(What's the Story) Sibling Rivalry? An Interview with Casey and Jenny of Ohbijou

I'm the first to arrive at a Starbucks on College where Casey and Jenny have agreed to meet me. Not being a coffee drinker I pick something at random that seems like it will have a lot of chocolate in it. I also get what appears to be a chocolate chip cookie but it turns out to be full of nothing but raisins. Jenny comes up behind me in the line and orders something that comes in wide mug which she proceeds to fill with sugar. Casey arrives a few minutes later, mentions something about taking a train and doing yoga with her mother and a few minutes later we begin our interview.

Over the next hour or so I learn a lot about Ohbijou but I also learn few things about doing interviews:

1. Starbucks is not the best place to do an interview because it's usually crowded and has a fair amount of background noise.

2. If you're interviewing sisters you should record on video instead of just audio because otherwise it will be very difficult to determine who said what when you're trying to type everything up.

3. It's important to take pictures when both of your subjects are present. If you forget however you can find pictures on Facebook and if don't have many pictures you can find pictures of people you talk about during the interview to fill in the space.

4. People who are on their way into the YMCA are friendly and will help take pictures for you.

5. If you see a dog with wheels attached to its rear end (such that its hind legs are being held up by the wheel contraption while its front legs are on the ground) and you have a camera with you, take a picture of it. If you don't your blog will suffer due to the lack of hilarious dog pictures.

So what's new and exciting with Ohbijou these days?

Casey: Well, we've been taking some time off and that's been exciting for us.

Jenny: We've had a lot of meetings.

What kind of meetings?

Jenny: Oh, just meetings where we set goals, talk about our feelings-

Casey: And try to plan out our next album.

Jenny: Yeah and we're not touring right now so that's been exciting too.

So you're really enjoying not touring and not recording then.

Casey: I wouldn't put it that way, I mean we do like touring.

Jenny: But we had been touring for such a long time and we had gotten so used to seeing each other all the time. During the break I've seen much less of everyone in the band and I wouldn't say I enjoy not spending time with Casey and everyone but it's nice to have a bit of a break.

And the album you were touring before this break, that was Beacons right?

Casey: Right.

Okay because I wanted to talk about Beacons: some time ago I had picked it up at Soundscapes and, your friend and mine, Colin Medley was working there and I was going to get it on CD but then he talked me into getting it on vinyl instead. Anyway the clincher for me in making this purchase is that he told me there was a download code.

Jenny: Oh did you not get the download code?

Yeah, exactly, there was no download code and my assumption once I got home was that Colin had just told me this because he wanted to make the sale.

Casey: Well there are supposed to be download codes in there. Sorry about that – we'll give you one.

But that's besides the point. What I'm getting at here is that I think you guys have some sort of scheme worked out with Colin where he up-sells customers on vinyl copies of Beacons with promises of download codes that don't exist. Is that the case?

Casey: No, not at all.

Jenny: Yeah, that's just weird. It's supposed to have a download code in it and almost all records do these days.

Casey: I'll give you this though, if we we're going to scheme people we'd definitely want to do have Colin Medley involved.

Hmm, okay fine but it seems to me that if a record doesn't have a download code in it there should be a sticker on the front cover or something that says "No download code inside." With the way things went down it's hard not to feel that I was taken advantage of.

Casey and Jenny: Ooh.

Yeah and I don't have a portable record player so I can't listen to it on the road nor can I get it onto my computer or phone – it's not very accessible at all.

Casey: Okay but that' easily resolved you could have just e-mailed us and explained your problem.

Jenny: Yeah, or you could meet us for coffee and we could give you a download code.

But is that something you're prepared to do for everyone who was tricked the way I was?

Casey:  Well now that we have the internet, you know... we can send download codes through that. It's pretty easy really.

So Jenny, I understand you've had some violin issues recently.

Jenny: Yeah it was Casey's birthday and we played this show in Montreal which was great, and then we left the van at Geoffrey's house and some of the band members met up at this bar afterwards and Heather I and I were going to meet them there after they had dropped the stuff off.

Anyway the van got broken into and luckily they had taken the laptops inside but my violin was taken – usually I take it inside wherever it is that we're staying. When we got back from the bar I was going to the van to grab my backpack and Heather had gotten there ahead of me and I could hear her saying "holy shit! Holy shit!" over and over again. She had all these recordings on her laptop that she didn't have backed up anywhere else.

Their

Like pirated music and stuff?

Jenny: No, she had been recording stuff with Emma McKenna - anyway she calmed down a bit once she found out that the laptop hadn't been in the van but then I saw the broken glass and shortly after that I discovered that the violin had been stolen. Other than that they didn't really take very much – a bag of clothes and some other random stuff - that was about it.

And I take it this was pretty devastating.

Jenny: Yeah, I just sat in the van for a while and I couldn't stop crying. When I first got the violin I felt really good about it because I had paid for it with my own money. I also had this really beautiful case for it that a band member had ordered for me as a gift and I had some personal things in there.

