Interviews

Grade

Interview with Kent on Nov 30, 1999 by Archive Bot

Thank you to Delphine at Victory Records and Kent Grade for taking the time out of his busy schedule to do the interview. You can catch Grade out on tour with Good Riddance this spring for more info visit www.grade.net.

PB: So do you consider yourselves pretty boys?
Kent: No. We consider ourselves dirtbags. No. Well obviously you have to feel good about the way you look. But at the same time you wanna feel you are more masculine than being a pretty boy.

PB: Are you obsessed with clothes?
Kent: Not at all. Actually I'm more obsessed with shoes. I have a lot of shoes. I can't even count.

PB: Can you explain hardcore to me?
Kent: Hm. It's hard to explain.

PB: What are some of your favorite bands?
Kent: Well I actually like stuff more along the lines of So-Cal skate punk or pop punk. Either that or way past anything hardcore or punk or anything. Stuff like Cradle of Filth or Haunted. But my favorite band is Strung Out.

PB: Does it ever hurt Kyle's voice when he sings?
Kent: No he's built up a tolerance for it. He strengthens it every night. He just sings and pushes harder all the time. You get used to it. It's like excercise. When you excercise anything it gets stronger and you get more and more used to it.

PB: Has he ever strained his voice though?
Kent: Actually he, um, hurt his larnyx and basically couldn't sing for two shows. Just like yea, little things like if you get sick it's a bit more difficult, but what happens, happens and you tough it out. That's also why we're not pretty boys. Ok, you live in a van for 7 weeks at a time and no one can call themselves a pretty boy when you have an 18 hour drive in that van. I mean, you're not going to come out clean.

PB: Well how often do you shower? Like you're not literally dirty.
Kent: Well we try to every day, like whenever we get the chance. You try to keep yourself clean.

PB: How old are you?
Kent: 20

PB: Whoa that's scary, you're only a year older than us. When is your birthday?
Kent: December 12th.

PB: Did you go to school?
Kent: Yeah.

PB: So you finished high school.
Kent: Yeah. I went to St. Michael's in Stratford. I actually grew up there until I was 18 and then I moved here to Oakville.

PB: Why did you move to Oakville.
Kent: For my music.

PB: How did you end up in Grade?
Kent: Well the bass player in my other band Somehow Hollow, Mike, his brother Brad is in Grade. Brad wanted to record with Somehow Hollow on our first album so we all knew each other. And then Shawn left the band right before 2 tours so they were kind of stuck for a guitar player. Me and Brad were friends and he asked me if I could learn the songs and that's basically how it happened. 

PB: So is it hard to balance both Somehow Hollow and Grade? Like is one more important than the other?
Kent: Not necessarily. They're both different. There is surely a difference between starting a band and enjoying the music you are playing. I definately, however, see myself playing with Grade for the longevity of the band.

PB: Headfirst Straight to Hell?
Kent: It's a Clive Barker reference. But like anything it should be taken metaphorically.

PB: Like you get what meaning you want out of things...anyways, I heard you guys have written some new songs since you've been home. Can we expect a new album anytime soon?
Kent: Well we're getting into the pratice area. Hopefully we'll be able to do something in October.

PB: So like after your summer tours and stuff?
Kent: Well yeah. Hopefully in September and October we'll get to do some shows with the Ataris. Kris Roe actually called Kyle up at home cause he actually likes our band.

PB: And you're going out with Good Riddance and then Edgefest, right?
Kent: Yeah.

PB: Ok just recently MCA bought 25% of Victory Records or something like that. What do you think about that?
Kent: It's great. It means that we'll get a little more time in the studio and to record. And it'll probably also mean that our music will get out there a little more.

PB: Well punk rock and hardcore and all that are totally getting out there more and more these days. It's like the "next big thing". It seems to be going in that direction.
Kent: Well people are always going to be trying to bite into that next big thing. But really right now, like when I tell people I'm in a band 80% of the time they don't know what Grade is or they've never heard of us. And that doesn't matter. It's cool to hear the music you wrote and I think that with MCA they might be able to put a little bit of muscle behind the music..

