
How many beers did it take Airbourne’s Ryan O’Keeffe to get through cornershopstudios’ Rapid Fire? The answer to that question will not be disclosed but we have 5 others for you below!
Question: How does one know they are truly Ready to Rock?
Answer: If they’re willing to live their life with nothing to lose.

Question: Does living fast and dying young get in the way of growing old?
Answer: Not when you pretty much aren’t expected to reach the age limit that normal people reach.

Question: What stops us from Runnin’ Wild?
Answer: Thinking too far ahead.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Free cold beer!

Question: Cheap wine and cheaper women or single malt and classy dames?
Answer: Single malt and classy dames for sure! For sure!


Alexisonfire is known for its high energy live shows and explosive on-stage personas… But just how does that translate into an interview is what cornershopstudios set out to uncover with Wade MacNeil and Chris Steele at Heavy MTL.
Question: What color do the Sons of Privilege bleed?
Answer (Wade): Blue

Question: When will we all be free?
Answer (Chris): When Steele enters the stage tonight wearing a woman’s shirt but with this mustache.

Question: What is the one sound that just might save us all?
Answer (Wade): It’s not George’s coughing, it’s the most annoying thing in the world.

Question: If you could see any two Hollywood starlets in a knife fight… Who would they be?
Answer (Chris): Gary Oldman and Leonardo DiCaprio

Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Wade): Chris Steele

Answer (Chris): Mistake

Somewhere behind the scenes at Heavy MTL, cornershopstudios had a brief but extremely insightful encounter with James “Munky” Shaffer and Ray Luzier of KoRn. Pay attention kids, this Rapid Fire is filled with important life lessons, like what may lead you to do time and how to remember who you are.
Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Munky): Ego kills the heart!

Answer (Ray): Be good to one another!

Question: What causes a man to switch from wanting Love And Peace, Dude to Laughing As People Die?
Answer (Munky): Puberty

Question: Are You Ready To Live?
Answer (Ray): Yes I Am!

Question: Those who let guilt lead the way find themselves ______________ .
Answer (Munky): In jail

Question: What always helps to remember who you are?
Answer (Ray): Take a Look in the Mirror. Yeah, just being in check with myself.


In the depths of Heavy MTL’s backstage area, cornershopstudios stood face to face with Shawn Drover, drummer for Megadeth, to discuss success, insanity and golf? Soak up all the enormity of our “Big Four” moment below.
Question: Faster and heavier than the rest… Or bigger and more successful than the best?
Answer: I’d rather be successful and keep my musical integrity.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Golf

Question: What gives you The Right To Go Insane?
Answer: Musically speaking nothing would drive me insane. This is what I love to do. I’m really privileged and lucky to be able to do this for a living and be successful at it. What would drive me insane is not being able to do this.

Question: Locked in the Head Crusher… What are your final thoughts?
Answer: I’m in a lot of pain right now, I want to die. Why am I in the Head Crusher? What am I doing here? What did I do to get in the Head Crusher?

Question: Who are the great thieves of our time?
Answer: The people who steal music off the Internet.

Yeah, that just happened. cornershopstudios got Troy Sanders of metal giants Mastodon to strangle Ewoks (although he wouldn’t really do that) and stand on top of a constellation to peer down at the world below. Awesome.
Question: Ten Ewoks VS. Mastodon… Who wins?
Answer: I love Ewoks and I’m sure they’re a family oriented united community but that’s a no brainer, Mastodon easily wins.

Question: How do you tell someone you’ve failed?
Answer: You say I’ve never seen such a horrifically epic loser as yourself.

Question: If the fart box could inspire one face… What would that face be?
Answer: It would be the same old face…

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Paste

Question: What’s the view like from the roof of the ethereal world?
Answer: It’s extremely high because the element of ether is the dark matter that dominates the universe above this atmosphere itself, so it’s up there.

