The Resurrection of Rebel EmergencyAfter getting caught in the crossfire of tragic and unbelievable circumstances, Rebel Emergency emerge with a new look, a great sound, and an eye to the futureBy Shelley Gummeson
Life is looking pretty sweet for Rebel these days. Roddy, Geoff, Neil, and Jeremy have just returned home to Toronto, after a recording session in New York with Grammy Award winning producer Commissioner Gordon. ‘Commish’, as the band fondly refers to him, is a producing genius who has worked on projects with Lauren Hill, Santana, Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, and many others. “It was great,” says Roddy. “I think we’re more energized now. Things have been really positive these last few months. We sound better than we ever have, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg for us.” It was not so positive just a few short years ago. The dream and the contracts went up in smoke as Rebel Emergency saw their former front man, Tony Panic, get snatched by the DEA, a day before they were to appear at a big UCLA Rebel had first met Panic in 2004, when they were invited to record at the infamous John Shop Studio in New York where Panic was It was in Los Angeles that Rebel Emergency showed their true grit, professionalism and talent. “We still had to focus on the show, because it was a big one for us,” says Roddy. “I had to sing Panic’s parts and I was terrified thinking about it. I don’t know…we just pulled it off and the UCLA crowd loved it and invited us back.” Rebel Emergency flew home, and in a blur of months, quietly slipped from the radar. As only fate could dictate, the turning point came when a friend had the band’s music playing in his car. The passenger in the car, a music manager, asked who these guys were. Roddy explains, “This guy named Chez, who is now our manager, heard us and got interested. Rebel Emergency went back to realizing the dream, travelling to New York, to rework some songs. “You know”, says Roddy, “People loved that album and the songs are too good just to be set aside. We took seven songs from the last album. Seven of the ones that I felt I could do the vocals and still maintain the integrity of the song, and made that into a self titled EP that is now available on iTunes. Lots of things are happening and we’re real excited and optimistic now, for sure.” The creative spark that existed at the beginning, when they were just 3 guys with guitars and a dream, jamming in a dirty basement, is still there. Today the Rebel lineup is solid. For awhile they endured Spinal Tap like moments with drummers that disappeared. Together Rebel Emergency has a fresh synergy and music that connects with people. The band has been through hell and back but has remained close to their truth, by surrounding themselves with a tight family of positive people whom they trust. Rebel is currently working on some exciting new songs with Commissioner Gordon, and look forward to releasing a new album and performing for their fans at shows like Toronto’s recent ‘WakeStock’. RoddySoul says, “We believe in each other, we care about our music and we care about our fans.” |