Tokyo Police Club Learn To Work With Others

Tokyo Police Club singer/bassist David Monks learned something very important in school last fall. He learned that he doesn't like school. There aren't enough punchy choruses and handclaps, possessed fans convulsing under his spell and over-eager music journalists analyzing his every move.

Mulling this over, the first-year McGill University student decided that "it would be ridiculous to do anything but be in this band." At that point, the Toronto post-punk quartet had already played a phenomenal and packed Pop Montreal show and befriended Paper Bag recording artists Magneta Lane."

They're nothing short of mentors to us," says Monks. "We're where they were a year ago, so we get lots of advice from them."

These musical mentors obviously failed to go the traditional route with a "be cool, stay in school"-style rap song. As a result, Monks said goodbye to Montreal's 99-cent pizza and 99-per cent-fat poutine to return to Toronto in December. "I hadn't even met the guys from Paper Bag," he says of the label.

"It wasn't like that was some promise. I was pretty sure I'd come home and we'd just play tons of shows for three months and nobody would know who we were. But the day I got back in Toronto, Paper Bag said that they would distribute the record."

Clocking in at under 17 minutes, TPC's debut Paper Bag EP, Lessons In Crime, is like an espresso-fuelled toddler. It's so short and yet so energetic that you need a nap by the time it finally sputters out.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who's ever seen a Tokyo Police Club show. The group have been known to hand audience members cupcakes and sparklers while waving a flag stolen from a high school musical and holding up Tokyo Police Club signs caked in red Prince Edward Island dirt as a reminder of their recent east coast support slots with Magneta Lane.

When asked how potential super-duper-mega-stardom might change these intense, intimate and innovative live sets, Monks quips, "Pyro, we'll have tons of pyro."

Tokyo Police Club have always provided something more exciting than exploding drum sets and giant lemons. Their early demos feature individualized notes from the band members and their merchandise table overflows with homemade buttons and pillows. So while the group have a lot to gain with their new record deal, they also have a lot to lose.

"Being D.I.Y. adds a personal element to our band and our music," says Monks. "That's something we definitely want to keep.

"We feel weird with people having CDs that we didn't personally make and burn and write love notes on ourselves."

Here are Tokyo Police Club's upcoming tour dates:
April 6 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe w/Magneta Lane
April 7 Kingston, ON @ Grad Club w/Magneta Lane
April 8 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphods w/Magneta Lane
April 11 London, ON @ Call The Office w/Magneta Lane
April 12 Hamilton, ON @ Underground w/Magneta Lane
April 22 Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee's
May 19 Guelph, ON @ Jimmy Jazz
May 20 Toronto, ON @ The Drake
May 26 Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
May 27 London, ON @ The Alex P. Keaton
June 1 North Bay, ON @ 100 Georges