editor’s note
I’m late to the party.
I often find myself
discovering bands that have been around for years—bands
that may not even be together anymore—and getting all
excited about them, only to find that I’m the last to know.
Everybody and their dog has been groovin’ to the tunes of
The Everyones for years. It used to annoy me, but now I’m
starting to think that being late could have benefits.
For example, they say that being late to the
party—an actual shindig, not the proverbial party—is
fashionable. That’s good, right? I have a friend (whose
name will not be mentioned) who is always late to
meetings. The reason? He’s generous with his time and
is constantly lingering with various folks in conversation,
perpetually making him late to whatever’s next. It’s an
endearing trait and I forgive him for his lateness. I also
plan for it.
This issue of [sic] is late, but that means it includes
an interview with new Montreal band Ought, whose
debut album came out just a month ago. It also means
we’re able to profile Vancouver band, The Pack A.D., who
will be playing Midsummer Festival this year. If we were
on time, neither of these great bands would’ve made it
into the pages you’re about to read. And, to gather the
material for the issue on a tight, past-deadline deadline,
I interviewed CICK’s station manager while getting a
tattoo, coerced artist Facundo Gastiazoro into starting a
sketch on a scrap of paper outside of a coffee shop, and
collected random interviews at all times of the day. In a
strange way, the craziness of all this was actually pretty
fun. And it was all the result of being so behind schedule.
So why are we so late in getting this issue into your
hands? Well, you may have noticed there’s no advertising
in [sic]. No ads means no money. We are the definition
of “shoestring”. You know those ancient sneakers in the
back of the closet with such frayed and worn shoelaces
that if one of those laces pulls out of a hole, you’re
probably never going to get it back through? That’s us.
But our sneaker laces are getting a much-needed lighter
treatment on the frayed end. Thanks to a few key people
and a lot of support from you, the readers, we’ve come
up with a plan to keep this little ‘zine alive. Each issue
from here on in is going to feature an article about an
individual in the community. You may know them, you
might not. After you read, you will. In return for their
kind sponsorship of an issue of [sic], we’re going to give
folks an opportunity to talk in an interview about pretty
much whatever they want, with one requirement: that it
all ties back to music somehow. It’s part sopabox, part
profile, part...something.
Maybe being late isn’t so bad after all. So next
time you’re running behind schedule, cut yourself some
slack and remember that late isn’t always bad. Being late
never felt so good.
– Matt J. Simmons
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[sic] spring 2014.indd 2
14-05-26 12:23 AM