Last week I had the chance to interview Marty Zylstra, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Sweetheart. The band was recently chosen as one of the twenty finalists for the Peak Performance Project. The Peak Performance Project is sponsored by the 100.5 The Peak FM and Music BC.
The PEAK Performance Project is a seven-year, $5.29 million contest open to all musicians in British Columbia. The project was created by 100.5 The PEAK and Music BC to develop BC based emerging artists. Every year, twenty finalists from BC will receive an intensive, one week training program in the music business, live performance, songwriting, marketing and promotion. Artists will benefit from mentor-ships from some of the music industry’s top professionals and performers. All of these artists will have the chance to perform live in Vancouver on the PEAK Performance Stage. Of these twenty artists, the top three will be crowned as the PEAK Performers of the year and will share $275,000 in cash for career development. First place receives $150,000; second place receives $75,000; and third place receives $50,000.
Interview:
Brian: Tell us about your band and what your musical history has been.
Marty: Sweetheart formed in 2004 when Matt & I met and realized we loved all the same music. At that time Bloc Party & the Killers were getting really popular, and we were really into how those 2 bands and others within the “indie” genre melded dance, electronica, & pop but somehow managed to write songs that really rocked. We put together a band that summer and the music we wrote initially had a manic upbeat pop feel. A good friend described us as “the Hives & the Darkness at a gay coke party”…I took it as a compliment.
Listen to the track We Are All Connected
Brian: Tell us a little bit of how your summer went, from being selected as one of the artists to participate in the project to being selected as a finalist.
Marty: I got a phone call about a year ago from a friend who said he’d just heard “We are all connected” on the radio. I told him he was crazy and hung up. A couple of days later I got the same phone call from another friend. I decided to do some research and found the Peak’s Phone number and called asking for the Music Director. James Sutton answered and we began to talk about what he was doing at this new station in Vancouver and how he decided to add Sweetheart in regular rotation without telling us! It was great to have someone interested in the band and revived our LP when we thought the album cycle had ended. Then when we found out about the Peak Performance Project, we were urged to enter as we’d already established a relationship with the folks at the Peak. When the 20 artists were announced I was still keeping my fingers crossed because we weren’t sure we would make it!
Brian:What has been the most rewarding aspect throughout the project thus far?
Marty: A number of things. First of all, we learned the state of the industry today. Also what to do to hone our craft and become more business savvy. What I really loved was the networking. We are touring with TV Heart Attack in December 2009 and are talking to a couple of other bands about possibly touring in 2010.
Make sure to download the bands LP at their website http://www.iheartsweetheart.com
Brian: There are some great artists and bands and you are in great company with the list of finalists. What sets your music apart from the other finalists?
Marty: Our music is about fun. The music I really enjoy listening to is very upbeat. Our music is probably the most upbeat of all the artists and the least “dark”. We love playing dance-able upbeat pop/rock music and it’s hard for us to ever play a song slower then 145 beats per minute. All the other bands are very talented and have fantastic live shows but we also try to keep our sense of humor in everything we do, including our live show. At our showcase for the PPP we probably stood out as a band that fits into a sweaty packed club soaked with Booze more then the other artists on the bill.
Check out the bands Youtube Channel http://www.youtube.com/iheartsweetheart
Brian: How do you feel about The Peak, Music BC and Jim Pattison Group of Companies stepping up to assist the growth of BC musicians while the provincial government has reduced funding to many programs. This is a significant contribution of $5.29 million over seven-years.
Marty: I’ve always been on board with trying to support the local community whenever I can. I’m excited for the BC music community because this money will go back into the local industry and we will all benefit from it. Arts funding is always what gets cut first in recessionary times and to have the support of the private sector is great!
Peak Performance Project Sponsors:
