Toronto indie-punk powerhouse Talk Show Host is back with an incendiary new five-song EP, Not Here To Make Friends.
The trio enlisted an ace team of artists for the release, a follow-up to last year’s critically acclaimed Perfectly Competent. Engineer John Dinsmore (PUP, The Strumbellas) recorded the tracks at Lincoln County Social Club in Toronto, and Olive t’Servrancx-Bierman (Skip the Use’s Matt Bastard) of Electrik Box Studio mixed them in France. Artist Harley Haskett conceived & photographed a cover that ties the record’s themes together.
The result is a powerful EP that blends the borders between punk and indie rock with infectious melodies and buzzsaw guitars. The title track refers to the occasional (mis)adventures that come with navigating Toronto’s music scene, while the satirical I Hate Men (I Hate All Men) skewers male entitlement.
Not Here To Make Friends will be available on CD and on all major streaming platforms on May 19 via Diskrete Music. Talk Show Host will also be playing songs from the EP on May 19 when they open for Direct Hit at the Bovine Sex Club in Toronto. Check out Fireworks below!
We manage to catch up with guitarist Chris as talked about the upcoming EP and more!
How pumped are you for the release of ‘Not Here To Make Friends’
We are super extra pumped! It’s been a whole year since we released the last one, and we like to get new music out as often as possible because we’re still figuring out who we are as a band. Each EP is a little snapshot of our evolution, so we’re excited to see what people think of this latest batch of songs.
Can you tell us anything about the EP?
It’s the EP we spent the longest time planning (about a year) but four out of the five the songs we ended up recording are only a few months old. We actually had the title before we even had the music to go with it. We also knew this one had to top the last one, in both the sound & songwriting, since people seemed to like that one so much. I obsessed over & rewrote the lyrics right up until it came time to yell them into the mic. We recorded it over three days with John Dinsmore, who did the last PUP record, at the Lincoln County Social Club here in Toronto, and it was the single greatest studio experience of my life.
This is your 3rd EP to date, would you say it’s your strongest?
Yes!
What is your favourite song from the release?
For me, it’s “I Hate Men (I Hate All Men).” I wrote most of it in a burst of anger one day after witnessing some awful shit go down on public transit. I didn’t get involved and I hated myself for it, and as I stewed the chorus just popped into my head. That never happens with me; I usually have to tear lyrics out of my skull with a crowbar. When I showed it to the guys I was a little nervous cuz it’s such a Statement Song, but they were into it and they added an awesome bridge breakdown. My girlfriend Madeleine does an awesome guest vocal, and in my humble opinion the bracketed title is HILARIOUS. Also we’ve played it live twice and I haven’t gotten beaten up yet, so that’s another plus.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. If I could get in a room to co-write with Tom Petty & Mike Campbell, I would either 1) hyperventilate & die or 2) absorb a fraction of fraction of their songwriting knowledge and become an instantly better writer. I mean, their greatest hits record is so great that even the extra track they recorded for it became a greatest hit. Backup choice: Laura Jane Grace. I think most lyricists can learn a lot from her about writing with honesty & emotion without sacrificing rhythm & catchiness. I worship at the altar of her words.
What has been your funniest moment while recording the EP?
The last track, “A Nervous Wreck,” was chosen cuz it’s got an ending that we thought we could push off the rails a little bit. Sean, our drummer & backup vocalist extraordinaire, had already layered in some great harmonies and shouts, but he kept saying he wanted to add a “howl.” It wasn’t until we recorded the Howl Take that I realized he meant he was actually going to bay like a wolf. I think I was doubled over in confused/delighted laughter the whole time he did it, but it was clear it was the only way to end our EP. I guarantee it’s the best faux wolf howl on any punk rock record released this year.
What was your first gig that you ever went to ?
The first one I can remember having an effect on me was a performance by the Musical Box, a live tribute to Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. My dad took me when I was probably 13 or 14, and I’ve been obsessed with loud guitars ever since.
What’s the punk rock scene like in Canada?
I can’t speak for the entirety of the national scene since it is quite huge & varied – but here in our little Toronto bubble, it’s thriving. Right now we’ve got bands like PUP and the Dirty Nil bringing a lot of attention to the scene, so in some ways it raises the stakes a little. Everyone’s on notice that the songwriting & live shows have to be that much better because the bar is always being pushed up a little higher. The hard part now is pulling the spotlight back onto the smaller acts. There’s a Toronto band called Pseudo and they put out an excellent album a couple months ago. It’s hard to get noticed among the glut of bands here at home so now they’re in the middle of an epic US tour. Hopefully some of that PUP lustre can shine their way.
Would you ever come to the UK for a tour?
Eventually, yes! We’re actually about 5 days out from leaving on our first big tour with France’s Burst One’s Side, which takes us through Europe from May 22 to June 3rd. We don’t have many contacts in the UK yet but hopefully once the word gets out that’ll change.