On their much deserved journey to the top, Toronto’s Anvil crossed paths with cornershopstudios at Heavy MTL. Steve “Lips” Kudlow, Robb Reiner and Glenn Five discussed thoughts of the past, the Hard ‘N’ Heavy of it all and the saccharine triumph of success. Men of few words? Perhaps. Palpable presence even in silence? Definitely.
Question: In your opinion what’s the one thing 1978 Lips should have done differently?
Answer (Lips): Nothing

Question: Are two heads better than one?
Answer (Robb): Absolutely

Question: What song changed everything for you?
Answer (Glenn): Metal on Metal

Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Lips): Fuck!

Answer (Robb): Rockin

Answer (Glenn): Kerfuffel!!

Question: Have the words Hard ‘N’ Heavy taken on a new meaning after 30 years in the grind?
Answer (Lips): I don’t think so

Question: What tastes sweeter… Your well deserved notoriety or your vindicating triumph over naysayers?
Answer (Robb): Both

Question: Who is the Juggernaut of Justice?
Answer (Glenn): Anvil, because we’re an unstoppable force.

We learned Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares definitely has an interesting take on things when cornershopstudios caught up with the guitarist at Heavy MTL. One could say the interview leaned toward the lighter side of things… Who knew an interviewer could one day require the services of a butt double?!
Question: What would be the slogan for the Fear Campaign?
Answer: My stomach!

Question: What will the official t-shirts read at the dawn of our extinction?
Answer: I’m hungry

Question: The Soul of a New Machine comes with a price… What’s that price?
Answer: Ass

Question: What’s rule #1 on the road to Industrial Discipline?
Answer: Always have your alcohol.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Ass is the new pussy

Blood, death and the journey to the gutter are perhaps not the most à propos topics for a chat on a sunny afternoon in a clearing on the waterfront. But it was most fitting on this the first day of Heavy MTL as cornershopstudios put Baptized In Blood singer Johl Fendley under fire.
Question: What brings you up when you’re Down and Out?
Answer: Music is my reprieve.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Fuck

Question: If you could choose your demise… What would be your perfect melodic death?
Answer: I’d have Slayer’s Reign in Blood on and I would be passed out in my room, asleep next to my girl and my little boy would be there. I’d pass away nice and peaceful. If I had to have something else, I’d definitely want to freeze to death, because I think that’s the shit.

Question: Is blood always thicker than water?
Answer: Yes, blood’s for life, water is not. You’ve got to take the good with the bad and just always stick by your friends and family at all times.

Question: The journey to the gutter is paved with ____________.
Answer: Booze, hookers, drugs and Baptized In Blood.


The New Pornographers’ Carl Newman and Kathryn Calder huddled in a humble little corner of Le National’s under belly to chat with cornershopstudios about the smell of lovin’, science versus vandalism and the upsides to the Crash Years.
Question: If porn had a scent, what would it be?
Answer (Carl): Cinnamon

Question: Are you more of a scientist or vandal?
Answer (Carl): I think I’m kind of both actually, I think I just like to wreck things and then put them back together.

Question: What does Together mean to you?
Answer (Kathryn): Happiness and sunshine

Question: What did you learn from your Crash Years?
Answer (Kathryn): I learned not to take things personally.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Carl): Extrapolate
Answer (Kathryn): Bonanza



In the deep dark bowels of Montreal’s Le National lies a dressing room and in that room Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue and cornershopstudios pondered thoughts of sin, watchful dragons and meaningful actions. “This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time”.
Question: Who or what has placed you In Exile?
Answer: Sin

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Word

Question: If C.S. Lewis wrote a novel starring Thrice… What would it be titled?
Answer: Sneaking Past Watchful Dragons

Question: What is the role of The Artist in the Ambulance?
Answer: To make every action as meaningful as possible.

