Invasives – The Canadian Invasion (2007)

RockLine: Greetings from outside the hall of the gig of the month, in front of Ljubljana’s Cvetličarna, where you’ve just survived your baptism by fire in front of a Slovenian crowd. First off, I’d like to congratulate you on a set that was way more than just decent.

Byron Slacks: Thanks!

RockLine: It’s quite the surprise, and a really pleasant one, that NoMeansNo lured another Canadian band onto the stage this time, one that’s still almost totally unknown here.

Byron: I’ve wanted to thank them for this for quite a while now. We toured Canada with them, and we also shook up the home scene touring with the Hanson Brothers. We’ve probably played way more shows with the latter than with NoMeansNo. The NoMeansNo shows in Canada were really huge and we were blown away by what we experienced there. The last two years have been a positive motivation for us too, since they promised that if we managed to get our shit together, then you guys could go on a European tour with us. We met NoMeansNo through mutual friends we’d played with around Canada – the band Removal. We played with Removal first, NMN heard us, and one thing led to another. But since we already knew who NoMeansNo were, we were really stoked. That was the first moment in my career up to then that I was on the verge of a stroke, a “starstroke” so far. (laughs) Let’s Rock!

RockLine: I hope the stars stay on your side from here on out. Today you gave our crowd a show soaked in energy, with nothing held back. What would you point to as direct influences on Invasives?

Byron: The freshest ones are actually the bands we’ve played with. NoMeansNo, Removal, Circle The WagonS, a band from Nelson, B.C. (you can read more about them, now defunct, HERE), and before that a bunch of classic influences like Jezus Lizzard, who’ve always been important to our development, Refused, Helmet…

RockLine: From what I heard, and maybe I’m wrong, we could add Queens Of The Stone Age to the important factors in your sound.

Byron: Our drummer, Hans Anus, is a huge QOTSA fan. We even got to catch their show at Richard’s in Vancouver, a club much smaller than Cvetličarna, when they played with Dave Grohl behind the kit, and seeing legends right there in front of us was a truly incredible experience for all of us.

RockLine: Is what you played today material from your debut?

Byron: The album that’s coming out is actually our third. We recently changed our name, so yes, it’s the first album under the name Invasives. Before that we were Married To Music, and a bit before that Sevenage, but both names were pretty tricky to export outside Canada. Married To Music is a dreadful name, I admit, and the band didn’t exactly outshine the name, and we started this project, Invasives, purely for fun at first, but the fun blew past all expectations and all our earlier successes. We shook off the old name like a crutch that was only holding us back and, given our meager successes, didn’t really mean anything to us. For the invasion of Europe we wanted a strong, fitting name, so we rechristened the band Invasives. My brother Adam (bass) found the courage and started singing, and the Ljubljana gig is only his fourth vocal performance ever. We’ve done about 280 shows in Canada so far and this is his fourth time singing, so he deserves a round of applause. (laughs) We wanted him to step out of the shadows and we wanted everyone to know we’re actually good and we try really hard … (laughs)

RockLine: That variety of vocals is exactly what grabs way more attention than if you only had one mic manned. So what’s the tally of shows been so far under NoMeansNo’s wing?

Byron: First we played Nuremberg, followed by a visit to Switzerland and a raid on Zurich and Bern, and this one is the fourth, with about 20 more shows ahead of us, and that’s about it.

RockLine: What about short-term and long-term plans? You’re on tour now. What’s the plan for after you get back home?

Byron: The CD that’s on sale here hasn’t actually come out yet, since it’s dated for release in 2008.

The conversation is interrupted by a rather wrecked concertgoer, whom I’ll just baptize Rastafa Allknows …)

Rastafa Allknows: You’re the singer from that band we saw earlier ….

Byron: That’s right.

Rastafa: Do you like Barby Girls?

Byron: (Byron starts singing ‘I’m A Barbie Girl’) Want me to sing it all the way through? (laughs)

Rastafa: You gotta drop your pitch a bit, but the playing is on point, man …

Byron: Don’t worry! My balls dropped for good a long time ago (laughs) Let me get back to your question. After we get back we’re heading out on a Canadian tour once the CD is out, kicking off in Vancouver, and in the summer we’d like to come back to Europe and conquer all the spots we’re playing on this tour all over again. Once again, thanks to our Canadian patrons NoMeansNo, who took us on tour even though it costs them quite a bit, since wherever we go, people are only just getting to know us and not many have a clue who or what we even are … They do it because they actually believe in what we do, and we’re really, truly grateful for that, and there honestly aren’t many bands who’d dare to set out on this long Odyssey, or whose company and support we could wish for more. Europe is the most important place under the sun, since bands are really well received here. It’s also pretty unimaginable to us that there are landmarks and places here that are hundreds of years old. It’s a completely different world, quite unlike Canadian reality. When you make it somewhere else, you actually get a warm embrace and welcome from your fellow Canadians …

RockLine: You could say something similar about our bands here, who fight for recognition in Slovenia on stages abroad … One last message to our readers and then let’s head into the warm shelter of the hall.

Byron: The show has already started and I’d like to see my favorite band in the world too! Invasives will be back in your parts and I think you’ll like us. Get ready! And a big thanks for your hospitality and big greetings to all you RockLine readers. Rock On!!!