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FEMMELDEHYDE

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art, fashion & nature

issue02

2in this issue

03 // featured photographer: carl w. heindl05 // from the editors: dear readers06 // submissions: words by matthew walsh & ahmed el-hindy, photos by hannah pruden10 // trend blog: born to be mild - neon plague12 // fashion feature: sally han20 // art feature: tara krebs30 // exhibit review: sherri hay32 // music feature: harp core - carnival moon41 // literature feature: tired of the light by paul allard42 // grow golden by paul allard43 // zebra mussels by paul allard44 // mexico by paul allard47 // whaling by paul allard48 // good-bye words: what’s next?

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Carl W. Heindl is an incredibly talented Toronto-native photographer. He interprets and captures the

world around him through the lens of his camera, with an eye for those very minute details that make a

photograph remarkable. His preferred subject matter is people and places (and people in places), but what

is unique to his work is his ability to fix quick, fleeting moments. With just a simple film camera, he has a

nack for capturing the ordinary and mundane in a way that looks almost surreal. For these reasons, the

featured photographer for issue02 – ‘the nature issue,’ – Heindl was a clear choice. So please, proceed -

feast your eyes. All photography by Carl W Heindl unless otherwise credited { {

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dear readers,Gaining inspiration from nature is not something new – from architecture, to technology, to medication – nature has always been available for both answers and contemplation. This concept has been termed ‘biomimicry,’ or ‘biomimetics.’ The term is conceived from the Greek words life and imitate. So what does this in turn suggest?

The artists featured in issue02 do not ‘imitate life’ but sincerely possess and radiate life. The indescribable feeling one feels as reviewing the work by these artists is created by the bestowing of themselves. Carrying life – nature - through the essence of their work. Perhaps it manifests in the reader as a chill, as goose bumps, as a momentary acceleration of the heart – whatever it may be is a result of the trueness within the work you are about to view.

So please, as you flip forward, allow yourself to be taken away into nature – into yourself, into life – as you may find something you never knew was there before.

Love,Lindsey xx

Simply put, the word ‘nature,’ refers to the phenomena of the physical world. The artist’s tendency to attempt to bring life into art and art into life is as old as our understanding of artistic practice itself. The creative process, whether abstract or purely representational, circles around interpreting our surroundings, and representing them through some sort of physical manifestation. What we continually ask (and remains unanswered), however, is what sparks this impulse to recreate the world around us?

The above dilemma was our point of departure for the issue, and with this, we bring to you a small survey of some very talented people who immerse themselves “in nature in art,” from technique, to medium, to subject matter. We offer you a closer look at their work, a glimpse at their creative process, and most importantly, the artist’s own insight.

Please indulge, and enjoy.Erika xx

from the editors

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Whippoorwills and George Orwell by matthew walsh

Maybe you’ve heard I`m drunkon George Orwell. Well then, I admitunder the whippoorwill’sI drank George Orwell. I should workon my cookery or cook porridgefor George to gorge his gorgeous mouth on--- butI might lose this spot underthe pine with my old George Orwell. What a dream my poorwill makes me dream.

Under his whip or willI`d be defenseless (or, well,at least kind of kittenish) & have an urgeto present him tea I pour well. Well,I’d climb down to him if I were Juliet(his words, at least, would make practicalsense). He’d persuade me to comedown to the Limehouse and smoke one with him— but I`ll have to settlefor these pines & my creased GeorgeOrwell.SU

BMIS

SIO

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FRO

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submissions

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photography by hannah pruden

photography by hannah pruden

She lost it all in the Potomac by ahmed el-hindy

I found a soft spotbetween two rocks,silent sedate boulders on the precipiceof a black mass. so I lay downfor a minute, for a lifetimeto get away from myselfcloser to the eagles and the clouds

to live this life of thievesamong vandals, is to existinside a storyno one wants to write

before the landslidemomma told me, ’babylife’s a fickle whore.one day you realize it all.you’re a mountain, I’m a fish,let’s make a lake of this messand go for a swimbecause nothing is as sweetand I’m too boredto say any more.’

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f l y i n gh i g hsans wings/air plane/hot air balloon/amphetimines

born to be mild

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Pulse rising, pupils constricting. Spatial perception increasingly impaired. The influx of unconditioned lights and colours impact myself and my surroundings – taking form upon the wrist, the waist, the legs – hell, it is appearing on the whole damn body. Where to take refuge? How to escape? Living as Ghandi advised, I will ‘be the change [I] wish to see in the world.’ I will not adorn my makings in those instruments of mass optic destruction. For I, I was born to be mild.I am terribly apprehensive in the inclusion of this 90’s rave costuming. But as a helpless consumerite, it is difficult to not yearn the incorporation of such eye-defying palettes. To maintain peaceful balance, the utilization of earthy colours, prints and textures may aid in obtaining neutrality – such as alkaline are to acidic substances. We have been so providential with the flourishing gift of nature – with what is around us – that it should be so simple in obtaining harmony when carefully igniting this fiery fluorescent trend. But alas, it seems to prove more challenging than this…So as these incandescent lights remain upon the bodies of the trendiest, I will sacrifice the vision of many and continue upon my dreary path in varied shades of grey. [by lindsey omelon]

