Ben Scriver (left) got his start performing at open mic nights with his band Killing for Friday, seen above ( Photo Provided )

When Ansh Sanyal flew from India to Canada for his first year at Carleton in 2007, he was leaving behind two of the most significant elements in life, namely his drum kit and Null Friction, his progressive punk band.

Unlike cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Ottawa’s music scene tends not to captivate the imaginations of Canadian musicians looking for a place to be groomed and discovered.

Although Ottawa seems more conducive to pinstripe-wearing politicos than those in well-worn band T-shirts, Sanyal was determined to continue playing music.

Upon his arrival at Carleton, Sanyal discovered that his suitemates were both guitar players.

“They started jamming it up together and wanted me to join in,” said Sanyal. “I just had my pair of sticks, so Ben pulled out this ravioli can and a box of cereal and asked me to groove it up on them. I obliged and soon enough we had quite an audience going.”

Fast-forward two years and both Sanyal and his residence suitemate, Ben Scriver, are playing shows in Ottawa.

Sanyal is now the drummer for Analogy, a rock band he formed with a group of musicians he connected with on Facebook.

At the end of his second year at Carleton, Sanyal stands outside Ottawa’s LiVE Lounge with David Pratt, Colin Viegas and Trison Boyes, waiting to perform a set at the Electric Frying Pan open mic night.

The small club fills up with their friends and curious music fans. It’s their first public performance and a rousing success, by all accounts.

Scriver is in another band, which has begun touring around Ontario. Killing for Friday, an “indie alternative progressive punk band,” as he laughingly describes it, was formed in October of last year.

Despite encountering some initial difficulty finding trustworthy promoters, Scriver said he’s played some amazing shows. His favourite was at Mavericks when his band opened for Lifestory Monologue of Guelph, Ont. and Cain and Abel of Acton, Ont.

Both Scriver and Sanyal maintain that despite the perception that Ottawa isn’t the liveliest place for musicians to hone their craft, there’s a lot of great music being played.

Jon Bartlett, founder of one of Ottawa’s best-known indie labels, Kelp Records, noted artists like Kathleen Edwards, The White Wires and The Acorn prove Ottawa’s music scene has talent, but the scene also has a significant weakness.

Unlike cities such as Toronto, with its Queen West music hub, Bartlett said Ottawa music enthusiasts have no central venue to congregate.

He said he’s frustrated that those producing “higher art” are so often given fiscal priority over local musicians for whom selling out Scotiabank Place is impossible. Bartlett said that the key to surviving as a musician in Ottawa is to have a  
do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, as bands like The Acorn have exemplified.

“They’ve done their shitty tours, made no money,” but managed to fill a room with 500 people in London, England, he said.

Bartlett attributes The Acorn’s success to relentless touring and the individual marketing talents of its members, including Howie Tsui, a visual artist and the band’s guitarist. He said musicians need to take marketing seriously, whether it be through Twitter or music blogs.

“Look like what you sound like,” he said. “Keep it clean.”

Ottawa rapper Greg Amponsah, a.k.a G-Freshh, knows a lot about self-promotion and a DIY approach to music. The 24-year-old has been dropping his own albums almost every year since he was 14.

“Ottawa is a government city, meaning most A&Rs [artists and repertoire] won’t come down here looking for talent,” he said. “The [musicians] that are heard are the ones who think of new ways to get their material to the public.”

One way, he argues, is supporting fellow local musicians.

“With most Ottawa hip hop artists, they’re afraid to say their competition has got game,” he said.

Amponsah said he felt one of his favourite Ottawa rappers, Wrex, was ignored by the community because they were intimidated by his potential. That’s why “he’s one of my favourite rappers in Ottawa, but you’ve probably never heard of him,” he said.

Despite the challenges facing Ottawa’s music community, it’s clear the DIY approach has given it a distinct identity.

Vinyl Tap is an independent collective of musicians and visual artists founded in 2003 by Ottawa-raised hip hopper, Devin Atherton, to help newcomers get their break.

“The coolest thing about Ottawa is that it’s not trying to be anything else. . . . It’s really making its own sound,” said Atherton.