Modernized alternative rockers THE PURPLE HELMETS have on to release a new single every two weeks until the release of their album "Weirdo Squad" debuts this summer! They are also always writing all new material, with plans to play some shows here and there as well. The band discusses all of this and much more below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Coming together as a band was kind of an accident. Chris (bass) and Mike (drums) were next-door neighbors, and were discovering music together at a young age. They both picked up instruments at the same time and started making racket in Mike’s garage. They had a 3-piece metal band called “the Horde”. Through a mutual friend I (Don) was introduced to Mike and Chris and some jamming ensued. The next time we got together shortly thereafter, Jon came in as the lead singer and frontman. The first song we fully learned together was “New Girl Now” by Honeymoon Suite, and we played it at our first “gig” at a high school variety show. We had such a great response that night. Not too long after we became a very active band in Atlantic Canada and started introducing our own songs into the sets until the material was all original. Eventually we would record and release our own songs, sell a ton of CDs independently, and eventually sign with an EMI subsidiary and tour Canada.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
We were 16 years old and obviously rather immature. At the time we thought we were clever calling ourselves after the male genitalia (essentially the “Dickheads”), but the name stuck quickly. It offered an indie/ punk element to describe what we were about, and we liked that. We were banned from playing certain clubs due to the band’s name but we quickly discovered that even bad publicity is still publicity. As a result, the name stuck and we’ve never been able to shake it since. We’ve flirted with using other names over the years, but TPH has been the only name we are known. There’s no changing it now.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
While we are all from Yarmouth NS, Canada, the band is currently spread out at the moment. Chris lives in Grand Cayman. I’m living in Ottawa, Ontario, and Mike and Jon are living in our hometown of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia where we got started. We currently fly to common places to play live, rehearse, or record. We write independently from home, and then share and work together virtually to refine the songwriting in support. There is a lot of great talent from our hometown. Yarmouth NS is a unique scene of Avante Garde musical acts including Wintersleep, Burnt Black, Post Data, Dusted, Sluice, Cheval, A.A. Wallace, Rain over St. Ambrose, and more. It’s a small town of less than 10,000 people but the art is extremely eclectic. There are many other very talented musicians from there as well….too many to list, but Yarmouth is hosting NS Music Week in Fall 2025 due to this microcosm of talent.
4. How would you describe your style?
We try to intentionally draw upon the 80’s singles era (Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, The Outfield, etc.) and merge that with Modern indie rock and alternative (James Mercer, Broken Bells, Tame Impala, Kasabian, etc.) to create something new and unforgettable. If you check out our song “Criminal of Love”, it might become more obvious. Our style draws upon a variety of influences, but we have been described as UK Badfinger meets Americana Big Star due to our proximity between these 2 countries having lived and grown up in Nova Scotia, Canada. The outcome is uniquely ‘Canadiana” (we think). We love Brit Pop including Kasabian, Oasis, Sterephonics, and more but we also enjoy Americana having grown up on REM, the Jayhawks, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket, yet we also love heavier acts like Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, and Red Fang as examples. We’re simply influenced by great songwriting, harmonies, melodies, and lyrics, and as a result we also love the Kinks, Bowie, Macca, and more. We listen to everything which gives us an edge to go in so many directions with our songwriting. You can hear Bowie in Chris’ song “Weirdo Squad”, old REM from me in “Highway 17”, and Sloan + QOTSA in Jon’s “ In The Queue”.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
We have been following a “waterfall release” schedule where we release a new tune every 2 weeks off our upcoming album. The album is called “Weirdo Squad” and culminates on May 16th on Spotify and iTunes and most streaming services. I think people can expect to hear variety in the song writing. We didn’t want to come up with an album where every song on the album has a similar formula, structure, tempo or sound. We wanted the songs to pay homage to all of our influences. Many media outlets really seem to like what they’ve heard so far, with some even going as far as describing this as the finest album to come from Canada in 2025, or even in the last 2 decades (Jamsphere Radio Network, tunedloud.com). The response has been special. We’re humbled, but we are also very proud of our work and the art that has been created. We really believe this is an album of 10 singles (earworms).
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
We are always writing new material but for now we are focused on our current project. When the time is right we will head back to the studio to record, but we don't see that happening until Fall of 2025. When we arrive at that moment the plan is to head back to Grand Cayman to record again with the amazing Paul Suarez at Iron Shore Studios. Paul is a protoge of Andy Wallace, having worked in the shadows of mixing some of the most influential rock albums of all time. In his own right, Paul has recorded and engineered Biffy Clyro, Gojira, Dave Mathews, Blink 182, Korn, and Guns and Roses, to name a few. He’s a brilliant studio technician and co produced our record.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
We’re currently talking to a few agents and deciding on a geography that may make sense for us. A UK booking agency could be attractive. We’re not really planning on touring difficult geographies like Canada (we’ve done that) unless we secure support from a label. Instead, we’d like to work with an agent that could package a series of shows in the US or UK for short trips or a festival gig with a complimentary bill of similar acts. Longer tours aren’t really in our plans as we continue to promote the new record on line. Sporadic one off shows may emerge in Nova Scotia this summer and fall until we secure an arrangement with a boutique indie label or booking agency. At this point, we’re still an indie act and we enjoy the autonomy that comes with it.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
For 2025, we would like to find a small boutique indie label to join that promotes similar and complimentary acts. If you are reading this and like what you hear, please feel to reach out to us directly.
We also plan to keep writing and recording music. We would like to see us establish a major footprint in the industry and develop a growing fan base. Although we don't play music exclusively for the “likes” on social media, it’s such an amazing feeling when you can connect with people through your music. We’re very blessed to be able to experience that connection with listeners. We expect to focus on recording a follow on album to WS in late 2025.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Currently all of our released songs, and eventually the full album release on May 16, are available on all major streaming platforms.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
We want listeners to feel that the music they just listened to was authentic and from the heart. This is music that wasn't contrived or manufactured for the sake of trying to be popular and fit a particular mold, but rather is music that was organically created simply for the love of songwriting and playing music. The songwriting, melodies, harmonies, and lyrics all come from the heart. It’s real and organic. These are real amplifiers in the room pushing air, drums, and singing live in the room. The lyrics are poignant, meaningful, and introspective. The product is a real band playing together in a room, where the culmination of 4 artists simply create good art that stands the test of time. The live experience is similar to what you hear on the album, and we believe the emotional response will resonate and stay with you whether recorded or live.
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