Interview with Backstabber

March 20, 2024

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Music always impressed me. I was in a classical music orchestra during High School and my teacher was a very passionate pianist. He really transmitted his passion and from that time I knew I'd do music all my life. Probably not for a living because it’s a difficult industry, but I’ll always have an instrument to play. I started by playing trumpets and switched to drums later after discovering metal music. If it wasn’t music I’d tried to be a stand-up comedian.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I'm not a full-time musician so I work in an underground gold mine. I'm not always playing music but when I can I write new music or do side jobs for the band. What’s influencing my creativity is really that I always listen to music no matter what style.

How long has your band been around?

Backstabber has been around since 2012, but it's not until 2016 that it really took off as a live band with the release of the Revenge demo. I joined the band in 2019 just after the release of the first album, Conspiracy Theorist.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are from a small industrial town up north called Rouyn-Noranda but it doesn’t really influence our music. We are more influenced by books or by topics we find on the internet. But we have a bunch of really good bands up here so we try to always push harder to stand out.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Integrity has a price. When interacting with selfish people they will mistake it for treason when you don’t go their way. They will try and call you names in order to steer you back on their path. We just embraced it and stood our ground.

 Tell me about your most memorable shows.

For me, it was to be direct support to the mighty Kataklysm. It’s always impressive to see worldwide bands live and to play with them it’s making us see the other side and gives us the opportunity to talk with them. And bigger bands always bring more people into the crowd hehe!

 What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

My favorite venue to play is Le QG in Rouyn-Noranda. It’s a nice place with a mezzanine and you can fit a bunch of metalheads in there. The staff is awesome and very thorough. We can’t wait to go in bigger markets like Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, etc.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

I asked the opinion of my bandmate Eric for this one!  So the lineup would be Tool, System of a Down, MGLA, and us! It’s a pretty sick lineup!

 What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Practice, practice, and practice more! And start a YouTube channel for cover. The best way you can be seen is on YouTube and I think it forces you to elevate your game. And treat your band like it’s a business because it is!

 If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

 Same answer as the last question. Like in everything, practice makes perfect.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Harvesting the Weak! It’s our latest single from our upcoming EP Patterns of Domination because it’s the first song I ever worked on with the band. I hope its variety will appeal to both older and younger metalheads. We feel like there is a little something for everyone in there, it is musically consistent with our previous works as much as there are new ideas chiming in here and there throughout.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I’d say My Disclosure! There is just something to it that I can’t let go of. It has a good vibe and is as enjoyable to play as it is to listen to.

 What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

We mostly work remotely in each of our own elements and we really work on the music before the lyrics. Christian or Phil start with a guitar riff to which they add drum patterns to help them with the composition and often they have a complete "basic" song just like that. Then, Kev works on the drum parts according to his way of playing and we take turns sending it back to each other. We discuss it and improve it according to each person's ideas until we have a skeleton that everyone likes. Then we do the bass line and we start from there to add more effective transitions, solos, higher melodies at times, or breakdowns if they have their place. We have always been curious about different topics and sometimes inspiration comes when you expect it the least!

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

We like to use a lot of sarcasm to get our message across. On Conspiracy Theorist, our latest album, the main message is not to believe everything, but rather to doubt with an open mind. Patterns of Domination is, on the surface, a handy guide on how to be a horrible human being, but it is the opposite. Know these patterns so you can limit your use of them and spot people using them around you. We tend to make use of the stereotypes related to metal music in order to disguise our message.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Like almost every relationship. A band is like a family or a married couple. We don’t always agree on the same things or we have different opinions but I think this is what’s making us move forward and better. And we get past them by talking.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

The release of our EP Patterns of Domination on March 15 and we are looking for booking. We currently do almost everything by ourselves but I think we will need someone to help us with the booking soon since we are far up north. And we are already working on the next album! The project never stops. Thanks for your support, we gladly appreciate it! don't hesitate to drop by for a chat, with social media nowadays, we are easily accessible. Keep it up! Lml

Music Video - Harvesting the Weak - 

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