The Lovely Feathers still work nine to five

Lots of people dream of being rock stars, the dream of playing great songs for adoring crowds has probably been the biggest driving force for guitar, bass, and drum sales. But for most musicians the time spent off the road is filled with the uncertainty of where the next paycheque will come from.

Such is the case of The Lovely Feathers, the quirky, catchy, Montreal based indie-rock foursome, currently writing the follow-up to this year’s Fantasy of the Lot. Having recently finished a tour of the eastern coast of the United States, drummer Ted Suss came home, only to find himself looking for a job.
“We want to be able to support ourselves, and not have to have part time jobs. To make a modest living, rather than come back home and look for a part time job, is the goal.” he said.

It’s bizarre that a band like The Lovely Feathers would have to work when not on the road. In 2005, they were selected to be the opening band for Metric’s Canadian tour. Impressed by The Lovely Feathers, Metric guitarist Jimmy Shaw offered to produce the Feather’s debut, Hind Hind Legs. Since then, the band has shared the stage with indie rock’s hottest bands, including Islands, and Tokyo Police Club.
All that time on the road can take its toll, but the band has adjusted quite well. “I never get that sense of boredom, even on long hard drives.” said Suss. “You get used to them; the ten hour drive starts to feel like the five hour drive.”

Despite the hard work, the up and down nature of being an artist has taken a bit of a toll. When the Feathers started out, Montreal was the new Seattle, it was the city everyone around the world was looking to for the next big thing. Once the hype around our city cooled down, the cultural cachet of being from Montreal no longer summoned audiences like it once did.
“We were touring when Montreal was the hot scene, people were like “Where you from?’ “Oh, Montreal, wow!’ It had an effect on a lot of people.” explained Suss. “[On this tour] the response was more subdued, not as much hype.”

Despite all the uncertainty, the band has a lot of optimism for the future. They are currently figuring out which song will be their next single, and hope to go back on the road soon. But most importantly, the members are getting along and inspiring each other to reach new creative heights.
“In March, we’d love to go to SXSW, and tour around Austin, [Texas].” said Suss. “We have a good team, and write good songs, and now you just hope for the chance that people will like it.”

The Lovely Feathers will be playing at the Green Room Dec. 1.

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