NEON PLAGUE

trend blog

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captivated s/s 12 lookbook / photography by elliot suhr

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SALLY HANI was first introduced to Sally Han a little over a year ago, where I was so fortunately involved in their

‘YOURlove’ Spring/Summer’11 collection. Invited to then attend the launch event for the collection, I was taken away by not only the beauty of the pieces, but also of the people behind the brand. Psalms 91:1 Accessories indulges in the earth, the air and everything in between. It is a brilliant composition of inspiration found in everything around us - the very objects we tend to be ignorant of in our day-to-day lives. Han expertly negates the naivety we generally possess in regards to the world as a whole - presenting urgent discourses in a gentle and meaningful way. [by lindsey omelon]

LO: I have been a pretty avid follower of your work

since we met last year. But still the fact that as soon

as we came up with our theme ‘the nature issue,’ I

immediately thought of you makes me wonder, how

is it that you are able to make your brand stand out in

my mind with so many others in a similarly inspired

race?

SH: I think it is because I keep it very personal. I am very

much inspired by the mission trips I take. For example,

to Native Reserves; I then launch a collection called

‘The Natives.’ I am very inspired by different cultures

– Africa, Korea…And yes, I am inspired by nature, but

it is when I meet people in these countries that inspires

me to create. And it just comes out through personal

stories. So I think because people know how personal it

is to me, it becomes personal and unique to them. And

while wearing the pieces, they feel the story behind

them, rather than just wearing them superficially.

LO: I actually did read that on your website that

everything has a story. What is the motto again?

SH: ‘There is a story behind every creation.’ And

that’s how I started when I was 19. There was a story

connected to each piece. And customers started asking

‘What does this mean? What’s the cause behind this

one?’ Even if it is a simple story, it’s still something.

LO: Do the names for each piece often come from

these stories?

SH: Yes, definitely. As you can tell, each piece has a

unique name and description for them that express the

story.

LO: Are there specific materials you prefer to work

with?

SH: I love working with anything vintage. I love mixing

vintage materials with something like chains – just

modernizing it, basically. For example, there’s one

called ‘Vintage Bottle,’ which is one of my favourite

pieces, and is also rather new. But it’s an actual pillbox

that was made in the 1950’s. It’s very cute and is part of

our limited edition collection.

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LO: So how do you even find enough materials such as

that to create inventory? It doesn’t sound like there can

be many of those hanging around. Suppose this is why

it’s a limited edition piece… [duh, Lindsey]

SH: Yeah, exactly! And I find it is just more special that

way. It’s not something you could ever find if you were,

say, shopping at the mall. I find that my customers really

appreciate the stuff that is limited edition.

LO: You must be like, always on the prowl for new

materials then, huh?

SH: Haha! Yeah, for sure! I love hunting for little treasures.

LO: Now, I saw on your Twitter [@SallyHan_psalms]

that you are ‘African at heart’…

SH: Oh yeah!

LO: When did you first discover this about yourself

and how?

SH: Actually, haha, I would say since I was maybe 6 years

old! I mean, I didn’t know much about Africa, but um

for some reason, whenever I would get in trouble by my

parents and start crying I would be like ‘I want to run

away to Africa!’ So I think that that’s when it started! So

I’ve always had a desire to go, and when it actually came

to be that I was old enough to go on my own, I took off

when I was 22 for 3 months and it was the best experience

of my life.

LO: Have you gone back since?

SH: I have gone twice since and I will be going again

this October. Psalms is actually working on something

big right now. It is our biggest project yet. Basically, we’re

partnering up with this organization called ‘Zimele.’ It’s

an organization where one woman in this South African

town started her own entrepreneurship program. It’s very

interesting because it’s usually missionaries, or Westerners

that start up these programs, but in this case, she actually

stood up and decided to motivate other women. Zimele

means standing up on your own two feet. So, what we’ll

be doing is I am going to go to South Africa and will be

collaborating with the women who make jewellery there

and will be coming up with our Spring/Summer collection

with them, which will be a non-profit collection; all of the

money will be donated to their organization.

LO: Amazing!

SH: And we’re already working on a big launch event for

the collection.

LO: How did you find something like this?

SH: It was in the talks for about two years when I finally

decided to go with it. We do charity events here and there

but I found it’s not as personal when it’s just… random?

So I decided I would partner up with one organization

so that we can both support them while building a long-

term partnership.

LO: Were you always involved in charities or have they

been integrated into your accessory line?

SH: When I was 19, I wanted to do something more…

I just felt this sudden urgency. So I started playing

around with jewelry and I decided to set up a booth at

an event where they were raising funds for lost children.

So that’s sort of how it started, I thought, you know, this

is the purpose for this business; this is going to make a

difference, and will hopefully inspire others to do the

same.

LO: Where do you do most of your work? Is there some

kind of ritual you have in order to create?

SH: I work mostly in my studio. I love working when

the sunlight is coming it – it really motivates me to

work. Sometimes, though, nighttime is good too. But I

I thought, you know, this is the purpose for this business; this is going to make a difference, and will hopefully inspire others to do the same.

film stills from captivated s/s 12 lookbook // model georgina reilly, styled by ashley kim, film by elliot suhr

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do prefer the mornings when no one is there. Being a

business owner and a designer, I say that only 10-15%

of my time is spent creating pieces and the rest is spent

doing the business work, and travelling. So when I do sit

down to make jewelry, I really have to be in that mindset

– that mode.

