The Nova Scotia outfit channel some good old high school angst for their new song.
Hailing from the beautiful maritime province of Nova Scotia, Andre Pettipas, and The Giants have quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Pettipas and the Giant's musical journey has been remarkable, capturing hearts and commanding listeners' attention everywhere with an infectious blend of rock n’ roll.
Now gearing up to release their highly anticipated album “Under Control” (out July 7th), Pettipas and the Giants are locked in and ready to captivate their listeners again.
Pettipas and The Giants have always been bold in showing their stuff. As seasoned performers, their electrifying presence, energy, and music have also garnered formal recognition for the band in the industry. They’ve won Arkell’s prestigious “Leather Jacket” contest and beat out 120 competing bands to emerge as Q104 Homegrown Champions, among numerous other accolades.
In 2021, the release of their album “No Fools No Fun” propelled the band to new heights and national recognition, fueled in part by their standout single “Sympathy Card,” which rose to an impressive #27 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. With their album “Under Control” released firmly on the not-so-distant horizon, we can’t wait to see what Pettipas, and the Giants have in store for us this time.
“Definition of a Dweeb,” Pettipas and the Giant’s latest creation, is both a standout track and a tantalizing taste of what’s to come. Gorgeous instrumentals set the tone immediately as the song opens with a softly strummed guitar before breaking out like a crashing wave.
Pettipas sings like he’s finally letting his pent-up emotions out in a way that almost feels therapeutic. Lines like “My high school hairdo, the definition of a dweeb” feel like they perfectly sum up the angst and release of the song, and the entire track feels like it’s been perfectly moulded front to back. Fans will not want to miss this one.
Andre Pettipas and the Giants’ rise to musical acclaim has a rollercoaster ride of fun, good music, and good vibes. Whenever you’re ready, tap in and stream Andre Pettipas and the Giants’ new release, “Definition of a Dweeb,” available now on all major streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Andre Pettipas, and the Giants! We loved “Definition of Dweeb,” you guys knocked it out of the park with this one! We wanted to ask, what was the inspiration behind this piece?
Thanks so much! This stemmed from a haircut in grade 9 gone wrong. I was giving myself a mohawk for soccer provincials, and after leaving the bathroom where I was giving myself the hair-do with clippers, I noticed a long bunch of hair I needed to trim. When I returned to trim the spot, I didn’t realize that my brother (our bassist) had taken the guard off the clippers. That buzz went right to my scalp, and I had to shave the rest of my hair. This resulted in me going to school for a month with a toque, thanks to a note my mother sent to teachers that stated I had a fever and to please allow me to wear a toque in class, haha! I expanded the story with the song to explain the overall feeling of growing pains and adolescence. I drew inspiration from shows like Boy Meets World, Dawson’s Creek, and Degrassi Junior High, which were all popular as a youth. Musically the song has a major late 90’s/early 2000s feel. It is a big nod to Wheatus’ hit, “Teenage Dirtbag.”
How did Andre Pettipas and the Giants come to be? Could you give us your origin story? How did you settle on your current name as a band?
We are huge wrestling fans, and I was named after Andre, The Giant, thanks, Mom and Dad. I was doomed since birth, ha-ha. I have always been a fan of entertainment. I started my first band at age 12 and haven’t taken any serious time off from performing since then. I wanted the band name to include my actual name because I also perform solo frequently. (Take Matt Mays and El Torpedo as examples or Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.) The band, in stature, aren’t huge guys, but they are giant musicians. They’re the best group of guys, and I’m super fortunate to be in a band with such like-minded individuals.
Your new album, “Under Control,” is out super soon. Are there songs you’re incredibly excited to share with your fans, and what was your favorite part of seeing your vision come to life for the album?
I’m super excited for people to hear this album, as I feel there’s something for everyone there. We’ve got more vulnerable songs (Obstacles, See You Later.) We’ve got dead-ahead rockers like “Ignorant Slumber” and “Knock ‘Em Dead.” The bookend of opening with “Sin City” (the first song written as the pandemic started) and ending with “Slingshot” (a song that reassures us that we’ll be okay if we remain “Under Control” of ourselves during it all) should hit listeners with the most authentic representation of our live show on a studio album yet.
Getting to record at The Hip’s studio was nothing short of amazing. It was inspirational to record in the space where so many of our heroes have done albums before us. We’re proud of the product and tones we got throughout and can’t thank the people who worked on the album enough for their contribution.
What do you want to achieve through your music?
Connection. We are so avid about performing live to hear the stories from the show or from our audience after the show. We want people to forget about their everyday problems and let the musical wave wash them away to a better place for a while. These songs show a band that persevered through tough times and became much stronger TOGETHER in the end.
We’re looking forward to hearing what people think about the songs, which ones are their favorites, and why.
What’s next for Andre Pettipas and the Giants? You mentioned you’d be touring a lot soon as well, right?
We just finished a cross-Canada tour in support of the lead single, “Definition Of A Dweeb,” and that taste of normal touring being back made us hungrier than ever. We’ve got a busy summer ahead, touring the Maritimes in select cities and ending the maritime run with the first year of our self-produced festival, “Giantstock.” We’ve got a three-day festival that includes a bunch of our musical buds, stand-up comedy, a giant throwback to 90s music, and much more to cap off our East Coast summer. We’ll be back to touring across Canada in September. Dates and venues are coming real soon!