Indie Highlights: Everything That’s Fly

By Mikhail Saavedra

When I think about Everything That’s Fly I think of something smooth yet fun. A sound anchored by the strength and silky voice of Pearl, their lovely chanteuse. Everything  That’s Fly is actually a trio of 3 old high school friends who have always shared a passion for music, Pearl, Pig & ear2ear are the names this crew are known as and we sat down with two of them to get a better sense of what they are all about on the eve of the release of their brand new album “…And She Smiled Back”. I sat down with the charming and refreshingly straight forward Pearl and ear2ear to get a sense of the present and future of Everything That’s Fly.

Can you tell me a bit about what you do and who the members of the band are and their role?

ear2ear: We make music that we think both sounds good and feels good. We try to stay away from cliches (we are not hot in the streets, we probably don’t got next, 2010 will not be solely our year, but we will make some songs you’ll like and come back to for years to come). Pearl is the vocalist and the pretty one, therefore she is kinda the PR. Pig is a vocalist and guitar player, and is a master of the witty often inappropriate comment (hence the need for PR). I’m the producer/DJ. Kind of the quiet one who writes in long paragraphs.

Pearl:We are an R&B/ Hip Hop Trio that finds clever ways to intertwine all of our individual influences and make it work. We may not be classified as mainstream but we stay true to our craft and make music that leaves a lasting positive impression. I’m the songstress, Pig is the guitar playing lyricist. DJ ear2ear does most of the the producing and all of engineering. We write our own music.

What would you is the driving force behind your creative output?

ear2ear: The electricity which powers my recording equipment primarily. Aside from that, just listening to a lot of music, trying to get ideas of how to do things a little different. Never really inventing the wheel, but trying to add creative twists to what essentially is somewhat pop music. I think it’s very possible to make music which is both unique and accessible to a variety of people. We try to combine talent, general good vibes and humour in order to achieve that end. And if that fails, we will pander like there’s no tomorrow.

Pearl:We all have our 9 to 5’s and I think, for me songwriting / poetry is away to de-stress and escape into another world for a moment. Music has always been a huge part of my life and the ability to create it and have someone else sing a long to it and enjoy it is the main reason I do it.

We are currently experiencing a bit of a crisis in the old record label way of doing things, how important do you feel record labels are to new bands?

ear2ear: For one, if the record labels go away, who are rappers going to blame for their failures now? Oh I know: the sound guy. Crisis is an interesting way to put it though. Crises are opportunities for drastic change, with the potential for good or bad depending on where you’re standing. As a new band, signing to record label isn’t even really on our radar. I’ve heard enough horror stories and I don’t know how much of a good match we’d make anyway. Seems like the services labels used to offer exclusively can now be obtained from others at a lower cost or even done yourself. Standing above the crowd is the challenge. There are still plenty of business opportunities, but there isn’t really a clear path. Everyone has to make their own lane. I think the biggest loss is the legitimization factor of the record deal though. Getting signed used to take your band out of the hobby phase and into the career phase. How are future rock stars supposed to dramatically quit their lame jobs when they still might need a reference in six months?

Pearl:People always ask me “Did you get signed yet?” Ughhh. Getting signed is not what it used to be- It doesn’t guarantee success, at times it may often hinder it- I’ve always believed art should imitate life. Labels sometimes see it the other way if they don’t take the art aspect out of it all together. YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.. Has definitely made it easier to connect globally and has somewhat eliminated the need for the middle man (the Label). I’m sure having a strong Label backing will speed up the process but knocking on doors is not needed anymore. If you’ve got strong talent and potential, have created an online buzz- Labels will come knocking on your door.

How do you feel about touring and playing live in general?

ear2ear: My experience is a little different from the other group members. I spent years producing, recording and mixing other people’s projects and when the audio was good, my job was done. Everything That’s Fly allowed me to take my creations and test them in front of a live audience. Obviously I’ve DJed to crowds before, but this is a little different. I especially enjoy watching the reactions of people in the crowd who have never heard us before, and seeing how they open up to us as we go through the set. You see arms uncross and smiles start to form and you understand the thought process behind it. It’s incredibly rewarding. And in turn, it’s definitely altered the creative process. I used to work with the end goal being a solid recording, but now I’m always keeping that future performance in mind.

Pearl: Singing in a studio is work. You sing the same line over and over again to a padded wall. I’d be lying if I said enjoyed that. On stage you realize why you love this music thing so much. You look out in the audience and people are glued to you. They stop talking to their friend or walk a little closer so they can hear you better.It almost has a magical quality to it. The freedom, the movement, the rush is incomparable. I there was a way to never perform to the same person twice I’d do it. Yes, there is nothing like the energy you get from fans of your music but there is something about connecting to someone for the first time, that’s why touring is something very important to me.

You are a very multifaceted artists beyond the band what else are you focused on or passionate about?

ear2ear: DJing is something I thought I had kind of retired from when I start producing more and more, but I’ve found myself doing it more and more over the last couple years. The technical proficiency never leaves you, but I had taken for granted the pre-planning aspect of the job. Beyond music, and not to get all Bono and shit, but I’m passionate about transit, housing, urban migration and local government in all corners of the world. With the UN estimating that 80% of the world’s population living in urban areas by 2050, these issues all tie in together and every city on the planet is facing the same challenges. If we fail at making our cities livable and accommodating, there are drastic financial, environmental and public safety implications. I think this is the biggest challenge facing our generation.

Pearl: I’ve been doing a lot of cover gigs lately (Restaurants, Weddings, Parties) Not only does it let me study the work of my musical influences and exercise my vocals but it helps pay the bills too. I also collaborate with other artists, musicians and producers if they need, songwriting, vocal arranging, background vocals, etc… You can’t really limit yourself in this industry, you can’t expect a return instantly- But helping out other artists and surrounding yourself with other musicians is probably the best thing you can do to get out there, get connected and be heard.

If you want to find out more about the band and their upcoming album release party for “…And She Smiled Back:
Friday Nov. 27th 2009 @ the El Mocambo
464 Spadina @ College (South West corner)
$10 at the door, $8 with a canned food item
By the way your cover charge supports the organization Serving Charity which works to feed Toronto’s homeless.
Website: http://www.facebook.com/everythingthatsfly and http://everythingthatsfly.com/ (Which is launching very soon)

Want to hear some tunes? Try here:
http://soundcloud.com/everything-thats-fly/since-2007
http://soundcloud.com/everything-thats-fly/win-you-over-radio-edit

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