The main talking points of the 2015 RBC Bluesfest were the massively popular headliners, including Kanye West, Iggy Azalea, Lynyrd Skynryd, and Deep Purple.
But the festival also has an application process for some of the lesser known local artists, providing them with the opportunity to play a considerably larger stage than they might be used to. This year, the Charlatan interviewed two local punk bands, New Swears and The Yips, both of whom played on the Canadian Stage.
New Swears are an energetic, party-oriented rock band who was interviewed first—not only are the four members of the band, Scru Bar, Beej-Eh, Nick NoFun and Sammy J. Scorpion, hilarious and genuine guys, they also put on a fantastic live show.
The Yips, on the other hand, are a more atmospheric, gothic punk band, consisting of Kerri Carisse, Jon Bennett, Kurt Rafuse, Zach Lebert and Jon Schofield. While their music might be quite a bit darker than New Swears, the band members themselves are just as friendly and down-to-earth.
Both bands spoke very highly of the tight-knit and supportive music scene in Ottawa—both The Yips and New Swears were familiar with one another and, according to bassist Kurt Rafuse of The Yips, “You’ll have guys from Toronto in really successful bands and they’ll talk with envy about how tight-knit and vibrant and great the shows are here,” while both bands made reference to their jobs outside of their passion for music.
When asked how they felt about performing at Bluesfest, Sammy J. Scorpion of New Swears said it felt good that they “get a couple of nights off in the middle of the week.”
Much of the local music scene in Ottawa is based on a large, encouraging community who is more focused on playing and recording music recreationally as opposed to committing to their music full-time. At the same time, both bands spoke with passion about their love for the city of Ottawa, with most of them having been born and raised within the Ottawa borders.
There’s a lot of love to be found within Ottawa—you just need to know where to look. The Yips and New Swears are both outstanding, talented groups, but beneath their music they’re also all great people and ambassadors for an outstanding city.
