Universal Music – The Concordian

After calling it quits in 2012, the band behind hits like “Summer Girl” and “Turn It Up” is back.

The Canadian band, Stereos saw their rise to fame after appearing on the MuchMusic show, disBAND back in 2008, which ultimately won them a record deal with Universal Music Canada.

For a while, the band was truly living the dream. From releasing two albums and touring the country, to getting nominated for several JUNO awards in 2010, Stereos found early success in their work. However, after experiencing problems with their label as well as creative differences, the band decided to part ways in 2012.

In the years that passed, the members explored different projects apart. But in 2019, the band reunited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album “Stereos”. It was their first time performing together in what seemed a different lifetime ago. This show sparked something in every member that day, and like that, Stereos were back.

Many promoters and booking agents didn’t hail the reunion show as a success, but with the help and belief of Andrew Valle, the band’s manager, they were certain they could make a genuine comeback. To critics’ surprise, they sold out a 500-person venue, proving to the doubters that they still had what it takes. With the success and the adrenaline that came out of the comeback show, the band decided that it was time to officially get back together.

The only major change from their inception comes with the departure of Daniel Johnson, who played bass, but still remains on great terms with the band. Since then, Stereos have released five new singles, and a new album is hopefully on it’s way. Lead singer Patrick Kordyback wasn’t able to release any concrete details about their future plans, but assured fans that the details will be coming out very soon.

The Concordian chatted with Kordyback about the band’s reunion and their new music.

TC: Your song “Look Good” talks about self-love and empowerment. Is this a song taken from a real life event, or written with a purposeful message in mind?

PK: It’s honestly a mix of both. The lyrics definitely reflect the place I was at personally when it was written, but it was also very much intentionally driven towards being something we hoped every person out there could benefit from. It’s not always easy to feel confident in who you are, but it’s so important to try and get there.

TC: How do you think you guys have changed the most in the last decade?

PK: I think we’re just more well-rounded people and musicians. I think we’re better at even listening to music and that has come out in how we’re able to write and record music. I think our sound is still Stereos, but it just has the added perspective that inherently comes along with growing up a bit.

TC: Off the heels of “Hands Off You,” comes a new single called “Way Back Home.” How would you compare the two?

PK: Well, one thing I love most about this band is how you honestly can’t really compare them aside from them both just sounding like us. I love “Way Back Home” because for me, it’s almost impossible to even know what genre the song is. There’s so much dynamic to it and I feel like it’s hard to tell what will happen next. It’s super fulfilling to have so much variety as an artist.

TC: After an over seven year hiatus, what was the decisive factor to get the band back together?

PK: It all came down to our 10-year reunion shows in 2019. When we were able to sell those out and feel the love of our fans even after disappearing for six-plus years, it was a no-brainer to try and get this thing going again.

TC: Back in 2019, you celebrated the 10-year anniversary show of the release of your debut album , and you performed together for the first time in a while — what happened during that show that made you guys decide to give us new music?

PK: It was just seeing the crowd react to those songs and then meeting people afterwards who told us how much we meant to them. That love and support is intoxicating and impossible to ignore.

TC: If we were to go back and think of the moment that the band broke up, is there anything you wished you would have done differently?

PK: Oh absolutely, I really wish we would have just taken some time apart and then reconvened as opposed to just ending it all so abruptly. All we can really do with it now is learn from it, and I’m thankful for those lessons, but I do think breaking up was a mistake.

TC: As you do in your feel-good song “Glory Days,” and as we reminisce about the band’s past, what are some of your fondest offstage memories as a band?

PK: There are literally way too many to even remember. But I will say that getting to sing the anthem at the Edmonton Oilers game and having the team host us was one of the coolest things we’ve ever done. The Oilers were our first love, so the fact that our band brought us to working with them was incredible.

TC: Your fans are thrilled that you are back together. What can you tell me about your future plans as a band?

PK: All I’ll really say is there will be a lot more details coming out very soon about our future plans, and we are so excited to finally be back together and stronger than ever.

Photo by Steph Montani

We don’t need no education?

Madonna’s foray into the African education sector has hit a bit of a snafu. Malawi government officials are claiming to be “fed up” with her lack of consultation regarding her intention to open 10 new schools in the country in partnership with non-profit group buildOn. This is not the first time Madge has butted heads with the government; officials were equally angered last year when Madonna scrapped plans to build an academy for girls without informing the proper authorities. “Now she decides to announce that she plans to build 10 schools without getting authority from us again,” said Ministry of Education spokeswoman Lindiwe Chide. “We now feel like this is all about propping up her global image and not in our interest.” Trevor Neilson, president of Global Philanthropy Group, has denied the accusations, saying that Malawi’s minister of education was indeed informed of the plans and that buildOn had “cleared all plans for school construction with them.”

They ain’t too proud to sue, either

Sixties Motown group The Temptations have filed a class action lawsuit against Universal Music Group seeking unpaid royalties on digital downloads. The group claims that downloads and ringtones count as licences, which would mean they would be entitled to half of all the net receipts from those sales. The suit covers a variety of other artists signed to Universal Music Group’s label who would also be entitled to compensation should the court find in their favour, including Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, the Police and the Who.

Is this the tiny town from Footloose?

Boston police have decided that moshers at a Flogging Molly show at the House of Blues last February violated safety rules and have cited the venue for their security personnel’s lack of intervention. The police report details how 60 concertgoers participated in “aggressive mosh pit dance,” which resulted in people getting slammed against each other and knocked to the floor. “Dancing is a First Amendment right, but the behavior itself is a violation, especially when it becomes dangerous and a public safety hazard,” a police spokesperson told the Boston Herald last week. In a statement addressing the citation, the House of Blues maintained that the safety of their patrons was a top concern and that they were actively working with city officials to “address concerns about moshing and other forms of expressive dance.” In response to the incident, the House of Blues has put up illuminated signs throughout the club stating that moshing is no longer allowed.

I’ll believe it when I spot it

Napster founder Sean Parker, speaking at SXSW last week, said some things that definitely raised eyebrows, with one of the more boisterous statements claiming music streaming site Spotify will “overtake iTunes in terms of contributions to the recorded music business in under two years.” Parker, who has reportedly invested $15 million in the streaming service, claimed that the sluggish nature of the Apple music site will be its downfall. “Even the iTunes store, to this day, is so slow. I’m amazed,” he said. Parker may not be blowing smoke, as it was reported last week that Billboard magazine now uses stats from streaming sites like Spotify and Rhapsody to partially determine which artists will comprise its “Hot 100” chart.