9 Questions With: Alert The Medic

The Place: Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Treasure: Alert The Medic

Back with another 9 Questions!

When I started writing this article I also started up their new album “The Phantom Moves” – I was about half way through the album when I realized I hadn’t written anything.

From the opening intro of Waiting in the Wings to the final song Lady in the Water there’s a perfect flow that draws you in and keeps you there.

Alert The Medic has had much deserved success with “The Phantom Moves” including Music Nova Scotia award nominations, Top 20 on the Canadian Rock charts, featured on CFL.ca ‘s Ultimate Replay , Sirius XM’s NHL Top Plays of 2013-14 and Sportsnet’s MLB video packages.

And now…

 

9 Questions with: Alert The Medic’s bassist Matt Campbell

 

Alert The Medic
Photo credit: Scott Blackburn

 

1 – NST:  Biggest thrill: First time hearing your music on main stream radio, first time seeing your video on tv, or putting Rick Martel in his place (revisionist history is still history!)?

 

ATM-Matt: We’ve been lucky enough to check off quite a few items on our musical bucket lists, so this is a tough question to answer. Recording our new album The Phantom Moves with one of our musical heroes Mike Turner was definitely a thrill. He’s been up on stage with us a couple of times as well. We just recently shook the walls of the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, ON with him and surprised the crowd by playing Our Lady Peace’s Starseed.

 

2 -NST:  There seems to be a swell of rock and roll coming out of Nova Scotia. Yourselves, The Stanfields, The Trews, Gloryhound, Andrew Hunter, etc. Coincidence or planned attack?

 

ATM-Matt: You’ll notice quite the history between all of these bands. We all go way back years and years now. Good friends, good musicians and an absolute planned attack. We mapped out plans around the turn of the century gathered round a big wooden table in a dimly lit room.

 

3 – NST:  When buying your music and the music of other bands from Nova Scotia what purchasing route gets the most money in the hands of the people making the music?

 

ATM-Matt: I prefer buying a physical CD or record when buying music to have something tangible but at the same time there are a lot of costs in the physical album world. Downloading MP3’s, you don’t have the cost per unit but in our case the digital distributor (iTunes etc.) takes a percentage off of each download. So there are costs to both. I think it just comes down to personal preference and as long as people are actually buying music then it’s all good.

 

4 – NST:  After a tour what do you appreciate about coming home to Nova Scotia?

 

ATM-Matt: Touring is a lot of work. It’s a lot of late nights, early mornings and you’re constantly on the go. By the time we get home we’re usually exhausted so coming home to a more relaxed atmosphere, the ocean, family and friends is nice. Donairs are a plus too.

 

5 – NST:  How has the internet changed things in terms of being able to market, promote, and get yourself noticed?

 

ATM-Matt: It definitely puts you out there on a global level. The accessibility allows you to reach markets that you may or may not get the chance to tour in. The DIY aspect is broader as well, which is great because you can create and control so much more content like videos and tweeting.

 

6 – NST  Influences from Nova Scotia, musical or otherwise, that may surprise people?

 

ATM-Matt: I can speak for Ryan, Dale and myself that growing up in Pictou County during the mid-to-late 90’s the band Sandbox was pretty influential for us. They were also from Pictou County and made waves across Canada with a tune called Curious. Seeing that take off from a small town, it was like, holy crap, we can do this! It sort of made the dream more of a possibility I think. One of the guitar players for Sandbox is actually Bubbles from The Trailer Park Boys.

 

7 -NST:  If you could hold a concert anywhere in Nova Scotia, with no place off limits, where would it be?

 

ATM-Matt: Oak Island! We’ll have everyone dress as pirates and serve rum in jugs.

 

8 – NST:  Adding to our growing list of places to eat: Favourite food and where to get it in Nova Scotia?

 

ATM-Matt: Acropole Pizza in New Glasgow or Westville. This stuff is becoming world famous. Pictou County knows how to make a mean pizza.

 

9 – NST:  Treasure Bear says Alert The Medic is a great band name and solid medical advice. He would like to know if you’d considered other medical related phrases for a band name?

 

ATM-Matt: I don’t think there were any other medical related phrases discussed actually. It’d be interesting to go back and look at the list we made of possible band names. I know we originally wanted to call the band Coldplay but another band had taken that on Myspace.

 

Thanks Matt and Alert The Medic for answering our hard hitting and tough questions! 😉

 

Be sure to check out the band’s page for all the info including tour dates at: Alert The Medic.

Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe on Youtube.

Most important, do yourself a favour and pick up their Cds or purchase them from iTunes or Google Play !

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