Photos by Claire Ward-Beveridge

About a year ago, I interviewed my then-12-year-old brother to get an idea of what his take on current music was. I had remembered being his age (in middle school) and suddenly becoming obsessed with Top 40 and studiously and obsessively following the rise and fall of what was on the charts. Things drastically changed in grade nine; I turned my back on the Top 40 stations and started listening to more alternative stuff that was playing on stations like CFNY in Toronto. Kale’s now halfway through grade eight, so I wanted to check in to see how his tastes had developed.

We sat on his bed at our family’s house in Guelph, ON, and listened to Virgin Radio 99.9 FM on our mother’s iPad. He was lying down, staring at the ceiling and fiddling with the ties on his hoodie. Always a little bit restless. He seemed both reluctant and amusedly curious to be doing this with me again. When I first asked him about it the day before, he sort of smiled to himself a bit embarrassed and said, “Um, ok, sure, cool,” and went and flopped on the couch. When it comes to music, there‘s a part of him that really wants to gush about or trash certain things, but he keeps himself in check, for the most part. I remember feeling a sort of shyness and protectiveness about my tastes when I was that age. I’m sure my parents found it odd. Anyway, I was definitely a bit surprised to learn about the things he’d started to become interested in.

Claire: Alright. Okay. So, if you had to pick, what are your favourite songs right now?

Kale: I dunno. I’ve been listening to like, soundtracks from like movies and video games and stuff. And have you heard that like, new Drake song, “Started From the Bottom”?

Claire: Yeah!

I listened to that before it was cool. [laughs]

Claire: Oh yeah? When was that?

When it only had like, 3,000 views.

Claire: The video on YouTube? It’s kinda cool, right?

Yeah, I got that and I got a couple soundtracks. And like, I dunno. I don’t know what my favourite song is. That’s a hard question.

Claire: Where’s your iPod? Open up your iTunes and tell me what are the most recently listened to songs.

[Sighs] Okay, well, like I dunno. I recently purchased like, that Drake song, and the entire Skyrim soundtrack, which is like 53 songs for 16 dollars.

Claire: When do you listen to the Skyrim soundtrack? Just by yourself?

Yeah, or I put it on the dock and just listen to it in my room. I also made a snowboarding playlist for when I went snowboarding yesterday.

Claire: What’s on that?

Um, a bunch of stuff. Mostly like, dubstep and rap. Like, Skrillex, Jay-Z, Kanye, “Forever” by Drake, “Levels” by Avicii, “Kyoto” by Skrillex, some Notorious B.I.G., “No Church In the Wild” by Kanye, “99 Problems,” and the Skyrim main theme.

Claire: Which soundtracks do you have?

Well, other than Skyrim, I was listening to The Hobbit soundtrack while I was reading The Hobbit to like, get into the mood or whatever.

Claire: Oh yeah, I’ve done that before with books.

And then the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack ‘cause it’s really good. Also for movies, Batman and Inception.

[Our dad interrupts us to offer us some sliders he just made. I decline, Kale takes a couple.]

Claire: So, you’re in grade eight.

Yup.

Claire: Been to any school dances lately?

Kale: Um, there was the Christmas Break school dance.

Claire: How was that?

Kale: It was pretty bad. Too much One Direction, Ed Sheeran, and then they played like, “Gangnam Style,” and I’m frigging sick of that song.

Claire: What do the kids really freak out to?

Kale: Oh, when you first hear that “bah, bah-dah, ba-dah, dah dah dah” [opening bars of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful”] The girls are like “Ahhh my god!”

Claire: Any good songs that they played?

Kale: Well, not really. Sometimes they’ll play a half-decent song. But they were playing stuff from like 2007!

Claire: What?

Kale: “I Gotta Feeling.”

Claire: Oh man, that’s brutal.

Kale: I know.

Claire: So, the last time I interviewed you (April 2012), it was about a year ago. Do you think your tastes have changed since then?

Kale: Yeah, probably. Well, last time I was just discovering dubstep, so I guess I was probably into that. I’m kinda less into that now. I only listen to it when I’m snowboarding. Now, when I’m like, walking down the street, it’s more like, calming music, like the Skyrim soundtrack.

Claire: OK, what music or songs do you really hate?

Kale: Oh, that new will.i.am and Britney Spears one, anything by Flo Rida, especially that song by him with the girl singing in the super high-pitched voice.

Claire: The one that dad always makes fun of?

Kale: Haha, yeah. And, oh God, and Pitbull. I hate him. Nicki Minaj seems all right, but all the songs she has right now are the same.

Claire: What are the most popular songs at school right now?

Kale: Oh man, well, for a long time it was “Thrift Shop” for sure.

Claire: Oh yeah, is that still no.1 on iTunes?

