CMW 2008: Maybe Smith

02/29/08 12:30pm

by Alyssa Noel (CHARTattack)

Hometown: Saskatoon, SK
Official Website: www.sirhandsomerecords.com

Members:
Colin Skrapek

Colin Skrapek, a.k.a. Maybe Smith, is still ascending to fame for his lo-fi electronic indie pop. But don't expect this hilarious Saskatonian to stay a secret for long. His somewhat prolific writing and recording paired with his hard-working D.I.Y. ethic ensure his imminent breakout.

So, you're about to play the big industry event that is Canadian Music Week. What's the most shameless thing you've ever done to promote your band?
Last year when I was on tour with Carbon Dating Service, we wrapped ourselves in a CBC banner naked on Parliament Hill. That's pretty shameless, I would say. That's the most nude thing involved.

What's the hardest part about being an up-and-coming band?
Doing everything yourself can become pretty exhausting. The longer you do it the more you learn and realize there's more you have to do. I kind of do more with each album now that I know what should be done. It taps out your own resources. The hardest thing is, I suppose, being able to manage your own time and handle the business side of things, which isn't that fun.

How important is it for your band members to circulate and flirt with the audience before or after the show?
That's probably more important for my touring drummer than for me personally. I'm not much of a con artist and I'm generally not very smooth as a flirtatious individual, so it doesn't really work in my favour. But that's why I have the touring band, really, because they go upfront and they bring their sex appeal. They'll run down the street and, you know, make sex eyes at people. Meanwhile, I'll sit on the bus and eat caviar.

Have you ever stolen from someone else's rider? If so, who was it and what did you take?
At the Regina Folk Festival last year, I tried to eat the food that was for Blue Rodeo. I wasn't successful. It looked better than what was offered to us. It was hot. I've never successfully stolen, so maybe at CMW I'll steal from White Cowbell Oklahoma and get sliced with a chainsaw.

Have you ever been graded before according to ChartAttack.com's Rock 'n' Roll Report Cards?
Yeah, for North By Northeast.

How did the grade make you feel? Does the idea of being graded bring back bad memories of being in elementary school or high school?
When I first read it, I felt really good about it because I got an 81. It was a positive review. And then I read the rest of the report cards for everyone else's shows I was performing with, and they got progressively higher. I realized I got the lowest of all the shows that night. I either still feel good about that or question the reviewer's sobriety. It's actually funny because in university, I seemed to hover around the 80 per cent mark. I'll never do better and never do worse.

Have you done anything new or interesting this week?
I'm having a hard time recalling the past week. I work a nine-to-five job so my days are pretty similar. This is kind of boring, but this is what happened this week: I got nationwide distribution for my album, so they're now available in record stores across the country this week.

Maybe Smith play the Horseshoe Tavern on March 8 @ 8:30 p.m. as part of the annual Chart/Horseshoe/Canadian Music Week showcase.