CATCHING UP WITH CANADIAN ROCKERS, DROP TOP ALIBI
Wednesday September 18, 2019
After the summer break, I’m back with an interview with Toronto-based rock band Drop Top Alibi whose single Summer Nights & City Lights will drop this Friday!
Congrats on winning 97.7 FM’s Rock Search! That’s awesome! What did you guys do to prepare for the contest?
Thanks Krystal! It was a fun ride for sure, and honestly came rather unexpectedly. We submitted our entry very early on, and a few months went by before they announced the Top 16, so we kind of forgot about it. The morning that they did, I woke up to a number of congratulatory messages and thought, ‘Holy S**t, we got in this year!’
We knew that if we got to the semi’s and had a chance to play on stage, there was a good chance we could win. We had been playing a lot and were in the midst of recording some new material. The confidence in how tight we were playing was there, so we didn’t change a single thing. Luckily for us, with the support of everyone who voted and the HTZ FM staff who scored us into the Top 8, we had a chance to let the music do the talking. It was a bit of a toss up between a few bands, and we were happy we won. I will say though, those two shows were two of the best shows we’ve played and it felt good to know that we were good enough to stand out among a group of talented bands.
Last time we spoke, you guys were working on new music in the studio- do you guys have an album release date set?
Our next single “Summer Nights & City Lights” will be released on September 20th, 2019! What happens next you’ll just have to stay in tune for…. 😉
Sometimes people can get problematic at concerts (getting too drunk/annoying/harrassment, etc.). No one likes it when something kills the show’s vibe. How do you diffuse the situation while remaining professional at your shows in these instances?
Honestly, we haven’t had anything too crazy happen yet. Sometimes we will address the fans who are moshing, especially if photographers or women standing in the front are getting knocked around and don’t seem to be enjoying it. One time, a couple of drunk folks in Streetsville started getting into it in front of the stage and we just had security take them out. Having a microphone is handy for sure.
Ultimately, we want people to feel like there is nothing to worry about at our shows and that people who don’t or won’t respect that will be removed and dealt with. If and when the day comes that someone is being harassed at one of our shows, it will be dealt with right away and if it’s something we can see from the stage we won’t hesitate to stop the show until it’s dealt with.
As musicians -who have the weirdest schedules at times- how do you guys stay mentally grounded as your band progresses?
The biggest thing we’ve all noticed is that staying hydrated and getting enough rest is the most important thing. Mental strength is much easier to have when you’re not fighting other debilitating circumstances like fatigue. It helps keep everyone’s moods level as well, which means communication is strong and tension low.
Drop Top Alibi is also made up of members who have been grinding away in the music business for almost ten years. We have earned everything by ourselves, and oftentimes by burning the candle at both ends. The biggest thing keeping us grounded, is the fact that we now have a strong platform to have people listen, and if it starts to really move along, we won’t want to ruin it with ego and addiction. Maintaining the band of brothers mentality of partnership and compromise will be important as well.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at a show you’ve played so far?
The first time we ever played in Hamilton, was at an outdoor motorcycle festival on Hess Street. We were on the last song of our set, and this astonishingly hammered dude insisted on Dylan (Lead Guitar) letting him sing into his microphone. We were mid song and this dude starts trying to muscle his way to the mic and shoved Dylan. I think his guitar got unplugged in the process as well! We sort of forced this dude away from us, and he proceeded to try and fight everyone watching. This other guy, who was also drunk, decided he’d try and scrap the guy so he started egging the dude on a bit. The drunk guy who shoved Dylan then says, “15 years for murder, and I’d do it again…” Definitely the strangest thing we’ve seen so far, and to top it off this dude got picked up by the cops down the street and they smashed all his booze. Classic.
Anything else you would like to add?
Rock n’ Roll is alive and well! We will be playing a double-single release show at Lee’s Palace October 4th in Toronto with our brothers in The Crooked. They are also releasing a new song, and you definitely don’t want to miss this party!
Thank you guys for your time and I look forward to hearing more from you!
Follow Drop Top Alibi on their social media found here!