At only 4 years old, Hollerado has a lot to revel in. Winning the 2011 Indies award for best video of the year and becoming the humdinger for Rogers Communication with their single “Juliette”, the boys from Manotick Ontario have nothing but promising ebullience. Classifiable as popish-rock, or just indie-rock, the four piece ensemble consists of Menno Versteeg (vocals and guitar), Dean Baxter (bass), Nixon Boyd (lead guitar) and Jake Boyd (percussion).

Five preceding albums entitled “Demo in a Bag” from One to Five resulted in the progeny “Record In A Bag” in 2010. The segue of demos first started as 2 song burnt CDs with Sharpie excerpt, then a 4 song CD in a Ziplock bag, eventually a fully pressed “Demo in Bag Five”, properly printed and distributed. Jake Boyd took the time to sit and talk with me after their performance at Wakestock 2011. He  sees this evolution as a “king of a map, like the road to us legitimizing what we’re selling people and taking what we do a little bit more seriously.” As the band developed so did the evolution of their music and style, Demos in a Bag reflects “the process of us {Hollerado} becoming a band that can be catalogued”.

Hollerado’s artistry and bellicose tunes derived from their fey inclinations and celebratory inebriations. Not to say that Hollerado are exclusively party anthem advocates, they are quite politically charged. Berating the last election through rants and blog posts, they feel “it is important as a band, putting information and art into the public domain, sometimes you sort of have to back that up with your beliefs , because that is the whole thing, what your band is about.” Other than social equality, Hollerado is “about having a good time, but not being an inclusive good time. Not just a good time if you have enough money or if you have the right pair of shoes or you know the right person. No matter what, if you wanna come and have a good time with us, we’re going to let you”. Continues Boyd. “I think that is what our band is about, We’re fun and also accessible”.

Alas, all things come with a price. Even though Hollerado wants to party with you all the time, the boys have still got to eat. They can’t play a free show everyday, as much as they would like too, and they can’t keep making music without being able to pay the expenses. In an age of porcine corporatism, there are paychecks and there is credence, and the decisions in between. The single and music video “Juliette”, which was released two and a half years ago, was used for the Rogers Speed Boost internet service this year. Which is actually pretty awesome and revived the song. How would you be reading this article if you did not have the internet? Understanding the chasms between selling out and making living expenses, it is fantastic to hear a great song on the TV promoting something so anodyne. However, if approached by any value of money, Hollerado assures us that they would refuse to support something as partisan as a Young Conservative Rally.

“Juliette”, is actually Margot Kidder, the Canadian actress most known for playing alongside Christopher Reeves in the Superman movies of the late 70′s early 80′s. Her life, not as Louise Lane, was fast and untrammeled, but a resplendent lifestyle has its price. Juliette in the song is a woman who had a young enamor for revelry and who bears the marks of weathering age as a result.  A woman who has “done some living” and has “got some stories to tell”. “Juliette” is appreciation for people who have life experience and life wisdom. With age, money, judgement, set aside; what they are really getting at is that everyone is “invited to do what you want to do and have a good time”.

The party goes beyond the music videos and lyrics. Bringing the party to the stage Hollerado showers the audience in confetti and streamers, much like a fire-less firework display. These audience projected missiles of mirth are Hollerado’s way of making the audience “feel like we’ve given them their moneys worth,” while saying “thank you, you’re here, you’ve paid money to make it possible for us to be up here doing what we love to do and not have to go work in an office or a warehouse tomorrow”.  Very appreciative to be able to do what they love and the confetti thing is also fun for them as well. So as Menno is inviting you all to join the band for a chorus and Nick is going crazy on the guitar and Dean is stomping like a jackhammer and Jake is banging drums like a tremulous storm, live shows are made to be lively and boisterous.

The recently recorded new song, “Good Day at the Races”, is universal yet idiosyncratic. The band originates from a small town in Ontario. A small town of conservative riding and puritanical prestige. Inspired by an alienated individual with a strong connection to Queen, like the name of the song taken from a Queen album, who takes solace in the comfort of music. From the lryics to the interactive live shows, Hollerado emits a sense of inclusiveness that is as tactile to the mind as it is perceptible by sight.