LO: So how many people are there within the Psalms’/

Shop for Jayu team?

SH: Right now, we have around 5.

LO: If I were to ask one of you employees to describe

their boss to me, what do you think they would say?

SH: Actually! I just got one employee who Instagram’d

one of the dishes I had made for her when she came to

work and she posted that I am the best boss, haha! So I

was very delighted.

LO: Dang, if my boss cooked for me I’d be saying the

same thing!

SH: Yeah, I love cooking for my girls! It’s all about

relationships and teamwork. Like, the other day we went

to my parents’ place to just hang out on the patio and

my mom made us some really great dishes. We just hung

around until really late, just chatting. We have a really

great relationship, which I believe is really important.

LO: Definitely! Especially when you are doing

something like this, right… creating together for a

purpose. It’s important that you keep a positive vibe

going.

SH: Oh, agreed!

LO: Where do you tend to do your preliminary

creating? Where does the idea first take place?

SH: Hmmm, it is hard to say because it comes from all

different things. But when it hits, I get the butterflies

and begin jotting notes, wherever I am. And sometimes,

the pieces don’t come out the way you planned it to be -

sometimes it is better. It’s like “mistakes” turn out to be

something even more beautiful than you’d first imagined.

Like, literally, I will be creating a piece and it will drop

on the floor, and it’s like ‘what the…?’ – it just turns into

something different. And it’s amazing.

LO: That almost seems like your collection, ‘Beauty in

film stills from captivated s/s 12 lookbook // model georgina reilly, styled by ashley kim, film by elliot suhr

fashion feature

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sebastian black exhibit, img. www.tomorrowgallery.info

film stills from captivated s/s 12 lookbook // model georgina reilly, styled by ashley kim, film by elliot suhr

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the Broken.’

SH: Yeah, that was two winters ago…I think it just relates

to anything – anybody.

LO: Your most recent collection is called ‘Captivated.’

Why did you choochoose this as the all-encompassing

word?

SH: ‘Captivated,’ is something very close to my heart.

It’s inspired by what phase I was in in my life at that

time. I have a very close relationship with God and He’s

ultimately my inspiration. At that time in my life, I felt

like I understood what it means to be in love with God,

our Creator. And also to be able to share that love to

others. You’re captivated by people and their beauty; so it

relates to both people as well as God.

LO: Do you find that you’ve established an audience

who are your regular shoppers/followers?

SH: I actually have a lot of loyal customers who have

known Psalms since day 1! And it’s so awesome when

they come to one of my events. They’ve followed me

throughout my journey and it’s very special for both them

and myself. Like when they purchase a piece, they’re like

‘Oh my gosh! Sally you’ve really grown with your designs’.

It’s really great to hear. And then, of course, we have

different customers that join us everyday.

LO: So then why did you decide to create Shop for Jayu?

SH: Basically what happened was, more and more that

I’ve been doing Psalms I’ve started to understand the

vision and the purpose of it. The vision that I have for

Psalms is to create infrastructures around the world,

such as Africa and Canada for native reserves, and for

Korean for North Korean refugees. Basically, for widows

and orphans who need job opportunities in creating

jewelry, as opposed to having it manufactured. And I’ve

been tempted a few times to have Psalms manufactured

but it always comes back to just being organic. So, that’s

the big vision we have, and it’s a really big goal! When I

went to Korea last time I was so inspired by the stories

that the North Korean refugees told me. They had just

escaped, and were telling me things that I could’ve never

imagined – it is a very urgent matter. So, I thought, maybe

I should have another line so that I can sell products not

handmade by myself, but handmade by other designers

in Korea where I can purchase from them to sell here for

a lower price – everything under $60.00. And then this

would then bring in better revenue to support Psalms in

order to reach our goal – our vision.

LO: What does Jayu mean [Sally then informs me that

it is pronounced jye-you]

SH: It’s Korean for freedom. So, essentially, Shop for

Freedom. I love it because my marketing strategies seem

to be more defined now. With Shop for Jayu, I feel like I

can be more fun; I’m also weird and quirky! So I can use

that in Shop for Jayu. Where with Psalms, it’s a deeper

part of me, and much more personal.

LO: Now, would you say that the Shop for Jayu customer

differs from the Psalms’ customer?

SH: Yes, definitely! They’re still similar, like, whoever has

shopped Psalms is likely to shop both. But I feel like there

are some people who just love Psalms but couldn’t quite

afford it – such as younger students. So, now, they are

happy to be able to purchase Shop for Jayu.

LO: You have a men’s line, as well…do you find it

difficult designer for men?

SH: Um, I would say it’s a challenge. Because, well, I love

creating girly stuff. But men’s stuff is fun too. Because I

myself am not all girly – I love adding some manliness

to my wardrobe to give it that rugged feel; a little rough

around the edges.

LO: To finish off, if you had to choose a word

synonymous with either Psalms or Shop for Jayu, what

would it be?

SH: For Psalms, I would say ‘muted art.’ And for Jayu,

‘free to be.’

