The Populars Seem To Be Living Up To Their Name

After spending several years backing up singer-songwriter Mike Plume, the trio of Dave Klym, Ernie Basiliadis and Meck Myers decided to try and do things on their own. Living in Nashville at the time, the three headed back to Canada to get things started and settled in the small eastern Ontario town of Prescott. Although it may not have a huge music scene, bassist Myers says that the location worked to the group's benefit.

"We moved to Prescott out of necessity. It worked to our advantage to be left alone to find and develop our sound. Our record certainly gives voice to a lot of the ghosts in the town, especially the ones in our house."

Christening their new project The Populars, the band began making their debut full-length in their basement. Working at their own pace, their goal was to make the record sound as slick and polished as they could to allow their blend of power pop and hard rock to truly shine. The fruits of their labour, The Vindicator LP, surfaced last year on Kindling Music and was met with praise.

"We made a conscious decision to make The Vindicator LP as much of a studio record as possible," says Myers. "We recorded the album under the premise that it would either be our birth certificate or our epitaph.

"In creating the record, we felt as though we had scaled a mountain. That's part of what the title refers to. It sure felt good to have accomplished our goal of making the best record we could with what we had to work with."

The Populars have toured steadily in support of the album. Seasoned performers from their years of constant gigging with Plume, their entertaining, high-energy shows have won over fans across the country. In recent months they've shared stages with the likes of All-American Rejects, OK Go and The Pursuit Of Happiness, and they're scheduled to open The Subways' March 11 show in Toronto. Myers is happy that audiences have responded so well to the group's music and feels that crowds of all ages can enjoy what they do.

"We perform with a great deal of passion, and people respond to that. The older crowds seem to dig our moxy and I think the younger ones like us because we are different from what they are usually exposed to."

Prior to The Subways concert, the group will play in Toronto on March 3 as part of Canadian Music Week. Afterwards, they'll embark on a western Canada tour. The band have started writing material for their next release and tracks will be worked into their set list as they're completed. Although they love performing in Canada, Myers would really like to see the act increase their international presence. Having traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe with Plume, he's confident that The Populars can be successful and popular wherever they go.

"We are dying to go back to the States and Europe. We are a band that thrives on stage and have unique chemistry and passion. We got hooked on touring with our old band and have the will, the tools and the fever to tour the world with this record. With the right people in place, we hope to reach as many people as we can."

Here are The Populars' upcoming tour dates:
February 28 Hamilton, ON @ The Underground
March 3 Toronto, ON @ Cameron House
March 11 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
March 12 Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Downbeat Lounge
March 15 Winnipeg, MB @ Dylan O'Connors
March 17 Regina, SK @ Gaslight Saloon
March 19 Grande Prairie, AB @ Shark's Billiards
March 20 Grande Prairie, AB @ Shark's Billiards
March 21 Fort St. John, BC @ Egan's Restaurant & Irish Pub
March 22 Fort St. John, BC @ Egan's Restaurant & Irish Pub
March 23 Vancouver, BC @ Backstage Lounge
March 28 Edmonton, AB @ Sidetrack Cafe
March 29 Lethbridge, AB @ Tongue & Groove
March 30 Jasper, AB @ Athabasca Hotel
March 31 Jasper, AB @ Athabasca Hotel
April 3 Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Downbeat Lounge