Then for the rest of the tour I had to borrow someone else's violin and I found myself disliking it almost automatically because it wasn't mine. It sounded different and it felt different... anyways I'll probably be looking for a new one in the next few weeks.

So you probably felt a lot like I did when I took Beacons home and discovered that there was no download code.

[Laughs from Jenny and Casey]

Back to the violin though it seems to me that this would be one of the hardest instruments for a band to replace, at least in a financial sense.

Jenny: Sort of but not as much as you might think. I couldn't afford a really expensive one and part of the reason I was so upset when we lost it was because I knew it would be hard to replace but with some help I'll be able to get another one.

So it's doable but perhaps not as easy to replace as an electric guitar or something like that.

Jenny: I don't know, your guitar might have been more expensive than my violin right?

Casey: Yeah, maybe the other thing though is that when all is said and done we'll probably end up with a better violin. I mean it sucks that the other one was stolen because of the sentimental value it had but the instrument itself is definitely replaceable.

Jenny: Yeah... I don't know if I'll ever find such a nice case though.

Casey: That's not true. Your case was ordered online. Couldn't you just order another one? You've just got to get on that.

So you had no success tracking down the culprit and finding the violin?

Casey: No, I don't think people ever have success finding stolen items like that.

What I was thinking though is that – well would someone who plays the violin really want to steal one from someone else? Or, if you did steal one, wouldn't it be hard to make use of or sell it? Is there even much of a market for stolen violins?

Casey: Yeah, that's a good point.

And I was also wondering if you ever considered the possibility that it was stolen by another band – perhaps one that uses a violin?

Jenny: Like Mika Posen – The Forrest City Lovers?

Exactly, someone just like that.

Jenny: Hmm, yeah but I don't think she'd want to downgrade. She has a really nice violin.

Perhaps she wanted a back-up violin though.

Jenny: Yeah, maybe – it's a possibility.

How about Owen Pallet?

Jenny: Yeah- yeah totally, it must have been him.

Casey: I don't know. He can play almost anything and make it sound good. Why would he need to steal someone else's instrument?

What about Montreal bands?

Casey: The Arcade Fire!

Jenny: Yeah, it could definitely be them.

Casey: You know it's funny because Maarika from The Arcade Fire was the one who lent us a violin.

Makes you think doesn't it?

Jenny: Right, she stole my violin and then... let me borrow a better one?

But I thought you said that yours was better?

Jenny: I don't know- in terms of calibre Mika's an amazing violinist and I've always felt inferior as a violin player. I only ever got to level eight and she teaches the instrument. Then there's Randy Lee and Owen and this guy named Edwin who sometime play with The Wooden Sky-

You mean the Edwin who used to be in I Mother Earth?

Casey and Jenny [laughter]: No.

Do you think that Edwin stole your violin though? Maybe he was planning some sort of comeback and decided he'd need a violin.

Jenny: It's funny because that Edwin makes me laugh but this other Edwin he looks completely different, he's like seven feet tall, he's burly and has red hair and he plays this violin that's probably worth twenty or thirty grand-

He sounds like he'd have no problem breaking into a van though.

Jenny: That's true he'd probably be able to do it very easily. What I was saying though is that I know so many people now who really know their violins and when I do get one I'll be able to get them to help me out.

So did either of you take the loss of this violin as a sign?

Casey: To stop playing music?

No but I thought perhaps you would have taken it as a sign that it was time for a format change.

Casey: Like you think Jenny should be playing the keyboard or something like that instead?

Yeah, or maybe an electric guitar.

Jenny: No, we hadn't, but now you're making us think about it... I mean, I'd like to play more keyboard stuff, I don't like always playing the violin.

Casey: Are you suggesting that Jenny threw away her own violin.

No but now that I think about it, it's certainly a possibility... Anyways, what I'm getting at though is that- and this isn't to say that you aren't accomplished or that you haven't been successful to date- but perhaps a format change would help you reach a new audience.

Casey: That's true.

Jenny: Yeah, I guess that's possible.

I mean, no offence, but you're not exactly known for "rocking out." As a matter of fact I did an anonymous survey of your peers through Facebook by asking them how they'd rate you in terms or "rocking out" on a scale of one to ten. Would you like to hear the responses?

Jenny: I guess. When you say rocking out though, what do you mean?

Casey: Yeah, what's your measure of rocking out?

Actually, one of the people I spoke to was Tim Bruton and-

Casey: I thought this was an anonymous survey.

Uh, well you know, sometimes you need to say certain things to get the information you're looking for. Anyways Tim said that if a 1 was Rita MacNeil and a 10 was AC/DC that you guys were a 3.5.

Casey: Okay... that sounds about right.

I also spoke to Jonas of Evening Hymns and he gave you a 3.

Jenny: Hmm.

And he also said that you guys aren't a rocking band but that you get a 10 out of ten for "peace jams."

Jenny: I think Jonas should get a 10 for peace jams!

