AF: Where did the name Harlequin Gold come from? It sounds almost like a Bond Villain!
EO: The words kind of fell out of my mouth when I was writing one of our songs, “Harlequin Gold and Gasoline” and intended to be a play on fool’s gold. It shines brighter than gold when put in the right light but is often overlooked and undervalued. We both were coming from a dark place in our lives and felt like if given the right light, something great could come of this. We felt that having a name for our project would allow the freedom for true expression from each member of the band. Also, we are bond villains.
AF: At what age did you start taking an interest in music?
AO: I got my first guitar at nine, and shortly after started studying classical singing.
EO: I have been writing music since I was five years old. The only difference now is that I’m writing love songs about people instead of the family dog.
AF: Is the music writing process ever difficult as sisters? Do you ever butt heads?
EO: Mostly my head butts itself. Avery uses her bond villain mind reading powers to know what I’m thinking before I do and steers me away from any dark hole I might go down. But in all seriousness, I write the foundation of the song and and we end up finishing it as a band. Justice has a great ear for production and arrangements and Jamison is a drumming mastermind. We are pretty sure he has three arms.
AF: Where do you draw from? What is your source material for music?
EO: I’m highly emotional. It’s a blessing and a curse sometimes. I read this quote by Kurt Vonnegut that said that artists are like canaries in a coal mine. We keel over long before anyone else knows what’s wrong because we we feel everything so intensely. Most of our music is drawn from personal experience. I take whatever I feel and magnify it to get it out. I’ve always thought of songwriting as a form of therapy because once it’s on the page you don’t feel it so much inside of you.
AF: Tell us about the video for “Take Me Home." How does it relate to your original intent for the song?
EO: The song its about how time will chisel and change you until eventually you’re not the person you once were. Home is no longer a place but a state of mind and what used to scare you suddenly becomes your refuge. The video gives this idea a twist and shows someone who is trying to mold himself in to a place he doesn’t fit. He knows his current situation isn’t right and follows his intuition to reach a state of belonging. He was suffocated by his original idea of “home,” leading him to venture out to redefine it.
AF: What emotion or general vibe are you hoping to create on the new EP?EO &
AO: We wanted to create an EP that is relatable and honest. Something that was upbeat but with moments of melancholy.
AF: What is the music scene like in Vancouver?EO &
AO: There’s some amazing bands coming out of Vancouver and it’s so exciting to watch the music scene grow. Since it’s a smaller community, there’s a lot of support from local musicians and we seem to all have each other’s back.
AF: Any local artists we should be keeping an ear out for?EO &
AO: SO MANY! But some of our favorites are Blue J, Andrew Phelan, Hotel Mira, Jillian Lake and Peach Pit. We could honestly go on and on.
Harlequin Gold's self-titled debut EP is set to be released on September 27th.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES: 9/02-06 – Brisbane, AU @ Big Sound Festival
9/13 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre (Westward Music Festival w/ Milk & Bone, Honne)
