The Contact

Once upon a time, a band from the east coast of Canada came with a sound so fresh and vigorus it took a nation by storm. The sound was rock, but crucially it was pop, too: consise,punchy,melodic,shiny without being "plastic."This sound, along with songwriting that is at once spiritual, gritty and filled with metaphor, have helped The Contact find a space for themselves in Canada’s competitive music scene. Praised by critics and fans alike for their gut-punching thick Foo Fighters style guitars combined with a Radiohead-esque melancholy and an Indie rock flare. The Contact has built a musical niche for themselves somewhere between the Smashing Pumpkins, Muse and Keane.Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, The Contact is composed of Geoffrey Fifield on vocals and guitar, Tim Fifield on bass, drummer Nathan Elliot-Doucet and keyboardist Jordan Allen.The Contact indeed proves to be more then just the flavor of the week or the exploiters of a hot trend. Instead they bring a different taste to the current musical menu, one that starts with a stinging guitar driven boldness, an entrée of powerful vocal and keyboard melodies, only to be presented with an impeccable rhythm sweetness to satisfy one’s strong hunger for something unique.The band has just finished recording and mixing their third studio project ‘Canvas Tears’, to be released on June 26. The project was produced by Grammy winner Quinlan and engineered by Lil Thomas. “We’ve been self-producing for years, so we really needed someone not to ‘tell’ us what to do, but to collaborate on our ideas and let them fly,” Geoffrey notes. “Quinlan’s a great listener with a very open mind."After two months laboring between The Sonic Temple in Halifax and The Fiction Room Studio in Columbus Ohio, the CD was mixed by Chuck Zwicky (Prince, Chantal Kreviazuk, Soul Asylum) in New York City and Mastered by Dave Collins (The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Soundgarden) in Los Angeles. The Contact came away with an album that blends all their collective influences over a bakers dozen tracks with a recorded sound that outpaces everything they’ve ever committed to tape. “During a recording session, we hit the climax of ‘Anthem of a Refugee,’ and it all came together for me,” Geoffrey recalls. “The realization that all of these people - musicians, producers, mixers, are working as one to create something far beyond the sum of all the parts is incredibly moving and humbling."But even with an album that is sure to open up many eyes, ears, and hearts while The Contact spreads the love to more and more audiences, they have no plans to treat the road any differently. With extensive tours, crowds can’t help but be intrigued by the gripping stage show. “We just want to keep touring and getting better as a band," Jordan concludes, “A year ago we didn’t think we would be in the position we are in. We just want to keep breaking the boundaries of what we are as a band and push ourselves to the limit.”And so just as it had been when he stepped into the front man role, the sparkle returns to Geoffrey’s eye, even brighter than before, but this time showing so much more than mere potential of a young band, more than the excitement of what "could be.” This time there is a new confidence brewing; an excitement that is not only explosive but silently assuring that their voice will be heard.