Josh: Is this your first solo embark outside of Toronto with the Mountains?
Sebastien: No, I think the first thing we did was a tour with Bloc Party and Albert Hammond – so we left the city pretty quickly, I think we played one show in the city and then went on tour.
J: How long ago was that?
S: Almost two years ago.
J: With the current lineup of the Mountains?
S: Yeah, as a three piece. Andrew [Scott] joined a year ago.
J: How long have you been working with the Mountains?
S: Well, it's been two years now. That's when we started working out the songs and the arrangements. Then the record started about a year ago, and happened sporadically throughout the year.
J: I read that originally Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains was ‘the concept of a band.’ What exactly does that mean?
S: What it means is essentially it’s a solo record that wasn't really played as a band. There are definitely some band tracks on it, but essentially it’s a solo record. You know, the lines are blurred between what the band is and what the record is, but when we perform live the band is the Mountains, and on the record, the Mountains is the record.
J: How'd you meet these guys?
S: Nick [Sewell] used to play in a rock band called the Illuminati, and Death From Above used to play with them. He's just a fantastic bass player, and when I was looking for someone to fill in that side of the stage, he's a very full player, and I wanted someone who could sort of fill out all the things I wasn't doing before we had a second guitar player. So he was my first choice for sure. Leon [Taheny] I went to high school with, and I always wanted to play in this sort of band with him. Andrew [Scott] I've known for a long time. We used to play in a band called Femme Fatale together and we've sort of been you know in each others peripherals for quite a few years. So I asked him to come fill in some more stuff on the other side of the stage and he agreed so, yeah, that's the Mountains.
J: I noticed you guys are touring right into the US. Is your album coming out in the US?
S: Yeah it came out on Tuesday in the US.
J: There's a track on your album, I’m All Rage (Live’05). Wasn't that the year Death From Above 1979 broke up?
S: It was a live recording from that time.
J: On your own or with the Mountains?
S: With the band.
J: You played drums in DFA1979 and now you play guitar with the Mountains. What’s the difference switching from drums to guitar for you?
S: Well, drums are drums and a guitar’s a guitar.
J: How much easier is it for you to perform and to sing?
S: It's easier to be a singer playing guitar. It was more difficult playing drums. When I was in that position it never felt quite like I was a singer or quite like a drummer, so it was somewhere in between. It was its own thing and it had its own merits as a part of that band, but I was not destined to continue. I wanted to do something else. And I've always wanted to play guitar in a band. I never have. I've always played guitar, but never in a band, so this is been kind of a journey for me as a guitar player as well, which is fun.
J: Is it awkward between you and Jesse F. Keeler [of DFA1979]?
S: Uhhh... you'd have to ask him that.
J: Yeah? So you guys just don't talk?
S: That's kind of a personal question, if you ask me.
J: That's fine, I'll hold it back at there.
S: Awesome.
J: Thank you, I appreciate it.
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