Marianas Trench is a Juno award nominated Canadian pop rock band from Vanco… Read Full Bio ↴Marianas Trench is a Juno award nominated Canadian pop rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada signed to 604 Records. The band was formed in 2001 and released their first full length album Fix Me on October 3, 2006. Some of the demos the band sent out four years before appear on the album. The band says their biggest musical influences are Queen, Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys and Ben Folds Five.
The band released their second studio album on February 24, 2009 entitled Masterpiece Theatre.
It takes some real cojones to include the word 'Masterpiece' in your album title, but Josh Ramsay isn't too worried. "I suppose I could be digging myself into a hole calling the record Masterpiece Theatre," he chuckles, "but it's tongue-in-cheek. And I'm not the kind of person that people would assume as being an egomaniac. I hope not, anyway."
Given his feverish imagination and comprehensive musical gifts, Ramsay could probably get away with a little egomania. And with the release of Masterpiece Theatre, the frontman of Vancouver's Marianas Trench makes a iron-clad case for a prodigious set of talents - both his own and those of his bandmates, guitarist Matt Webb, bassist Mike Ayley, and drummer Ian Casselman.
Marianas Trench had already elevated itself above the rest of the pack with a 2006 debut, Fix Me, that showcased a knack for colouring outside the lines of factory-issue millenial punk, shrewdly-built pop, and super-adrenalized modern rock. The single and in particular the video "Shake Tramp" was enough to demonstrate these qualities, coupled with Ramsay's uninhibited urge to be the complete song-and-dance man.
But with both the industry and the fans beating down the door for a quick second album, the Trench decided to put on the brakes. "All of a sudden you have six months to do your next record," Ramsay sighs. "So I really had to just put my foot down and say, 'No, I need the time to do this.' I was not interested in putting something out for the sake of putting something out."
Two years later, Marianas Trench has re-emerged with Masterpiece Theatre. And not surprisingly, it's a work of soaring ambition and decisive technical prowess – that easily might not have happened. "It's one thing when you're Chad Kroeger and you just finished writing 'How You Remind Me'," Ramsay states. "I didn't have some mega-platinum song to back up my argument with, so I was lucky that the band and the label trusted me enough to do it."
By "it", Ramsay means he was allowed to indulge a high-concept fantasy for the band's sophomore album, which is built, for starters, around a song called "Masterpiece Theatre". Adopting Brian Wilson's notion of the 'pocket symphony' and then running with it, the three distinct versions of “Masterpiece Theatre” dotted across the record feature an almost perfect balance between the vocal theatrics of Queen and the more hymnal qualities of the Beach Boys.
By the time “Masterpiece Theatre” is reprised for a final, climactic time, every other song on the album is quoted and incorporated into an intricately constructed dramatic revue that swings from pristine pop, to propulsive riff rock, to quasi-doo wop, to robotic new wave, and finally into a wholly satisfying thematic payoff.
"You know in the climax of a musical, there's always that medley at the end, and I thought that would be cool on a rock record," explains Ramsay, "but it turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I wrote it in the studio as we recorded it, and it took about three weeks."
After a beat, he adds, "But really it took me two years because it draws from all the songs on the whole album."
Bassist Mike Ayley readily admits, "I don't think any of the three ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ songs could have gone on Fix Me had they been written at the time. ‘Masterpiece’ 2 and 3 in particular are amazing songs that really explore the potential of Josh's writing. You really have to hear them to get it. It's like trying to explain ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to somebody who has only heard Kanye West and Katy Perry."
Ramsay agrees. "I really wanted to have a 'Good Vibrations'/'Bohemian Rhapsody’ style song on the first record,” he says, “but I don't think I was a mature enough writer to have written it yet, and I still feel like I was in over-my-head when we did this one, and I just barely made it."
Ramsay is unnecessarily modest; the whole of Masterpiece Theatre demonstrates a startling compositional maturity compared to the Marianas Trench of two years ago.
"Beside You" is a panoramic exercise in big emotions, with a dash of the Dream Academy's "Life In a Northern Town”. "Acadia" begins with a clipped, bright acoustic guitar, and blossoms into something like the Who reconsidered by U2, reimagined for the net generation. In the crunchy "All to Myself", the power ballad "Lover Dearest", and the strident "Good to You" (in which he duets with Kate Voegele), Ramsay pulls out the kind of honeyed vocals more attuned to modern RnB than white, adolescent rock.
