Getting to Know… House Handshake | Interview

For the 26^th interview in our ‘Getting to Know…’ column on The Musical Hype, we get the scoop about the Manitoba indie-folk collective, House Handshake.    

“We want to inspire people and we want people to come together and help each other, we think music is the platform where this can easily happen.” Pretty sweet, thoughtful words right there.  Another word comes to mind in regard to the Winnipeg, Manitoba indie-folk collective, House Handshake.  That word is chemistry, and it sensationally characterizes this “chosen family on and off the stage.” The backstory of this “Joyful, soulful, and sensual indie-folk” band is quite intriguing, and here at The Musical Hype, we are honored to share this as the 26^th interview in our Getting to Know…, interview series.  By the way, House Handshake is comprised of Quinton Poitras, Sarah Greco, Darrell Anderson, Tanner Link, Brennan Saul, and Tate Hiebert.  Without further ado, ‘Getting to Know… House Handshake – Interview #26!’

Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype (BF): Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with House Handshake, what would you say makes your band distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

House Handshake (HH): Our lead vocals are coupled by Sarah [Greco] and Quinton [Poitras], most bands aren’t fronted by two people. In fact, the whole band brings an entire front with their chemistries and it’s easily seen on stage and you can even hear it on the EP.

BF: Fronted by two people – definitely cool! Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did House Handshake form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on?

HH: Sarah and Quinton were dating for a year living in Vancouver when Darrell [Anderson] moved in across the hall. There was 5 of us living in a big house all of us happened to be from Winnipeg. Quinton and Darrell barely knew each other when he moved in but they soon realized that their families go way back. “Our Grandparents we’re best friends, I’ve got a half-sister that turns out to be his cousin and then we both have another cousin in both our families.” Neither of us knew at the time. Something clicked at that time, our chemistries just match unbelievably, and we knew wanted to make a career out of music with each other. We found something really big in sharing music. We kind of formed our philosophies at this time. Something then told us to move back to our home Winnipeg. Our first day back an old friend of Darrell’s, Tanner [Link] was there on the first day to welcome us back. Again, his chemistry just fit so well. After staying at our parent’s, we found a house in the center of the city and we launched House Handshake in 2018.

BF: Love hearing about the chemistry of the group. Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

HH: Our goals have never changed, and we don’t think they ever will. We want to inspire people and we want people to come together and help each other, we think music is the platform where this can easily happen. Our scope is getting bigger now and our ideas are improving on how we can create a better world with more art.

BF: Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

HH: Our biggest influences are all around us these days. There’s a lot of people we’ve met here, and we have a home where we welcome people to come over and play some music or talk, just experience with us. Every once in a while, something happens that inspires us to write. The influence mostly comes from friends and family.

 BF: Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

HH: Tate [Hiebert] actually joined the group initially because Quinton chipped a bone in his wrist longboarding. He came in on our busiest month during festival season and he learned two sets in two days. It was unbelievable. he nailed it. When Quinton’s wrist healed up, it only led to some pretty crazy ‘guitar-monizing’ and dueling.

BF: Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

HH: We have this song called “Seven Deadly Sins” and it’s got these long breaks in the song that gives us some opportunity to rev up the audience. The look on everyone’s face anticipating the next note is so satisfying.

BF: Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

HH: Darrell has been doing all of our artwork. Our logo, single art, EP art – he’s our guy. Quinton made our music video for “Ease Me into It.” It was the first video he’s ever really made. We’re working towards opening a sort of collective or art-makers. Make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with our updates.

BF: Closing this thing out, what is House Handshake currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

HH: We’ve got a second EP, Handshake, coming out this year but be sure to see our debut EP, House, now across all streaming platforms like Spotify and iTunes.

 BF: Thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

House Handshake Socials & Such: Website • Facebook • Instagram