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TARA KREBSDelve deep into the mind of Tara Krebs. Her peculiar, incredibly imaginative mind creates strange characters

and fictitious landscapes using paints and canvas [and sometimes wood too]. There’s something really unique in the way she twists and plays with animal anatomy, somehow finding a sort of perfect harmony between unrelated elements.

On one sweltering afternoon in August, I met with Tara to try and probe her mind for some clues to her art practice. Entering her studio space was like stepping into a twisted fairytale. Her paintings – which looked like they could have been torn right out of a dark children’s storybook – engulfed her workspace walls. Here, we had an in-depth discussion about art, nature, and the profound impact that those two things have in her life. [by erika balint]

EB: Alright, I’m going to start with kind of an obvious

question: Where did your love of art stem from?

TK: It’s just something I’ve always done. It’s something

I’ve done since I can remember. I come from a really big

family, and so I had 5 sisters, then a brother, then me, so, I

wasn’t at the age where I could really play with my sisters.

I spent a lot of time hermiting by myself in my room,

and I would just draw and draw. I can make a game out

of anything… using rocks, or, anything. I was always just

coming up with characters, and coming up with drawings,

and worlds. I remember really vividly that I used to draw

obsessively – sort of graphic novels – like on those free

pads of paper they give out at car dealerships. I had like

a crazy squirrel stockpile of those. And I would just draw

these stories. And some of them were surprisingly dark

for such a young age, and I used to hide them.

I teach art now actually, and one of the things I’m

always telling my students is that practice is the most

important thing- especially in art. You only learn and get

better by practicing. And I guess I was sort of practicing

unintentionally. I think making art is just something I

have to do – I don’t really think I have a choice.

EB: And your drawings all have a very childlike and

whimsical feel to them. Do you still see a lot of that

childhood self in your drawings now? Does that carry

over?

TK: Yeah, especially as I’ve been painting more for the

last couple of years, I find I’m getting closer and closer

to entering those worlds that I entered as a child. So, I

mentioned a few times that my memory isn’t that great.

But I remember a lot about playing as a child. Not

necessarily who I was with, or where I was, but the most

vivid memories I have are of worlds I was in. It’s just the

feeling of playing, and I think the more I paint the more

those feelings come back to me. It’s not just memories,

but I’ve started to get a very all-encompassing sort of

flashbacks of when I was a kid. Like splashing in a puddle

and almost going back to how that felt. As a kid you can

really convince yourself of that notion. And I was never

the kind of kid that wanted to play House. I wanted to go

to an island, with monsters that were picking us off one

by one. Through my work, I can kind of reenter that.

(cont’d on page 26)

art feature

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‘the beginning is the end is the beginning’ // acrylic on gessoboard 16” x 20” // by tara krebs

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‘the messenger’ // acrylic on gessoboard 16” x 20” // by tara krebs

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EB: And it’s funny that it seems your memory almost

wants to work harder for that imaginative side than

the less exciting ‘real world,’ side. So how would you

describe your process? When you create these works,

with so much going on, how does that come together?

What comes first?

TK: I think most of my best images come from doodles.

Whether I’m waiting for a friend, or just sitting in a

park on a bench. I think the best images just come from

doodling things I think are silly, and then my brain just

inevitably just starts going on all these tangents. Like

who that character is, and where they live, and what their

story is. And so I’ll go through my sketchbook and pick

things out and pencil them in, but usually I’ll also leave

some elements unplanned. I guess I want to bring that

spontaneity of doodling into the final piece. And I feel

like in these worlds, anyway, that sort of thing might

happen. Like, a character might just show up at the last

minute!

EB: So would you say your works are more like character

maps then, or is there an element of narrative as well?

TK: I think both. Especially in the pieces I’m doing now,

one of the goals behind the work is to create a sort of

narrative that’s driven by these characters, but your role

as a viewer in viewing the piece is to decide who these

characters are and what the narrative is. I keep the titles

of the paintings pretty vague as well because I don’t want

to give too much away. I think that in this time that we

live in, information is so available to us. If you want to

know anything, you can Google it. So we don’t really have

a lot of time to wonder.

EB: I think that art generally is a great outlet for that.

Do you ever think of pairing writing with your works?

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TK: I do. I have always loved writing, so much. And that’s

something I don’t think a lot of people know about me.

I actually wrote a children’s book, and I really want to

do the illustrations. I feel really positive about it, but I’ve

been so busy I haven’t had the time to finish it. And then

I’ve always had an interest in graphic novels, just from my

strange childhood interest.

EB: Do you have an inspirational place? Like somewhere

you go that just fills you with creativity?

TK: I have a few… I don’t get to them as often as I’d like.

My world is a crazy tornado of happenings right now and

it’s so hard to take time for that. It seems so sad to say

that. But pretty much any time I’m in nature, my brain

just explodes with ideas. Any time I’m around animals,

and I get to see their personalities and the silly things

they do… living animals are such characters. I like to go

to High Park, but early in the morning when its not filled

with people. And then I guess just travelling.

EB: So where do you think you want to take your work

eventually? Or, where do you want to take it right now?

