8 QUESTIONS with THE BELLE GAME

I recently stumbled across music by Adam Nanji, Andrea Lo, Alex Andrew, Katrina Jones, Rob Chursinoff of Vancouver, B.C., otherwise known as The Belle Game; I couldn’t stop listening to their 2012 LP Ritual Tradition Habit, and I noticed that they reminded me of another band I used to love (R.I.P. The Royalty.  You are missed).  I decided that I wanted to reach out to these fabulous melody-makers to see what they are up to, and if we can expect new music in the near future:

Eo8:  How would you describe your music to those who haven’t experienced it?

TBG:  We describe our music as dark pop, or sad pop, or just pop-pop.  Sad music you can feel good about.

TBG:  The concept really came from our director, Kheaven Lewandowski.  We had a big conversation regarding the song’s subject matter and what we were trying to convey.  His mind went to this story line and as big fans of Japan and Japanese culture, we were thrilled with the idea.

Eo8:  Speaking of subject matter, the video for “Wait Up For You” features characters in a cult environment; the lyrics for your song “River” broke my heart and I didn’t even realize it while it was happening.  Given that creating art comes from a deeply personal place, how do you find balance between the darkness or heaviness of your art and your everyday lives? 

TBG:  We’re generally pretty happy, grounded people, despite our music or video subject matter! haha I think our music is maybe where we channel all those darker feelings.

Eo8:  You recently played the Osheaga Music Festival in Quebec, do you have a festival story you’d like to share?

TBG:  That festival was definitely one of our favourites.  The best part was the catering, we ate so much!  It’s all done by chef Chuck Hughes so he provides anything you could imagine.  They really take care of the artists there.

 

Eo8:  Is there a new album on the horizon? What can we expect from your new music?

TBG:  Yes! We’re currently in heavy writing mode for our next album. We can’t say too much as it’s still in the embryonic phase, but the songs are feeling a lot less structured, more vibey and unified.  

               

Eo8:  Any plans to come to the States in the near future?

                

TBG:  We hope so! We were touring a bunch there in the last 6 months or so.  We’ll be coming back when we have our new record out.

Eo8:  What’s the best thing about being Canadian?

TBG:  There are a lot of great things — nature, freedom, maple syrup.  But as an artist – it has to be our grant system. Our government is very generous in helping artists pursue their projects.

Eo8:  Is there anything else you want the world to know about The Belle Game?

TBG:  Stay tuned, good stuff is on the way!