Pleased To Meet Me: Fraser Wayne
Introduce yourself… (Where are you from, what band do you play in etc..)
I grew up in rural Ontario, about an hour north of Toronto. My parents live in the countryside outside of a town called Barrie. I used to play bass for LEMONGRAB, and a mix of guitar/bass for Light Bulb Alley and Paul Jacob’s band. I’m probably most known as the puppet master behind The Fuzzy Undertones, but recently I’ve branched off and started channelling everything into a solo project under the name Fraser Wayne. I record a lot of music at home with my cats, and I recently got a new gang together to play my music live, called The Black Petunias. I also have an electronic project called Max Overdraft, and I run the DIY label, Fishbum Records, based out of Montreal.
Why do you play music?
Because I would literally die without it. Music and art pump life-juice through my veins. Creating things, and sharing emotional energy and vulnerability with people on stage is the coolest, most fulfilling feeling in the whole world. Rocking out like the world is ending, being brought to tears by a lonesome singer with a guitar… There are so many possibilities with music and it has brought me to so many cool places and I’ve met so many amazing people over the years from touring and sharing music. “You’ll know I’m retired because I’ll be dead.”
What was a major influence on you as an Artist/Band?
—> The band Girls had a huge impact on me as a teenager, and I still follow everything that Christopher Owens does. I’ve never heard such honest, sincere, heart-wrenching songwriting in my life. I used to seriously think he was my spirit guide when I was younger because I felt like he was writing his songs about my life. Very relatable material for a highly sensitive and troubled young person. I grew up listening to hip-hop and classic rock, so I’ve got a soft spot in both of those departments. More than anything, I would say I owe so much to Neil Young. He’s been a hero of mine since I was a kid. I love The Cure and 80’s goth rock. Lately, I’ve been rocking Charlie Megira and a lot of obscure country and doo-wop music. The authenticity and genuine nature that comes out of these unknown artists is magic. Making music for the love of it, rather than for commercial success or fame/status. The stories that come along with it. Cowboy culture and the all lonesome characters. The truckers, the kickers, the cowboy angels.
What's your ideal festival line-up?
I dunno if this includes dead people or not because my list would be different if I was a necromancer… But here’s a few artists who are still kicking it that would be cool to see together at a festival:
Neil Young, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Cure, Spindrift, Bambara, Vypers, Pottery, Michael Hurley, Kassi Valazza, Buffy Saint Marie, Dangereens, She Past Away, David Lynch, Paul Jacobs, The Rolling Stones, Run The Jewels, Moon Duo, Christopher Owens / Curls, Beachwood Sparks, Pavement, Thee Oh Sees, Joanna Newsom, ROY, Dylan Earl, Hot Garbage, Daniel Romano, The Black Lips, Dougie Poole, Jonathan Richman, Colter Wall, Possum, Toody Cole, Foxygen, Charles G Brooks… I could go on for a while haha.
Do you prefer the recording process or performing live?
—> My all-time favourite art form is being alone in a studio, or any room with recording gear and instruments, and just going wild and building songs like paintings, layer after layer. It’s the original way I first got into music. Being alone in my bedroom with an audio interface and a guitar and seeing what I could do with that. So yeah, I guess I would prefer recording because I like being alone and creating things.. But the feeling of performing live in a band… Wow, that is just something so magical. Especially when the crowd is really into and everyone is vibing off each other. At a small venue like L’Esco. That is how real magic is created.
What would be a dream collaboration?
—> I would love to work with Neil Young or Toody Cole from Dead Moon. I feel like they would both have so much rock n roll wisdom to share. I also really want to collaborate with Johnny Sweet, and I’ve discussed this possibility with him on multiple occasions… Just waiting for the timing to be right.
Describe a favourite album.
My current favourite that I can’t stop listening to would be a compilation record put out by Numero Group called “Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music.” This album is basically a study of the true authentic cowboy culture that blossomed in the ’60s/70’s. Full of songs from artists you won’t recognize, most of these tunes were privately pressed and most of the artists never gained any commercial success. This album introduced me to some new gems like Kenny Knight, Kathy Heideman, Ethel-Ann Powell and tons of others. The vinyl comes with a write up about the history of all the artists. I’m such a sucker for this kind of stuff haha. My all-time favourite album would probably be “Return Of The Grievous Angel” by Gram Parsons.
What's your favourite local haunt?
L’Esco 100%. It’s like a home away from home.
What's your strangest experience while performing live?
—> Oh man, too many… I remember one time at L’Esco, this intoxicated guy just came up on stage and took my microphone and just started singing whatever he wanted. I tried kicking him to get his attention but he wouldn’t stop or give my microphone back. A bunch of nice people in the crowd helped me out haha. Another time we were playing a friend’s low-key wedding and the whole crowd just started taking their clothes off and getting naked while we were playing. I think there was something in the mulled wine.. This other time in Toronto, Jo somehow face planted off a fairly high stage in the middle of a set. Way she goes…
What are some of your favourite aspects of being a musician in Montreal?
The underground music/art community here is very diverse and very supportive. Since I moved to Montreal I’ve gotten into so many new genres of music and met so many interesting people, and I’ve learned so much about what it means to be an artist. It can be a tough city and I’ve definitely developed a thicker skin. But this city attracts a lot of crazy young kids that just wanna fuckin rock and I think that’s really cool. I used to be one of those kids. A bunch of us moved here from small-town Ontario back in 2014/2015 and it’s cool to see that everyone has found their niche and is continuing to successfully pursue their music/art in their own way. Montreal is great for that. It’s cheap. There’s a lot of opportunities here. It’s fun to watch the scene and the artists here change and grow. After 5 years, I feel very at home here and feel very supported by a diverse community of musicians and artists.
If you weren’t playing music in Montreal where would you be?
Probably San Francisco or LA or somewhere else that’s warm and close to the mountains and the ocean. Somewhere that has a vibrant music/art community.
Any sage advice for young musicians?
You need to 100% dedicate yourself to whatever it is you love to do. You can’t half-ass being an artist. You either do it with everything you’ve got or find something else that will make you happy. Just go full throttle and be open to all kinds of experiences. Have confidence in yourself! This is really important, and easier said than done. Always be kind to everyone, or it’ll end up biting you in the ass somehow. Stay true to yourself. Take advice openly, but throw it away if it doesn’t align with your vision. You need to create an ideal lifestyle for yourself; to balance your artistic pursuits, your relationships, and your financial situation. Money isn’t important but you will definitely need some money to do the things you wanna do. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to not be influenced or swayed by sex, drugs, money, and fame. Be careful who you trust, be smart when you’re partying, and always stay true to your vision. Don’t let people leech off of you. Build a supportive music community with like-minded folks and help each other! Keep on rockin’ in the free world.
Fraser Wayne’s Demonology is being released June 6, you can pre-order it below.