Exclusive Interview with WAVE AND WIRE

Wave and Wire is reintroducing ’90s and ’00s rock influences to the Canadian music scene with a captivating blend of strong alt rock and sweet indie tunes. Wave and Wire is lauded for “bending the boundaries and stretching the limits of current rock” (Sinusoidal Music) and putting their audience “on a roller coaster journey, with groovy pop-rock beats on one song and heartbreaking lyrics on another” (Elnews). Each song Wave and Wire releases offers a fresh viewpoint and vision of the band’s potential. Each song is propelled by politically charged lyrics and rich instrumental layers, ranging from ferociously intense rock anthems to melodic landscapes. Wave and Wire was founded in 2017 in Montreal, Canada, when Hawaiian-born composer Lieshbet began collaborating with a group of local musicians (Bruno Brechet and Samuel Paquette Daviau are still founding members) and writing unique songs together. Wave & Wire has produced two EPs with producer Matt Grou: “If You Knew Me” and “All These Empty Nations”. Wave and Wire has had a solid start to 2023 with the release of “Colorless,” and they intend to continue pushing forward and gaining new fans in Canada and beyond. Lieshbet (vocals/guitar), Bruno Brechet (drums), Samuel Paquette Daviau (bass), Kris Edvi (guitar), and Francis Boucher make up Wave and Wire (Synth). Check out their 2022 EP All These Empty Nations and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

WAVE AND WIRE: Our band is from Montreal, Canada. Bruno (drummer), originally from France, started playing drums in his basement 7 years ago. He and a friend quickly decided to start a band but weren’t quite sure how… so Bruno posted on Kijiji, where he found Sam (Bass) and eventually a Hawaiian-born singer/songwriter named Lieshbet (vocals/guitar) who was seeking to do more than just solo acoustic music. Together, the band started writing, recording and performing shows in Montreal.

Like in any relationship, things change and we’ve had a few members come and go on good terms. Most recently, after the release of our EP “All These Empty Nations”, we wanted to expand our sound, and invited our friends Krisz (guitar) and Francis (keyboard) to join us, leading to our current 5-person lineup.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

WAVE AND WIRE: Various members of the band have done lessons here or there, but most of the members are self-taught. Lieshbet wrote his first song when he was 13, and never stopped, and the experimental, always-learning environment of the band has influenced each of us to grow and get better together.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘WAVE AND WIRE’?

WAVE AND WIRE: The band’s primary influences definitely include music from the 90s-2000s, bands like Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age but a wide range of artists and genres from Beatles to Bob Marley to Dave Matthews, all the way to Metallica. Each member of the band has a varied and eclectic genre-spanning musical taste, so our influences are really all across the board 😊

The name Wave and Wire came into being after a long discussion; we found our musical style to be a blend of energetic rock music and smooth, melodic songwriting. So the Wave represents the smooth side and going with the flow, and the Wire represents the heavier, crazier side!

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

WAVE AND WIRE: While each song can be vastly different, overall we seek to create music that listeners can both sing and dance along to, as well connect to the ideas in the lyrics. Our sound is a happy medium of energetic and melodic soundscapes, with intense buildups and subtle moments.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?

WAVE AND WIRE:

Everyone in the band had a different path; for example, Lieshbet, the vocalist/songwriter started as an acoustic folk rock singer, writing harmony-led melodic music in a family band, before evolving to the more alternative rock side of things. The drummer started 10 years ago, originally just on RockBand before moving on to the real thing, and our synth player used to only be a bassist before expanding his horizons.
In the beginning, the band definitely had more of a pure rock feel, as heard in the eponymous EP, but in the last few years, Wave and Wire has been leaning more into indie/alt-rock, blending the energy of the original sound with the melodic styles of Lieshbet’s songwriting and influences from new members. We like to keep things fresh and make sure that every song has its own sound, walking the line of the alternative and indie genres. We try to make each song the best it can be, without forcing ourselves to stay in a genre.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

WAVE AND WIRE:

Music can serve as a vessel for our thoughts and emotions in all of these subjects. In Wave and Wire’s case, lyrically, many of our songs share an undertone of anger towards how the world has ended up, while still presenting optimism and hope. Songs like “Sad Day”, “Hatchet” and “Way Too Far” all share a theme of melancholy towards societal issues, while maintaining an upbeat atmosphere, while others tell a more straightforward story without delving too deep into themes.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

WAVE AND WIRE:

The most fulfilling part of our music is being able to share it with the world, both through well-produced recordings as well as engaging live performances. We are enjoying the level we’re currently at, but we definitely strive to share that music with as many people as possible, with the end goal of leaving a musical legacy and influencing others.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

WAVE AND WIRE:

As a band, we basically have two very different approaches to how we work on material. There are songs that Lieshbet had written and performed as a solo artist, like “Field of Mines”, “Sad Day” and “Way Too Far” that he brings to the table and then the rest of the band adds instrumentation and we work together on altering it to fit the band as needed. Then there are other songs like “Medusa” and “Keepsakes” that are more naturally written by the band as a whole, that will start with a riff, a bassline, or a drumbeat. In both cases, usually the melodies and song structures are written first, and then write the lyrics afterwards based on the vibe of the song and input from each member of the band.

9.With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

WAVE AND WIRE:

Social media can definitely be both a blessing and a curse, but it is a reality of the social landscape and something that we seek to improve our presence in. Social media can sometimes feel like a numbers game, but we definitely are trying to use it to build a community for our fans and engage with them. In terms of criticism, we tend to keep an open mind. We surround ourselves with people who are able to give us constructive feedback, and work to improve ourselves while staying true to what we want to achieve. We haven’t truly gained any haters so far, but everyone has the right to their own opinions, and we’ll keep on making music that we and our fans love, even if some don’t have the same musical taste.

10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

WAVE AND WIRE: Our music is both a form of self-expression as well as a means of entertainment. At the end of the day, whether we want them to or not, everyone will have their own perspective and interpretation of what a song means, and each song means something different to each individual. The most important thing is that music impacts people’s lives, and if one of our songs can make a difference in someone’s life, whether they connect with the lyrics, find comfort in a melody, or want to dance along to an engaging rhythm, then that’s a success. When we write a song, we’re not trying to force our ideas on anyone else, we just want to find a means of connection through music.