Vancougar: CMW '09 Special

Vancougar are perhaps best described as a pastiche of some of the greatest eras in lady-rock.

They meld spunky '80s-influenced songwriting with '60s girl group vocals and retro, fuzzed-out bass and keyboards. This all comes with a poppy, giddy result reminiscent of '90s all-girl garage. Vancougar's latest album, Canadian Tuxedo, was released last summer on Mint Records.

Lead singer Eden Fineday spoke to CHARTattack on the phone from Vancouver after a morning spent at the dentist's office.

Hometown:
Vancouver

Members:
Eden Fineday (guitar, vocals)
CC Rose (drums)
Megan Johnson (keyboards, vocals)
Becca Stewart (bass, vocals)

Official Website: www.vancougar.ca

CHARTattack: 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?
Eden Fineday: We were playing this bar in Olympia, Washington that also had a restaurant in the front, and the back was behind a closed curtain.

There was nobody in the back, so I went around to all the tables in the restaurant and said (in semi-Valley-girl voice), "Hi, I'm in a band. We're from Canada. My band's about to play. Wanna come and watch?" It was maybe 12 people, but it was better than nothing.

What's the hardest part about being an up-and-coming band?
The general lack of appreciation one feels for one's passion and artwork and talent and, you know, soul.

How important is it for your band members to circulate and flirt with the audience before or after the show?
It depends on the night, maybe. But we all go through different phases of feeling anti-social or not. Me and Becca are kind of social butterflies, and the other two girls are kind of more mellow and private.

Have you ever stolen from someone else's rider? If so, who was it and what did you take?
I don't think so. I think I had a bottle of water from Jay Reatard's table when we played with him in Montreal, but I think I asked him first, so it doesn't even count as stealing. We haven't played with a lot of bands with riders. We haven't really gotten to that level yet.

Have you ever been graded before according to CHARTattack.com's Rock 'N' Roll Report Cards?
I don't know. We've never played CMW or North By Northeast. I'll let the girls know we're being graded.

Have you done anything new or interesting this week?
I don't know. It's only Monday, for God's sake. Well, I'm pregnant, so I probably grew somebody's fingernail, or an eyelash, or something.

Vancougar play the Horseshoe Tavern on March 14 at 2:10 a.m. as part of the annual CHARTattack/Horseshoe/Canadian Music Week showcase.

Check out CHARTattack's official CMW microsite here.