culture
Who’s Playing NXNE: Careers in Science
Local punkers explain their obsession with wolves.
Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 11 to 17, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE.
Photo by Kieran Meyn/Courtesy of artists.
Careers in Science
The Rochester (423 College Street)
June 14, 1 a.m.
Click here for NXNE wristband pricing options.
Local punkers Careers in Science refer to the themselves as playing “post-ironic-approaching-30-core,” which is difficult to say, but does provide a fairly accurate description of the band. The group has just released their first full-length album, entitled Foreverwolf (review here), and are helping to break in North by Northeast’s newest venue, The Rochester.
Torontoist: How did you guys wind up playing NXNE this year?
Dave Proctor, vocalist: Same way as last year, we applied via Sonicbids. We lucked out last year, and no one is coming up to us saying “Come play North by Northeast.”
And so far you’re two-for-two?
Proctor: Yeah, plus Canadian Music Week, we got in that way, SCENE Fest, we got in that way. We’re either lucky or awesome.
Callum McPhee, guitarist: Or a bit of both.
Where did the name Careers in Science come from?
McPhee: Do you want the real answer?
Proctor: It’s from a Venture Bros. episode. Episode two of The Venture Bros. is called “Careers in Science,” and it was the only band name we could all agree on. Since we’ve started using it, people have come up and said ‘Oh that’s great. My parents wanted me to have a career in science, so that’s our de facto answer. But the actual answer is that it’s from a cartoon.
The EP was Whateverwolf, the full-length was Foreverwolf, what’s with all the wolves?
McPhee: It was an inside joke that got out of hand.
Proctor: While we were still debating names, our old bass player said that we could go into any bar in Toronto and walk in on a live set by ‘Whateverwolf.’
McPhee: Because there are so many wolf bands out there.
Proctor: We almost named our band Whateverwolf, we laughed so hard. But instead the first EP became Whateverwolf.
McPhee: Six of the songs on the EP made it on to the album, so we called that Foreverwolf. It’s like the ultimate, final version of the wolf songs.
What’s “post-ironic-approaching-30-core?”
Proctor: Just no bullshit guys, who are too old to be playing dirty hardcore, but still do it because they love it.
How’s the health of Toronto’s punk scene compared to 10 or 15 years ago?
Proctor: We’re doing great.
McPhee: That’s a selfish answer.
Proctor: I mean, people still go out. People still remember what it is to have fun and go to a show and get sweaty. Maybe they aren’t moshing, but that’s OK… The one thing is punk is where you start, and there aren’t enough all-ages shows. If there aren’t all-ages shows now, then there won’t be any shows at all in five or ten years. There needs to be more of an all-ages scene.
Who are you looking forward to seeing at NXNE?
Proctor: Since we were trying to put out this record, we traded in our passes and took the stipend, but I am going to pay out to see Buddy Black, who are a really cool band. I’ll probably see Bad Religion, because they were great the last time I saw them. Drugs in Japan are playing, they’re a really cool, three-piece rock and roll band. The drummer sings… I’m trying not to just name the giant Yonge-Dundas acts, although those are pretty cool and happen for free.
McPhee: Seeing Devo last year was great.
Proctor: We’re big Devo fans.