By Jim Barber
Are you able to hear the chug, chug, chugging of the massive iron wheels, the rumbling of the engine, the shuddering floor, the clackety-clack because it passes sooner and sooner over the tracks. A giant laborious rockin’ locomotive has set off from its house station within the province of Quebec, intent on bringing its cargo of highly effective songs and face-melting reside reveals to audiences throughout Canada and past.
Atomik Practice brings a dose of modernity to the basic rock, basic steel sounds of bands like AC/DC and Weapons ‘N Roses, with components of Avenged Sevenfold and the up to date steel bands of the 21st century thrown in for good measure. The band has already issued its bombastic debut single, ‘Supersonik Speedway’ with a follow-up observe, ‘Again on Earth’ coming quickly in anticipation of the launch of their self-titled inaugural album, set for each bodily and digital launch within the early autumn.
The proficient quartet got here collectively when a pair of musicians from the Quebec laborious rock/steel scene, Junior Bourcier and Francois Babin, determined to collaborate with the intent of constructing steel music for the lots – straight forward bangers, lyrics that related with the hearts and minds of everybody, and songs that may translate much more powerfully when carried out reside.
“We have been each taking part in gigs across the space, and it was round 2015. Francois had his solo band as a result of he was already fairly well-known, and he was trying to have one other band play with him on the invoice. I used to be a lead singer in one other band in addition to the lead guitarist and I needed my band to open for somebody that was identified. We additionally occurred to have the identical bass participant, so we met and there was a spark proper there,” Bourcier mentioned from his house in Victoriaville.
“So, we did that present after which after that we began doing a bunch of reveals the place it was simply him and me – acoustic and electrical. Finally we integrated different musicians and one time we did a gig for a pal of ours on this small city up north in Quebec – truly we did two gigs in the identical day up there, with Alex Guilbault on drums and after that we thought, ‘man we gotta so one thing large.’ And that’s when Atomik Practice was born.”
Babin has the most important public profile of the 4 members of Atomik Practice. Again in 2003 he was a finalist on the favored Quebec expertise/singing present Star Academie and went on to turn into a proficient and prodigiously busy touring musician all through Quebec and japanese Canada, in addition to making some forays into the U.S. together with a present on the legendary Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood.
“We grew to become mates with the primary handshake, actually. I at all times dreamed of getting a frontman like Francois in my band. He has that frontman power and he’s good trying and he strikes nicely onstage. And I cherished his voice. He sings slightly like Brian Johnson [AC/DC] typically. He sings together with his balls and he’s a gutsy man and that’s what I used to be on the lookout for. Additionally, now we have a extremely, actually profound friendship collectively – we’re extra than simply bandmates and enterprise companions. We help one another and assist one another with something and every little thing,” he mentioned, including that his pal has performed and sung a whole lot of kinds over his practically 25 years within the music trade, however that Babin’s coronary heart is rooted in pure rock and steel.
“Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters is his greatest affect. However he additionally talks lots about AC/DC like me. Arduous rock and steel are crucial musical influences for him. Like Dave Grohl, Francois is an efficient chief and a enjoyable man to be round. We’re companions on this mission and have been for the reason that starting. Now we have the identical craziness but in addition the identical need to go very far with this band.”
The aforementioned Guilbault has been a drummer since his early groups, and in response to the bio on the band’s web site, was influenced by a combination of the soul and funk stylings of the Sixties and early Nineteen Seventies, but in addition by Led Zeppelin’s brutishly sensible John Bonham.
“Alex is superb, and he hits laborious and that’s one of many issues I like about him. He’s bought a extremely good driving beat and nice approach – he’s like John Bonham slightly bit. The way in which he joined the band is fairly cool. Francois went right into a music retailer and Alex was instructing within the basement and Francois heard him rehearsing earlier than his subsequent scholar and waited round to satisfy him afterwards, and that’s how he bought into the band,” Bourcier mentioned.
