For those who aren't familiar, how would you describe your music?
Well our last album "We Rise and Dance We Sleep and Dream" which recently got picked up by All We've Got Records described it as "TWIN play a hypnotic and warmly crafted blend of alternative indie folk punk" At our best however is live and live we are intense, truthful to ourselves, embodying our travels and interconnections to our experiences.
Who or what are some of your biggest influences?
Well if I'm speaking for Brooklyn I would have to say probably her late violin teacher that has obviously inspired a boundary breaking impassioned approach to her craft, art and life surrounding it. For myself it would have to be a myriad of people who were around me in a relatively remote northern setting growing intermingled with what the television and computers exported to us. I seem to be drawn to art/music of a rebellious or revolutionary type foundation but really I like so much music it depends on what part of the day you ask!
You had mentioned to me that Twin does canoe tours. What's that like?
Yeah we've been doing that for about 10 years. Well it's amazing indeed but it's very hard on many different levels. It mixes the hardships that come with a journey like a canoe trip along with the hardships of a traditional road type tour. It can be very dangerous pending on where you are and that danger can come from nature, humans and Industry. Industry does not move over for you or even slow down a little bit i.e ships, barges etc.... so you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. With humans you can find your self in vulnerable positions in remote areas and nature well nature is always the beautiful wildcard to say the least. We have been in a few tornado situations, torrential downpours, ripping down through the Shasta/Lassen mountain valley on the Sacramento River just trying to point and shoot our way through the rocks and wind on open water yeah!!! Oh and getting caught in a flood on the North Saskatchewan river and having to share a small island with a wolverine for the night, we worked it out and kept to our own side of the sand barge and left a gift for it when we left! So on that note the communication you can get going with nature is unprecedented and I like to think we bring that wildness with us when we land on shore for our performances. So what's it like you ask, it's being reminded once again what it is to be alive.
What do you need to prepare for that?
Timing is probably the hardest part as on a canoe trip without show parameters you can stop more frequently. We've learned to break up the distances more than we used to as the early trips were almost militaristic in there approach. So we've learned to give our selves a bit more time to enjoy simple things like swimming and cooking on a campfire the early trips were go go go up at 4am play till 1am crazy shit really. We still have some of that but mixed in with the let's chill with some smoke and drinks after the show by the river kind of thing! Weight and food management is important and the other tough part of touring with the canoe is keeping the instruments dry and safe as well as carrying merch!!
Do you have a favorite river you've done a tour on?
They're all so amazing of course but I think I am very spiritually connected to the Mississippi as I was born along it and it's the first trip Brook ever did with Twin where she got thrown right in the fire for a crazy 40 day tour on the Mississippi and not only did we agree we should keep working on the music/canoe project but we became life partners as well!!
Are you eyeing any rivers for future tours?
Yes indeed which one will be next I don't know. Weather patterns are changing so that's something we need to account for. The Assiniboine River in Canada (one twin has done for the past 10 years) was impassable in some parts this past summer as it was so dry and low. But always want to get back to the Mississippi, the Hudson, Rio Grande, Thames, are some big name rivers we have on our list this summer however I hope to get back to the Muskoka River and possibly do the Don River in Toronto.
What about your radio show, Duel Citizen? Can you tell us more about that?
Yeah, we lived out in St. John's Nlfd 2 years ago and it started as simply doing a show at the MUN university CHMR 93.5fm and upon leaving they said I could keep recording the show from the road and wherever I end up. So a music on unique music of course often with a revolutionary bent and doing my best to keep up with resistance movements particularly those led by Indigenous people.
What are some of your hobbies outside of music?
Cooking for sure, canoeing although that is more less integrated into music for me now. When were not touring both Brook and I usually work and I like to keep involved with outdoor education and Brook is a screen printing artist as well.
What's planned for Twin in the immediate future?
Right now were staying put in Southern Manitoba working our jobs, getting as many shows in the immediate area starting to contemplate a new album (tonnes of material just a matter of what to focus on and get it right). The last album is great but we recorded it mostly on our own so had little time to put into promotion of both it and our summer tour. So we either want to fully commit to tour planning or recording but not both at the same time because at a certain point your just on a computer all the time and your music starts to suffer not to mention yourself! translation ---MORE LIVE SHOWS that is where Twin lives and breathes!!
Don't forget to check out Twin's music!
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