Question: Best video game of all time?
Answer: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


Coheed and Cambria’s Travis Stever hid behind Metropolis to get somethings straight with cornershopstudios. Likes: Hope, smiles & all things incredible. Dislikes: Sadness, guilt and… ‘this guy’? We get into the nitty gritty below.
Question: What would you say is your Year of the Black Rainbow?
Answer: Don’t know if I have one… Probably the year working on the album. Although the Year of the Black Rainbow doesn’t represent something dark. It represents a new beginning for Coheed and Cambria. It represents hope.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Incredible

Question: What would the prequel to your life be titled?
Answer: “Who Is This Guy And What Is He Doing Here?”

Question: What do you bring to Coheed and Cambria?
Answer: Well we all bring certain elements musically, but along with that I like to think I bring smiles. I like to see everyone happy and smiling.

Question: Do you keep your secrets in the dark or live your life as an open book?
Answer: I wear my heart on my sleeve. I try and keep some things in but I just can’t. When I was a kid and would get away with something bad I would feel so guilty I’d end up confessing.


The planetary alignment was just right last Tuesday night to sanction a meeting between Caribou and cornershopstudios at Babylon. We Found Out that 2+2 does not always equal 4…
Question: Does society encourage us to Swim or float?
Answer: It depends a lot on your cultural surroundings; some places you live, it feels like you better sink or swim.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Sinecure

Question: Have we grown lactose intolerant to The Milk of Human Kindness?
Answer: No I don’t think so. I don’t feel like I’m getting any more embittered as I get older, I feel like exactly the opposite.

Question: If you can’t be the man, what can you be?
Answer: Who told you to be the man anyway? You can be anything but the man.

Question: Fact & formula or fiction & chance?
Answer: Both. It’s a false choice, people don’t get to choose between them.


cornershopstudios sat with Jim Creeggan and Tyler Stewart conjuring ideas of the future, learned appreciation and bright colors… As Barenaked Ladies in a hotel room will often inspire you to do.
Question: What do the subway cars read?
Answer (Tyler): Hope for the future. A new destination. Always moving forward.

Question: What have you learned?
Answer (Jim): I’ve learned how to appreciate. Appreciate the people around me, appreciate myself and appreciate what’s right in front of me. I guess being content comes next.

Question (Jim): You’ve chosen drums as an instrument to communicate through, but you’re also very social. Is there a marriage between hitting something and chasing an idea?
Answer (Tyler): Both things are social and based on interaction. Drumming makes people dance.

Question (Tyler): What’s your favorite color?
Answer (Jim): PINK!

Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Jim): Karate

Answer (Tyler): Brisket


Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson and Kevin Hearn chatted away the morning haze with cornershopstudios, as the John Lennon & Yoko Ono suite played backdrop to thoughts of cottage getaways, the right amount of time and Sheryl Crow.
Question: When You Run Away, where do you run to?
Answer (Ed): To my cottage on the lake. I always want to be there, but it bothers my wife; she prefers something more warm and exotic.

Question: How much time is a good amount of time?
Answer (Kevin): As long as it takes.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Kevin): Love

Answer (Ed): Qat

Question (Ed): When writing, is your primary focus on the music or lyrics?
Answer (Kevin): It happens both ways, but I find it easier to start with the lyrics. I find it easy to develop a melody starting with words.

Question (Kevin): If you were trapped on a desert island with a full studio at your disposal, what artist would you want trapped with you?
Answer (Ed): Well… I’d have to go with a female here. Gotta say Sheryl Crow. She plays, sings and produces. She’s incredibly talented and fuckin’ sexy.


cornershopstudios met up with Dan Mangan in Mavericks’ stairwell to delve deeper into his album Nice, Nice, Very Nice, pondering the effects of technology, roaring lions and puzzle pieces.
Question: Is technology bringing mankind closer together or driving it farther apart?
Answer: I have a love-hate relationship with technology. I do worry if we’re gonna lose some of the important human to human connection that is so vital in establishing us as human beings. I think it’s pretty clear, and somewhat evident to most people, that eventually humans are going to rid themselves, we’re gonna be the makers of our end. And whether that’s in 20 years, 2,000 years or 20,000 years, it’s just a question of time.