“He’s a extremely very disciplined man. He performed hockey at a reasonably excessive degree, AAA when he was youthful and was superb, so he’s bought that very same form of self-discipline and work ethic of a high athlete. And naturally, he’s robust too due to that, and has stamina. He being so disciplined helps us lots as a result of Francois and me, we’re slightly bit much less disciplined at instances. So, Alex introduced the thunder, the loudness that we have been on the lookout for.”
Atomik Practice is a household affair too, not simply because Babin and Bourcier are as shut as brothers on and off the stage, however as a result of there’s truly a second Babin within the band – Francois’ son Nolan, who not solely performs bass with appropriate rumbling badassery, however contributes a fantastic deal to the band’s visible picture and branding.
“He’s a extremely good artist in addition to a extremely good musician. He’s into arts full time. In the meanwhile he’s engaged on his second comedian guide. And he did all of the logos and design and drawings for the album. And he’s executed it for the reason that starting; he did the primary Atomik Practice emblem with the prepare popping out of an enormous gap or tunnel there. So, we’re very lucky to have him with us. He’s a extremely good bass participant, has nice ears and nice instincts, even when he’s lots youthful. He’s a reasonably first rate child and will get together with us and together with his dad, so it’s been a really, very cool trip up to now,” Bourcier mentioned.
The guitarist is the band’s major songwriter, however he works intently with vocalist Babin to make sure that the band’s vibe and tone is constant.
“I do it principally myself, however typically there are songs that I write the lyrics partly and Francois helps me as a result of now we have such a fantastic chemistry. After I’m with that man, it’s at all times a whole lot of enjoyable, however I additionally know now we have the identical imaginative and prescient for the band. ‘By no means Once more’ was the primary tune that we wrote collectively. I had a riff for the tune, so I introduced it to him, and we had a few beers and began rocking out and the tune got here quick. He was saying and singing a whole lot of issues into the microphone as I used to be taking part in alongside, making an attempt to get to the lyrics. At one level he mentioned, ‘by no means once more’ and it was like, ‘that’s it. That’s the refrain.’ In order that’s how that tune labored out after which every little thing got here collectively after that,” he defined, including that many of the concepts come to him whereas he’s noodling on the guitar.
“Actually, it’s nearly at all times riffs first. Each time I’m taking part in the guitar I attempt stuff. I’m at all times exploring and making an attempt totally different sorts of sounds. And when it sounds good, I maintain transforming it and repeating it and make it sound higher. And infrequently I’ll have photos that come into my head once I play which helps outline the tune, however typically I don’t have these photos instantly. After I wrote ‘Again on Earth’ it was a Sunday morning. I used to be having my espresso sitting on the kitchen desk with my acoustic guitar. And there was a five-dollar invoice on the desk. I put it there once I emptied my pocket the night time earlier than. And when you bear in mind what’s on the again of the brand new five-dollar invoice, it’s an astronaut. So, I used to be taking part in, and I regarded on the invoice and I noticed the astronaut and it gave me an prompt concept. I began writing stuff about an astronaut that’s misplaced in house, looking for his manner again, and the way he by no means surrenders and by no means loses hope and all that stuff.”
Some concepts are extra private and nearer to the center than the sci-fi adventures of a misplaced astronaut, as evidenced by the autobiographical ‘Vacation spot.’
“It’s the primary tune that I confirmed Francois after we began taking part in collectively. Vacation spot is just about slightly little bit of the story of my life. It’s about wanting and dealing to perform my dream of constructing music as a dwelling and taking part in all over the place in entrance of hundreds of individuals and provoking others to additionally accomplish their goals. It’s about taking your nutritional vitamins and doing all your push-ups and getting up on daily basis and giving all of it you’ve bought till you get to the place you wish to be. I need it to be one thing that when persons are pissed off, they will go sit of their automobile and crank it to the very best degree. For me, I placed on [classic AC/DC banger] ‘For These About to Rock (We Salute You),” Bourcier defined, including that the lead-off single from the album, ‘Supersonik Speedway’ can also be about going hell bent for leather-based to your goals.
