In today's coldly calculated music industry, releasing only two albums in ten years is unbelievable. But when you're in pursuit of the perfect rock song, time is never a factor. That's always been the attitude of the Miniatures, the Kitchener, ON-based six-piece that, although the members are still in their mid-20s, have been on this mission since high school.
In fact, the band has spent so much time holed up in their jam space working on songs, it hasn't been until this past year that they seriously began playing outside of their hometown. "I guess we always felt that if we just kept writing better songs then the opportunities would come," says singer/guitarist Ian Smith, whose songwriting output falls somewhere between Frank Black and Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard. "It always felt like we were working in solitude, but it seems now there's a lot of bands in Canada that we have things in common with, melodically anyway."
The Miniatures' fortune changed dramatically in early 2002 when they caught the ear of Junkhouse guitarist Dan Achen, who immediately offered to produce their next record. When early mixes started getting out to major labels, a bidding war ensued, with the band ultimately landing at Maple Music. Now after a year of winning a new audience through opening gigs for the likes of the Dears, Matthew Good, and even Jane's Addiction, the Minis feel thoroughly prepared to live up to the anticipation of their new album, Coma Kid.
"Playing all those gigs was definitely the big test, and we got through it fine," Smith says. "It'll be nice to finally have an album out though. With all the songs we have, I think we picked the ones that are the most universal and will stand the test of time. That's the approach that's gotten us this far, and I can't see that ever changing, no matter what happens to us now."
In fact, the band has spent so much time holed up in their jam space working on songs, it hasn't been until this past year that they seriously began playing outside of their hometown. "I guess we always felt that if we just kept writing better songs then the opportunities would come," says singer/guitarist Ian Smith, whose songwriting output falls somewhere between Frank Black and Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard. "It always felt like we were working in solitude, but it seems now there's a lot of bands in Canada that we have things in common with, melodically anyway."
The Miniatures' fortune changed dramatically in early 2002 when they caught the ear of Junkhouse guitarist Dan Achen, who immediately offered to produce their next record. When early mixes started getting out to major labels, a bidding war ensued, with the band ultimately landing at Maple Music. Now after a year of winning a new audience through opening gigs for the likes of the Dears, Matthew Good, and even Jane's Addiction, the Minis feel thoroughly prepared to live up to the anticipation of their new album, Coma Kid.
"Playing all those gigs was definitely the big test, and we got through it fine," Smith says. "It'll be nice to finally have an album out though. With all the songs we have, I think we picked the ones that are the most universal and will stand the test of time. That's the approach that's gotten us this far, and I can't see that ever changing, no matter what happens to us now."
