Freshly Inked Interview With The Strumbellas Guitarist, Simon Ward

How was the name "Strumbellas" born? Was there a name that was almost picked instead?

To be honest, I don't like our band name very much! It was created a long time ago when I was driving in my Honda Civic going to university. I was just thinking up band names and it just popped into my head. We had a few other options like 'Great Bear National Park' and 'Alaska' but in the end we stuck with The Strumbellas.

How would you describe your style of music?

I like to think of it as Folk Pop Grass. Or Funeral pop. We basically try to infuse pop production into folk/country songs. 

How did you guys find each other? Who has known each other the longest?

Our band actually started on Craigslist! Dave was the first person to show up to my door after putting an ad out when I was living in Toronto. However, some of the people in the band are from my hometown and we got connected just because we knew each other back in the day. 

How do you guys motivate and inspire each other?

I think we motivate each other by all having the same goals. Everyone in the band takes our jobs very seriously and we are just trying to get our music to as many people as possible while being nice to everyone we meet along the way. 

You're touring now, is there any place you're especially excited for?

The band always loves visiting the Southern States because we love to eat BBQ! Food is a big part of The Strumbellas culture and we are always trying local foods and restaurants of the area we are touring in.

Will anyone be getting any new tattoos along the way? Who do you often go to for tattoos?

Funny you mention that. Our tour manager is a big mean looking guy covered in tattoos however his mom doesn't want him to get any knuckle tattoos, so now I'm going to get knuckle tattoos just to upstage him! I love tattoos and I'll get them on and off on the road, but mostly I get them in my home town from the same woman that designed our new album cover with the rattlesnake on it. She's my fav!

What do you hope fans take away from your music?

Music has helped me so many times in my bouts with depression. I just hope our music helps others who are dealing with hard tines in life. I just want to make people smile and feel good for 3.5 minutes of the day like my musical inspirations did for me! 

What's your advice for people pursuing a career in music?

Get ready for a long, hard journey. One thing we are proud of in our band is that our road to having some success didn't come easy. We toured very hard and worked relentlessly in order to make this band work. Never stop working!

Any special message to our readers?

Just that we are very thankful for anyone who listens to our music and comes to our shows. 

This is a fun, kind of random final question: there are movies like the Avengers and TV shows like Friends, what fictional group of characters do you feel is like you guys the most and why?

It is funny that you mentioned Friends because it is my favourite TV show of all time and I have watched every season 10 times! In terms of who we are like, I would say our tour bus is basically like watching any comedy movie. Lots of jokes and clowning around.