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Interview: Henry Dowling of Harbour

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Harbour are a pop-punk band originating from Toronto, Ontario. They released their sophomore EP, Grade School Summer, this past November and since then, I’ve been able to speak with guitarist Henry Dowling about the band’s goals for the future and the EP itself.

How did the band come together?

Basically, we’ve all been playing together in different bands for years. We came together to form Harbour in early 2012, after Jamie [Mittendorf, vocals/bass] left his old pop-rock band, Victory Sweet Victory. Mike [Bielawski, guitar] is the band’s most recent addition, but we’ve all been friends for years. 

What bands/artists inspire your music?

A lot of old-school pop-punk, as you can probably guess by our sound. Some bands we listen to religiously are The Starting Line, MxPx, Rufio and New Found Glory. But we like lots of new music too: bands like Teenage Bottlerocket, Hit The Lights and so many more!

You released your latest EP, Grade School Summer, this past November. What was the recording process like?

It was great! We went and basically lived at the studio for a week last summer and just powered through the whole process. It’s always really exciting and inspiring getting to hear your songs come to life in the studio, and we were able to really bring out the most potential of every song.

What would you say is your personal favourite off the EP?

I’d have to go with “Untitled”. I think it’s the most unique song we’ve written to date. It’s a lot more melodic than the rest of the EP and really holds its own as a track that’s not as lighthearted as the rest, but does so without being overbearing. I feel like it’s really honest.

What do you believe is the most influential song you’ve written?

We’ve had a great reaction to our single, “Grade School Summer”. I think a lot of people can relate to pretty much everything the song is talking about. It’s really about looking back at your youth and remember the perks of being young: staying out until the streetlights came on, playing video games, hanging out on MSN Messenger - all the things we used to love doing, but were forced to move on from as we grew up. The song’s not meant to view these things as being absent from our current lives, but more as things that come together to make up who we are today.

Is there anywhere you’d like to tour where you have yet to visit? If so, where?

We really want to get to Japan to perform for our fans overseas! We released Grade School Summer in Japan last year and the album’s had a great reception. We really want a chance to play for everyone who’s taken the time to pick up our CD and connect with us online. Also, it’s Japan!

What can fans expect to see with your new album? Will it feature a different sound to that found on Grade School Summer?

We feel like Grade School Summer really let us find our “sound”. Currently, we’re processing two new songs, which should be out later this summer. I feel like they’re tracks that would seem out of place on Grade School Summer; a bit more melodic and taking a lot more influence from 90s/early-00s pop-punk. It’s always hard to describe your own music, haha. I’d say if you enjoyed Grade School Summer, you’ll enjoy these new songs, but you can expect some new things.

What are your goals, in regards to Harbour’s future?

This year is going to be really busy for us. We’re about to head out on one of four tours in a few weeks and we’re planning [to] release two songs on a split in the near future as well. We’re currently doing a ton of writing for a full-length record that we’re aiming to record by fall or early winter of this year. Other than that, we’re just aiming to play as many shows and have as much fun doing this as we can!

What artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Any of the artists we listed in our influences section would be a sure bet. It’s any musician’s dream to be able to work with an artist that’s inspired them.

What artist or band would you most like to tour with?

Unfortunately, they played their last show this year at Rockfest, but I think as a band all of us could agree on a tour with is Rufio.

Last question: tell us about your upcoming shows and let us know why you feel we should attend them.

We just announced a tour with Survay Says! that’s going to take us across Southern Ontario and into Quebec. We’re really stoked to hit the road with such an awesome band!

As for why you should attend them: there’s never a dull moment at a Harbour show! We love to party and we bring that attitude with us onstage every night. If you come out to one of our shows, you will not be disappointed.

You can check out Harbour’s music over on the band’s Bandcamp, and be sure to stay up-to-date by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

By Savannah Lee

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