"I always had that aspect in my voice but the first record just didn't have songs that were conducive to me singing that way," he states. "I think it's from growing up listening to a lot of Michael Jackson. With these songs, it made sense to stretch out a little more."
On "Cross My Heart" and "Celebrity Status", the band conjures up a kind of perfect pop crossover. Producer Dave 'Rave' Ogilvie was responsible for the latter track, which cops a move he used on Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People" with three drummers (Casselman, Ramsay and Shane Wilson) playing at once - much to Ramsay's delight. "He's just worked with so many great artists which makes his well of tricks and ideas so vast," he says.
True to Ramsay's quest for "more diversity on this album" - not to mention the indulgence of his record label - Rave was just one of four prominent guest producers eventually roped into Masterpiece Theatre. Their collective resume includes Nine Inch Nails, Sum 41, Iggy Pop, Avril Lavigne, and Hedley among others.
"I feel really fortunate to have worked with all those guys," Ramsay says, "coz they all bring really unique things. Dave Genn and I have a really good working relationship with each other, and he has such a unique style with arrangement and stuff. Greig Nori was a really pleasant surprise. As far as I can tell, he wanted to work with us because he liked our video. The whole time he was just trying to get me to dance around like an idiot. And Raine Maida, man? Raine's a trip!"
Bassist Ayley also credits Maida for encouraging the band to “find a personality-identity that wasn't as evident when we started the production process," while also praising Ramsay for his production efforts. Ramsay took charge of four songs on the finished record. “Josh is really about capturing the emotion and power which isn't surprising considering all the feeling in the writing,” he says.
Oddly enough, Ramsay also wanted Disney's in-house genius Alan (Little Mermaid) Mencken to twiddle the knobs for the climactic version of "Masterpiece Theatre", but admits, "it's a pretty tall order to get an Academy Award winner to come and work on your record."
Still, the album is certainly not diminished by the few things Ramsay didn't get. And once the world gets a load of this Masterpiece, Mencken, Pharrell Williams, Phil Spector... you name it. They'll probably be lining up.
The band released their second studio album on February 24, 2009 entitled Masterpiece Theatre.
It takes some real cojones to include the word 'Masterpiece' in your album title, but Josh Ramsay isn't too worried. "I suppose I could be digging myself into a hole calling the record Masterpiece Theatre," he chuckles, "but it's tongue-in-cheek. And I'm not the kind of person that people would assume as being an egomaniac. I hope not, anyway."
Given his feverish imagination and comprehensive musical gifts, Ramsay could probably get away with a little egomania. And with the release of Masterpiece Theatre, the frontman of Vancouver's Marianas Trench makes a iron-clad case for a prodigious set of talents - both his own and those of his bandmates, guitarist Matt Webb, bassist Mike Ayley, and drummer Ian Casselman.
Marianas Trench had already elevated itself above the rest of the pack with a 2006 debut, Fix Me, that showcased a knack for colouring outside the lines of factory-issue millenial punk, shrewdly-built pop, and super-adrenalized modern rock. The single and in particular the video "Shake Tramp" was enough to demonstrate these qualities, coupled with Ramsay's uninhibited urge to be the complete song-and-dance man.
But with both the industry and the fans beating down the door for a quick second album, the Trench decided to put on the brakes. "All of a sudden you have six months to do your next record," Ramsay sighs. "So I really had to just put my foot down and say, 'No, I need the time to do this.' I was not interested in putting something out for the sake of putting something out."
Two years later, Marianas Trench has re-emerged with Masterpiece Theatre. And not surprisingly, it's a work of soaring ambition and decisive technical prowess – that easily might not have happened. "It's one thing when you're Chad Kroeger and you just finished writing 'How You Remind Me'," Ramsay states. "I didn't have some mega-platinum song to back up my argument with, so I was lucky that the band and the label trusted me enough to do it."
By "it", Ramsay means he was allowed to indulge a high-concept fantasy for the band's sophomore album, which is built, for starters, around a song called "Masterpiece Theatre". Adopting Brian Wilson's notion of the 'pocket symphony' and then running with it, the three distinct versions of “Masterpiece Theatre” dotted across the record feature an almost perfect balance between the vocal theatrics of Queen and the more hymnal qualities of the Beach Boys.
By the time “Masterpiece Theatre” is reprised for a final, climactic time, every other song on the album is quoted and incorporated into an intricately constructed dramatic revue that swings from pristine pop, to propulsive riff rock, to quasi-doo wop, to robotic new wave, and finally into a wholly satisfying thematic payoff.
