Quick & Dirty - Bellewoods
By: Chris Bowman
Toronto's music scene can be cold and distant. If you aren't playing with the right bands or aligned with the right labels, it can be hard to get people to listen.
But every so often you find musicians of a different sort. There's a community of artists who actually thrive on helping each other out. Bellewoods are a part of that community.
Chris White, Dylan Green (of Raising the Fawn), Scott Remila (of Raising the Fawn and the Violet Archers), Paul Watling (formerly of the Diableros), Erik Arnesen (of the Great Lake Swimmers), and Peter Garner (Lion) make up the band, with Rachel Shaw providing harmonies in the studio.
When they first met in St. Catherines, White and Green felt a musical connection right off the bat. But with Green dedicating most of his time to Raising the Fawn, the opportunity to work together didn't come until a few years later when they began to write and record the songs that would eventually become Bellewoods. "Once we had more material, we were looking for people to play with us," Green explains. "And it took about a year to actually round up the right dudes for the job."
Once they found the "right dudes," they began working on their live show and getting comfortable in their new setting. They've done a few laps of Ontario, opening for bands such as A Northern Chorus, Nordic Nomadic, the Coast, and Tusks. But they have done so at their own pace. Not having a manager or a label affords them such a luxury.
In keeping with the laidback, friends-helping-friends approach, Bellewoods have recruited producer (Tusks, Barzin) and Ohbijou drummer Jamie Bunton for recording sessions. Bunton's west-end studio is a cozy space and his close relationship with the band means less wear and tear on their nerves and less pressure.
As nice as all of that is, their patience is starting to wear a little thin. "I think we're all getting a bit restless and eager," admits Watling. "We've all reached a level where we are comfortable, and excited to be playing in a band together . . . The songs are really coming together."
Juggling full-time jobs, school and the seven members' varying schedules is another reason for the molasses-like recording pace Bellewoods is experiencing. But it is producing pleasing results. Once recording is finished, the hope is that they'll get some label interest. "We're all excited about how it's sounding," says Green. "But if nobody's biting, we'll do it ourselves."
"Then they'll all come crying to us," jokes Watling.
It's just another way for Bellewoods to spread a little warmth in a city that gives many bands the cold shoulder.
