Artist Name /Band : The Elektric Rust Company
Music Genre : Rock
Website or Social Media Page
Carnival of Souls – Album Release from, ‘The Elektric Rust Company’
After many months hard at work in the studio, guitar and drum duo The Electric Rust Co.
(TERC) is ready to share their latest self-produced, full-length album with wider audiences.
Songs include the latest single release as Written in the Stars, The Pain, and the self-titled song Carnival of Souls, and Those Loving Arms – which is described on the band’s social media pages as “the most accessible song from the album.”
Those Loving Arms is a recent track release from the album. “The song is about feeling loved in times of hardships,” says Bramanis.
“It’s about navigating through life, choices you make, and the people you meet along the way,” drummer Mike Bricknell says of the message behind the song, which was co-written
with guitarist Janis Bramanis.
Carnival of Souls – Album Release from ‘The Elektric Rust Company’
Bramanis and Bricknell founded TERC in 2018 in different forms but making it official in 2019. The two musicians have been playing together for decades through other Toronto, Canada area bands.
Their partnership started in Orangeville, Ontario, where they grew up, back when it was still considered a small town. Jamming in parents’ basements and living rooms, and playing local bars was commonplace.
As time progressed, Bramanis and Bricknell together played the Toronto club circuit with bands such as Stereolights, and The Rusty Eyes, gaining inspiration from the live experience. They also suffered through the manic musician egos that led to the demise of those promising up-and- coming bands. They released Independent EP’s with both bands with minor radio air time.
TERC brought them back to their “happy place,” creating music together for the pure joy of it. Carnival of Souls will be the band’s second album, created in the studio with help from producer Brian Gagnon, formerly of the band, The Hunt.
“It’s amazing — Brian helping us to get the music in our heads out and into radio-ready play,” says Bricknell. “He’s a knowledgeable guy with tons of experience in this business, and his help has been instrumental in this process.”
“There are so many musical influences we draw from — The Tea Party, Blackberry Smoke, Led Zeppelin and so many other bands and genres,” Bricknell says. “But it’s always about us liking the music enough to put out there into the world for people to hear.”
For more details see the band’s website at TERCmusic.net, and social media platforms like Spotify, Apple, etc. The album has been released on several music platforms with more music to be released in the coming months.
What Musical Genre Do You Feel Best Describes Your Music And How Would You Describe Your Sound?
We have so many musical influences and are huge music fans, but this latest album would be along the lines of indie hard rock with a bit of small-town twang.
How Did You Get Your Name? Is There A Story?
We approach this latest band as a Company. That is, we will add pieces, take away pieces, add players as we go and change morph when we need to. But for now we are a 2-piece rock duo. The ‘Rust’ comes from a previous band we were in called Rusty Eyes which is the colour of your eyes after a night of one too many adult beverages. We feel the elektric part in the songs we create and play (we know the ‘electric’ is spelled differently).
What Are or Have Been Your Musical Influences?
We have been fortunate to have seen many acts in concert. Canadian acts such as The Tea Party, I Mother Earth, The Tragically Hip, Rush, Sloan, Neil Young, and many more have really been a staple to inspire us. Other acts such as AC/DC, STP, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Jack White, BRMC, QOTSA, Tom Petty, INXS, Lenny Kravitz, Blackberry Smoke, to others like NWA, Public Enemy, Snoop, and so many more keep us going. We grew up listening to music from the 60’s like the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and Rolling Stones, and 90’s rock, alternative, hip hop and rap, blues, jazz, classical, Mike mixed Drum and Bass and Jungle music for a while, and we’re from small town Ontario Canada so there is some country influences in there, as well. We have so many musical influences to draw from and enjoy good music from so many genres, what comes out of it is really our own style.
What Are You Working On Now? Any Future Collaborations We Can Look Forward To?
We starting to really get our sound down during the lockdowns with the Covid debacle. We had a few song ideas kicking around but really focused and decided to get an album done. As we are still releasing songs from the album onto various social platforms we are also working on songs for the next album. We have a plan to get out a bunch of albums over the next few years and are sticking to it.
What Is Your Ultimate Goal In The Music Industry? What Is Your Plan Of Action?
Playing music in front of different crowds is such a rush when you put your heart out there for people to see critique, relate to, and applause. Creating music in the studio and hearing what you’ve been playing around in your mind back on the monitors is pretty remarkable as well. But being able to make a good living from all the time spent on writing, recording, and playing is what we’re all after.
What Is Your Favorite Track To Perform Live and Why?
We are constantly working on our live set to try our best to play what is off the album. A fun song to play at the moment is Written in the Stars as there is a cool groove, artistic guitar rhythms, and a fun bridge to let our minds escape for a short time while playing the tune.
What Has Been The Biggest Challenge In Your Career Thus Far?
Honestly, we’ve played with some great players along the way. Sometimes people’s ego, emotion, moving away, drug and alcohol abuse, or simply having a terrible attitude in life get in the way of keeping bands together. It is no different for our experiences as well. It is great working together with the two of us and add in people as we go to help streamline ideas and get work done.
What’s Your Typical Songwriting Process?
We simply bounce ideas off each other. We geek out on music and talk to each other nearly every day about a song idea, a lyric, or something we’ve seen or read. We like what we feel is ‘good’ music so hope to cascade that into our tunes. We both work off Logic X, record some ideas to share with each other and work on it for weeks to then work away to completion. Janis has a home studio where we do a lot of work.
How Has Social Media Influenced Your Career As An Artist?
It is really tough to get noticed out there are there are so many great acts out there today. There is a lot of, well, questionable music out there too, so it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. We know the big music companies really own the streaming services and call the shots as all the money trickles back up the line to them so we really want to get a ton of our own music out there hope some folks like it along the way.. Please share it and say hi.
What Are Some Tracks and Artists Currently On Your Playlist?
Our own music of course. But it changes daily depending on mood, weather, politics, and whatever else happens in a day.
What Did You Do Before You Started Making Music?
Believe it or not, we’ve been making music for a long time. Our lives are intertwined in our music. Janis is a Supervisor at a local Casino, and Mike is a Mortgage Broker so we really work hard to keep the music going while being able to feed our families and have our fun making and playing music.
Any Advice For Young People (Men or Women) That Want To Succeed In The Music World?
It is best to follow your heart and soul in your musical journey. Everyone is different. You be you. And be the best you there is. It is easy to give in to all the outside noise especially when the promise of money to make a living off music is at stake, but be diverse, unique, and own the outcomes of your decisions. After a while, things will start to pay off for you.
What Would You Change In The Music Industry If You Were A Top Music Executive?
Let’s leave this one out for now.
How Do You Feel About Originality?
The musical hook is the key. There are only so many notes on a guitar fret board, and the piano keys, but it’s what you do with those notes and the air between those notes that will set you apart from others.