"You know in the climax of a musical, there's always that medley at the end, and I thought that would be cool on a rock record," explains Ramsay, "but it turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I wrote it in the studio as we recorded it, and it took about three weeks."
After a beat, he adds, "But really it took me two years because it draws from all the songs on the whole album."
Bassist Mike Ayley readily admits, "I don't think any of the three ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ songs could have gone on Fix Me had they been written at the time. ‘Masterpiece’ 2 and 3 in particular are amazing songs that really explore the potential of Josh's writing. You really have to hear them to get it. It's like trying to explain ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to somebody who has only heard Kanye West and Katy Perry."
Ramsay agrees. "I really wanted to have a 'Good Vibrations'/'Bohemian Rhapsody’ style song on the first record,” he says, “but I don't think I was a mature enough writer to have written it yet, and I still feel like I was in over-my-head when we did this one, and I just barely made it."
Ramsay is unnecessarily modest; the whole of Masterpiece Theatre demonstrates a startling compositional maturity compared to the Marianas Trench of two years ago.
"Beside You" is a panoramic exercise in big emotions, with a dash of the Dream Academy's "Life In a Northern Town”. "Acadia" begins with a clipped, bright acoustic guitar, and blossoms into something like the Who reconsidered by U2, reimagined for the net generation. In the crunchy "All to Myself", the power ballad "Lover Dearest", and the strident "Good to You" (in which he duets with Kate Voegele), Ramsay pulls out the kind of honeyed vocals more attuned to modern RnB than white, adolescent rock.
"I always had that aspect in my voice but the first record just didn't have songs that were conducive to me singing that way," he states. "I think it's from growing up listening to a lot of Michael Jackson. With these songs, it made sense to stretch out a little more."
On "Cross My Heart" and "Celebrity Status", the band conjures up a kind of perfect pop crossover. Producer Dave 'Rave' Ogilvie was responsible for the latter track, which cops a move he used on Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People" with three drummers (Casselman, Ramsay and Shane Wilson) playing at once - much to Ramsay's delight. "He's just worked with so many great artists which makes his well of tricks and ideas so vast," he says.
True to Ramsay's quest for "more diversity on this album" - not to mention the indulgence of his record label - Rave was just one of four prominent guest producers eventually roped into Masterpiece Theatre. Their collective resume includes Nine Inch Nails, Sum 41, Iggy Pop, Avril Lavigne, and Hedley among others.
"I feel really fortunate to have worked with all those guys," Ramsay says, "coz they all bring really unique things. Dave Genn and I have a really good working relationship with each other, and he has such a unique style with arrangement and stuff. Greig Nori was a really pleasant surprise. As far as I can tell, he wanted to work with us because he liked our video. The whole time he was just trying to get me to dance around like an idiot. And Raine Maida, man? Raine's a trip!"
Bassist Ayley also credits Maida for encouraging the band to “find a personality-identity that wasn't as evident when we started the production process," while also praising Ramsay for his production efforts. Ramsay took charge of four songs on the finished record. “Josh is really about capturing the emotion and power which isn't surprising considering all the feeling in the writing,” he says.
Oddly enough, Ramsay also wanted Disney's in-house genius Alan (Little Mermaid) Mencken to twiddle the knobs for the climactic version of "Masterpiece Theatre", but admits, "it's a pretty tall order to get an Academy Award winner to come and work on your record."
Still, the album is certainly not diminished by the few things Ramsay didn't get. And once the world gets a load of this Masterpiece, Mencken, Pharrell Williams, Phil Spector... you name it. They'll probably be lining up.
