CMW 2010 Hot Acts: The Besnard Lakes

The Besnard Lakes just reappeared on the indie rock radar with their upcoming spy vs. spy-themed prog-rock epic, The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night.

Frontman Jace Lasek took a time-out to chat with CHARTattack about the time he stuck it to Patrick Watson.

Hometown:
Montreal, QC

Members:
Olga Goreas (bass, vocals)
Kevin Laing (drums)
Jace Lasek (guitar, vocals)
Richard White (guitar)

Official Website: www.thebesnardlakes.com

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?
Jace Lasek: I had a noise band in the early '90s in Regina. We pulled up in a van once, in front of a coffee house, ran an extension cord into the wall of the building, and played a show to the people sitting on the terrace.

What's the hardest part about being an up-and-coming band?
Not making any money.

How important is it for your band members to circulate and flirt with the audience before or after the show?
Very important. The audience is the reason we're still able to make records.

Have you ever stolen from someone else's rider? If so, who was it and what did you take?
It would have been a bottle of vodka and it would have been from Patrick Watson's rider.

Do you know if you've ever been graded before on CHARTattack.com's Rock 'N' Roll Report Cards?
No.

You actually were in 2008 — you got 87 out of 100. Do you have high expectations for this year?
I hope so. We're really trying to step up the live show this time around. We're working on getting some fancy lights, and frills and gimmicks. We're going to try and make it a little more of an extravaganza.

Have you done anything new or interesting this week?
I filed a broker release form for a computer that's going to be coming to my house today.

The Besnard Lakes play Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on March 11 at 12:10 a.m. as part of the annual CHARTattack/Horseshoe/Canadian Music Week showcase.