Unlike the majority of local indie bands, the origin of The Balconies didn’t happen in a basement, a rock concert or a garage. Instead, they met at university.
Formed at the University of Ottawa, the band consists of drummer Liam Jaeger, guitarist Jacquie Neville and her brother and bassist Stephen Neville, with all three contributing to vocals. The Balconies played Sept. 6 for the U of O frosh concert.
“It is exciting. We did our only Ottawa U show last January on our way out east and it was supposed to be an outdoor show, and we got moved into the Café Nostalgica since it was too cold to play outside,” Jaeger said.
“It’s pretty cool every year having a gigantic frosh concert and I thought it is really exciting to be playing at this concert,” he said.
What makes The Balconies more than a run-of-the-mill rock band is its members’ multi-instrumentalist skills. They can switch instruments on command and this helps keep the energy of their music high, which Jaeger said is their main goal.
“All of us play a few different instruments, like Jacquie Neville plays viola, Stephen Neville is a double bass player, and I play the classical guitar,” Jaeger said.
“We all met at the University of Ottawa music program and we decided that it would be fun to make a band and get out our energy in that way.”
Jaeger said they are all high-energy people and love getting up on stage, and are not afraid to get a little energetic or sweaty.
“With our band we can jump around on different instruments and sometimes we will just switch up and jam in different formations, just to get fresh ideas that way,” Jaeger said.
This past summer, The Balconies rearranged some of their songs for acoustic performances, playing the classical instruments they were studying in school, Jaeger said.
“We have arranged a handful of our songs to fit that chamber music arrangement,” he said. “We have done this at a smaller, more intimate café gigs and park shows.”
“Having the flexibility to rearrange our songs in different ways puts a new spin on things,” Jaeger said.
Reception has been positive, Jaeger said.
“People really dig it because it is not every day you get to see a double bass, with it being such a huge instrument,” he said.
“It is impressive to see that thing on stage, and with the sound it is really fun to play on strings and it is cool for us to continue our school instruments.”
Since releasing their self-titled debut album in September 2009, The Balconies have toured the entire nation with few breaks.
This makes it difficult for them to afford a tour bus, Jaeger said, since their album is entirely funded by themselves with no backing label.
They tour around Canada in an old van, which occasionally breaks down — the most hectic scenario while touring, Jaeger said.
The best part about The Balconies, Jaeger said, is “playing at the large shows in the places where the audience is really responsive.”
“Everyone is sweating and dancing and the music was so loud and we have such a good time. The shows like that we just live for,” Jaeger said.
“We love playing in party atmospheres, we like it where all the energy is really contained,” Jaeger continued.
“There is something special about playing in a small room where it is dark, small and loud with a whole bunch of people and making everyone feel really good.”