This week, the four Canadian pop-rockers behind the Toronto-based group Little Junior arrived in Guangzhou for a three stop tour that will take them to two notable Guangzhou bars and the top of the town, for a special Canada Day performance on the Crowne Plaza City Center’s rooftop helipad.
Never heard of them? Neither had we two weeks ago, but it turns out the group has built quite a following in The Great White North and recently released a music video though Vice’s music channel Noisey.
Yesterday we had the chance to sit down for a chat with Lucas Meilach-Boston (guitar), Jackson Beyer (bass), Chai River Elliott-Armstrong (drums) and Rane Elliott-Armstrong (vocals/guitar) to find out what makes Little Junior tick.
Tell us a little about the name Little Junior, is it alluding to anything specific…?
Rane: Umm, maybe. But really we saw it on a box of lettuce outside our friends apartment.
Chai: Legally we cant talk about it, copyright infringement.
For our readers that are unfamiliar with your work, give us a brief description of your sound?
Rane: It’s power pop. And we were raised on 80s and 90s alternative rock, so some of that stuff.
Lucas: Sometimes we just say we are a rock band, it’s easier. Not everyone knows what power pop is, some people just think ‘oh, you’re a pop band.’
Give me an example of a famous power pop band?
Chai: I forget the name of the band [The Knack], but the song that started it all is ‘My Sharona.’ That is sort of the quintessential power pop song. And then Weezer kind of, like, made it even bigger.
Jackson: Yah, they [Weezer] are the highest profile power pop band.
You four gentlemen have been playing music together since you were quite young, how did jamming and hanging out evolve into the Little Junior of today?
Lucas: It started when I was in grade eight and Rane was in grade seven, Chai was in grade six and we had a school band, we did after school jam sessions with one of our teachers, who was a musician. Jack at that point didn’t play any instruments –
Jackson: Still don’t [laughs].
Lucas: And we ended up starting a band, just the three of us [Lucas, Rane and Chai], and then a couple years later Jack had started learning bass and joined the band.
Rane: We were a really shitty high school band, and we had a couple ska songs, and we were terrible, awful. We only really started taking it seriously three years ago because we met some people in Toronto that started helping us out and then we signed [with] Royal Mountain Records.
Lucas: A couple of months ago, we signed with Grand Jury Records in the US, although we have yet to release anything through them.
Has Little Junior embarked on overseas tours, or performed shows outside of Canada in the past?
Rane: It’s our first time off the continent. We’ve really only had three tours, we’ve went across Canada twice and then the west coast of the States this past January.
What can attendees for your Canada Day performance in Guangzhou expect?
Jackson: Myself, they can expect me there with three of my friends, they can expect a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of attitude.
Lucas: And a lot of sweat. We’re going to play longer than we usually play, playing all the songs we usually play, as well as some covers.
What made you lads want to leave Canada for the nation's 150th birthday? There is certainly no shortage of events going on back home, right?
Rane: There are a ton of events, but none as cool as getting to go to China, we never thought that we would be able to do something like this. We love to travel and get along well.
Jackson: We would never get to do this at any other point in our life, probably.
Rane: We didn’t think about it at all, it was like ‘oh China, lets go.’
What would Little Junior’s three ‘desert island discs’ be?
All: Ramones by the Ramones, Emotion by Carly Rae Jepsen and Doolittle by the Pixies.
Kirk Hammett or Dave Mustaine – who is the superior guitarist?
Jackson: The Megadeth one.
Would you guys rather have Liam Gallagher throw his feces at you while performing on stage in front of your families, or perform a Justin Bieber track live on CBC?
Rane: Is there supposed to be a third option we wouldn’t want to do?
Lucas: Can we do both at the same time?
Jackson: We sometimes play Bieber songs anyway.
Canada’s best hockey team? And please, don’t say the Maple Leafs.
Chai: The Habs are the most consistent but they aren’t who I root for.
Lucas: I wouldn’t cheer for them, but I think the Oilers are the most exciting team to watch.
Jackson: Because our home town is Toronto, I don’t really follow hockey.
If Little Junior had to choose a Canadian icon as a mascot, who would it be?
All: Eugene Levy.
Thoughts on opening for Canadian rockers Nickelback?
Jackson: I would rather not have to worry about putting on a show and just watch the band.
Rane: I don't really hate Nickelback, but they are super divisive, but as far as opening for them goes, I would do it in a second.
Jackson: I wouldn't want to do it because he’s [Chad Kroeger] a Harper [former Canadian Prime Minister] supporter, he is on the wrong side of a lot of issues.
Rane: I’d do it for cash, a solo show.
If you were trapped on the International Space Station and it was losing oxygen fast, and ground control told you that Little Junior had just enough time to perform one last song via video chat, which song would you choose and why?
Lucas: Out of all the songs we play ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ gets the best reaction.
Jackson: I would not want to die playing that song.
Rane: Out of our own songs I would choose ‘Buzz off.’
Chai: I agree, ‘Buzz off.’
Best Canadian city for catching an STI?
Rane: Edmonton.
Lucas, Chai, Jackson: Whistler.
Rane: Yah, actually, Whistler.
Anything else you want our readers to know?
Chai: We have a music video out on Noisy right now that people should check out.
Lucas: We will also be filming a music video at the Canada Day party, so it’s possible people here might get to see their city in a music video.
Watch Little Junior's music video for 'Cry Baby' below (VPN off):
Outside of China? Watch on YouTube here.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Catch them live in Guangzhou:
Thu Jun 29, 9pm; free entry. Hooley’s. See event listing.
Fri Jun 30, 9pm; free entry. The Brew Panyu. See event listing.
Sat Jul 1, 8-10pm; RMB300. Crowne Plaza Guangzhou City Centre. See event listing.
[Images via Kelli Laine, Idea Machine Productions]
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