Feature: Hotel Mira Decodes “The View From The Barstool”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “The View From The Barstool" and the story it tells?
I think the inspiration for “view” came from how much life seemed to change once we had some success and notoriety. Admittedly I am a hyper-sensitive person so it has been jarring to adjust to even small changes in my life re: my privacy and being analyzed. And I think it’s absurd that people expect you to stay the same / unaffected through such a monumental psychic change. The story it tells is one that felt sadly familiar. A societal obsession with discarding the ones we love when we tire of them. I thought of Amy Winehouse and Britney a lot while writing it. But Marilyn Monroe is the one who wound up getting the name check.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this song?
It started off as this acoustic thing. Almost like Alexander Ebert’s “truth” but then our producer James Younger had this Bowie / Franz Ferdinand treatment he wanted to give it. More of the emo-disco thing we had been doing. It’s cool to have a song that was so heartfelt become a party track that we open our shows with.
How does "The View From The Barstool" fit into your overall artistic vision?
I think it’s in the same world as a few different songs where I meditated on validation, rejection, success etc. and it was actually the song / concept that was gonna be the centerpiece of the I’m not myself record. To the point where we were gonna call the album “how to sell a soul”. It was an important one to write.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as a band?
I think just stay curious, keep trying to say something new. Ignore / subvert the limitations of genre and stay true to yourselves. Also, we are all best friends which helps a lot re: cheering each other on and pushing each other.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
That entire exchange is the coolest part by a landslide. Participating in the exchange of energy emotion and story is pure magic. At this point in my life I consider performing in front of our fans to be my happy place.
Canadian alt-pop band Hotel Mira smashed their UK gigs this May performing five packed shows at the Great Escape Festival alongside several other dates in London. The band releases their new an EP ‘I Am Not Much Help’ via Light Organ Records on 19th July. The band also performed shows at SXSW and will play at the Canada House showcase at Reeperbahn on September 19th.
The EP features four tracks “Oh, Sunshine”, “Verona”, “Waste Away” and “The View From the Barstool”. The band’s first UK single “Waste Away” had a plethora of incredible reviews this Spring and the new single “The View From The Barstool” came out last week.
This hugely talented quartet comprises of LA based charismatic front man and songwriter Charlie Kerr, guitarist Clark Grieve, bassist Mike Noble and drummer Cole George.
“These are truly simple songs about the confusion and frustration in matters of the heart. Maybe there is a more head-y line here or there but I think mostly you are getting a collection of songs that feel like a book of essays or short stories. Based more in characters and situations than concepts or hypotheses. Because human beings like a good comparison or categorization than: If “I Am Not Myself” is layered, meta, challenging arthouse cinema then “I Am Not Much Help” feels more like 4 good episodes of a sitcom. We all sincerely hope you enjoy them as much as we do and you play them loud.” CHARLIE KERR
Charlie and Mike met as teenagers at a ‘Battle of the Bands’ and developed a mutual admiration for each other’s musical projects, they met Cole and Clark through the Vancouver music scene and formed Hotel Mira. Kerr is a captivating storyteller and the music from Hotel Mira is partly informed by the front man’s experience as an actor and playwright. He believes that acting, music, and writing are all the same thing: storytelling. He draws a parallel to his musical project from the scene in the film ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ where Heath Ledger performs on the bleachers for the girl he loves while taunting the cops after paying the school marching band for backup.
Live Charlie performs in a way that feels uniquely part Iggy Pop, part go-go dancer, and part fourth wall breaking experimental theatre. He tells a story to the crowd through his masterful lyrics, hip-swaying melodies, and attentiveness to his audience that makes each person in the venue feel special. Mike, Cole and Clark provide a sweeping soundscape that makes it impossible not to be swept away in the melodrama and passion of each song they play.
The band has supported many acts including Billy Talent, Fizzy Blood, The Beaches and Frank Lero (My Chemical Romance), and carried out multiple headlining tours of their own.
While building off the sharp, indie pop hooks, Hotel Mira is exploring their widest set of sounds yet, vaulting from neon-trashy garage rock to festival-sized pop hooks and glam-bop balladry.