Fate is a funny thing. Whether you like it or not, the twists and turns that make us and shake us are undeniable. Those forces can push four young rock n roll fanatics out of their suburban surroundings, drag their adolescent asses away from the sounds of Kurt Cobain blaring from their retrospective stereos and start them on a journey. Finding each other made for a good start.
Once upon a time not so long ago two school yard pals, Peter Gosling and Justin Lemaire talk the talk and walk the walk but they are yet to get creative. In to their lives skates, flips and grinds Greg Peters. Chaos is in action. Late night exchanges of music, stories and dreams leads to the inevitable. Their band is meant to be. The boys move to Toronto and start to kick out jams, but Peter knows the magic is yet to happen. Something is missing. He secretly advertises for a singer. Greg and Justin are swayed on meeting Mike Kaminski, he is the missing puzzle piece.
Enter The Dirty Mags. Now forged together with a shared love of hard partying, ripped up denim and blaring out their Gang of Four LPs, it is time for the newly banded group start penning songs. With seductive, drawling vocals from the electric Mike; Peter’s thundering drum beats that leave you numb and unsteady; chords of chaos from Justin and powering bass lines by Greg, they seamlessly develop a self styled sound, their own ‘dirty pretty’ ethos, inspired by The Horrors, The Strokes, The Libertines and their old favourites Nirvana.
Like lightening they get to gigging, booking themselves shows, weaving their way through Toronto’s underground scene. It is at these miry dives whilst playing for their lives they meet the lads in Give Us the Daggers, a one band rock’n’roll fayre, who have been impressed by the young upstarts. They like the ‘Mags attitude. They related to their swagger.
The Daggers introduce their new allies to their manager Alex Bonenfant who is impressed by The Dirty Mags’ unrelenting persistence and palpable desire to be on his newly minted White Girl Records. He succumbs to their ambition and bewitching charm, and puts them on the road. Cut to June, little more than a year since the bands incarnation and they are playing at NXNE in key slots, holding their own alongside hardcore super group OFF! and hipster darlings Deerhoof amongst others. Now owning a masterful ability to sway between garage-punk anthems and ardent rock ballads, a fluidity impressive and beyond their years, these wolf cubs have got fans by the throat and won’t let go.
With a jam packed summer ahead, touring Ontario and Quebec with the likes of Handsome Furs, Indian Handcrafts and Kathryn Calder (New Pornographers), as well as appearing at festivals such as Scene, Beerfest and Rifflandia, a full Canadian tour awaits the band in September. Their debut LP will be recorded in the Fall. Await it. Your bodies will be flooded by your adrenal glands. It’s meant to be.
