Virgin Fest: Not so secret anymore
Photo courtesy Secret Broadcast. Winning x92.9’s annual Xposure contest, and edging out 300 other bands across Canada in the "Oh Henry! What Feeds Your Hunger" competition has boosted the exposure of local rockers Secret Broadcast.
Any up-and-coming band will tell you that giving into the frustration of a career lacking success comes all to easy. Constant disappointment can seemingly warrant a band’s decision to quit. However, according to Secret Broadcast’s Matt Lightstone, the key to avoid throwing in the towel prematurely is simply to maintain patience and find a reliable way to stay motivated.
“There are way too many bands that give up so easily. For some, it takes 10 years to reach any success,” says Lightstone.
Luckily for Secret Broadcast, their first taste of fame came much sooner.
Formed in 2006, the local group consists of Matt Lightstone (lead vocals/guitar), John de Jesus (bass/back up vocals), and Bryan Craig (drums).
Secret Broadcast offers such a wide variety of melodies, that it is often difficult to classify them under one single genre. Lightstone says, “when you hear something new, it’s hard to categorize it.” In fact, fans have claimed their first EP Plastic Fantasic, to be a range of rock, pop, funk, dance, and alternative. Since their musical debut, Secret Broadcast has spurred comparisons to artists such as U2, The Strokes, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
In 2008, they made the all-important leap into the mainstream with the release of their first single “I Am Sound,” which Lightstone attributes as one of the turning points in their careers. Of course with any up-and-coming band, such breakthroughs can almost be non-existent.
“The local scene was the most challenging thing to overcome. The media was not very receptive,” Lighstone says.
Indeed one of the toughest obstacles for any new act is getting their name out into the musical industry. However, for Secret Broadcast, it certainly helps when you win x92.9’s annual Xposure contest, and edge out 300 other bands across Canada in the “Oh Henry! What Feeds Your Hunger” competition.
The rock trio is set to release their second album, Exploding Spiders nationally September 1st, which encompasses songs that are more melody focused.
“What we wanted to do with this record was not only showcase the style of the first EP, but write songs which are a little bit more intimate,” says Lightstone. As far as musical content is concerned, fans can expect lyrics that are “largely about living in the moment” and crafted without any external cause.
“With our writing process, we spend about 80 percent of the time together while working in a very spontaneous nature,” Lightstone says.
Secret Broadcast has since played alongside the likes of Metric, The Stills, Matthew Good, MGMT, and Oasis. Their success has even earned them invitations to the 2007 Vans Warped Tour, North-by-Northeast (NXNE), Canadian Music Week, and this weekend’s Alberta Virgin Festival in Calgary.
Virgin Fest Spotlight
Secret Broadcast
Show: Sunday, Aug. 9 Main Stage @ 1:50 p.m.
For the band’s website click here
When asked if he could offer one important piece of advice for other up-and-coming bands still in search of their big break, Lightstone recommends that “the best thing any musicians can do is open their ears as far as musical taste is concerned. When you have three band members who all listen to the same band, they often end up sounding like that band. One thing the fans don’t know about us is that we all have very, very different musical taste.”
