Thanks to Ric Taylor for doing this write up about our new record and release show in the Music Notes section of this week’s VIEW Magazine in Hamilton.  We’ll be doing an interview with Ric on 93.3FM CFMU at 7pm on Friday, so be sure to tune in.

Thought Beneath Film’s Detours
Brothers Brent Wirth (vocals, guitar), and Brian Wirth (guitar) have long since making music in the Hamilton area in bands like the Kosmonaut, the Sitcom and otherwise but more recently the two have ramped up their own recording studio. Producing other bands offered the opportunity to meet more local musicians and better find musicians for their own projects. With the addition of David Lindsay (guitar, vocals), CJ Ricottone (bass, Vocals), and Matt Foster (drums), Thought Beneath Film offers their newest line up and their debut CDEP, Detours.

“Matt played in Gin Rummy, CJ played in Slides and David played in Honour One – as devious as it might sound, they all came from bands that Brian and I recorded at our home studio,” explains Brent Wirth. “Seeing how someone carries themselves and reacts to various situations throughout the recording process tells you a lot about their musicianship, attitude and level of seriousness. The personal relationships and camaraderie between band members is equally as important as their musical chemistry. We’re all at the point in our lives where playing in a band is a lot more than just having fun playing your hometown once a month and looking cool to your friends.”
With the right band members in place, TBF then began fashioning five
songs best to introduce the band on disc. Musically slick, lyrically thought provoking, TBF offer thoughtful guitar pop and after recording their debut CDEP twice themselves, they decided to leave the mixing and mastering to some pretty big names. Tom Lord-Alge (Weezer, Coldplay, Blink 182) and Bob Ludwig (Green Day, Nirvana, Foo Fighters) offer a punch and a sheen to the recordings that spotlights TBF’s talents. It’s pop with some hard guitar edge but catchy and maybe even easy to dance to.
“At the end of the day, the music you create is always a reflection of the music that you want to hear,” offers Wirth. “Our musical tastes are pretty diverse. We’ve always loved good, solid pop records — Katy Perry being one guilty pleasure — so we tend to be very melody and hook oriented, but then there’s the influence of bands like Weezer and the Smashing Pumpkins: massive guitar tone. We’re also into more eclectic and experimental bands as well.
“The common lyrical theme throughout the EP is the struggle of trying to be an artist in today’s society: having to deal with the apparent impossibility of being able to sustain your passion financially and emotionally and staying motivated and optimistic throughout it,” adds Wirth. “It just seems like people are selling themselves short these days. So many of my creative friends have given up on their art to pursue something more pragmatic. It’s depressing. Sure, money and stability can be important at times, but isn’t there a lot more to life? That’s the question that I’ve tried to pose throughout the EP. We’re at the age where most musicians have to decide if they’re in it for the long haul or not. I think we all share the same sentiment — it’s not that we don’t want to do anything other than playing music; we just can’t without being horribly depressed.”
With their local CD release party this weekend, TBF are hitting the road to introduce the new music to as many people as they can. With a follow up 7-inch already recorded for follow up potentially later this year, expect to hear a lot more from Though Beneath Film.
“The CD release show is more about acknowledging our friends and family for all their support,” adds Wirth. “Despite the fact that it’s only 15 minutes long, given the manner in which it was created, this EP was a pretty big undertaking for us and the show is a celebration of the fact that it’s finally complete. The fun part begins — getting to play the songs live to new audiences and in different cities each night.”

Thought Beneath Film plays this Saturday July 28 at the Casbah with the Boys, Black Rhino Riot and more. Doors open at 8pm and $10 gets you in.