PB: Well look at what being on MCA has done for like Blink 182 and New Found Glory...
Kent: Yeah. And also it may help with a realization and awareness of what's going. Like there can be melodic stuff that can hit home but that's not just a simple L shaped chord. Like Strung Out is some of the most melodic music yet it's so complex.

PB: What's an L shaped chord?
Kent: Just something generic. It's so easy.

PB: What do you think of Andrew W.K.?
Kent: I think he's awesome.

PB: Nice. Ok when I was talking to you at the Victory Tour show you were saying something about how you guys were on Much Music and someone said that you were the biggest player in Canada or something like that......
Kent: Yeah well, Brad just said that I always have an ex-girlfriend at shows and stuff which is totally not true at all.

PB: But you're all popular..
Kent: Not true at all. They just make fun of me because I am timid.

PB: So that comment didn't mean anything about groupies or anything.
Kent: No not at all. Grade doesn't have groupies. Our other guitar player has been living with his girlfriend for 3 years and our bass player Mike has been talking to some girl that he's pretty into.

PB: Is it hard to be in a relationship when you're in a band?
Kent: Totally. Like you're always away and never home for extended periods of time so I never get the chance to meet anyone who lives around me. And when I am home I spend time with my friends and you'll go out and get drunk and it's not the most ideal position to meet people. Cause you get all out of hand with your friends and you don't want to meet someone and act like an ass.

PB: Well what do you think about the idea that there is that image that guys in bands are totally sketchy.
Kent:That is a total generalization. It's because......ok just think about the lifestyle. You're never staying in one spot for a long time. It's what people think about the kind of lifestyle you live. When you live the kind of lifestyle where you are always on the road a lot of people have trouble getting attached to anything. Relationships being something included.

PB: Have you ever cheated on a girlfriend?
Kent: No. Never, when I'm with someone I am totally devoted. Actually I was with a girl for a year and she was the coolest girl ever. I broke up with her because she wanted to go to school and I wanted to play my music. And I'm in Grade now and it's so cool. I am able to do something I love for a living. But it sucks cause of the things you have to sacrifice. I've seen her since then and it's like "Kent you fucked up". I mean we'll still be friends but......

PB: Do you want a girlfriend?
Kent: Yeah. I don't know. Just in general though, there a lot of guys out there that make us all look like idiots. I was like that when I was younger but you learn...

PB: You actually seem a lot older than you are.
Kent: Well when you hang out with older people who teach and show you things it's helpful. 

PB: What are some more bands that you like? Like what is in your cd player right now?
Kent: I think Saves the Day a lot and Taking Back Sunday are really, really good. Um right now I have Morissey and Strung Out, American Paradox in my cd player.

PB: Ok I read that you guys haven't toured so much in Canada right, but that you've spent a lot of time in the States. Do you find you're stereotyped as a "Canadian" band down there?

Kent: Totally, well not really as a Canadian band, but as Canadians. There are seriously some people who think that we live in igloos.
PB: And do they make fun of the way you talk cause people make fun of the way I talk all the time.
Kent: Yeah.

PB: Yeah, but we talk totally the same.
Kent: Well they're just lazier in their vocabulary. Like we take the time to pronunciate things properly.

PB: What's something you have learned being in a band ?
Kent: Well, believe things when you seem them. Basically so many people say things. For example say someone says that you can get a really good deal on equipment at this place and it's far away but you go all the way there and your van breaks down on the way there and then when you get to the place it turns out you can't even get the deal that you were told you could.

PB: Ok is there anything else I forgot that you want to say.
Kent: I love my mom.

PB: Do you have any siblings?
Kent: A brother.

PB: Do you love him too?
Kent: Yeah. Oh and also we're going to be hosting the Wedge next Friday.

PB: Anything else?
Kent: Um yeah, I also love most all bands that are trying to do stuff. That are doing what they believe in and trying hard.