Independent Toronto musicians attempt to carve out a space for themselves in Canada's music industry. | dG1fT2VnajlIdDVZZTg
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00:00My father was a tailor and sold garments. I'm a musician and I also sell garments.
00:07The Toronto music scene for me is defined by sort of a supportiveness and a non-competitiveness.
00:13Favourite venue in Toronto? Oh my god, there was so many.
00:18Monday through Sunday you can just go out and see live music from a little piano bar to 18 year olds just bashing out hardcore metal.
00:26The Toronto music scene here is defined by a lot of brash upstarts who just want to do something.
00:37If you stay true to yourself and don't try and force anything, it's going to happen.
00:42That's not to say all good bands make it because some don't, which is horrible, but the ones that do deserve?
00:51Nah, that's bullshit too.
00:53We're just doing cover stuff just to make extra money. Want to get a publishing deal, maybe a recording deal.
00:57We'd like to get a manager if it was possible. I think it would probably have to be something that they'd find worth managing.
01:03A lot of bands say they want it and when we get to the point where we're making money and there's bigger decisions to be made, that's when it usually kind of crumbles.
01:13Everything was in front of you, everything could happen. Now, I'm a more mature man. I've been beaten down so much and here I am in Toronto.
01:20Trying to play music with 60 hours a week is ridiculous.
01:23When a band is starting out, you know, you're not going to be making profit.
01:29We thought we'd have like 80 people there. Nobody showed up. And the place, at a tiny stage, the PA was terrible.
01:36A lot of people say you're not that great. You might not be that great.
01:42It changes everything. Everything in your life. You only want it.
01:48I'm just never going to stop playing. It's in my blood. I can't not play music.
01:53Be willing to starve for your art because you will.
01:58I can remember the first time I walked out on stage and made Booth Gardens and thought, tonight this building is mine.