TK: Right now I’m just really just being a hermit in my

studio and trying to do as much painting as I can right

now so people can get a feel for what I do. And I’m just

starting to exhibit a lot more. I hope that in the future I

can show a lot more in places like LA or New York, cause

I find that I don’t lack for people who respond positively

to my work and enjoy that genre of work, but its really

hard to find places that show this kind of work. And, for

instance, in LA there are so many amazing galleries that

show Surrealism, Pop Surrealism, Lowbrow, all of that

really fun work. So maybe I’ll have to move there!

EB: And you mentioned your boyfriend makes toys

– which is really cool – so have you ever thought of

collaborating with him on that? Or have you done that

already?

TK: There’s this one that I’ve never finished, [Tara takes

out this amazing little sculptural prototype for a oddly

adorable fat rabbit named Harold] and I definitely want

to try and design for him in the future. It’s just a matter of

having time to do it.

EB: This seems like a natural question to ask… What’s

your favourite fairytale, or story?

TK: Oh. I have a few. I can’t think of a traditional fairytale

off hand that’s my favourite, but a lot of stories. Like, I

loved ‘The Secret Garden.’ It’s such a good story, and it

has such a real element of truth to it. Like, it’s just a girl

who’s healed by being in her garden, and healing the

earth. And that was always something personal for me. I

love gardening, and animals, and nature, and I think the

lesson in that story is such an important one. But with

that cute, happy story aside, I love the Count of Monte

Cristo. It’s just such a satisfying story of revenge. I love

his master plan, and the genius of the author to come up

with that plan.

EB: So I’m almost out of questions, but just one last

one: Do you have any upcoming shows or big projects?

TK: I have a couple shows that are coming up, but I

haven’t been given the go-ahead yet. But I guess if people

want to keep in touch with what I’m doing, I have all

kinds of social media do-dads that they can check up on

me with! [Facebook, blog and twitter]

Miss Tara Krebs has a really great website! If this issue peaks your interest, and you gotta have more, visit www.tarakrebs.com

And here are those “social media do-dads” she had alluded to:

Tumblr: http://tarakrebs.tumblr.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/TaraKrebsArt

I think that in this time we live

in, information is so available

to us... we don’t really have a

lot of time to wonder.

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‘from the ashes’ // acrylic on gessoboard 16” x 20” // by tara krebs

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‘from the ashes’ // acrylic on gessoboard 16” x 20” // by tara krebs

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‘what dreams became against our accumulated daylight’ // by sherri hay // img. www.cuttsgallery.com

‘in the ignorance that implies impression that knits knowledge that finds the name form that whets the wits that convey contacts that sweeten sensation that drives desire that adheres to attachement that dogs death that bitches birth that en-tails’ // by sherri hay // img. www.cuttsgallery.com

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Situated in Toronto’s west end, the Christopher Cutts Gallery is neatly tucked away at 21

Morrow Avenue – between Roncesvalles and Lansdowne, off of Dundas. I visited the gallery to see the Sherri Hay solo exhibit, titled: Worlds a Sound for Sitters to Sit in just a few days after its opening. In the gallery, I was very much left to my own devices. Luckily, Hay’s work speaks volumes entirely on its own.

I was previously acquainted with some of her earlier sculptures: tiny, humanoid figures comprised entirely of flora. These figures explore man’s relationship with nature, and nature’s relationship with gods and deities. The works in her current exhibit appear to use this theme as their point of departure, but in an entirely different way.

Upon entering the gallery, I was greeted with Hay’s incredible site-specific installation. Suspended from the ceiling were tiny black crosses hung on thread. The crosses, all hanging at varied yet cohesive levels create a landscape that is entirely artificial, but still alive and animated by the “real” environment that surrounds it. The installation can be viewed from any angle, creating a multitude of possible perceptions, and has an almost sublime quality to it.

The works featured in the adjacent gallery had an entirely different feel to them. Mounted at eye level were tiny dioramas of surreal imagined

environments. These pieces had an obvious correlation to Hay’s earlier sculptural works, but now, she refers to nature and the space that we inhabit in a more abstract conceptual manner. These environments look like shrunken versions of spaces that were once enormous and enveloping, creating a tension and feeling of unease. Despite their small size, they are easy to get lost in.

Worlds a Sound for Sitters to Sit in will be on display until the end of September. While quality images of Hay’s works can be found on the Christopher Cutts Gallery website, the technical skill level of these works and the powerful feelings that they evoke cannot be understood through photographic representation. I highly recommend that if you have the time, you take a trip to Dundas West to see the exhibit. The show offers meaningful insight to the human mind’s perception of the immense, incomprehensible space we live in.

obluvial waters of our noarchich memory, 20128 x 5 x 5 in., watercolour on paper, acrylic medium, urethane foam

Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto

SHERRI HAYA REVIEW BY ERIKA BALINT

exhibit review

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HARPCORE

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CARNIVAL MOONA little while ago, I was looking for a music feature for this issue. This is no easy task, simply

because there are so many great, talented people making music in this city. I just sat, and sat, sifting through music, staring blankly at my computer screen. Admitting defeat, I turned to friends for help, and I was in turn referred to Carnival Moon. I pulled up their bandcamp, listened to their EP (titled Our Little Hourglass) and not even halfway through the first song, I was scrambling to find their email address.

I guess that from the moment I saw “harpcore” on their band’s page, I was interested. But the songs themselves are so dreamy, and melodic, and – I hope they’re not upset with me for saying this, but – whimsical. In the best way. They’re all incredibly talented and well-trained musicians, and really humble, lovely people. I sat down to a table full of snacks, and we sat and chatted about just about everything…Talk show hosts. Gordon Ramsay. And honey badgers.

