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Blues | Reggae | Rock | Space Rock

The story - or better yet, the scandal - begins with singer/lyricist Jason Holz, and a well-timed ad he had placed in a local Toronto weekly. Holz, desperately wanting a solid foundation to build his soul-fused vocals on, was open to jamming with anyone that had that instant chemistry that only truly great bands have.

Meanwhile on the west side of the city, guitarists Cameron Clark and James Dunning, freshly departed from the defunct band South of Saturn, were trying out vocalists for their next project. The auditions were slow and painful (as were most of the singers), until Clark noticed Holz’ ad and hastily gave him a call.

Almost instantly, Clark and Holz found they were on the same page regarding their own musical visions, and a couple of days later Holz, Clark and Dunning jammed together for the first time in a cramped basement rehearsal studio.

"After that jam, the only question left was 'where's the bus’?" laughs Clark.

After a couple of weeks of jamming with a couple of not-so-dedicated musicians, the three core members found salvation in the form of bassist Alan Branton and drummer Stephen Moore.

Branton, who had previously toured Europe in a funk/hip hop band, was recommended to the band by a friend of Holz’, and Moore was discovered by way of a timely ad he had posted on an Internet music site.

“It really just took that first full band jam to know that this was going to be good,” remembers Clark. “We all just kind of looked at each other and silently agreed that this was The Urban Street Scandal.”

After five months of intense jamming and writing and several low-key acoustic sets in and around Toronto, the full electric band debuted a short but sweet set as an opening act at Clinton’s Tavern in Toronto in June 2002.

That following October, the band quickly laid down three demo tracks – The Cadillac, Kick Me, and From Under the Back Porch - at Fox Songs Studios in Oshawa with producer Gerry Fox. Although fairly raw, these demo tracks provided a glimpse into what the band was trying to convey both musically and lyrically.

Several months passed and the band’s live set was now augmented by funky, spacey jams intertwined with the already solid repertoire they had compiled.

“We also encouraged – and still do, as a matter of fact – people to record our sets,” says Clark. “We were amazed at how quickly a ‘communal’ vibe was created by doing this. Fans can trade with other fans, and if you ever miss one of our shows, chances are there is a copy floating around somewhere.”

In just under a year since playing their first show, despite having no management or record deal (or no record out for that matter), the band was invited to play the 2003 North by Northeast festival in Toronto. The achievement was bittersweet however as t his would be one of Moore's last performances with the band as personal reasons called him home to Halifax.

For the next year or so the band continued developing their live set while dealing with some Spinal Tap inspired drummer moments along the way after Moore's departure. Despite the tumultuous time, the band found that the crowds began to grow and the need to get something solid down on record became more and more apparent.

In May 2004, the band set up shop at 199 Studios in Toronto studio to begin work on their debut EP. 6 tracks were laid down - including live staples Chasing Grace and Holding Strong as well as a newer track the band simply dubbed Untitled. Working with producer Roman Riccio, the songs were broken down to their bare bones, then built back up again until the vibe that had permeated the live sets began to creep onto record.

In the midst of recording, the band was invited back to showcase at NXNE in July 2004.

Soon after recording was complete, the band set its sights on finding a drummer that would fall in line with the band's "groove and feel" philosophy. After one audition, they found just that in local kid, Drew Smith.

"Its certainly apparent that band morale is at all time high due mostly to finding a drummer that works great with Al and just fits in with the band's collective mentality of delivering passionate, honest music without taking ourselves too seriously," reflects Clark. "After all, its all just rock n' roll".

In April 2005, the band was asked to contribute an original song to the independent film Mirage. The track – the sprawling The Shape of a Heart - can be heard during the suspenseful closing moments, adding a sublime contrast to the dark imagery of the film.

Spring 2005 finds the band gearing up for the release of the ElectriCity EP, set to drop June 2005.

THE SCANDAL CONTINUES...

Website: http://www.theurbanstreetscandal.com
Email: urban@theurbanstreetscandal.com

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