If there is one band that’s making waves in the Canadian Punk Rock scene, it’s Seaway. After forming in 2011, the band has been inspired by people like Bieber to the Beatles, with a heavy musical influence from the early 2000’s. Seaway, one of the most significant punk-rock bands to emerge today, has traveled alongside bands like Neck Deep and Sum 41, just to name a few, and has quickly claimed their place as a “band to watch” within the last decade.
As part of the new age punk movement, the band loves the idea of adding to the history of the genre that they grew up on. Ryan Locke, lead vocalist of Seaway, reminisces on the band’s first live performance. “Our first show was one of those train wrecks you couldn’t look away from. It was my first time singing in front of a live audience, so I was extremely nervous. I probably tried to compensate for my lack of experience by jumping around as much as possible and ended up running out of breath.”
Today, Seaway’s live performances go a bit smoother than when they first started out. Typically, each member of the band goes through their own personal routine to get into the right head space. When it comes to Ryan’s routine, he tells us, “My routine is about 3 beers to loosen up, a vocal warm-up, followed by a water to hydrate. We try to go into most shows with low expectations so that when the shows are sick it feels that much better.” The band’s favorite song to perform is “Lula [on the Beach].” “I like the way it builds up in intensity throughout the song,” says Locke, “Car Seat Magazine is a favourite of mine as well due to its bouncy nature.” For Seaway the most epic place to perform would probably be “the moon” according to Ryan, which, we totally agree would be pretty freaking epic, but he then goes on that his favorite place to perform is either Toronto or New York City.
As a fun-loving five-piece band, Seaway still struggles with getting people to take them seriously. Locke comments by saying, “I think sometimes people can misconstrue that as us not caring about much, which is wrong. We take what we do very seriously.”
Since 2015, Seaway has released three full studio albums. The latest album to hit the scene is Vacation. When asked about how much the band’s sound has evolved since the release of their first album, Hoser, Locke tells us, “I think Vacation is the record we have been trying to make since Hoser. We all kind of think Hoser would have made a better EP, but I think we’ve definitely matured in sound while still maintaining the fun Seaway sound.” Having made songs a hundred different ways, Locke tell us that the songwriting process “…starts with Andrew or Patrick starting with a riff/ melody and working out the framework, then bringing it to the rest of us and jamming it out.”
As far as possible future collaborations, the band’s first runner-up would be Tom Delonge, former member of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. “He’s kind of been out of the punk rock thing for a while, so I’d be interested to see/hear what he would come up with,” says Ryan.
If you don’t already know, Seaway is signed to Pure Noise Records, an American punk rock record label based in Berkeley, California. Other bands on the label’s roster include Less Than Jake, Can’t Swim, Hawthorne Heights and more! When signing the deal with the record label Ryan comments on the band’s feelings leading up to the signing. “I think everyone was very excited, but we also knew that that was where the hard work was going to start. I see some bands now talking about getting signed as if that was the hard part. That’s where the hard work starts.”
When it comes to advice for up and coming musicians, Ryan Locke has this to say, “I think getting out and playing as many shows and as many cities as possible is the best advice I can give. Labels, management, and booking agents recognize the hard work so hit the pavement as hard as you can.”
Although the band doesn’t necessarily have a motto that they go by, Ryan says, “…I think just the feeling that playing in this band is a privilege [is what] keeps us inspired to work hard and continue to strive for higher success.”
Currently, Seaway is finishing up the year in Europe alongside American Pop-Punk Band, State Champs. The band will then be heading back over to North America for a co-headline tour with Trophy Eyes including a stop in our hometown of Buffalo, NY! Locke tells us that Seaway will “probably start gearing up for new releases in the new year,” so be on the lookout for more music from this kickass band!
Listen To Seaway‘s Latest Album Vacation here.
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