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“Our Time is Now” is a fitting fresh new track from Toronto’s power indie pop/rock band Ménage, they have seized the day and it is indeed their time. Band members Bela, Fernando and Gabriel Ferreira grew up as siblings, however, Ménage wasn’t formed until recently with the addition of bandmates Elliot Boult and Dave Haskett. They are now gearing up for a brand new release this fall and more sonic goodness is expected.
GroundSounds recently caught up with Fernando to talk about the bands new music and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering Ménage, can you tell us about the dynamics of the group, growing up as siblings and how you all ultimately decided to come together and form the band?
As kids we traveled a lot between Toronto and our Parents’ home of Portugal. The music addiction I guess was born from a combination of our grandmother’s singing and involvement in the church, the European festivals we were exposed to at an early age and our parents’ vinyl collection at home. Later, through high school then moving to Los Angeles I always played in bands with my older brother while my sister did her own piano and vocal thing. It started with one song that we would all work together on which soon became an album’s worth and tour. So the music kinda came before “menage”. It just sort of happened. When I was four years old I remember the three of us playing in our parents’ living room, so we have been technically on a hiatus till now.
What made you guys decide on the name Ménage?
If you block out the Nikki Minaj and any sexual content that comes to mind, Ménage actually means communal living or a household. Pretty self explanatory.
Can you tell us about the creative and writing process involved with your track “Our Time Is Now?”
Some songs come together very quickly, some live in any one of our minds for months… From what I remember “Our Time Is Now” lyrically was with me for a long time before completion. It starts in the middle of the night, and the common experience to us of the pitch black desert, the empty road ahead of us and everything that represents to any of us on a journey. I wanted the refrain to hit you like the distant sunrise ahead.
When you guys are on stage performing what typically goes through your minds?
Making whoever is in front of us forget the outside world, the news, their rent, exams etc.. for those 60 minutes. I think we all forget the real world for our time on stage, so we hope to include everyone in our experience.
What musicians/bands are you guys currently listening to?
I just looked at my “recently played” on my laptop. Looks like Billy Talent, Hayden, Tove Lo…. So two Canadians and one Swedish girl.
From your native Portugal to your hometown Toronto and part-time residence in LA- what do you guys enjoy most and least about each city?
That is really tough, they are all so different. I think your experience of a place depends on the state of mind you are in. I think we try to find good people and the inspiration in any place we are in. But I do have a feeling our Portuguese tour this fall will be like nothing before. I just hope we all make it back.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “Black & White TV?”
When trying to put a band together in LA, I met / auditioned what was to be my long time, best friend in the city.
We developed a routine listening to music, around a case of beer and we would sit and watch an unknown girl in the next building who’s window was directly in front of where we would be all night. We were limited to being exposed to this girl’s life when she either opened her refrigerator door or turned her tv on. Although nothing more than wandering around in her bra ever happened, I found myself really wondering what this person was about, creating her biography in my head and in a twisted way building a weird relationship with this stranger on Yucca St.
This song was written in a bout 10 minutes in the early hours of the morning after one of these evenings.
I never met nor have I ever seen this girl again.
When you guy are on tour, what do you enjoy most about being on the road?
Playing music every night… truck stops… diners…. but there is nothing like meeting fans that connect to what we do and that are from so far away.
What’s next for Ménage, what can fans look forward to?
A brand new release this fall. The soft is softer, the loud is louder…… and many live shows on both sides of the Atlantic will be listed soon.
