Awesome Artists: POLARITY

By
Syed
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There are times when I  come across a new band or song and immediately the first thing to come to mind is, “Hey, this is pretty awesome!” This happened to me recently when I was introduced to Canadian band POLARITY.

Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, POLARITY is a progressive band that aims to write meaningful lyrics that resonate with youth. I got a chance to have a chat with Jasmine, the lyricist and vocalist of the band, so be sure to check that out after the jump.

What got you into music?

I’m pretty sure I was using my umbilical chord as a microphone in utero, it progressed into children’s choirs and musicals all throughout elementary and high school. While in University, word got out that I was a singer and was asked to join my first band. The moment the distorted guitars kicked in and the words in my journal came to life came the realization I was able to express myself truly authentically and vulnerably and I knew intrinsically that anything I had ever worked towards musically had led me to this point, and I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

Your songs are more than just a generic set of lyrics, where do you draw the inspiration to come up with meaningful lyrics?
Writing about real aspects of the human experience inspire me because we’re quick to avoid what we don’t want to feel or deal with. However, it’s only when you face these aspects of life that you can learn from them and then move beyond them. I myself struggle to find balance and often find myself teetering on the edge of a dark place and searching for the reason I find myself there, so my lyrics are more of a dialogue with my higher self giving understanding or expression to what’s going on within me or as an observation of society around me. In essence, my lyrics are a healing process for myself and hopefully for others who they resonate with.
What would you say your greatest successes and challenges have been as a band and/or individual? Best and worst part of being in a band?
I’d say our biggest success as a band is the fan base we’ve built in and around Toronto. It’s a huge market with many bands playing all the time, however we seem to have a steadily growing audience, we’re always seeing new faces wearing our t-shirts and similar faces that keep coming back for more. So really our biggest success comes from the fans who continue to support our band. Other accomplishments we’re amped about include releasing two albums in the short amount of time we’ve been together, and touring successfully which means not going into debt while on the road, which is a huge accomplishment for a young indie band. In regards to the worst part, at this point, there is no “worst part” of being in a band, we’re lucky to be doing what we love and we’re enjoying the process of growing as musicians and a collective unit.
Favourite song from your own discography?

I’ll narrow it down to two. Off of our 2009 release, I’m going to have to say Awake At Night. The song was running through my head years before POLARITY actually formed and upon starting the writing process with Mike, Jason and Smith, our drummer Eric came along after the first album, the song really came to life more beautifully than I had even imagined possible. We’ve played this song hundreds of times and I’m still not tired of singing it. Off of our 2011 release, Death of A Song. It was a concept I brought to band jam about my feelings on the death of meaningful music in mainstream industry. Pop music seems to be a promotional tool for drinking, drugs and promiscuity aimed towards younger generations. We all know the power music holds to communicate meaningful messages and it should be something cherished and held in high regard as opposed to abused. Many people I know are tired of hearing this type of music and have started shying away from radio and other musical outlets, which really is too bad and ultimately is the death of a song I wrote about. Anyways, the guys came up with some really heavy and dirty rifts and the song came to life… and then died at the end which was perfect.

Favourite song/band in general?

I guess like most people, I have favourite songs and bands depending on my mood and go through different phases of favourite. That being said, songs I’ve listened too obsessively include The Noose by Aperfect Circle, Breathe Me by Sia and 11am by Incubus… these do happen to be some of my favourite bands/artists too. If you asked me this question tomorrow, my answers would be different though, I listen to a lot of songs and artists obsessively.

For teens/youth looking to get involved in music or start a band, do you have any words of advice/encouragement to share?
Be true to yourself and the type of music that naturally flows through you. Make music because you love it, not because you’re looking for anything more than the moment of pure creation and enjoyment that comes from making music. Following passion with hard work is a sure way to achieve a fulfilled vision. You’re young and the world is yours to create so don’t let anyone take you from the path you know you’re here to walk. As I tell all the POLARITY fans, please feel free to be in touch with us to let us know what we can do as a band to help you manifest your own dreams, be it performing at a charity event you’re holding or giving recording advice, we’ve got some serious experience under our belts and are always willing to help where we can.
POLARITY is heading on a West Coast tour this summer, and will be dropping by Calgary in June, so make sure to check them out if you get a chance. In the meantime, you can listen to some of their stuff and find out more about the band from their website (www.polaritymusic.com), Facebook (www.facebook.com/polaritymusic), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/polaritymusic).

 

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