This relatively young band has been making some pretty big waves in the few years they’ve been together, garnering praise from local music rags and the likes of Gordon Lightfoot. It’s no wonder: Great Bloomers mix genres like a group of chemists, combining just the right doses of country, indie and ‘70s-era stadium rock to create pristine explosions of sound.
There are hints of an Arcade Fire influence here, but that belies the intimate nature of many of the songs, which bring John K. Sampson to mind more than Win Butler. The band’s debut full-length, Speak of Trouble, has already earned them well-deserved recognition and they’re now working on the follow-up.
We caught up with lead vocalist and songwriter Lowell Sostomi to talk about what the future has in store for Great Bloomers.
What do you put more stock in, the lyrics or the melody?
You need both. I spend a lot more time on lyrics, as the messages in the songs are much more complex then the melodies. I think melodies should be simple.
What's the songwriting process like for you guys?
I write all the songs and bring them to the band, where we all arrange and color them together.
One of the things I really like about your sound is the way you manage to incorporate so many different styles into your songs, but yet manage to make it sound cohesive. Is that something you strive for or do you find it comes more naturally?
It was never something I did intentionally. I love all kinds of music and could never be happy honing in on just one particular sound. It's important for me as a songwriter to keep my options open as best I can.
You're working on your second album. How's it coming along?
I am extremely proud of how everything has developed in anticipation of recording. We have been doing our best to prepare the new material, while leaving room for the tunes to grow in the studio. It feels like it's our third album, as I wrote and scrapped an entire album's worth of material. So I am really ready to lay something down.
Are you approaching the new album differently from the first one or the EP in any way?
Completely different. It’s a new sound, new ideas and an entirely new band. I'm the only person in our band who played on Speak Of Trouble. This record will be a lot more moody and we're going to try to capture as much live-performance energy as possible.
It seems like you guys tour pretty extensively. Are there any big shows or tours you've got coming up?
We’re playing Oct. 14 with Yukon Blonde at Lee's Palace.
Recommended track: “Honey Blanket”
Video: “The Young Ones Slept”
Great Bloomers are:
Lowell Sostomi — vocals, guitar, harmonica
Tony McKnight — bass
Kyle Watt — drums
Shawn Dell — keys, vocals
Tim Moxam — guitars, vocals
Ty Trumbull is a Toronto writer. He works as an editor at 680News and can be seen playing banjo with his band, The Sure Things, every Monday at the The Dakota Tavern.