Question: What does it take to stand right next to giants and roar beside the lions?
Answer: I feel like there’s so much talent, so much great music in the world, that I always felt like I was trying to match up, trying to prove myself, and that’s what that line is really about, standing next to giants and trying to learn from them and at the same time compete with them.

Question: What piece of Vancouver do you feel you always take on the road with you?
Answer: It sounds typical but the mountains are always in my brain.

Question: Is an accomplished life one where you’ve found all the puzzle pieces?
Answer: I don’t know if you ever find all the puzzle pieces. I think an accomplished life is continuing to look for the puzzle pieces even when it seems fruitless and to make sure that you are surrounded by people that you can forever look for the puzzle pieces with.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Radtacular


From the steps of his Montreal refuge, to the soft surrender of fresh spring grass, acoustic beat baron Yoav and cornershopstudios told beautiful lies, escaped from reality and discussed the intricacies of the beautiful people.
Question: What is the world’s most Beautiful Lie?
Answer: Oh there are so many.

Question: A Foolproof Escape Plan from what?
Answer: Reality perhaps.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Antidisestablishmentarianism

Question: Do Charmed & Strange go better together?
Answer: In my life they usually do. Just not sure if it’s for better or for worse.

Question: What would you say to be paid to be one of the beautiful?
Answer: Well… Whatever I’ve said so far hasn’t worked.


cornershopstudios caught up with Hannah Georgas on the banks of the Gatineau River in the quaint town of Wakefield, Québec. With mere days til the release of her debut album This Is Good, Hannah examined some serious topics but also showed us some sweet Dancefloor moves.
Question: If This Is Good, what is bad?
Answer: A life without music

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Beer

Question: What’s the leading cause of Thick Skin?
Answer: Family drama and conflict. They’ve developed me to be able to stand my ground.

Question: What does it take to give without expecting something?
Answer: Sometimes you just wonder what being genuine is all about. That question has come from past relationships with people where it didn’t feel like a real friendship.

Question: What is your signature down and dirty Dancefloor move?
Answer: Fist pump (Hannah obliged under the stare of passers by…)


Montreal’s humble Green Room played backdrop to a Friday night moment, as cornershopstudios rapped with Chilean word slinger Anita Tijoux on matters of the heart, social Kaos and the world as it is.
Question: Describe the Chilean heart.
Answer: Passionate

Question: Does society need Kaos to exist?
Answer: Yes, absolutely… You need Kaos for creation. People die for revolution.

Question: If you could give 1977 as a gift to one person who would it be?
Answer: Chico Buarque… It was the first vinyl I owned at 8 or 9 years old.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Communidad

Question: Wake-up and see how the world is, or how the world should be?
Answer: I’m a realist. I see how the world really is, and then how we can change it.


Chris Carrabba and cornershopstudios went head to head for five quick jabs as deadly sins, altered endings and a secret boulevard belle all made their way into the ring. Dashboard Confessional? -or- Cornered confessional?
Question: If you were asked to add to the list of 7 deadly sins… What would you say is the 8th?
Answer: Socialnetworkaholocism

Question: Alter what ending?
Answer: Every one

Question: The hum of electric rock or the controlled sorrow of stripped down acoustic?
Answer: Both… Why choose?

Question: Who’s the Belle of the Boulevard?
Answer: I’m not Telling

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: More


Liam Wilson of The Dillinger Escape Plan chatted with cornershopstudios concerning vaginas, stomach grumbles and withered heads. Whatever knowledge we went in with… We came out with more.
Question: What are the Chinese Whispers telling you to do?
Answer: Touch as many vaginas as I can before I die.

Question: Favorite Word?
Answer: Borborygmi

Question: Which option lost out to paralysis?
Answer: The double beef with cheese

Question: How can you always pick a Party Smasher out of a crowd?
Answer: They’re the only ones that recognize me.

