Interview: Introducing You to Altered By Mom
If the name Altered By Mom (ABM)—inspired by an email subject line—hasn't already caught your attention, their alt-rock sound, with touches of punk and pop, and live performances, will. Gina Kennedy (bass/vocals), Devon Lougheed (guitar/vocals), and Max Trefler (drums) are the masterminds behind the name. They're a Toronto-based band that has been making music since 2016, creating waves not only in the Toronto music scene but far beyond. They commanded the Sommo Festival stage, delivering a set that left an unforgettable mark on everyone in the crowd. Before the show, Altered By Mom graciously took the time to answer some questions for Rock DNA Magazine about their story and their music.
Though based out of Toronto now, the trip to PEI felt close to home for Gina, who grew up in Nova Scotia, while Devon and Max grew up in and around Toronto. The passion and calling for music was something each of them felt from a very early age. Gina explains, "We have all been playing since we were young. I think it was just something that we all had to do, and that was in us. I was probably 4 or 5 when I started learning piano, then I joined the band in school for flute and started singing around the age of 11." Meanwhile, Devon began making music in the church. Gina never imagined that this pull, this need to create, could grow into a lasting career until after high school. "I think it was when I decided to go to college and take music, I never really thought it could be something I could do professionally, even though I lived and breathed it. But I took the leap, and I'm glad I did."
Since taking that leap, Altered By Mom has been honing in on their cool, eclectic sound since the release of their debut EP, Body Feels Weird, in 2016. They credit much of their evolving sound to the ambitious project they released in 2020. Altered By Mom explains, "Yes, we're finally cool! Haha, thank you. Back in 2020, we decided (before the pandemic hit) that we wanted to try to write, record, and release a song a week. We ended up doing it, releasing 52 songs in one year. This allowed us to really explore the range of our musical and songwriting abilities. You can get the full collection on Bandcamp if you want to go down the rabbit hole, haha, but you can really see the evolution of our songwriting style and the paths we chose to take. I really do think that's why ABM sounds the way it does today." I took them up on it and went down that rabbit hole myself; you can really hear the band figuring out exactly who they wanted to be, one song at a time.
For Altered By Mom, writing a song a week is an impressive feat in itself, but doing it with multiple minds requires a special type of environment. "I think the three of us give each other space to explore ideas and room to cook," Gina says. "There's a lot of respect for one another's talents in this band, and a lot of trust too."
When it comes to constructing a song, they reveal, "As far as the process goes, Devon and I will sometimes have full songs that we wrote alone. Sometimes Devo will have a cool riff, or Max will write an awesome drum part. A lot of the time we co-write with others, and that's where we really thrive."
The thought of writing with other people is something artists and bands sometimes shy away from, but for Gina, Devon, and Max, it's something they embrace. "A lot of people are nervous to co-write. Even some of the biggest artists you know only write with one or two trusted people because it's vulnerable. You really have to be confident in yourself, and brave enough to express the ideas you want to try even if they're not fully formed yet. It's really a cool process once you get over the fear of sounding silly. Luckily with ABM looking silly is never an issue."
That fun-loving, silly, lightheartedness and confidence really shine through, not just in their music, but in their live shows as well. If you're discovering Altered By Mom for the first time and are overwhelmed at where to start, let the band guide you: "OK, OK. That's our biggest song. We have a really fun music video where we become amazing wrestlers thanks to a secret potion. It's a pretty accessible entrance to who we are and what we sound like. Plus, I took my first (and last) body slam..."
Their music has taken them all over Canada, across the US, and internationally to Germany and Japan, rounding out a festival run that's included Summerfest, Folk on the Rocks, and now, Sommo Fest. And here at Sommo, Altered By Mom delivered a set of unparalleled fun, infectious energy, and sheer talent. They walked out to an instrumental track that hyped the crowd up, as well as themselves, and set the tone for total domination before diving straight into "Knee High Sox." From the first note, they pulled the crowd in, filling every corner of the stage with their presence. There was a playful, fun, silly energy to it all, like they were breaking the ice, making sure everyone in the crowd, familiar with the band or not, felt right at home. Gina held it down with a sleek black Yamaha Broad Bass and powerful vocals, Devon rocked out on a bright yellow Fender Jazzmaster guitar, and Max drove it all from behind a white drum kit.
They tore through their set with songs like "As If," "Sucking on a Lemon," "Even Better," and "OK OK." In between songs, they chatted with the crowd, making everyone laugh when they said, "If someone falls down in the mosh pit, you pick them back up." They closed out the set with "Queen of My Mental Health" and "Sabotage," Devon rocking all throughout the Nova stage and crowd, from the grass to the second level, bringing one more burst of fun and energy before the set ended.
Curious what part of their personalities shows up most in their music and performance, I asked, and their answer said it all: "50% deep-seated humility and 50% unbelievable, unstoppable awesomeness."
Whether Altered By Mom is writing 52 songs in a year or bringing unstoppable awesomeness to a packed crowd, the trio proves that the best music doesn't take itself too seriously, even when it means everything to the people making it. I can't wait to see where they take it next.
Comments