Music

CMW QUESTIONNAIRE: Honheehonhee talk calves, quads, and Hollerado's hard bods

by Mark Teo

Honheehonhee, we barely knew ye knew ye. After crisscrossing the nation and releasing the mega-energetic Shouts LP, this Montreal quintet is calling it quits. Which is a crying shame: Their over-the-top enthusiastic brand of junkshop indie-pop was as infectious as it was exhilarating. Thankfully, though, Honheehonhee are making one final trip westwards to play CMW, which bassist/guitarist Matt Raudsepp says will be the band’s final performance. (He also promises that the band’s members will be involved in other projects, though he’s hesitant to share any details.) So, on the eve of Honheehonhee’s apocalypse, we caught up with Raudsepp to talk about how he’s preparing for the beach, Toronto’s finest swimwear boutiques, and the dangers of over-working your quads.

What’s new with Honheehonhee? What have you been up to since Shouts came out?

We have a new video recently launched that was two years in the making. It’s stop-frame animation. Also bathing suit season is coming up, so I’ve been working hard on my quads.

You’ve been to Toronto in the past. What are you most looking forward to seeing or doing in the city?

There are a few places I’m looking forward to checking out. They are:

Seychelles: Fittingly located in the heart of The Beaches, Seychelles carries everything from ultra-conservative to MTV-worthy swimwear for women and men. They carry up to size 24 and stock brands like Vix, Vitamin A, Trian Turk, Agua Bendita, and Gottex.

Fragola: Fragola carries a hand-picked collection of designer swimwear and accessories, some even by local designers. Brands include Jantzen, Bandita Couture, Dandi Maestre, Aubade Paris, and Flora Bella.

Sandpipers: Sandpipers’ two trendy boutiques carry a bevy of luxury designer swimwear, including suits for almost any shape or mood. For those who want to look a little less Britney and a little more Joan Holloway, this is the place to shop. Brands include Gottex, Eres, Norma Kamali, Seventh Wonderland, Agua Bendita, and Vix.

Is there anything you’re adamant about seeing this year at CMW, music, film or comedy-wise?

Not really.

What’s the best and worst thing about a festival like CMW? Does it compare to others you’ve played or attended? How, in your eyes, does Toronto’s festivals compare with Montreal’s?

The worst thing is that we don’t get paid. The best thing is that it’s in Toronto. More people come out to Toronto festivals, and Toronto has a bylaw that allows all genders to walk around topless. This is pretty sweet for beach season prep (no tan lines).

Who are your favourite Toronto bands or artists—and why?

Hollerado ’cause they’re sick! Not literally I hope. I mean, there’s always a chance, even if I know for a fact that all four members are in tip-top shape health-wise, there’s no way I could be certain that it’ll be the case by the time this interview is published. Also, the last time I saw Dean, he had the sniffles. This could have been due to the fact we were dusting his apartment, but who knows (fun fact: Dean says “dust is just Dean’s dead skin”). Add to this the fact that they’re presently driving across the country for their tour, during which they’ll likely be pushing their limits by abusing their bodies night after night with a lack of sleep, exercise, and an abundance of drugs and alcohol. I think it’s entirely possible one of them will be sick shortly. And God forbid this be the case. Lord knows I don’t want to be held accountable for anything I may or may not have said in relation to the fact. Therefore, I take back any jinx or hex I may have put on them and exchange the adjective “sick” with “dope.”  So to answer your question: Hollerado, cause they’re dope (but not literally) and have beautiful beach bods (literally).

Um, OK. Tell us why your show is the show everyone should make sure to see.

I don’t want to give too much away but at some point in the show we’re all gonna put down our instruments and Matt’s gonna pull down his pants and play Russian roulette, best out of six.  Also it’s our last show.

Bummer! Do you have any other projects on the go?

Well like I said I’ve been working pretty hard on my quads, but now they’re so big, my junk’s gonna look tiny in a Speedo. So I think I’m gonna start focusing on my calves.