Pleased To Meet Me: Theo Vandenhoff
Credit: Isabel Glasgow (@hauntedyachtclub on Instagram)
Introduce yourself... (Where are you from, what band do you play in etc..)
My name is Theo Vandenhoff and I’m from Toronto.
Why do you play music?
To get better at it, because I have nothing else.
What was a major influence on you as an Artist/Band?
Any band that taught me you could write important and impactful music without being a
technically gifted musician. OMD, New Order, Wire, Chameleons, DAF, Nick Cave, Severed
Heads... The list goes on. The crooners Scott Walker, Brian Ferry, Serge Gainsbourg and Jacques
Brel. As well as the artists that taught me that synthesizers can be just as expressive an extension
of oneself as any other instrument. Kraftwerk, Harald Grosskopf, Eno, OMD again, plus all the
Berlin school people. My father as well for introducing me to these things at a young and
impressionable age.
What’s a favourite book or film?
I don’t pick favorites often. One that always has a hold on me is Waiting For Godot, not a film or
a book but I have the script as a book so that counts doesn’t it?
Do you prefer the recording process or performing live?
As a creature that craves instant gratification, performing live is a more cathartic experience for
me. It’s junk food though. Recording music is what benefits me most in the long run. It’s more of
a challenge, I’m very comfortable on stage and less so in a studio since most of my writing I’m
used to doing on my own. I have been trying to break out of that lately and start writing with my
band I put together to play with me for live shows. They are all incredibly talented musicians
capable of bringing things into a composition that I wouldn’t even think of. The long term
fulfillment that comes from seeing your visions come to fruition can’t be compared to the instant
gratification of putting on a good show.
What would be a dream collaboration?
In terms of legends I would dream of working with I’d say Brian Eno or Colin Newman (Wire).
In terms of my contemporaries I’m a big fan of what is going on at Dais Records…
…many of their artists would be dream collabs for me namely Riki, Choir Boy and Private World.
Describe a favourite album.
My favourite album of all time is “Architecture and Morality” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The
Dark. It is the perfect amalgamation of what resonates with me the most. The perfect center
point between UK Post-Punk and Synthpop. It’s biting and catchy yet cerebral and interlaced
with all these fantastic ambient synth pieces and gorgeous crooning ballads.
What's your favourite local haunt?
When I venture out of my cave it’s usually to go somewhere where I can see a wide range of
birds. Samuel Smith Park and Tommy Thompson Park are local sanctuaries in Toronto. I go to
those places with my girlfriend quite a lot. You get a really wide range of migratory birds and
wildlife there and they’re easy to get to from downtown. If I’m out on the town getting pissed
with my friends we’ll usually hit Swan Dive near where I live or anywhere with cheap beer and a
pool table.
What's your strangest experience while performing live?
I opened for Crywank in March, an opportunity I was very grateful for. If you don’t know
Crywank most of their fanbase is teenagers. People I’m not too far from in age (I’m 22 as of May)
but culturally the Tiktok generation is alien to me. It was at the only medium sized all ages
Toronto venue which is this corporate arcade chain. There was a business networking event
going on in the room during soundcheck. Overall terrible vibes, but a fun show made lots of new
fans and it paid well.
What are some of your favourite aspects of being a musician in Toronto?
It’s a very tight knit scene for such a big city. I guess that is a good thing but it makes me more anxious than anything. However, if you are good at what you do and not an asshole people will back you.
Has the current COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine influenced your creative process?
I only started out as a musician at the height of the COVID pandemic. So I have never known
anything else. The real adjustment for me is coming out of that. Because I’m able to play shows
now I have been writing and recording some songs with a band which is a wonderful challenge, I
definitely have the right people for the job though. However, writing music on my own is what
will always remain the most comfortable to me I think.
If you weren’t playing music in Toronto where would you be ?
I haven’t been to enough places yet to know, but whenever I go to New York I never want to
leave. Alternatively the exact opposite, somewhere much more quiet in the middle of nowhere
where I could just be with the birds. Ideally both intermittently.
Any sage advice for young musicians?
I am also a young musician so I’m not sure how sage my advice could be. My main piece of
advice I would share is to meet as many people as you can. There are lots of nice people out
there who will help you out and back you on your journey. No one person can do it alone.