We got the opportunity to chat with a member of Canoe Club’s resident band, Electric Sex Panther, about anything and everything Sexy. Read on to find out more …
Hi, I’m Kiaran of Electric Sex Panther, I play guitar, and I’ll be answering your questions.
Kiaran, how and when did you all meet?
Gaelan (bass) and I are brothers. We went through a program called the Vic High R&B band at victoria high school with Julian (keys), and after we all graduated we played together for a couple of years. Brennan (drums) just happened to live near to us, and we all started to jam together. After a couple of years, we were gigging and making music together pretty regularly in various groups, mostly dance or lounge/jazz music. We really enjoy that vibe. In 2015, our friends from the bands Blackwood Kings and Brennan’s other band called Forecast asked the four of us to open for their CD release concert. No pay, just a relaxed thing. We decided to call ourselves ‘Electric Sex Panther’ and play a ridiculous set of songs by Prince and Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake, just for kicks. It was a great time.
After the show, Lucas (rapper) approached me and said he really enjoyed the music. I had gone to high school with Lucas, and knew him as a graphic artist, but I didn’t really know him. He was intoxicated and I was sober, so when I left I asked if he wanted a ride home, and he accepted. In the car, the D’angelo I was playing made him show off his rhyming talents. It was crazy. I was so impressed. We jammed soon after that, and added Sierra Kachan on vocals.
The regular Canoe gig came about 2 months later after a killer show there in April, and after a summer with us, Sierra left to enjoy her acting career in Vancouver. We still love her, but Quinn Bates (singer) is just a king to us now. Julian met him through some friends at the VCM. Incredible guy, and we’re so happy to have him. That’s pretty much the whole story.
photo: @electricsexpanther // Facebook
Who decided on the name, and why?
Electric Sex Panther was a joke name made up by a bass player of a previous band. I thought it was amazing. I thought it had a lot of style and balls. A band that would pull that name off would have to be really confident and capable, and I thought we could do it. So we did. I still think the band name kicks ass.
How would you define your genre?
We definitely fall under Neo-soul/RnB/Hip hop right now. It’s mostly what we all listen to, and it comes out really naturally. The original music we write definitely has that feel. We love the party atmosphere and bringing theatrics to our music, as well.
What is your favourite song to perform together?
Good question! I don’t know. Any song where we all feel like we can relax and listen to each other and smile with each other. Some songs are fun to perform because they’re technically challenging, but I find the ones that are most fun have a good combination of challenging and exciting, and we try to throw as many of those into the set as we can.
You’ve recently lost a band member, Sierra, who has moved over to Vancouver. How has that affected the band?
Well, it wasn’t easy. The whole thing leading up to it was really peaceful, but Sierra is really cool. She adds a quality to the band that make her shoes hard to fill. But Quinn absolutely fills those shoes, so it isn’t even a big deal. There’s a lot of love for Sierra and hope that good things come her way. It’s only a matter of time.
You are regulars at the Canoe Club, are there other venues we can find you at?
We play at all kinds of places. Check out our Facebook page to see where we might be playing. We’ll play anywhere there’s a dance floor and people listening. Soon there will be a website as well! Stay tuned.
What is your dream for Electric Sex Panther?
We really want to transcend being a bar band. It’s fun, but we all love to play music and make art. All of us have backgrounds in different fields. Quinn and I have done a ton of theatre, Lucas has a large capacity of art. We all have a lot to offer a performance, and we really feel like we’re capable of achieving a lot, collectively. As far as we can take whatever cool shit we make, the better. We want to make music people can listen to and play shows people can wow at. We want to tour, someday, but most of all we just want to work hard and make art.
photo: @electricsexpanther // Facebook
When you’re not performing, what is your favourite activity as a group?
We enjoy playing basketball, funny enough. There is a song Lucas wrote about it called Swish. We also enjoy going to parties. We talk a lot, as a band. Typically there are no big disagreements. We’re all very open-minded people. When you’re in a band full of such great guys, though, you just feel really powerful when you’re together. I have such a good time going out with them. It’s a great team of people; It’s great they’re all my friends.
What’s your pre-performance ritual?
Eat food. Make a setlist. Think about what we want to wear. Laugh with each other. There’s a lot of professionalism in this band.
Can you give a word of advice to aspiring artists here in Victoria?
Hard work makes the band. That’s all you can control. Everything else, the tragedies and the luck, all just come, and you have be prepared for each in turn. If something went wrong, it’s on you, and you have to get back up and keep it going. I like to think of everything as a challenge I can overcome, so…
Make sure you check out Electric Sex Panther at Canoe Club and a variety of other venues around town!
https://www.facebook.com/ElectricSexPantherBand/?fref=ts