Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Film & Music

UofT student Scott Hannigan (left) and his bandmates have high aspirations for The Commandeers Photo: Arch Denton

Toronto has plenty of successful indie bands who have managed to make it big. But for every Broken Social Scene, there are dozens of smaller bands trying to make a name for themselves. Being a little band in the big city can be hard. It can take a lot of effort and unpaid shows to get people to pay attention to your band in the seemingly endless parade of other groups out there.

The Commandeers, a Toronto-based rock-and-roll group with garage punk ferocity, are one such young band. Their Feb. 20 show at the Silver Dollar Room revealed some masterful rock-and-roll moments, as they switched effortlessly between simple, powerful riffs and classic rock lead guitar. After the show, and just before the band's two performances at the 28th annual Canadian Music Week Festival, The Strand caught up with bassist and fourth-year UofT student Scott Hannigan to chat about being a little band in a big town.

Strand: How long have you guys been on the Toronto music scene?

Scott Hannigan: We've been playing together for about a year and a half, gigging in and around Toronto. We've played a bunch of bars and venues, including The Horseshoe and the Painted Lady. Our style definitely has an old school, 70s rock-and-roll flavour to it, we're starting to write songs that are taking us in a new direction, staying true to our roots while keeping somewhat current.

S: How often do you get called a punk band?

SH: Punk definitely runs in our blood as we are heavily influenced by bands like Iggy Pop and the New York Dolls, but I think that's where the comparison ends. Punk has great energy and we really try to bring that feeling every time we play, but we'd like to establish a little more depth and add a little more diversity into our sound.

S: Is being a little band in T.O. hard?

SH: Yeah, it is. Renting rehearsal space gets pretty expensive when you practice multiple times a week. Also, because there are so many bands here, promoters often make you feel privileged to play their venues, and bands are often forced to cough up money to play under-attended shows. Our friends have been there every show, so we've never had much trouble getting people out, but getting paid is another story. After a year and a half of gigging we're only starting to even come close to breaking even. But that's the nature of the game, and we're just happy to be making music and performing as much as possible.

S: You're a UofT student. What has your experience on campus been like?

SH: My time at UofT has been pretty helpful at mostly teaching me the things I don't want to do. I've enjoyed school as much as any normal person can, but music is where my (and my bandmates') minds are at 24/7. School gives me some structure and discipline that a lot of musicians don't have, so for that I'm grateful.

The Commandeers are clearly on the right track. Their songs are short and energy-fueled in a way that is reminiscent of the Hives, and lead singer Nathan Jesonika's voice has got a punk rock growl to it. But the band has more than just a ballsy attitude. As for their future in the wider Toronto scene, only time will tell.

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