Kale: It just hit 112 million views. But like, all the girls still love Ed Sheeran and One Direction.

Claire: What do you think of Macklemore?

Kale: I’ve only heard that song. He’s all right I guess.

Claire: Are there any sort of retro hits that have come back? Or do people play stuff off their phones at like, lunch?

Kale: Alex and I kinda listen to the same things. Owen listens to like, obscure indie rock. Bands I’ve never heard of before. Alex is just discovering Billy Talent and the Black Keys.

Claire: Do you like what mum and dad listen to?

Kale: No.

Claire: What’s dad into right now?

Kale: Alt-J. It was all right at the beginning, but after he plays it like, four times in a row, that guy’s voice is kind of annoying and the beat is kind of repetitive. Dad’s always got one of those big songs on, like for a while it was “Call Me Maybe,” then it was ‘We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” then “Diamonds.”

Claire: Who would you love to see in concert right now?

Kale: Oh man, probably like, Kanye West would be pretty cool. Or a Drake concert.

Claire: Who’s overrated?

[Our dad walks in, eating a slider]

Dad: What’s the question?

Claire: Stuff that’s popular right now, that he thinks is overrated.

Kale: (sighs) No, Dad! Like, why do you—ugh.

Dad: I’m just curious! I’m gonna read it anyway. I just wanna hear this.

Kale: Oh well, like, One Direction obviously. Everyone is really into like hardcore rap. Waka Flocka Flame, and guys like that. I dunno, I sorta like the more slower stuff, like Drake. Nicer stuff.

[Dad saunters away]

Claire: What sort of stuff on your iPod do you not hear on the radio?

Kale: I have an Ol’ Dirty Bastard song on there, but lots of stuff I like and have on my iPod are played way too much, like that “Somebody That I Used to Know” song. I have some stuff that they’ll never play, like Tallest Man On Earth, which Alex and I got into at camp. Uh, like some weird dubstep that I’ve only ever heard played on one channel on Youtube. It’s called “Calypso” and it’s by Excision, Datsik, and Flux Pavillion. Flux Pavillion did that song for Kony 2012. And a Beyonce song.

Claire: Which one?

Kale: “Run The World (Girls)” with Diplo. I don’t really know much about Diplo’s music, but I follow him on Instagram. [Laughs]

Claire: Okay, so last time we had this interview, I remember you saying that Michael and Jon just hated everything to do with pop music. Is that still the case?

Kale: Yep. Michael’s like, [puts on high, nerdy-sounding voice] “Rapping is just talking fast, it doesn’t require any skill.” And I’m like, “Well, okay.” He’s super excited for that new Green Day album. But he’s still living in the ‘70s music-wise. He loves like, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin.

Claire: Do you like that stuff?

Kale: Yeah, some of it is good. I’ve gone through little phases of liking that stuff.

Claire: Any other kids at school you know? Or The Ward [skatepark in Guelph]?

Kale: Well, The Ward all has a similar taste, like 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., sorta ‘90s hip-hop. Either you like that kind of hip-hop, or you’re into pop music. At school you’re allowed to listen to your iPod when you’re studying, but sometimes substitute teachers don’t get the rules and you get in trouble. [Laughs]

[Swedish House Mafia plays in the background, Kale hums along]

Claire: Are there any songs that you sorta feel guilty for liking?

Kale: Well, I don’t wanna sound like a hipster or anything, but like when a new song comes out and I tell Zac about it, and then he tells someone about it, and then three days later, someone comes back to me and asks me about it and I’m like, “Yeah! I heard about it way before!” Like that new Drake song. But that Macklemore song is really catchy. That Swedish House Mafia song, “Don’t You Worry,” too. Those always get stuck in my head.

Claire: What do you think is gonna be really popular this year?

Kale: I feel like people are gonna start getting back into, like, older music. Like there are these girls at school that have like, The Who jackets on, but I’m not sure if they’re really into it or just wanna seem cool. I dunno, we’ll see. And probably more boy bands and One Direction.

Claire: So you have this record player in here…

Kale: Haha, I dunno I brought it upstairs to just have here in my room to use. I have like, Peter Gabriel, Rush, a Beatles album, and some other stuff. Michael has a website that can convert records into CDs. Owen has a bunch of records that he found at a garage sale, like old smooth jazz and stuff. Some orchestra from the ‘30s, it’s pretty old.

Claire: Did you watch the Grammys?

Kale: No, not really. I guess like, who got the most? Drake or something? Frank Ocean?

Claire: Do you like Frank Ocean?

Kale: Yeah, I like a bunch of his songs. Some of my friends think he’s a rapper or something.

Claire: Okay, thanks Kale. I’ll check in with you another time maybe, eh?

Kale: Yeah sure, sounds good, thanks.