We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to talk to both Liam and Mike of Not By Choice and go down memory lane. We asked them about what they are doing now, their reunion show and how they are getting ready for it. Here is what they had to say:
Info
Genre: Pop Punk
Years Active: 1997-2006
Hometown: Ajax, Ontario
Record Label: Linus Entertainment
Record Label: Linus Entertainment
1) What's
your name and role in the band?
My name is Liam Killeen. I am the former, former drummer for Not By
Choice.
My
name is Mike Bilcox and I am the singer-guitarist for Not By Choice.
2)
What does the name Not By Choice mean to the
band?
L: I’ll let Mike take that
one.
M:
Long story short, we were searching for a band name and the saying “not by
choice” came up in conversation and it sounded good. There is really no deep, profound meaning.
3)
What would you say was the reason that
Secondhand Opinions never quite got the reception Maybe One Day did?
L: That’s a hard question, and honestly – I think 13 years
provides some perspective. Maybe One Day
came out at a time when pop-punk was riding the crest of the wave. You’d hear Blink 182, Sum 41, Not By Choice,
Good Charlotte on Alternative radio. It
spoke to kids that weren’t into traditional pop, and spoke to what they were
going through in their own lives. In the
two years between records, there was a pretty big shift. Alexisonfire, Billy Talent, Taking Back
Sunday, Brand New… this was the new alternative. Things took a turn for the heavy, and I just
don’t think that the sound we were producing spoke to the same audience as
Maybe One Day. We were a band that lived
and died by radio, and when that’s the only analytic that you can pull your
successes and failures from – I guess the writing was on the wall. With that said, it was nice to see that album
react in Asia.
M: I agree, the music scene changed
and very quickly pop punk wasn’t the popular style of music anymore. Secondhand opinions was also a bit of a
change in direction for us and maybe caught our fans off guard. Our sound wasn’t so “not by choice” anymore.
4) How far did you guys get on the third album?
L: Almost to the
finish line, actually. We spent more
time than I’m sure people realize, as a trio, woodshedding new ideas, demoing,
etc. Honestly, and I’ll try to say this
as objectively as possible, it was good stuff. Really good stuff. We didn’t have a team, and felt like we were
out to sea without a lighthouse in sight – all of that pressure, plus getting
older, life… it just wasn’t meant to be.
I don’t feel that spending that time working on the never-to-be-heard
third album went to waste – I really had a good time with the guys, and think
that it was a good exercise, I just wish we had a chance to tour it. Those songs were so much fun to play.
M: Now that I think back, we had a lot
of songs, probably enough for 2 records!
I felt we were really doing good things and headed in a good direction
but then life happened. I know it’s the
cliché thing to say but I believe it may have been our best work, it just never
saw the light of day.
5)
Your music managed to hit Japan. What was it
like touring there?
L: Surreal. It wasn’t exactly the middle ages, but this was a
long time before social media made the world a much smaller place. We knew that
it was reacting over there – our label was excellent at communicating chart
positions, sending us articles, reviews, showing us pics of the large displays
in stores, you name it – they were on it.
Even with all of that in front of us, I don’t think I could really grasp
just how cool it would be to go halfway around the world and have people know
the words. I’ve been back a few times since then, and it’s still such a
beautiful place with the most incredible people. They really respect musicians
for coming to their country, and make sure that you feel welcome. I will never
get tired of people handing me green tea Kit Kat’s.
M: Japan was an amazing
experience! Seeing how loyal and excited
the fans were to see us and the Japanese culture was just incredible. It’s a trip I will always cherish.
6)
Why did you guys choose now to do a reunion
show?
L: I never thought it would happen. It’s been 12 years since we were last on
stage together. I’ve stayed in the music
business, so I get asked a lot if we’d be interested in doing something… how
much money would it take… is everyone still alive, etc. Nothing really felt right. We’re adults, we have our own lives, and it’s
not easy to prepare for this stuff. It
takes time and effort. We don’t want to go out there and suck, to be
blunt. The fact that it’s the 15th
anniversary of Maybe One Day, I think we realized that if it was ever going to
happen – now would be the time. That,
and the million dollars that we’re each getting. That’s how it works, right? We each get a
million dollars?
M: The time was right and it seems a few people are
interested in seeing us again so why not?!?
7)
How come you chose a support role instead of a
headliner for the reunion?
