CMW: These Electric Lives These Electric Lives (TEL) enthralled the packed-to-capacity crowd at Soundproof's Showcase at Sneaky Dee's on Friday March 9th. Showing off their presence at the showcase is only one plateau of success for a band that is working their way towards a greater presence in Toronto and internationally. This dynamic group travails to set themselves apart amid the frenzy of indie bands planting their heels in the Toronto scene. As a band who is actually independently sustaining themselves for the moment, there are a lot of challenges acknowledged by TEL. "Toronto has been great to us from day one. The biggest challenge is getting the word out to other cities while still being 100% independent," says Gary Peter. According to Mark Stanfield, "We've had label interest, offers on distribution, interest from international booking agencies and lots more. It's easy to get really excited about every offer that comes along. We've tried really hard to keep our cool about important business decisions and make sure that we're all completely sure of what's best for the future of the band." While the band may heed the advice of those in their musical network, including Metric and João Carvalho (mastering engineer to Pilot Speed, Boy, Hayden, Hawksley Workman and others), exposure is what they seek. With their network of support they have a great deal in their favor and a lot to look forward to. These Electric Lives have a new EP out in April and a full-length on the way. There is a buzz about them; their performance at the showcase identified them as a band we'll be hearing a lot more about soon enough.