By Dylan Conway-Hartwick
It’s not often that a band comes out with a 10-set playlist and two music videos within it’s first few weeks of playing together, or even meeting. But for Ottawa alternative rock band Crossing Jane, that’s just how it went after finding each other online and realizing that they all had the same passion for music.
The band consists of five members, Fred Clemence on vocals, James Proctor and Kyle VanWort on guitar, Liam Price-Foley playing bass and Andrew Parmelee as the drummer.
Parmelee also happens to be an Algonquin student studying music industry arts, and after starting his program in September, says he has already learned a lot of useful skills from his professor Colin Mills.
“My business course has helped… There were a lot of management things I wouldn’t do before that I do now. It’s good to have that insight for the band,” Parmelee stated. “I have set studio times at the school which we use to come here and practice.”
Starting off as individuals, the group came together after Parmelee posted an advertisement as a drummer looking for a band on Kijiji back in August. After meeting for the first time to jam together in a basement, the musicians knew they had immediately found a good match.
“I’ve been in 10 different bands with all different genres, and I would have to say this is probably the best I have been in,” stated guitarist Proctor.
“Right away we all just clicked, and not a lot of bands have that chemistry,” added Price-Foley. “We are all really motivated.”
After producing music together for the past seven months, the band members say they have finally found their own unique sound. All of the members bring a different mix of genre and influences to the table.
“We like to collaborate for our songs really. The more people who contribute, the more soul it has and it’s just more real,” stated vocalist Clemence.
The band has kept their musical streak going since they started playing with performances across Ottawa at Zaphod’s, Brass Monkey, Rainbow and Petit Chicago, to name a few.
With all the local shows it comes as no surprise that Crossing Jane has a growing fan base among Algonquin students.
“I dig them. It’s always a great atmosphere at their shows. I heard a few of their tracks and I wanted to come check it out,” stated former business administration student Bobby Bingham, 19, at a March 10 show in the Observatory.
With help from Keith Fox at Source4 Productions they have already created two music videos which are available online and they have also been currently working on a new EP at Pebble Studios which is expected to release soon.
“We’re just doing it for love. We love music and we love each other,” stated Clemence. “Any time we were down we turned to music and we want to give that back to our fans.”