Review Fix Exclusive: Mother Leads Drummer Raymond Cara Talks ’Time Slows Down’ and More

Review fix chats with Mother Leads Drummer Raymond Cara, who discusses the band’s new single, “Time Slows Down,” as well as their goals for the future and influences. Inspired by bands the likes of Soundgarden and Megadeth, they are self-admittedly “rockers at heart.”

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Review Fix: How do you think your unique backgrounds affects your music?

Raymond Cara: We all come from different places musically, and I think for most people when you’re young (definitely me) your musical tastes are much less diverse than later on in life. In high school, we started off trying to sound like Megadeth because we couldn’t stop cranking up Peace Sells or Rust in Peace.  Since we spend so much time together and listen to a lot of music when we’re not playing it, it ultimately has an effect on what we play. We listen to a lot of different bands ranging from rock and roll to alternative or progressive rock, metal to funk, soul and jazz ensembles. There are also many killer bands here in Canada that we like / play with often.  We just seem to write the music that comes naturally and feels good to play.

Review Fix: How was “When Time Slows Down” written? What inspired it?

Cara: Our writing methods lately seem to be all over the place. Sometimes Neil or Quinn will come in with a basic structure. Sometimes it’s a cool beat or rhythm that kicks off a jam. ‘Time’ if I recall correctly was one of these riffs that came around and we liked it. Instead of trying to make a song out of something right away, I find it’s best to sit on it. When we come back to it the other parts seem to come easier and more naturally. Neil typically will write the lyrics and vocal melodies towards the end.   Recording this one was fun as it gave us a chance to sonically experiment in our home studio and see what we can do. Really, it was a trial run for the next two we have set to record.

Review Fix: What’s on your musical bucket list?

Cara: We want to start hitting the big outdoor festivals, and traveling full time. We currently do small tours or stay around our home base of Toronto.  We like being on the road and ultimately playing the globe is what we want. Reach for the stars right?

Review Fix: What inspires your style as a group?

Cara: We are rockers at heart. Bands like Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Mars Volta, RX Bandits, Tool (for starters) have undoubtedly helped forge what we do. We try to have a distinct sound, and we try to push ourselves musically while maintaining groove and danceability. If you can’t move to it what is the point!

Review Fix: What are your goals musically for the next year?

Cara: We can’t announce anything official yet, but we are looking into some gigs internationally. A couple different residencies in brand new territory. If things pan out the way we hope they do, it will be a great start to getting the band outside of Canada and reaching new audiences. We also plan to head to the west coast within Canada. We have lots of friends between here and there, and I think a tour of sorts is in order.

Review Fix: Bottom line, why should someone check out your tunes?

Cara: We love what we do. It’s authentic rock and roll, and I know people still dig that. Too much over production and fakeness within music these days. We want to keep spirit and grit alive. We hope you dig it too.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Cara: This is the first in a set of three self-produced and recorded singles. We’ll have #2 out this winter and the third out in the spring or early summer.  We also have a handful of shows left to close out this year including Montreal, Oshawa & Toronto.