So please acquaint yourselves with Elaine Kelly-Canning, David Scanlon, Sean Lancaric and (in spirit, because he couldn’t make it!) Will Whitwham of Carnival Moon. [by erika balint]

EB: I was going to ask if you guys are all Toronto

natives, but, now I see that you’re not..

DS: I’m actually from Oakville… …No I’m not really.

I’m Irish, from a little town called Waterford. It used to

be famous for Waterford crystal, which isn’t made there

anymore so, now it’s not famous for anything.

EB: And how did you all sort of come together?

EKC: We met through, his old band actually (Dave):

Halves. And I know Sean and Will through their band,

The Wilderness of Manitoba. And we’re just sort of a

conglomerate, coming together.

DS: Well when I moved, well my band was playing here

a couple years ago, Elaine kind of looked after us, cause

she followed us on Myspace back when Myspace was a

thing… she showed us around town, and we became

friends that way. So I was already planning on moving

to Canada at that stage, and eventually lived next door

to each other.

EB: And so how long have you guys been working on

this project then?

DS: Three years as of yesterday.

EKC: But kind of off and on.

DS: When we have a deadline, we tend to kind of go

“oh crap”, and then write the song. But otherwise, life

takes over and its kind of a nice, gentle thing.

EKC: And Dave’s a full time scientist, I’m finishing up

my degree, Sean and Will just got back from touring

the UK, and we don’t really wanna play gigs unless it’s

the four of us.

EB: So how were you trained on the harp? It seems

like such a dying art now.

EKC: Actually, my mom reminded me of this the other

day… my first fiddle teacher was a harp builder, so the

first time we went to have lessons with him, he had this

huge workshop and it was all harps. And even though

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I was playing – and I liked playing – the fiddle, I said “I

am going to play one of those one day.” Then I was also

reminded the other day that my obsession started with

the beginning of The Friendly Giant [no, guys, it’s not The

Big Friendly Giant], I would always see it and always say

I wanted to learn. But obviously its more expensive and

not quite as mobile..

EB: You guys played NXNE this year, have you ever

done anything of that nature before?

EKC: I think all of us have, in separate projects. Like, in

my old band we played Electric Picnic last year, with his

old band [Dave’s] and that was awesome. And Sean [and

Will] have played more than all of us combined probably.

But we’re hoping to do more, especially once we have an

album out.

EB: Nice, and were there any acts you guys really wanted

to get out and see?

SL: I wanted to go see Brasstronaut. But I saw them in

Berlin, so I wasn’t too torn up… [this remark was followed

by a lot of teasing!]

EB: And any great concerts so far this summer? Or

anyone you’re looking forward to seeing?

EKC: I got to see Sigur Ros a few weeks ago, and I was

very, very, very happy.

DS: Last absolutely amazing gig I went to see with Elaine

was Jaga Jazzist. That’s one of the best performances

I have ever seen. They’re from Norway, and they’re

electronic/ jazz/ rock/ ridiculousness. The drummer was

this huge guy off to the side of the stage, and every so

often he would just stand up, for extra weight and just

bash into the drum, and he kind of directed the whole

thing… they’re just amazing.

SL: I’m excited to go see Grizzly Bear at Massey Hall, I

just think them playing in that space will be interesting.

EB: And so do you guys have any upcoming shows?

models elaine kelly-caning, david scanlon, sean lancaric, will whitman // photography by michael bulko

music feature

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Thinking about touring in the distant future?

DS: Recording is where we’re at at the moment. We have

the EP and now we’re starting into an album, with bits

and pieces of that done.

EB: And do you have a tentative date for your album’s

release?

DS: That’s where we’ve gotta work around everyone’s

schedules. It heavily depends on who’s got time when.

EKC: I kind of feel like Will’s more our expert on that sort

of thing. We’re waiting on grants, and then I’ll probably

be putting it out on vinyl, and then we just kind of have to

time factor stuff in. I also feel like it’s more of a wintery/

fall sounding record, I don’t really think it’s something

we’d wanna put out in the spring time so, we might have

to hang onto it for a while. And Leon, our engineer, who

plays in a band called Dusted – they’re amazing – he’s got

a pretty rigorous touring schedule for that. And we don’t

wanna work without him. So we’ve got a lot of different

things to schedule ourselves around.

DS: We just have to keep giving ourselves short-term

deadlines. I know I certainly write better when I know,

“crap, I’ve gotta finish this by next week,” otherwise it’s

too easy for life to get in the way.

EKC: Yeah, sometimes I’ll just stay up till three in the

morning, like I would with a school paper thinking: “I

must finish this.”

EB: But I feel like, when you write in that way, it might

not be the best writing you do, but it forces out the

skeleton of the writing which you can later refine.

DS: That’s true, we tend to do that where we ‘finish it’,’ and

then keep working with it in the studio where the extra

bits and pieces come together.

EKC: And I think that way I can’t really stop, and freak

out, and overthink it [Dave makes a snide remark and

Elaine calls him a dickhead]. I’m not a terribly self-

possessed writer. Most often I need their input or else I

think it’s rubbish.

