What started as a pair of film makers who wanted to record their own soundtracks has been parlayed in to a successful music career — OzGoode— who come to the Slice, May 27.
“We‘re three weeks into our tour,” said guitarist Joseph Pittari on the road through Northern Ontario en route to a show in Kenora.
While the band started as a pair of film makers at film school back in 1998, they morphed into a full band which has just released their first EP aptly called “Beginnings.”
“We first started as a video production company because me and Patrick (Phillips) didn’t want to have to pay for music to use on our soundtracks, so we decided to make our own. But now the music has taken on a life of it’s own,” Pittari said, adding the band took on a life of it’s own by writing songs which have been recorded by a variety of different artists including Amber McLean, who had a top AC (adult contemporary) 40 hit with one of their songs called “Missing You.”
“ That’s what we want is for people to hear our music. So if people like it enough to record it, that’s cool,” he said.
While the band have a pretty strong pop sensibilities, lead singer Vanessa Huneault said they are evolving into more of a rock band.
“ We’re a high energy rock band,” she said.
“We get lots of friends and family out when we get to Western Canada,” he said.
Pittari has family and friends all over Southern Alberta and new lead singer Vanessa Huneault is from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.
“It was hands down our best show of the tour,” Pittari said.
“We played for a hundred people. We played 20 songs, which is the most we played in a show and two encores,” said.
“ There was beer in the dressing rooms and lots of well-wishers,” enthused Vanessa Huneault, who has been with the band for two-and-a-half months. She was drawn to the band not only because of the music itself but their work ethic as well
“ It’s been phenomenal. We’ve already done Quebec and Ontario,” Pittari said.
They plan on recording a full length CD near the end of the year.
“We want to record the album by summer’s end and have it out in the Fall, he said.
They are joined on this tour by bassist Tarun Dawar.
The show begins at 9 p.m.