Before you The Marble Index stands bare. Without trickery or gimmick, they deliversomething vital, closer to the core. Every growl, crash, yelp and scrape is put forth withgenuine passion and free of disguise. Such is the band and such is their self-titled debut,marked by frenzy, abandon and, rising above the boil, delicate melody. This is‘Millennium Punk’: the new wave of the next wave, not among the ubiquitous lo-fi, high artRock Idols du jour.
The Marble Index came to be in Hamilton, Ontario, in 2001. Brad, Adam and Ryan had all played in various bands since their early teens. Coincidentally at that time, they had all grown disenchanted with their present vehicles and abandoned them to form this newtrio. For a name, they chose the title from a solo record by former Velvet Undergroundchanteuse, Nico, whose Euro-cool and stylish detachment would surely addsophistication to any undertaking. To vary their pursuits further, they all switched instruments from what they had played previously; Brad coming from drums and bass,Ryan from guitar and Adam from bass.
Their musical upbringings had been varied but common ground was found and TheMarble Index took their musical cues from The Smiths, Big Star, The Clash and Small Faces –each a peak of a musical aesthetic- and went about creating something that would be distinctly their own. Music of high calibre and true heart, with power and depth.The three found they worked naturally and quickly developed a stable of songs,recorded them and put out an independent EP as calling card for their chief purpose ofplaying live. As Ryan readily acknowledges, “playing live is everything to us.” Their confidence grew and so did their restlessness. It was time to record a properrecord. And so they went to Wigan, England, hometown of The Verve. It was hardly luxurious but creature comforts were secondary to the goal of capturing their sound at its best. As Brad recalls, “All of us slept in the same room above the studio. We used 2 air mattresses to block the windows so we could sleep. We didn’t have an alarm clock, sowhen our producer, John Kettle (Moco, Roller, Tuuli) would get to the studio, he would throw rocks at our window to wake us up -we had the only set of keys. As best I candescribe it, the studio was in a metal furnished barn, so there was no hot water, or showers.... we stayed there for 3 weeks, so we cherished the showers we got over that period. We roughed it but it was worth it.”
Adam goes on in describing the challenges, “The ‘environmental factors’ led to illness taking hold of all of us at stages of the session. At one point we weren’t sure we would finish the record in time. But we persevered and in our last days of recording, we were in top form and gave it everything we had. Like anything, all we needed was to work hard and hope luck would hold. We like to think that’s the right way to approach everything.”Afterward, the album was mixed by Scott Shields, formerly of the Glasgow band G.U.N. and most recently known as one of Joe Strummer’s Mescaleros, both as band memberand co-producer. It was his keen ear and sensibility that reveals the heart of the record,its nuances, power and purpose. Whether it be from the despair of “That Day”, theconfidence of “We Can Make It”, the shove and thrust of “I Believe” or the soul of “This Book”, the album bristles, bumps, soars and glides across a vast soundscape.To be a band, you need instruments and a sense of adventure. To succeed as a band,you need a deep commitment. Brad testifies, “we’re a band because it’s the only thingwe want to do. Our lives revolve around music. We’re honest in what we do. It’s art andit’s entertainment, but it’s not pretension.” Agrees Ryan, “we hope to connect with anaudience who shares our passion; people who see us as the genuine article and likewhat we’re doing. We want it to be an interactive relationship.”
The release of this album has opened many doors for The Index. Beyond their radio andvideo airplay and appearances, several concert tours domestically including supportingThe Pixies and two UK tours (where they have released an EP taken from the Canadianalbum), they are the name on countless lips. At their hometown’s Hamilton MusicAwards in the Fall of 2004, the local-boys-done-doubly-good, being honoured in thecategories of Best New Group and Peoples’ Choice Award, and a narrow miss at thisyears CASBY (Canadian Artist Selected by You) awards should not go unmentioned. Byyear’s end, the album was hailed in numerous Best-Of lists, tipped to be a band ofsustainable substance. They are a Canadian success burgeoning on an internationalsensation.
Beyond the album and regular touring, what’s the long-term vision? “Like the bands weadmire, we hope that we can make our mark, however grand or however modest.Ideally, we aspire to make music of enduring quality, continue to make music for a longtime to come and serve an audience that grows with us as we grow with them,” saysAdam. This is lofty ambition, perhaps, but whose realization depends on measures oflabour, luck and sincerity. The only variable here is luck.
I’ll listen with my heart–“On The Phone”
themarbleindex.com
Brad Germain – Guitar / Vocals, Ryan Tweedle – Bass, Adam Knickle – DrumsRe
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