Ruby Coast Like Layers

Justice is lacing up his skates.

The lead singer of Ruby Coast, Justice McLellan, is getting ready to play pond hockey on an outdoor rink in his hometown of Aurora, Ont. when I interrupt him with a phone call to talk about his band's new EP and tour.

I try not to hold him up too long with business, since he and his bandmates are about to get pretty busy over the next few weeks. Ruby Coast recently finished re-recording the eight-song Projectable Collections and will soon hit the road in their new van, the Ruby Coaster, for a tour of Ontario, Quebec and the U.S.

Ruby Coast only formed three years ago, but they've already gathered media buzz, record label attention and performed with Stars, Born Ruffians, Plants And Animals and fellow Aurorans Tokyo Police Club. With the new EP getting a few nibbles, Ruby Coast seem very much like a band whose career is ascending.

"We're just kind of in a spot where we're figuring that sort of stuff out," says McLellan. "We've only toured the eastern parts of Canada, and there are a lot of places to cover, so I guess we'll see how that goes.

"We're always trying to move forward and we're working on a record and stuff, and we're really excited."

McLellan developed a taste for the studio when Tokyo Police Club's David Monk offered Ruby Coast a chance to spend some time re-doing the EP. The original was recorded in only 30 rushed hours so that the band would have a CD available when they played the Halifax Pop Explosion. McLellan says he appreciated the time to get things just the way he wanted them, and is looking forward to more studio experimentation when Ruby Coast record their first full album.

"I like adding lots of things that aren't really there, but are just kind of there, and our EP was just really to the point... Everything was really prominent when it was there, and I just kind of want to experiment with adding lots of little things.

"Like, I've been listening to Broken Social Scene's record, and it's just unbelievable how many little things they have that are barely noticeable. But without them, it would be a totally different feel."

I have to draw McLellan out to talk about his future. All this chatter about his band's blooming potential and the local interest they've generated seems to roll right off his back. Instead of pumping his band, he'd rather talk about skating on the Rideau Canal or drinking fresh orange juice in Florida. He says Ruby Coast have a simple philosophy for dealing with the stress and pressures of their budding music career:

"We're just making music and having fun doing it — making the best music that we possibly can."

You can see Ruby Coast having fun at these shows:

Feb. 5 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern w/Winter Gloves
Feb. 6 Hamilton, ON @ The Pepper Jack Cafe w/Winter Gloves
Feb. 7 Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks w/Winter Gloves
Feb. 11 Peterborough, ON @ The Montreal House w/Winter Gloves
Feb. 12 Waterloo, ON @ The Bombshelter (University Of Waterloo)
Feb. 13 Montreal, QC @ Les Saints w/Winter Gloves
Feb. 25 New York, NY @ Pianos
Feb. 28 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls w/Tokyo Police Club
March 1 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop w/Tokyo Police Club
March 2 Columbus, OH @ The Basement w/Tokyo Police Club
March 3 Cincinnati, OH @ The Mad Hatter w/Tokyo Police Club
March 5 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/Tokyo Police Club
March 6 St. Augustine, FL @ Harvest Of Hope Festival
March 7 Orlando, FL @ The Social w/Tokyo Police Club
March 10 New Orleans, LA @ The Parish at House Of Blues w/Tokyo Police Club
March 11 Houston, TX @ Walters On Washington w/Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot
March 12 McAllen, TX @ Cine El Rey w/Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot
March 13 San Antonio, TX @ The White Rabbit w/Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot
March 14 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre w/Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot
March 16 Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown w/Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot
March 18-21 Austin, TX @ South By Southwest Music Festival
April 1 Waterloo, ON @ Trepid House w/Burn Planetarium
April 2 London, ON @ Call The Office w/Tokyo Police Club
April 4 Sudbury, ON @ Adanac Ski Hill Lodge w/The Birthday Cakes and Bunnies In Berlin