hit the spot
More Betty
How does this alt-punk pair manage to play in two bands
together, share vocals, live in the same house and remain best friends?
This
destined collaboration of drummer Al Mackinnon and bass player Karmin Poirier
is an equal hub of both punk party and productivity. Playing steadily on punk
bills from grindcore to power-pop, they just recorded a new full length called
“2nd Place” with Mike Gittens
(Tobeatic) at The Hive. Expect teasers in early December. The party favourite,
“Noodles and Chips” is also on the Sizzle Teen cassette comp and they just
played the recent showcase at Zoo Zhop for the new local label. Anticipate some
CITR radio play on Matt G’s Friday evening show “Stranded”.
“It was band at first sight!” laughs Karmin. They always
thought it would be a three piece.
“We found some really awesome people, but we found we had
really good chemistry,” says Karmin.
“We have this ability to just write like
crazy with each other,” she says.
“Yeah,” agrees Al.
“It’s like finishing each other’s sentences,” adds Karmin.
“It’s pretty easy,” Al responds.
Karmin comes from a band called Scumbelly and Al hails from
a doom band called Blood. It all began in rehearsal space called BROhemian
Grove and a ten-minute conversation on first meeting. That very night Karmin
revealed that they would be a band together. “Al did not know that, yet!” she
laughs. “We started by partying and then jamming in the small rehearsal space
for hours…. sometimes we’d write four songs in a night,” explains Karmin with
Al nodding in agreement.
They write incredibly catchy numbers, but also serious
content like “To The Street” relating to the marginalized existence of living
in poverty. There are songs from their first recording done at Little Red
Sounds with Felix Fung on the 2011 Blood Klub III vinyl compilation. Their cassette demo called First Fuck was recorded at 6th Ave. Records with the Squamish
crew. Al and Karmin also play together in pop-punk band called, Pro-Teens.
The vinyl will be out in the new year, but digital downloads
as early as December on their Hole in My Head Bandcamp with songs like “Semen
Seagall”, “Fightin’ Crime”, “Bike Snob”, “No Sleep” and “Fear Of Aging.” Also
“Beers for Fears” but, that’s a long story. “There was some record smashing,”
says Al. “There is a piece of the record still stuck in the wall,”
adds Karmin and motions to a sharp fragment sticking out of the window frame
and remaining pieces hanging over the exit.
Hole In my Head play Interurban Gallery, December 8 with Nu Sensae, the Jolts and Real Problems.
