Getting to Know…Stonebrother | Interview 🎤

In the 173^rd edition of our Getting to Know… series, we get the scoop from the hard rocking, Nova Scotian band, Stonebrother.

“We try to combine the spirits of rock, metal, punk and pop to make catchy but still complex songs.” Sounds totally compelling 🎙 Stonebrother! The three-piece band from Nova Scotia is comprised of brothers 🎙 Zach (guitar and lead vocals) and 🎙 Ethan Smith (drums and vocals), as well as 🎙 Leo Cox on bass.  As always, on this our 173^rd Q&A interview, we get some insight into the band’s craft, background, visions, current and future endeavors.  So, without further ado, let’s hear from the band on 🎤 Getting to Know…Stonebrother: Interview No. 173!

Starting things off, for those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes your band distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

🎤 Zach: We try to combine the spirits of rock, metal, punk and pop to make catchy but still complex songs. We’ve got three distinct personalities in the band that adds to the live show. We have lots of original tunes, but we have a few well-known covers too to make sure people can sing along even if they’re not familiar with us yet.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Stonebrother form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on?

🎤 Ethan: Zach and I are brothers and have been playing music together since like 2008. We went through a few bass players (and even more band names) before Leo was introduced to us by a family friend. Our goal or vision has always been pretty well the same; to have fun playing awesome music, and to hopefully entertain as many people as we can.

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?

🎤 Leo: Our goals as a band have stayed pretty consistent since the start. They change as we achieve them, but our bottom line has always been to play as many shows as we can, write good songs, and consistently crank out recordings as we can.

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

🎤 Zach: We each have different individual influences which we apply to our own playing. For example, I’m a huge fan of Eddie Van Halen, Slash and Paul Gilbert for guitarists, and Myles Kennedy and Sammy Hagar for singers. Ethan likes Neil Peart and John Bonham. Leo is into Geddy Lee and Steve Harris. As a band, I would say we take heavily from Van Halen, Guns n Roses, The Tragically Hip and Rush.

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.

🎤 We don’t really have many “crazy” stories, however there is one that always stands out to me when I’m thinking about our history as a band; a couple years ago we were playing a fundraiser at mine and Zach’s old elementary school. Back in those days there was another member of the band, a rhythm guitarist named Joe. So, we’re helping in getting everything set up, when suddenly there’s this big crash noise. Turns out, Joe had dropped his guitar. Zach comes back saying “What was that, that sounded like a Les Paul, oh god it was a Les Paul.” We got through the show with no issues, but it turns out then when he dropped it he cracked the neck and broke one of the tuning pegs. It’s pretty funny looking back, and what’s rock n roll without some backstage drama?

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?  

Leo: We all probably have our own picks for this one. Any of our originals I’m pretty proud of, but my personal favorite recording has gotta be our song 🎵“Problem Child” off the 💿 Every Second Counts EP. The vibe on that song I always thought was pretty killer, and it came across in the recording. As for playing live, 🎵 “Faceless Unknown” (unreleased) is always super fun and I’m quite proud of that one.

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

🎤 Zach: I’m sure there’s lots of things. For one thing, over the past two years there has been a bit of a jazz influence as I have been attending jazz school, and Leo has been diving into it as well. Ethan listens to just about anything so that’s also pretty diverse. On a side note, Ethan can do voice impressions of all the Doctors from Doctor Who.

Closing things out, what is Stonebrother currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

🎤 Ethan: Currently in the works, there are two songs that are mostly finished, that we hope to share with the world before too long. In addition, not “secrets” per se, but some projects yet to be officially planned and announced, we want to get back into the studio and record a debut album this year, and if all goes well over the next couple of months, we’re going to get a music video filmed for our song “Problem Child” from the Every Second Counts EP (available on all major streaming platforms).

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know…Stonebrother: Interview No. 173 🎤 [📷: Stonebrother, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype]