Canadian pop-punk band Minority 905 recently released their official music video for their single “Soundtrack” which has had a lot of anticipation from fans. Olivia Marsala had a chance to speak to the guys and get the inside scoop on what goes on in creating the artwork to putting the songs and album together!

Let’s start with the album artwork. Where did the idea come from?

Chris:  Well, honestly we didn’t have too many ideas.  We just let the artist Jacqueline Choe (@jisuchoeart) do their own thing.  We gave her the lyrics to all the songs, and an early copy of the album, and let her draw her own conclusion on what the art should be.  The sketch that would become the album art has us all looking into the distance from different angles as a sign of the hope we all have and that is portrayed in the lyrics throughout the album.

 

Who created/conducted the artwork?

Chris:  Jacqueline Choe (@jisuchoeart).

How did the production process compare to your previous release, Broken, Not Beaten?

 

John: I think just working with a different producer (Anton DeLost) was probably the biggest difference and also that I didn’t really get any inputs or feedback on the songs until we finally met on the first day of pre-production. With “Broken, Not Beaten”, Mason (Dayot) was involved a lot more during the early stages of writing the songs, so I worked with him months before pre-production even started.

Steven: Working with a different producer (Anton DeLost) really changed things as far as the edits and changes he brought into our songs, and just having a new voice guiding and making sure the songs were going in the right direction.

Which track was the most fun to produce?

 

John: I don’t think I had a favorite in particular, they were all fun for me.

Steven: I guess I enjoyed the songs that I had the first track to arrange on my own, to really lay out my ideas and vision for the song. Jamming the songs out and working on them at Spas’ place and expanding on those ideas was also a lot of fun as well.

Spasimir: As far as favorites, a few of the “deep cuts” on the album (like What If, Relapse, Smoke and Mirrors) were fun to put together since most of them were created during practice. I think the one that was most fun for me tho would probably be Soundtrack

 

Was there a song that was more difficult than the others to write?

 

John: Once we got to the studio I think the song that had the most difficulties was “Run This Town” because the original version had longer sections. Figuring out how to shorten the song took some time and numerous changes were proposed.

Steven: Yeah Run This Town was probably the toughest.

Spasimir: Arranging the instrumentals for 27 Club was pretty challenging in my opinion. We spent plenty of time trying to put more ideas into that song (different beats, melodies, etc)

Do you feel that you have matured as a band since your first release?

 

John: It was about 2 and a half years between the recording of “Broken, Not Beaten” and “Dangerous Ambitions” so I think naturally with new experiences you just grow as a person. I’m glad that there was enough time in between the albums for all the songs to have real inspirations behind them. I like that it didn’t have to be rushed.

Steven: Absolutely. I personally have learned so much about music and bass playing since then, and with Chris joining our band, that added a new element into the writing as well. Hopefully we can mature some more when it’s time to work on the 3rd album.

Chris:  Based on the reception of fans, random people at shows, friends, and family, this album far surpasses the last one.

Spasimir: Yes, we’ve definitely matured a lot. The way we put songs together now is a lot more thought out than it was a few years ago. Also each of us has grown as musicians and the ideas we come up with are much more interesting than our previous work.

 

Is there another song off Dangerous Ambitions you would like to do a music video for in the future?

 

John: “Catching Fire”, “What If”, and “Run This Town” I think are the more likely ones to eventually have their own music videos.

Steven: ^^^^

 

Do you each have your own ‘dangerous ambitions’ you would like to achieve?

 

John: My idea behind “Dangerous Ambitions” when I was writing it was that my main goal in life was to play music for a living. So that’s still my ambition although I know that there’s also the possibility that might not happen. In my mind I’ve always wanted to for it no matter what because at the end of the day I don’t want to have the “What If?” question lingering behind my mind when all is said and done.  

Steven: This whole band is a dangerous ambition. However, we’re willing to make all the sacrifices necessary to help turn our dreams into reality.

Spasimir: I feel the same as the rest of the band on this. Doing the band thing, making YouTube content, trying to push ourselves musically, I think that’s our dangerous ambition.