“I first wrote the riff, then added the intro and I offered this with a primary verse and a few form of a refrain to the blokes, however at first, they weren’t that ; they didn’t wish to play it that a lot. I’ve laughed lots about this as a result of I needed to come again to them a few instances, and finally they actually began to dig it. And once I bought to ending the lyrics, I used to be with Francois, and I already had a few phrases written. However for the refrain, we have been on the lookout for one thing that was rhyming with the ‘A’ sound, and at one level he mentioned, ‘speedway.’ And the sunshine went on in my head, and shortly I had the remainder of the story of the ‘Supersonik Speedway.’ It’s about while you’re on target and while you’re selecting your self. It’s a tune about reaching one thing, being self-accomplished and while you’re rolling down the freeway of life and issues are good, it turns into a supersonic speedway. The obstacles filter out of your manner, and you may go full tile. While you get locked into your confidence and your perception in your self, you turn into highly effective like a race automobile.”
Atomik Practice additionally selected to place a tough rock spin on a basic Canadian tune from the early Nineteen Eighties – Pink Rider’s ‘Lunatic Fringe’ – an concept offered to them by former Pink Rider band member, and the band’s producer, John Webster.
“We needed to do a canopy, as a result of there’s a whole lot of songs that we wish to play reside and John proposed ‘Lunatic Fringe’ as a result of he was the keyboard participant for Pink Rider when that tune got here out and was an enormous hit,” Bourcier mentioned.
“And I’ve at all times cherished the tune. I heard it lots on CHOM FM, our large radio station in Montreal. So, when he proposed that we do it I mentioned to the blokes, ‘man, we gotta do that.’ In order that’s what we did, and it was a whole lot of enjoyable.”
Webster discovered his commerce on the ft of two of Canada’s most prolific and profitable file producers; the late, nice Bruce Fairbairn, and Bob Rock. He’s had the possibility to work within the studio with the likes of Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Alice Cooper, amongst others, and introduced not solely his spectacular catalogue of hit albums, however a way of professionalism and encouragement for the members of Atomik Practice in the course of the recording of the debut album.
“We have been very lucky to work with him. Moreover being a fantastic producer and engineer, he’s a extremely, actually wonderful musician. He’s bought a fantastic imaginative and prescient for every mission and is a superb chief within the studio. And it’s humorous as a result of folks have been telling us earlier than going into the studio to only do every little thing John says, and it’ll prove superb. And we did, however he was actually good about listening to our concepts. He undoubtedly bought the very best out of us. I bear in mind after we listened to the stuff after he labored on it and in contrast it to what we have been doing earlier than I mentioned, ‘okay, now we’re getting someplace,’” Bourcier mentioned.
With the self-titled debut album set to come back out in late September or early October, plans are afoot to not solely tour extensively all through Quebec and the Maritimes, however get into Ontario and, hopefully, additional afield.
“We wish to go all over the place. We wish to go to the States. We wish to go all over the place in Canada and Europe. South America, after all, can be an excellent place for us to go. Hear, we’re prepared for this. We’ll go wherever we have to, to get our music on the market for folks to listen to. And I do know as soon as they see us reside, they’ll turn into followers. We’re already fairly well-known for our reside present,” Bourcier mentioned.
“It’s been a very long time coming. All of us have day jobs that we wish to stop. We’ve invested lots on this mission – time, cash and power. We really feel very fortunate to be the place we’re at proper now, however it’s solely the start. Taking part in reside all around the world is what we wish to do. We love taking part in reside. We love having the reference to the group. Moreover the enjoyable now we have from writing the songs, taking part in for folks is what we love essentially the most.”
For extra info on Atomik Practice, together with launch date for the album and upcoming reveals, go to the band’s socials or www.atomiktrain.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and writer primarily based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. Moreover his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising specialist and is an avid volunteer in his group. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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