To fete the release of their self-titled EP, local band The Yips performed alongside bands Average Times and TEENANGER to an eager crowd at Mugshots on March 22.
The band recorded their EP over a weekend in early November at Yogi’s Meatlocker Studios, and have been working with Ottawa label Bruised Tongue to release the EP.
“It took a little bit of time, but it was actually a pretty quick process overall,” guitarist Jon Schofield said.
The alternative rock band had difficulty classifying their genre of music until recently stumbling upon the term “Ouija-rock,” which complements the darker musical undertones found on their EP. For frontwoman Kerri Carisse, their musical influence comes from a mixture of genres.
“I think we all have really different favourite bands, there’s definitely not a direct band that we want to sound like or anything. We’re just a blend of different things.”
After months of tweaking and mastering, the band was finally set to release their music — in cassette form.
“Everybody just wants digital music now. If you’re a collector, there’s a novelty to having something in your hand,” bassist Kurt Rafuse said.
“There’s just something cooler about it. It’s tactile and you get to flip it every time, it hisses and crackles and pops the way a CD doesn’t.”
The five bandmates met in what they describe as an unconventional manner, responding to Kijiji ads online looking for musicians.
“There were definitely growing pains in figuring out how to work together,” Carisse said.
Although the band’s name can be easily mistaken for the sports term, the yips, which refers to a fumble or fleeting loss of motor skills, Schofield said the name can be attributed to a combination of things.
“It’s a rowdy thing. I don’t want to have the yips, I just want to yip,” Schofield joked. “It’s also the southern yip from the Civil War, whenever the Southerners were attacking they would yip and it would scare the union.”
Whatever the meaning behind it, fans did the band name justice, yipping outrageously between sets and songs. Audience members were packed together like sardines in the hostel bar, and resorted to standing on benches that lined the walls to make room for others. The overall turnout was overwhelming and the energy was undoubtedly electric.
For Average Times drummer, Steph Herman, the audience complemented the venue’s intimacy nicely.
“I really liked that there no actual stage. It was really chill that we were just level to the crowd,” Herman said.
Rafuse said that in a small city like Ottawa, the underground music scene thrives as local musicians get noticed.
“It’s possible, because you’re swimming in a small pond, to be noticed, but at the same time, Ottawa is way bigger even for people who are involved in the music scene give it credit for,” Rafuse said.
Event co-ordinator Emmanuel Sayer modestly described his motivation behind hosting the show.
“This is what I do for fun. I just want to see good bands play and have exciting things happen in the city,” Sayer said.
Sayer is also the co-ordinator for Ottawa Explosion, a three-day music festival that takes place in June, hosting bands that range across genres and North America.
“The Yips are really cool, they have an interesting sound,” Sayer said. “All three bands playing tonight will be playing at Ottawa Explosion.”
You can check out The Yips’ next performance downtown at Club SAW on April 13.