Question: What’s the ransom for Mona Lisa’s smile?
Answer: Michael Crichton’s head so he stops writing those damn books… Wait, is he dead? Ok, then Michael Crichton’s withered skull.


Cage the Elephant’s Matthew Schultz and cornershopstudios tucked into a pocket of La Tulipe’s bowels as thoughts of love, emotions and loss filled the Montreal afternoon.
Question: What makes you wicked?
Answer: The fact that I’m a human.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Love

Question: Throughout your career thus far, what has commonly been the elephant in the room?
Answer: There’s a lot we don’t talk about. Things that plague our minds can be very broad.

Question: What could send a man into Perfect Confusion?
Answer: Being too wrapped up in emotions. I sometimes base too many decisions on emotion. We should all learn to use our minds and hearts.

Question: Live as a failure or die as a loser?
Answer: You can’t quite escape either. You can’t gain without losing.


A sunny Montreal afternoon played backdrop to the bustling Café Olympico that found cornershopstudios and Jay Malinowski sharing thoughts on what makes a man, the words that drive life and lone wolves.
Question: Do bruises make the man?
Answer: Yes

Question: If Life Is A Gun what are the bullets?
Answer: Words

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Ennui

Question: Strength in packs or the power of the lone wolf?
Answer: I think any artist would say power of the lone wolf, but the reality is strength in packs.
Question: What outstanding similarity do Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver share?
Answer: Whenever someone from Vancouver as I am moves to Toronto they eventually end up liking the city. When someone from Montreal moves to Toronto they end up liking the city and vice versa. They always seem to dislike the cities where they don’t live until they get there.

From warm tea on a cold day, to a walk in the park with February’s cold snap pinching our cheeks, cornershopstudios spent quality time with Basia Bulat. Her humble thoughts and warm heart lighting the way for our fist full of questions.
Question: If you’re no longer a daughter, what are you now?
Answer: Hm. I’m still a daughter

Question: Are we born with a strong heart or does it harden with wisdom?
Answer: Depends on the person… Everyone has it in them I think. Sometimes it takes time to discover.

Question: What does “true silence” sound like?
Answer: If I explained it… It wouldn’t be true.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Ptak

Question: At what sacrifice do I obtain a Heart of My Own?
Answer: There’s no sacrifice… You always have one.


Set in the depths of Club Soda to an audio back drop of muffled sound checking, the tick tock of a clock and the squeaking of a black marker, cornershopstudios caught up with Lou Barlow, founding member of groups Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and the Folk Implosion. Here’s what we uncovered…
Question: Was low-fi rock created or simply discovered?
Answer: Discovered. It’s like discovering recording

Question: Is audio introspect a virtue or curse?
Answer: Both. You make great intimate music that way but it tends to complicate your life.

Question: If Goodnight Unknown is the last thing one would say before falling asleep… What would one say when waking?
Answer: Bad day known

Question: Favorite word?
Answer: Gumption

Question: Who’s Lou Barlow when no one is looking?
Answer: Little Louie


It’s not every day you meet the members of a critically acclaimed Canadian hip-hop group playing leap frog after dark in a Montreal parking lot. It’s been said that Grand Analog knows how to balance the principles of rhyme, rhythm, and wit. With Alister Johnson off pondering life, cornershopstudios rounded up Odario Williams, Ofield Williams and Warren Bray and grilled ‘em, Rapid Fire style.
Question: Who set Metropolis ablaze?
Answer: The grandest of Analog vibesmen.

Question: Favorite word?
Answer (Odario): Word

Answer (Warren): True

Answer (Ofield): Flow

Question: If video didn’t do it, who killed the radio star?
Answer: The iPod.

Question: What word best describes Canadian hip-hop?
Answer: Diversity. Without question. I was gonna say second-generation kids, but that’s three words. That’s my real answer.

Question: What’s the one thing that makes music worth creating?
Answer: The relationships between human beings. The communication between humans. Everyone listens to music.
