"Getting burned with Cancer Bats"

Cancer Bats

On April 22nd 2008 I made my way to the MOD Club in Toronto for Cancer Bats’ CD release party. Cancer Bats’ new album “Hail Destroyer” was finally available to the tons of kids who were lined up outside the venue. It was absolutely gorgeous outside so myself and Liam Cormier of Cancer Bats sat on a bench outside the venue to discuss the new album, touring, leaks and bitches.

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Liam Cormier - Vocals
Scott Middleton - Guitar
Jaye Schwarzer - Bass
Mike Peters - Drums

WGTS: You guys did this record in two months?

Liam Cormier: Yeah, it kind of spread out between July and then recording in December. So from writing our very first song, our very first note to the day we started recording December 5th but we toured extensively in between that. So we would write here in Toronto the first two weeks of July, then we went on tour with Alexisonfire on the East Coast, came back home from that – wrote a shit ton more - did another tour, did Canada, went to England came back and went to the States, by that point we’re into September, and then we took off the rest of September and October to record and then we went to Europe and England again with Comeback Kid, Parkway Drive…

WGTS: …you guys don’t get any time off?!

Liam: We never have time off! We went to Australia as well and the day we came back from Australia we had one day off and the next day we were in the studio.

WGTS: So while this is all happening are you guys testing these songs out on the road while you’re in the process of writing them?

Liam: We were doing a ton of that, we also demoed a bunch of them before we went on that November tour so it was cool actually doing demos, working on vocals, working on parts on our own while we’re on tour, which is cool because it gave us a little bit of breathing room because we were away from the practice space and away from each other. The songs were essentially finished at that point so I could knuckle down on my lyrics on my own.

WGTS: Do you find that process of writing and demoing while you’re on tour easier or better than locking yourselves up for a few months to sit down, write and record in one shot?

Liam: I don’t know, we’ve never done it any other way. You’ve got to take of a certain amount of time but it’s nice because we’d write for 7 days a week, 8 and 10 hour days, and then go on tour, relax a bit and be able to reflect on what we’ve done.

WGTS: So I assume there’s a lot of going back to songs, scratching that, and changing?

Liam: Oh like 100% it happens with every song! We’ll play a certain song a certain way and say “You know what? We don’t need all these parts” and I think that’s the biggest thing we learned from the last record to this one. We’re confident enough to cut out a bunch of shit, and I think if we re-wrote “Birthing The Giant” all the songs would probably be a minute.

WGTS: You guys should totally do that.

Liam: Yeah! We’ll re-edit “Birthing The Giant”. It would be just cutting out bullshit, why did we repeat this part three times? Fuck it man, two minute songs let’s do it. I think the next record after this will be shorter songs, more songs. The longest song on this record is 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

WGTS: I know a ton of writers hate giving up the meanings to their songs but I have to ask you to explain the track “Sorceress”.

Liam: Umm Sorceress is all about the idea about being burned by somebody. Everybody has that person who’s talked a ton of shit and spread a bunch of lies. I wrote that very specifically about someone who fucked with me and fucked with a bunch of my friends but now that songs out there I find there’s a ton of people who’ve been in that exact situation.

WGTS: Do you think that person hears this song and knows right away it’s about them? Or are there a bunch of people coming up to you and saying they think it’s about them because it might apply to so many people?

Liam: I really hope that person knows it’s about them and I think about it in my mind that if they came up to me and asked me if it was about them I’d just be like you’re so shallow, why? Are you guilty of being a total bitch?

*laughs*

WGTS: So the album is finally out today! How do you feel?

Liam: I’m feeling good! A bit scared, especially in Toronto, Toronto’s a very scary place to play. In my mind I’m saying “Nobodies going to come to the show, this is going to suck”.

WGTS: You guys will do fine in Toronto.

Liam: Now that we’re hanging out and there’s a ton of people on the street I’m beginning to get over that.

WGTS: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a line up this big at a Cancer Bat’s show before, especially this early.

Liam: I think tonight will go well.

WGTS: Do you think a lot of these kids will know the lyrics to the new songs?

Liam: I don’t know, but you will!

WGTS: I won’t!

Liam: You don’t know the lyrics to the new songs? Fuck off!?

WGTS: I don’t have the album yet!

Liam: You better buy one dude! Take the booklet to the back and learn the songs while the other bands play. It’s cool though because a lot of kids come out and know the lyrics to “Hail Destroyer” because of the video that’s out. And it’s just wicked that they take the time to figure out the lyrics from just that.

WGTS: How do you feel about the album being downloaded before the release date? That could also explain why so many kids already know the lyrics.

Liam: Yeah, that’s the thing it’s a bum out in one sense but the other idea is like I got the new Polar Bear Club a month before it came out and the only reason I even heard about this band is because a friend had played it for me, and now I’m a huge Polar Bear Club fan.

WGTS: That’s a pretty sweet album, you’re really into it?

Liam: Oh I love that new record; it’s like one of my favourite albums. I was trying to buy it in stores and it wasn’t even out so I felt like a chump like “Oh I downloaded this”. Same with the new Blast and Ashes, we had that record like way before because it got leaked so at the same time maybe there’s new people out there getting stoked on the new Cancer Bats because it got leaked.

WGTS: Do you ever listen to an album and it kind of draws you to another band? Not necessarily to the band you’re listening to? Because I hear a lot of people are being drawn to Gallows from listening to “Hail Destroyer”.

Liam: A lot of people have been saying that which is really flattering because those guys are our boys and I love their band, I don’t hear it as much but if people feel that maybe it’s in the same raw energy and passion that’s coming through then that’s cool, but I think we’re way heavier than the Gallows are.

WGTS: It could be just because of the aggression sound that comes off?

Liam: Yeah Frank is a pretty pissed off guy.

WGTS: Well thanks for doing this dude.

Liam: Anytime man.