"Ringleader," the single just released by Toronto punks, Mixed Signal, has some major "Hop in, let's go!" energy. Quickly drawing us in with perfectly sculpted 90s skate punk tone, then keeping us there with some powerfully dynamic lead vocals performed by both Tyler Shim and guest vocalist, Molly Mayhem. Listening to this song, you'll feel the rough emotions behind it, but you'll enjoy every second of it's driving melodic distortion.
Watch the video and listen to "Ringleader" RIGHT NOW, but make sure you come back and read what Mixed Signal has to say about it!
(Links at the bottom)
How did you get your start in music?
We all have our own personal stories when it comes to starting in music, but with regards to Mixed Signal it all started in Tyler’s basement. At the time, Tyler was working at a restaurant as a chef with Aaron and Brian was working at a cigar shop. The trio started jamming with Aaron as the drummer. Together they recorded their first track "That Night." The band has since gone through some lineup changes. For the bands first EP, Accidents, it featured Brandon Shim (Tyler’s brother) on drums. The current line up is Tyler Shim (rhythm and vocal), Aaron Thomas (lead), Brian Wong (bass and backup vocal), and Elliott Gomez (drums). Gomez joined just over a year ago and he is featured in our newest EP. This iteration of Mixed Signal has played across the GTA and has toured the Canadian east coast.
What was the inspiration behind "Ringleader"
Ringleader was written by Aaron and Tyler. It's about people in your life that you love, but always hurt you. The main character in the song is somewhat powerless and is forced to watch it all happen hence the name "Ringleader." The song is about finding the strength to look past the people you love and realizing the hurt isn’t always worth sticking around. I guess at the end of the day it’s about being loyal to yourself.
Where was the single recorded?
The single was recorded at Taurus Studios by John Drew. John is a close friend of the band, and we had a lot of fun recording with him.
How was your recording process?
Our recording sessions are really laid back because we all work efficiently---it’s mostly beers and chilling.
How did you meet Molly Mayhem and get them on the track?
Instagram. Tyler reached out to Molly, and she was more than happy. Molly was amazing to work with and she brings so much to the mix. We were really excited to be recording with a local legend and she was really awesome to hangout with.
Do you have any tips or tricks for punks looking to roughen up their vocals?
Once more, but with feeling. Emotion is what really gives Mixed Signal our rough vocals. This is not to say that emotion is the only important thing, but it really helps when you are singing out something you have strong feelings towards.
Is there a punk venue in Toronto that you feel at home with and what, to you, makes a great venue?
It's tough to say which venue feels like home since we're almost always playing different places, and more than anything we feel at home just being in Toronto.
We think that the staff is what makes a great venue. Getting along with the staff at the venue is so important when it comes to putting on a good show. We’ve made a lot of friends along the way, and we appreciate all of them. Music really brings people together and we have been very fortunate in our experience. That's why we believe there are so many great venues in Toronto.
What should we anticipate from Mixed Signal in the near future?
We have some up-coming shows in Toronto: Tonight (Nov 16, 2024), at Seescape, is our single release party where we will be officially dropping "Ringleader." Then Hardluck Bar on November 29 we will be supporting Lip Crunch for their newest release. There is also a Japan tour and another eastern Canada tour being planned for next year. Please stay tuned for more content! We are working tirelessly to get our music out in the world.
Listen to "Ringleader" here:
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