The Most Serene Republic

What kind of music are you listening to / art are you checking out these days?

Ryan Lenssen: Pini di Roma (“Pines of Rome”) by Ottorino Respighi, Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, Purcell’s “Dido’s Lament”, early Coltrane and a bunch of other stuff ranging largely from 1880 – 1940. We are also pretty into listening to variations of Hard Bop Jazz – most people think we are really contemporary, but the music we play is more of a mash up of these great and (sadly) easily forgettable eras of music.

Why should people especially youth vote?

People should vote to slow the process of losing our freedoms, we shouldn’t be unconscious of the freedoms that we do enjoy, and leaders should actually own up to their responsibilities.

Comparatively, looking at theocracies and communist regimes, where many freedoms are taken away from the public, democratic voting is one of the last tools we have along with freedom of speech. Often we have to choose between the lesser of two evils, and we really should be looking into the relationship between ideas and politics/democracy.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is: If people are mad enough, they get off their ass and get serious.

What kind of music are you listening to / art are you checking out these days?

Ryan Lenssen: Pini di Roma (“Pines of Rome”) by Ottorino Respighi, Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, Purcell’s “Dido’s Lament”, early Coltrane and a bunch of other stuff ranging largely from 1880 – 1940. We are also pretty into listening to variations of Hard Bop Jazz – most people think we are really contemporary, but the music we play is more of a mash up of these great and (sadly) easily forgettable eras of music.

Why should people especially youth vote?

People should vote to slow the process of losing our freedoms, we shouldn’t be unconscious of the freedoms that we do enjoy, and leaders should actually own up to their responsibilities.

Comparatively, looking at theocracies and communist regimes, where many freedoms are taken away from the public, democratic voting is one of the last tools we have along with freedom of speech. Often we have to choose between the lesser of two evils, and we really should be looking into the relationship between ideas and politics/democracy.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is: If people are mad enough, they get off their ass and get serious.

What kind of music are you listening to / art are you checking out these days?

Ryan Lenssen: Pini di Roma (“Pines of Rome”) by Ottorino Respighi, Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, Purcell’s “Dido’s Lament”, early Coltrane and a bunch of other stuff ranging largely from 1880 – 1940. We are also pretty into listening to variations of Hard Bop Jazz – most people think we are really contemporary, but the music we play is more of a mash up of these great and (sadly) easily forgettable eras of music.

Why should people especially youth vote?

People should vote to slow the process of losing our freedoms, we shouldn’t be unconscious of the freedoms that we do enjoy, and leaders should actually own up to their responsibilities.

Comparatively, looking at theocracies and communist regimes, where many freedoms are taken away from the public, democratic voting is one of the last tools we have along with freedom of speech. Often we have to choose between the lesser of two evils, and we really should be looking into the relationship between ideas and politics/democracy.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is: If people are mad enough, they get off their ass and get serious.

For you is there a connection between Art and Democracy? What is it?

Philosophically:
The more you expose yourself to, the more ready you are to deal!
Every book, every film, every song improves your “self” making better prepared for what ever is next.

Pragmatically:
Is there a connection, yes, especially when sales are involved.
There are some American bands that really gained notoriety riding the popularity wave of the political hard right.

Ultimately, bands that sell the most end up on the splash page of iTunes.

Bands like us are really just into making music and it isn’t about mainstreaming or hitting that ‘top 40’ market. We don’t even really like fashion much – we try to remove fashion from music like church from state.

Why do you care about community, when it is so easy not to?

When you hate some thing, you still care about it.
Loving and Hating take such effort.
All of our records are in some way about that condition.

Community is a funny thing, part of me embraces the old Groucho Marx quote “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member” that being said, having toured around the world there is some thing fantastic about being Canadian – it is like a global get out of jail free card.

What do you look for in a politician? What do you expect from your MP?

I really enjoy some one who knows their facts; Ethically, Philosophically, and Politically. I think it is important to be versed in History. You really can’t run a god damn country if you have no idea about Economics … the progression of theory and the overall discipline.

Basically, I think it’s important to be progressive, listen to your constituents, and make sure that the country doesn’t go bankrupt!