My 15 Minutes With... The Balconies hitting both Londons in 2013

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: THE BALCONIES
The Balconies will be at Norma Jeans on February 16.

This is turning out to be an amazing year for the band The Balconies (Jacquie O. Neville, vocals and guitar; Stephen Neville, vocals and bass; and Liam A Jaeger, vocals and drums). They have been in and out of the studio, tirelessly working on their first full-length album as well as touring Canada along with parts of Europe. I talked to lead singer of the band, Jacquie, about their tour and why this is the best year the band ever had:

You literally just got back from London, England after playing a few shows there. How did that go?
“We actually went to Cannes France first for a mini European tour called Midem. It was amazing! It was our first time ever in Europe as a band so it was pretty amazing to be a part of an awesome festival as well as do some exploring for a couple days in France. Then after a few days there we flew to London, England. That was our first time ever in the U.K. We had a couple of shows in London and the people were awesome. It was a totally unreal experience. We are really looking forward to going back; hopefully as early as this April.”

You'll also be playing SXSW in March in Texas. Have you played it before or is this your first time?
“This will be our second time, as we went last year. That was amazing as well. So many people go to SXSW. Some people describe it as this chaotic party, but you won't actually understand it until you are there. And it's true I was even like, ‘Wow. It's true. You can't even explain it to anyone unless you are here.' The whole city shuts down and there are pedestrians everywhere. You are, like, shoulder to shoulder with everyone in this ocean of chaotic excitement. It's pretty unreal; it's unlike any other festival I've ever seen.”

You are currently working with Arnold Lanni on your first full-length album. How has it been going so far and what is in store for you guys this spring/summer?
“We did our most recent single with Arnold called ‘Do It In The Dark.' We are really excited to be working with him since he's worked with other artists such as Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven and other awesome Canadian bands. It's pretty amazing that he saw something in us and took us under his wing and wanted to work with us. This is our first time working with a producer of his level so it was pretty nerve-racking at first, but he's such a family guy and down to earth. He really cares about the band and us as people so it's just been a really eye-opening experience. I feel like I have learned so much from him, even something as simple as vocal techniques. I feel like he's really shaping us into the band that we have always wanted to be but we just really didn't know how to execute it. It's been so cool to have an outside voice try to guide us in the right direction.

“We are really looking forward to releasing this album. I think people are going to dig it. It's really heavy but has a pop sensibility, which I think is something we as a band are all about. It will hopefully be out in the spring or early summer. Right now we are finishing up this tour right then heading over to London, Ontario, which has always been a great market for us. Also we will be going back to the U.K. as I mentioned before and we could even be potentially going to China as well. We are really looking forward to everything this year has in store for us.”

Catch The Balconies when they come to town on February 16 at Norma Jeans (1332 Huron St.) with Rival Sons. For more information on The Balconies and their tour, visit thebalconies.ca.