Canadian rock and roll band The Webster Project is a 5-piece group from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Consisting of Mike Webster, Isabelle Forest, Dean Rigaux, Scott McNabb, and Edgar Ozollins this group combines the sounds of rock and bluegrass through the use of such instruments as mandolin and harmonica. The band truly defines the meaning of what being in a band is all about. All members contribute equally to the entire creative process from songwriting and song arrangement to the arrangement of vocal harmonies. They all feel the same passion and dedication to The Webster Project and take their music and each other seriously.
Their debut EP Misunderstood was released this past summer along with an exciting and infrequent opportunity presenting itself. After receiving numerous requests from fans for a physical EP, The Webster Project partnered with Sunrise Records to sell their CD in stores. As a result, this led to in-store appearances at various Sunrise Records locations and multiple live shows.
The group also released a music video this year for their track "Like I Loved You Then". Produced by Warren Nightingale of Playmaker Motion Productions, it features footage from one of their live shows at The Royal George Hotel in their hometown of Winnipeg. What’s next for The Webster Project? In the coming new year, the 5 piece plan to focus on releasing their first full-length album. Of this Mike Webster says "the challenge for us this time out, and this is a very fortunate situation to be in, will be deciding what songs will make it on the album. We have close to 50 to choose from so that will likely be the most daunting task".
Listen to The Webster Projects’ music here!
Thanks for joining us here at BuzzMusic! How did the partnership with Sunrise Records come about?
Thank you for having us again! Our drummer Scott McNabb was visiting Sunrise Records last summer and struck up a conversation with the manager and discovered they were willing to stock our EP so we jumped at the chance. It opens the door for so many promotional opportunities.
It's rare for there to be a demand for a physical product in today's market. Why do you think your listeners were so interested in a physical CD?
I think there’s been a bit of a resurgence with regards to the way people digest music in the last few years. Our younger listeners are curious about the secrets and mysteries these discs, that come with incredible artwork, hold. For our older listeners, there’s definitely a sense of nostalgia, going to a show and buying the disc, putting it in the player on the way home after the show.
How do you find songwriting as a band? Do you run into any issues with all 5 members being a part of the process?
We’re extremely fortunate in that we all possess the “song first” mentality, meaning that we’re not concerned about what our individual part is in the song or how it serves us as players, but rather how what we’re playing contributes to, and enhances the song.
Would you ever want to incorporate other instrumentation, similar to harmonicas and mandolins, in other songs?
Definitely. As long as the songs call for such instrumentation. Both Dean and Scott play harmonica and I play mandolin so it’s something that’s always available to us. We have incorporated tenor sax and keyboards in the past. We’re open to anything really.
Was Misunderstood self-produced or did you work with anyone outside of the band on creating and recording the EP?
Misunderstood was engineered by students of Mid Ocean School Of Media Arts here in Winnipeg under the supervision of Carlos Vela. We then took the tracks to Darren Johnston for production, mixing and mastering. Darren has been in the business for 30 years and id extremely good at what he does. We were very satisfied with the whole experience.
What's next for The Webster Project?
2020 will see The Webster Project hit the studio again. As we have close to 50 songs to choose from we’d like to see a full-length release this time around. Our bassist Edgar Ozollins has a studio in his house and that opens up a host of opportunities. We’ll keep you posted. Thank you so much for your time!