May. 06, 2009 - Issue #707: Designated Grey Wall

The Shagbots

Formed three years ago from the burned-out husks of a couple teenage bands, the Shagbots came together in time to play at the members' high-school's battle of the bands. Coming from fairly different musical backgrounds, the group started by playing a diverse array of musical styles. But to hear guitarist Devin Boudreau describe it, that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

"When we started, we were writing the worst shit—it was like funky-punk, kind of metal," he laughs. "We didn't really figure out our sound until about a year-and-a-half ago, when we started listening to more electronic-influenced rock music."

As the band began to hit its stride, opportunities started coming the Shagbots' way—opening slots for the Mae Shi, Ladyhawk and Edmonton ex-pats All Purpose Voltage Heroes, and most incredibly in the form of a $25 000 grant that the band was awarded from New Cap Radio at—get this—another battle of the bands.

"It was an insane night. Michael [de Souza, keys/bass/drums/etc.] had a wedding to go to in England, and he's basically the core of our band. We were like 'how are we going to do this without him?' But we got some sequencers and spent about two weeks pumping out recordings of his parts, and learning to play to a metronome. We went in as complete underdogs—we were basically just hoping they wouldn't tell us if we got last place. There were a lot of really great Calgary bands there, so when they turned the cheque around with our names on it, we went crazy. I think Davis accidentally punched a girl."

So after filing police reports all night (not really), the band headed to Music Centre Canada Studios in Calgary and began to work through its songs with the luxury of not having to watch the clock. During snippets of time when the members could get away from work or school, the Shagbots self-produced its debut We Were Born Tigers, set to drop this weekend. Up next for the band?

"World domination," Boudreau deadpans. "No, we're going to keep doing exactly what we're doing. We love playing live, and we're going to try to get out and tour a bunch. I think it'll help having the album to show we're credible, that we're doing something worth listening too, that people will want to show their friends. I mean, when you have a name like ours ... " Boudreau trails off, laughing.

All right, I wasn't going to go there. But what's with the name?

"We were 16, and we came up with it on the day of the battle of the bands. We're like, 'OK, we'll use it for the time being, and in a couple of months we'll pick a better name.' That was three years ago," Boudreau groans. "But hopefully as more people hear it more often it becomes just another name, and not some robot with a boner." V

Fri, May 8 (9 pm)
The Shagbots
With Noisy Colors, the Pine Tarts,
DJ Roland Pemberton III
New City, $10 

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