EB: Do you have a routine or process you follow for

your writing?

EKC: Lots of tea, maybe beers…

DS: Sometimes I’ll have like, a fiddle loop or some sort

of loop station.

EKC: And then sometimes we’ll just bring Sean in here

and make him tap drum parts out on his leg and that’s

how we’ll write something. I think our progression is to

get more rhythmical. I don’t want it to be quiet, pretty,

Joanna Newsom sounding stuff. That’s always in the back

of my head: rhythm, rhythm, rhythm. I like to think

of what would challenge Sean to play, or what would

leave lots of space for Dave and Will to come up with

stuff they’d really like to play. So, I’m trying to be more

diplomatic that way.

EB: Maybe this is a weird question but, your song titles,

they’re all really quirky. I wanted to ask how you come

up with them?

EKC: Well it started out with me being able to name them

whatever I wanted, so a lot of them are like, nicknames

and stuff, cause I wrote a lot of the songs for friends. So

its sort of, just for them, inside jokes. And Electronic Jeff

Bridges was just Dave listening to a podcast of this British

guy giving out about Tron, and we thought it was really

funny.

DS: Generally because, with Elaine, I love her lyrics –

they’re lovely, evocative lyrics – and we kind of don’t want

to be too po-faced about it. It would be very easy to just

take a beautiful line from the lyrics and name it that. But

just puncturing it slightly, and [trying] to make sure we’re

not too narcissistic.

EB: Is there any sort of film, or piece of literature

Before I met him, I thought “yes, I get to steal one of them.” I

would say musically, that was one of those wow moments.

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that has had a profound impact on your music and

songwriting?

EKC: Oh god. I’m an English major so that’s a terrifying

question. Dave’s gonna get really mad at me, but it was

discovering his band. Before I met him, I thought “yes, I

get to steal one of them.” I would say musically, that was

one of those wow moments. I’d say for this album I’ve

been reading a lot of this Irish writer John Banville I’d say

he was a really big influence on concepts for writing. And

what really compelled me to start writing music was my

‘Literature for our Time,’ prof at UofT: Nick Mount- he’s

a brilliant, sincere lecturer. And just his was of talking

about literature was fantastic and I just immediately

started writing music after his class.

DS: My main influence is ‘Coronation Street.’ Any if the

lyrics that I’ve written in there would be from ‘Coronation

Street.’

SL: You know what? The biggest inspiration that I have

now is from ‘The Shining,’ [the Kubrick version] that

scene where the blood comes out of the elevator. That’s

like, my inspiration right now for playing the drums.

There’s something about it. Like this moment where I

saw Wayne Shorter at Massey Hall and Bryan Blade was

playing, and it was one of those moments where you hear

someone play an instrument and its like a knife coming

through you from head to toe. When I saw that, it was

one of those things. There’s a lecture, and this guy talks

about how with electronic music, you program 0 or 1.

But the computer can’t read between 0 and 1, but human

is between 0 and 1. So it was that moment, that was very

human when I was watching it, that was between 0 and 1

where everything clicked for me- when I saw that scene.

As soon as I saw it for the first time I was so terrified,

but so happy it existed. And it was very striking. So from

there I was thinking, how can I play a groove – and I

know that sounds so tacky – and apply that. And then

fifties jazz is just my favourite thing of all time. The thing

about the fifties is that there was still that mystery – like

the black space in a photograph – and the mood, and the

general consciousness of the people, and the times, it all

influenced the music. So those are kind of the influences

that I have in approaching the songs that they write. …

But then again, I just gotta play drums, so… [which was,

once again, followed by a burst of laughter].

EB: I feel like I’ve kind of bombarded you with

questions, but I wanna ask one last question that is just

completely unrelated. For our readers, what’s your very

favourite breakfast spot in the city?

EKC: Grapefruit Moon! They have proper sausages.

DS: Actually, yeah. I would go with that. Grapefruit Moon

has the closest thing to Irish sausages that I’ve found in

Canada- apart from actually importing sausages.

SL: I actually really enjoy breakfast for dinner. With a

beer with it.

Listen to the EP that I’ve been gushing about at: http://carnivalmoon.bandcamp.comAnd get as excited as we are for the release of their album!

And to stay on top of what they’re up to (and to soak in their hilarity) follow them! @CarnivalMoon

