Canadian rockers Huron Lines really caught my attention recently with their amazing new tune, Blacklight. I love finding new music, particularly music within the rock genre, so I wanted to find out a little more about them, hence this interview with Dave Mueller from the band.
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a track titled Blacklight, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the song?
I would say that this song is built around a feeling of helplessness that can come over you when your mind goes to a dark place. I read an article about a study on suicide in the United States that said the concept of ‘death by despair’ was first introduced to explain the growing rate of suicide, particularly in males, and how it was connected to a lot of different societal expectations and lack of support structures in place to help. I don’t think I set out to write anything about it, but it somehow happened organically.
Songs and lyrics are kind of an alchemy unto themselves in that sense. When I think about this song, or when we play it, I’m thinking about all the people we have known who got lost in that dark place and never came out of it. For me, it’s a song about hope and community and reaching out to anyone who needs to hear that things will be alright if they can just fight through to the light.
We recorded this one with engineer/producer Joshua Kaiser (Psychic Void, Flower Face) in our home studio and probably spent more time on the vocal recording than any other song thus far. Justyn (bass player and backup vocals) and Joshua really pushed me, and Justyn brought it with some amazing backup vocals.
How has the reception been so far, and where can Blacklight be purchased?
We are very excited that this song is connecting with people all over the world. It’s an exciting time for our band, as this is the first single off our new album and we have lots more to share.
It is available everywhere you stream music. The single can be purchased via our Bandcamp page via digital download – https://hu…blacklight.
It will also be on our forthcoming LP – Found in Floods.
Do you have any more singles planned for release soon?
Yes. We released our debut album last year (Lost At The Border) and dropped 7 singles and 7 videos for it. We have a new album called Found In Floods coming out in early 2023 and Blacklight is the first single from that release. We expect to drop 4-5 more singles before the album drops.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album or EP anytime soon?
For sure. Our second full-length Found In Floods is coming out in early 2023. For any of your readers who are just discovering us, we dropped our debut album last year (2021) and it is available everywhere.
What is the writing and recording process like for you?
We have made two albums so far – both during the pandemic. Most of these songs started off on my acoustic guitar as ideas and then I brought those to our drummer Nick, who helps kind of sketch out a structure with me. We then took that to Grainger and Justyn and worked through more tweaks until we all started to feel like it was a ‘song’, and worth keeping on the whiteboard of ideas. This was the pandemic process as there were periods of time when we couldn’t be in the same room, or we could only be together one-on-one. So, we had to adapt our process.
Although probably not how we would have done it if not for the pandemic, we have been lucky enough to be able to make these albums primarily in our home studio space here in Lakeshore, ON (outside of Windsor). We worked with our friend and talented recording engineer/producer Joshua Kaiser (who also plays in Psychic Void, Tea Leaves and with Paul Jacobs). Josh is a huge part of how these records came together and he was with us every step of the way in creating the sonic landscape that fit the songs. The new record was mixed by Jacob Rye from across the river in Adrian, Michigan. He brought some polished grit to the table that helped to push these new songs (and the new record) to a new territory. Bill Skibbe mastered it at Third Man in Detroit – he also did the first one and we are honoured to be able to work with him.
Has the pandemic hindered your work much?
It changed our focus and flipped our priorities around from a band perspective. Pre-pandemic we would have been releasing less music and playing more shows. We flipped the script this time around as this project started only a few months before the pandemic first hit us in Canada. So, we focused on writing/recording and then doing various things online to get the word out about the music that we probably would not have done otherwise. For example, in 2021 we ended up doing seven official videos with our friend and film director Garth Jackson. Check them out on our YouTube page. There is no way that would have happened if not for the pandemic and the fact that people had more time on their hands to brainstorm and work on creative projects while they were stuck at home. The reaction has been pretty exciting for us as far as getting the word out.
Your music has a grungy rock sound. What/who influences you most as artists? What have you been listening to recently?
