Bend Sinister 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. Joseph Blood, the bands guitarist recently answered some of our questions.
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.
Joseph: Bend Sinister is fun, colorful, energetic and over the top rock and roll. I think you can really tell that collectively the band pools from a wide range of influences. There are bits of prog and metal, blues, R&B, pop…. The band itself has gone through a few incarnations with Dan Moxon always leading the helm but the drive and creativity has always stayed the same.
Listen to the track Jimmy Brown
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.
Joseph:It was a whirl wind summer. We were super fortunate to be invited to play the Dawson City Music Festival along with Mother Mother, Luke Doucet, Chad VanGaalen and a bunch of other acts. Definitely an amazing festival and a week that myself and I’m sure the rest of the guys in the band will remember forever. Then of course there was the Peak boot-camp. Going into it I think we were all a little hesitant and even skeptical but coming out of the camp I think we all ended up having a great time. Some great bonds grew between the different bands and the wealth of information to be gleaned from people like Bob D’ieth, Ken Beattie and Grant Lawrence was priceless.
Brian: What has been the most rewarding aspect throughout the project thus far?
Joseph: I think it’s forced the band to look at other aspects of the industry that as artists we tend to shy away from. Things like marketing plans and social networking and Factor Grants. As performers and songwriters the tendency is to just want to play, tour and write and hope that someone else picks up the grunt work. The reality is that as independent artists we need to be on top of every aspect of our career.
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?
Joseph: We’re a straight up hard hitting rock and roll band. And damn a damn handsome one at that 
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.
Joseph: I think it’s a testament to the will power of the private sector’s wanting to see that the arts in BC don’t get trampled on. Artists of all medium have a hard time finding the money and publicity needed to further their careers, it’s a shame that the BC government doesn’t see the arts as a priority but the community obviously does. So well done and thanks to the Peak!
Peak Performance Project Sponsors:
