Local band Mockteerah picked up the Best Music Video award at the first annual Edmonton Music Awards on March 28.
In an interview with the Bonnyville Nouvelle, band members said it was a new and exciting experience.
Lead singer of Mockteerah, Josh Boyko, said, “It was a new thing. We weren’t really expecting it because the awards are for Edmonton and area, so there’s lots of competition. But it’s a really good feeling.”
The acceptance speech was a slightly spontaneous one..
He added, “It was interesting,” said Boyko. “We kind of just went off the cuff this time. I think next time we’ll be a little more prepared.”
The award was for the band’s video “Long Kiss Goodnight”, which can be viewed on YouTube.
The band was also nominated for Best Metal/Hard Rock Artist.
Mockteerah, made up of Colin Ference on guitar, Cody Fedun on drums, Sean Joly on bass guitar and Boyko with vocals, has been playing together for over two years now. But Ference and Boyko originally formed the band more than five years ago.
The two founding members met in high school and came together because of a mutual interest in playing music.
“We went through a few lineup changes,” said Ference. “But things have sort of settled in now.”
Fedun joined the band three years ago, after the band lost its first drummer. Fedun then introduced Joly to the other two, making up the present Mockteerah lineup.
Joly joked, “Apparently they like me, so it’s working out.”
Though reluctant to pin down their music to one category, Boyko said the band could be described as rock in a general sense, adding, “But if you listen to our whole CD or any of our songs you will hear a lot of other influences. And I think that’s a good thing, because it gives us a wide variety of fans.”
The music features deep and sometimes morbid subject matter, with the heavy guitar, solid rhythms and powerful vocals. If they had to be compared to other bands, perhaps a good description would be a mix of Velvet Revolver and Soundgarden.
As for the video, it also involves passionate and dark issues, such as love and domestic abuse.
Mockteerah will be putting its talents on display this summer, with a show in Elk Point at the Allied Arts Centre July 22.
The band put on a similar event last summer and received a solid turnout. “We did it last year and it was great. It’s a new venue with a big stage. We had over 200 people,” said Ference.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Joly.
“We’re going to try to make this an annual event,” added Fedun.
And for a little extra incentive, the band said there will be an announcement made at the show.
“Last year it was obvious, it was printed right on the ticket, we were releasing a CD. This year is more of a secret,” Ference said.
“It’s a little something to look forward to.”