As far as my musical upbringing, we grew up across the river from Detroit, Michigan in Windsor, ON, Canada. So we lived along the border between Canada and USA and in a way a lot of our sound is directly connected to this place and that mix of influences from both sides of the border. It’s a great place to grow up (in my opinion) and also provides one with the opportunity to be immersed in the Detroit music scene while staying connected to everything happening in Canada. Coming of age in the late 90s/2000s around that time, Detroit was a place where live music flowed everywhere, and you could take in shows of all genres by world-class local and international talent across genres. Personally, I was probably most drawn into that post-hardcore Touch & Go/Quarterstick /Dischord Records American scene (like Mule, Shellac, Jawbox, Girls Against Boys, Cop Shoot Cop and Fugazi), but I was also heavily influenced by Canadian bands active in that time period like Eric’s Trip, Mystery Machine, The Hip and the whole East Coast/Halifax scene. I also have a lot of love for British bands from that time period as well – in particular, Swervedriver. They are one of my favourite bands – their album Mezcal Head is a desert island pick for me for sure.
As far as what is influencing me today, I would say artists across genres who continue to fight through the noise, remain creative and put new work out there in today’s world. Musicians face a lot of obstacles and road signs telling them to stop trying or stop doing it altogether. Sure, it’s easier in general to put music out into the world via technology – but in a way that makes it more difficult to fight through the noise.
There are so many amazing female artists right now who power through and break down barriers. I think seeing creativity pushed to the limit across different media forms is really exciting and the females right now are leading the way in that regard.
I also love artists who are clearly committed to their craft and kind of live with that intention day in and day out. Royce Da 5’9 is my favourite MC and he inspires me to fight through the negativity and stay committed to the craft. He gets better every time he drops something and it’s just awesome to see him continue to push to new heights. He’s an inspiration for sure.
I am also inspired by the electronic music scene here in my hometown and across the river. They are really committed to their community and support each other, which I think is kind of inspiring to see. Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman) is from here and he inspired a whole generation of local artists in that genre, but in doing so, and through his values and approach, he also built an amazing community-first mindset. I think a lot of other artists or genres could learn a lot from them as far as how to work together and collaborate in a way that’s good for everyone. I believe that artists need a community to thrive and feel comfortable. So, anyone out there building a community that is inclusive and welcoming but also trying to push things to new heights is influencing and inspiring me for sure.
As far as what I am listening to in the rock genre – we actually have a Spotify Playlist people can check out here: https://op…24e8304d26
It’s named after one of our songs – Rock N Roll Will Save Your Life – and is just a place I’ll send mostly new(ish) tunes mostly of the rock variety I check out and dig. Currently, I noticed that without really planning it, it actually has a bunch of new music from other bands from here in Ontario. Bands like The Fledge, Ancient Teeth, Chore, Weird Nightmare, Don Vail… they’re definitely all worth checking out. I think I have some British bands on there too… Tigercub, Shame – I’m probably missing someone else. Be sure to message us with any recommendations!
You’re based in Ontario. What is the music scene like in your part of the world?
Ontario can hold its own anywhere in the world as far as producing truly exceptional global talent. It’s pretty amazing. Our hometown of Windsor is really bringing it right now – we have some awesome bands and artists. There are far too many to list and I’m afraid I’m going to forget someone but for York Calling readers – I would say check out Psychic Void, Cellos, Roye Trout, Butchers, Tea Leaves, Talking Violet and Mellowdraw – all bringing it with the loud guitars and rock-solid vibes for sure. Hometown legends Fiftywatthead are another band everyone should know about as well, and I highly recommend your readers look them up.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
We are actually in the process of exploring a trip over there in the spring of 2023. There’s a festival in Brighton we are hoping to play as part of a Canadian contingent of bands/artists. If that happens, then we will for sure try and book some additional dates. If you’re reading this and want to help out, hit us up!
Any last words for the fans?
Thanks for taking the time to read about our band and learn about us. We have a ton of new music about to come out and some exciting plans in the works for 2023 and beyond. New videos, live in-studio performances, touring, etc. Check out our socials @huronlines and be sure to say hi! We love to meet music fans from all over the world. Thanks for your time!