artwork by cormac murray

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I'm tired of the light blinding burning bright burning eyes leaving flash points on our retnas giving shadows more disguise. Staggered drunk out of young love the taste of naivety on my lips blood-clotted calloused cole sores call "Come here for a kiss." But not we, no we retreat, we wander home along safer streets avoiding holes where peddlers meet and greet. Don't you double dog dare do it you should know better than that. "Duh, I double dog dare you to do it. Don't you be no scaredy cat." Act on impulse now out of instinct, distinct tastes like those of failure, loss or mint. Go on taste alone all sight blurred blind by winter's snowy tint. Snow becomes sleet which will be rain and will raise Spring from Autumn's grave but that's all yet to come and so sleet still sleeps while snow remains like big black bears who hibernate to avoid ever having to miss the sun. They say they're dumb but that sounds pretty smart to hunt a hollow to halt your heart beat down to next to nil. You can try and I just might, but we'll wait 'til dark of night to plunder a pretty pumpkin pie from off the window sill. In front of the fireplace where love was made more times than I could explain we were caught red-handed on our way. So we'll probably starve that much is true, says "What's mine is mine, but I want yours too." Half of zero is still zero, so here.. "Have two." Take the west now that its been won empty your holster give up your gun erect your buildings eclipse the sun, go on ahead it's yours, have fun. But as for me, well I'm headed East with a pack on my back and two sore feet where I'll look for love if it'll look for me. My dreams they left me while I slept now that I have a chance to reflect they were probably always meant for someone else; not every puncture wound is meant to inject; not every temper meant to test; not every joke is meant in jest even if that's how it felt. Now I'd say goodnight but this is goodbye c'mon kiddo you gotta dry those eyes I'll see you the next time this world spins 'round. We wondered why we won't walk away those nights we fought and decided to stay I guess right now I need a change of pace or ground. I'll leave at night while you still sleep quiet as a mouse you won't hear a peep I'll make my way up the street and out of sight. I'll find the ghost I've been running from this road is long I'll need someone on my side. [by paul allard]

TIRED OF THE LIGHT

literature feature

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Grow golden like her hair or like your ver-y own nicotine stained teeth. Grow goldenin a way that makes sunflowers lean forshaded areas away from the light

and away from our eyes; which now search forgold in everything they see. Grow goldenlike your early morning stream, the colourof your dehydration. Grow golden and

polished you will shine and reflect each lightthat comes in search of you. Grow as goldenas the lamp light or the fireflies whofrequent this forest. Grow golden, more gol-

den than your antiqued ancestors who laytarnished in tucked away drawers; preserved art-ifacts of an aristocratic time.Grow golden in amongst the brass horns that

play music inspired by your sheen. Growso golden you eclipse the sun, shadow-ing its rays which dance off of you confusedand then return to the sky to be stars.

grow golden & zebra mussels by paul allard

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We managed to coast through the desert in the same way we’d been coasting through life. So we made it by the skin of our teeth. We watched the vultures float cutting through the sky that day like the serrated blade of a knife; circling their feast. We weren’t sure where we were headed. I’m not sure we could remember where we’d been, but we knew where we were. We were in the pockets of those we were indebted. We were hiding from the possibility of being seen. We were not welcoming of new encounters. We stuck to the paths the border jumpers made; I guess we hoped that our “American dream” was in Mexico. So we confused the crowd of doubters who were surely waiting back in Omaha in the cool shade sipping bitter lemonade out of mason jars and trying to will us home. But they don’t understand that sometimes you go so far that you simply can’t turn around, or stay put, whatever. They have never felt the insides of a car, aimless, four wheels on the ground ready to get you, well wherever. The chain link fence couldn’t have been anymore then fifteen feet tall and wasn’t wrapped in the barbwire we were more than ready for. We walked along hoping to find a door and when we didn’t see one at all we scaled the fence and hopped down to Mexico’s dirt floor. And that catches you up, and that’s where we are now. Please keep your mouth shut no one can find out that we’re staying here to make it in our new home. I just hope they weren’t right and we’ll find our smiles in Mexico.

MEXICO BY PAUL ALLARD

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“Let’s fall in love.” I told her as I grabbed her little hand and lead her back inside our past hoping to understand what we did to cause the cracks that caused our walls to fall; to crumble back out into the sea we feared most of all. The waves continued to fight themselves and sounded off their angry bells as you drowned I flailed like hell to keep you safe inside those swells. I pulled you down to the depths with me. I dove with hopes of being free. Her Beluga call like a siren song distracted me from pressing on and so in the second I took to pause we were swallowed up, sent through her jaws. Inside her helm, her ribcage arc, we traced our past back to its start. We scrolled our love across her heart with the other primitive cave art we found scarred inside her chest; the tales of love under her breast. We weathered the storm entwined as one, bouncing around, “Do not come undone.” And when our wishful thoughts reduced to none I held your breath and I gave you up. I sent you back out through her mouth; you forced it North but still I shoved you South and that’s finally where you were spat out into the panic of limbs about. That’s where I’m sure you found yourself, lost and alone in the Gulf coast’s belt. I could never leave you you knew that much, but it seemed so hard so out of touch. Then you saw it shoot through the sky in the passing of your blinking eye and then it landed by your wounded side, the love of your life and so you allowed a sigh, “You’re safe with me kid, I’ve got your back.” and our bodies went limp at the sound of that. Ready to go so long as we went together we drifted back with the wake, floated like feathers, until we woke back on the shore with our mouths agape and our muscles so worn. With so little to muster I forced out these words “Let’s fall in love kiddo.” and that’s all that you heard.WH

ALIN

G P

AUL

ALLA

RD

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good-bye words

what’snext?

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issue03 will be postponed by a month, and will be

released 12/19/2012. as the date falls just days before

that fateful day as predicted by our friends the mayans,

we hope to [in the event that this whole big thing really

goes through] provide you, our lovely readers, and the

artists chosen with a positive final experience before

the world’s demise. just kidding, we [erika and lindsey]

are just deeply involved with our theses in our final year,

and so require some extra time in order to give issue03

‘the technology issue’ as much love and attention as it

deserves. we hope you’ll understand. xx the editors