And Straight On Til Morning
Marianas Trench Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Marianas Trench:
"Say Anything" I never took you for a trip, but Sometimes, I…
03 By Now How've you been? Can I come in? Just came to get my…
Acadia In the house I grew up in My room in the…
Alibi From the scrapes and bruises To the familiar abuses I'll k…
Alibis From the scrapes and bruises To the familiar abuses I'll kic…
Alive Again I felt it turn to come and go Don't worry…
All To Myself I don't patronize, I realize I'm losing and this is my…
And So It Goes In every heart there is a room A sanctuary safe and…
Astoria Astoria I'm warning you Not ready yet, not for you Don't wan…
B Team You could want this See if it fits for a bit And…
B-Team You could want this See if it fits for a bit And…
Beside You When your tears are spent on your last pretense And your…
Burning Up Been dead as a disco With a foot in grave One thing…
By Now How've you been? Can I come in? Just came to get my…
Celebrity Status I look around, round, look around and look it over, I…
Cross My Heart So here's another day I'll spend away from you Another night…
Cross My Heart With So here's another day I'll spend away from you Another nig…
Dearly Departed It's the third of October, you should come over Best laid…
Decided To Break It All the concrete words around here I'm the bad seed I…
Desperate Measures Gonna make a heart-throb out of me Just a bit of…
Don't Miss Me? Been forever since you've crossed my mind I guess it's true…
Echoes of You I've never given into madness Never given into madness I kee…
Eleonora Hey, do you hear me? Do you hear me now? On a…
End of an Era One last cue, from love true To final ado Hearts will break …
Ever After Once upon a time I used to romanticize Used to be somebody,…
Fallout An empty room, I'm empty too And everything reminds me of…
Far From Here And I wondered why you came for all this after…
Feeling Small This one's of you taking your pill Sometimes forget and tha…
Fix Me All the times i tried to steal my best for…
Forget Me Not Sat down at the piano And played some of his songs You…
Glimmer I saw you in black and white Bathed in the city…
Good To You Everyone's around, no words are coming out And I can't find…
Haven't Had Enough Testing, Testing I'm just suggesting You and I might not be …
Haven’t Had Enough Testing, Testing I'm just suggesting You and I might not b…
Here's to All the Zeros Hey kids, do you wanna do what I do? I got…
Heres To The Zeros Hey kids, do you wanna do what I do? I got…
I Knew You When I've been somewhere like this before To a place we don't…
Lover Dearest This place is a hole, and I don't want to…
Low Tear those pictures off the wall I don't think I will…
Masterpiece First it comes on quiet, creeping slow Clever words and phr…
Masterpiece Theatre First it comes on quiet, creeping slow Clever words and phra…
Masterpiece Theatre II I will softly pull away In this broken beautiful mess I've…
Masterpiece Theatre III I've got a new disease in me, I've got a…
Masterpiece Theatre Pt.3 First it comes on quiet, creeping slow Clever words and phr…
No Place Like Home There's no yellow Bricks to follow back, and run from that…
One Love I wake up tonight feeling paper thin and I'm paper…
Only The Lonely Survive I don't know how you feel yourself But I'd rather hurt…
Perfect Please sing to me, I can see you open up…
Pop 101 Pop music 101 Some simple instructions For a good first impr…
Porcelain You thought by now You'd have it figured out You can't erase…
Primetime This is the dying you are the disease And I smile…
Push You never really wanted it You'll settle for a bit…
Rhythm of Your Heart Back to ones From the top, ready or not Here it comes For…
Say Anything I never took you for a trip, but Sometimes, I don't…
September Stop dragging around I think that somebody knows (turn it…
Shake Tramp Did I let you down to get that sound And break…
Shaketramp ) Did I let you down to get that sound And break…
Shut Up and Kiss Me You can say you're kind of bored with this But if…
Sicker Things Backwards leaving, Daily beating Stupid reasons, useless fe…
Sing Sing Can I have your attention? I just open my mouth Is it…
Skin I lock the door Turn on the water Bury that sound So no…
Skin & Bones LIVE I lock the door Turn on the water Bury that sound So no…
Skin and Bones I lock the door Turn on the water Bury that sound So no…
Skin and Bones. I lock the door Turn on the water Bury that sound So no…
So Soon You say, sometimes, it's like I hardly know you And…
Stutter I know I never make this easy It's easier to disappear You …
The B-Team You could want this See if it fits for a bit And…
The Death of Me On a Sunday, near September, we awoke surprised to remember …
The Killing Kind I roam these halls, search the night In hopes that I…
This Means War So nice to see ya here Impolite would only be beneath…
Toy Soldiers Who'll be my Montague now, To this broken Capulet How, how, …
Truth Or Dare Now follow me down to it Just follow me down to…
Vertigo This might sting a bit You got here just in time…
While We're Young The way your words hang in the moment suspended when You…
Who Do You Love Well I've been deep in sleeplessness I don't know why Just c…
Wildfire Sitting alone in a tiny room Waiting for dawn it should…
Wish You Were Here Mirror, mirror on the wall who's fairer? Can you save me…
Yesterday You got me freaking out I guess we're even now Baby why…
Your Ghost Just can't help but see your face It's everywhere I turn A…
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