L: It wasn’t so much a choice, as it was the right
opportunity. Simple Plan was such a huge
part of our career. We did a ton of
touring with them in the early days – like, so early that they were traveling
around in a bright yellow ambulance they bought. We played their CD release party for No Pads…
No Helmets… Just Balls, which came out the same year as Maybe One Day. This
just felt right. There’s no ego here,
it’s just going to be fun to get on stage as a band again, and to do it with a
band that’s always been so great to us? It wasn’t a hard decision.
M: It’s a great opportunity to play an
anniversary show and do it with friends!
Like Liam said we played so many shows with Simple Plan it just made
sense.
8)
Which song are you most excited to play in
front of people again and why?
L: Miss
You was always my favourite to play – but you know what? I’m going to say Same
As You. That’s AJ’s all-time favourite.
M: I’m just excited to play again, hopefully we’ve still got it after
all of these years.
9) What process do you guys
have to go through to get back to playing songs you haven’t for over 10 years?
Will they come easy?
L: Have you ever had carbs? They’re fucking
delicious. If you take my love of bread,
and add the fact that I’m 35 years old, I have some work to do. Treadmill, sauna, throw in some weights,
maybe some crying… I’ll get there. This
comes with not wanting to suck – it takes energy to do this right, so I’ve
started to put the work in. Learning the
songs again has been a real nice trip down memory lane. We have a group chat going with one another
where we’re asking questions about pre-choruses, bridges, you name it. It’s not easy, per se, but it’s a lot of fun.
M: Lots of at home playing to the cd! We plan on having a few weekend jams over the
summer so I think we will be in good shape by the time September rolls around.
10)
The video for Now That You Are Leaving pokes
fun at a popular MuchMusic show at the time. Who’s idea was it to do that, and
what was it like making the video?
L: There was an
intern at our label named Tyler Comrie.
Tyler came up with the idea and pitched it during a brainstorming session.
It was the clear winner. Filming that one, from what I can remember, was really
exhausting – but the results speak for themselves. That video seemed like it would never go
away. Poor Chico, he’d walk down the
street and people would just yell ‘THERE’S GIRLS IN HERE!’. That video won a
MMVA, and Tyler got himself a job at the label that paid!
M:
Yeah, making that video was a lot of work but its was all worth it. It turned out great.
11)
What is the biggest thing/memory that still
stands out for you as part of the band?
L: It’s hard to narrow it down to one,
specifically, but to me – it was probably the summer recording our first
record. I was really young, and to sign a record deal felt like such a huge
accomplishment. Spending the summer in a studio, with your good friends, making
a video, photo shoots, interviews, getting ready to go to radio and start
touring – it was a really special time. I’ll
never have a summer like that again in my life, but I’m so grateful that I was
able to experience everything that I did.
A lot of people don’t get that chance.
M: I agree with Liam way too many good
memories! I will say our Japan tour
really stands out in my mind. Flying half
way around the world and to see how many NBC fans there were blew my mind! We were very popular over there for a band
that had never toured Japan before. I will also say that
jamming and just hanging out with the guys was a lot of fun. You go from seeing each other every day for
years to barely seeing each other so I really appreciate those times together.
12)
What are you and the rest of the band up to
post breakup?
L: I played in a few bands after Not By Choice, and
eventually became an artist manager. I manage USS, The Tea Party, and a great
up-and-coming band called The Proud Sons. It’s incredibly different being off
the stage as opposed to being on it – and I love it. It’s a challenge making money in music these
days… I feel so lucky that I can make a living doing this.
M: I am currently a self employed contractor
for home renovations and I also do property management for rental properties. The next step I am taking in my career will
be real estate, flips, rentals etc. It’s
definitely not as fun or exciting as being a musician but
at this point in my life I don’t think I could handle touring, I’m in bed
before most shows open doors!
13) Any local bands, or bands that you work with
that you suggest people give a listen to?
L: In the spirit of being nostalgic, you should
most definitely go listen to Cauterize, The Reason, The Salads, Gob, and The
Graduation Day.
M: I am so out of touch
with new or local bands its not even funny.
I am currently enjoying A Day To Remember and Bring Me The Horizon. My daughter, who is 4, makes me stream a lot
of pop music and the Moana soundtrack!
Here is the video for "Now That You Are Leaving" which we talked about in the interview. If you never saw it or don't remember it, watch it so you know what we are talking about.
Published June 5th, 2017
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