked with Autism adults with music performance classes. That was my way of giving back and it continued to be present in my everyday life. It’s now part of what I do in addition to writing and touring.
What are some things you are really looking forward to experiencing after things have stabilized or after some semblance of normalcy has returned?
Touring the world and saying hello to music fans everywhere.
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