Ooh- that sounds like a bit of a dig.

Jenny: No, it's not a dig, just a true statement about his music.

Alright then, I also heard back from Sylvie Smith of The Magic, who said that Ohbijou makes unquestionably large music and that they need to practice a lot of restraint in order to achieve that sound- blah, blah, blah...  I'd definitely put them in the 3 to 4 range.

Casey: Yeah, you see-

Hold on – lastly I spoke to Colin Medley who, strangely enough-

Casey: Oh boy, here we go.

Yeah, strangely enough, he said that he'd seen you guys rock "upwards" or a 6 or 7-

Casey and Jenny: [laughter].

And that at times "Casey will really head-sway (not quite head-bang) and Jenny will play her violin a little bit more aggressively."

Jenny: Ha – that's probably just because he saw us at the Friends in Bellwoods show.

Why? What was going on there? Had you been partying a bit too hard beforehand?

Jenny: No- no, it's just that we had something like twenty people on stage and when you're up there with such a large group you don't feel so shy.

Still though, I think it's strange that everyone put you in the 3-4 range except for Colin. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but it definitely adds to the pile of evidence suggesting that you guys might be in cahoots.

Jenny: Oh right, the scheming.

Casey: I want there to something going on between us and Colin Medley.

In what sense?

Casey: Well I don't know but he's to coolest guy in town you know.

Yeah, well I guess he is pretty cool.

Casey: Yeah and, I mean, if we could align with him then we'd be solid.

Right, well, moving on I guess what I'm getting at here is that, between the two of you, I'm not so sure if you're really cultivating a proper rock star image.

Casey: Hmm...

Jenny: Are you asking us if we think we're rock stars?

No, I'm just commenting on what seems to be the perception that people have of you.

Casey: Oh, okay that's good then.

Jenny: Yeah, I wouldn't want people to see us that way.

Right but when I compare you to your peers – I mean most of my interview subjects have me meet them in their favourite alley or something like that where we drink some pain thinner or play some dice and here we are in a Starbucks.

Casey: [laughs] Or at a warehouse or something right? Well what's wrong with Starbucks?

Yeah, okay well moving on, do the two of you ever fight?

Jenny: Uh-huh.

Casey: Oh yeah.

And do any of these fights ever become public?

Casey: Public as in people we don't know?

Yeah, like do these fights ever get reported or anything like that?

Casey: No, I know we've made the band uncomfortable at times but other then that not really.

Alright but what I'm looking at here is a band with two sisters who sometimes get it little fights and I think that could be a very marketable trait. Perhaps these instances of the two of you lashing out at one another should be presented to the public more often.

Casey: Yeah but siblings are fighting all the time.

And some of them are very successful. Maybe that's something you need to try out.

Casey: Yeah, I guess... maybe we should try it.

Jenny: Hmm, I don't think it's such a good idea.

Casey: Yeah, you're right I mean I really hate it when I feel like my sister's mad at me, I feel off.

But what if you guys had a show and maybe before that show one of you, let's say Jenny, was threatening to leave the band so she doesn't show up but then later on she does show up, only she's in the crowd and she's heckling you.

Casey: This sounds like Oasis.

Hmm, yeah maybe a little bit.

Jenny: I think that's exactly what happened with Oasis actually.

Okay fair enough but they're a very successful band and part of what was probably due to-

Casey: But they're not a band anymore, they broke up.

Okay but they had an excellent run.

Jenny: I loved the Gallagher brothers.

Of course, who didn't? With a rivalry like that it was impossible not to find them captivating and maybe that's an area that you guys need to build on a bit – perhaps you could add a touch of angst to your sound.

Casey: Angst?

Jenny: You mean bring it up to a 6 or so on the rocking out scale?

Sure, in fact why stop at 6? Why not reach for the 8 or 9 for rocking out and, in terms of having a sister rivalry, aim for a 10 and really grab some headlines?

Casey: Yeah and it wouldn't necessarily need to be a sister thing. We have rivalries going on between other band members.

Jenny: Yeah, like Jaime and Heather.

Maybe, but I really think this has to be a sibling thing if you really want it to take off.

Casey: I don't think we're good at that though.

Jenny: Yeah, we're not good at it at all.

Alright, well moving on, how has Beacons done in terms of the sales and exposure it's generated so far?

Casey: It's been good.

Jenny: Yeah, pretty well. We're happy with it.

Casey: We're also excited to start working on our next one but we're pleased with how Beacons has done. I don't know – we don't feel disappointed with it aside from being disappointed that you didn't get your download code.

Of course. Do you know how many copies you've sold worldwide?

Casey: No... do you know?

Jenny: Ooh, that's spicy, the way you turned that back around on him.

No, I don't know, but I think we're starting to see a bit of that attitude I'm talking about.

Casey: Oh no, there's no attitude it's just that you said you had done some research and I would have been interested if you had numbers on our record sales and stuff.

Jenny: Yeah, we know we gave a lot of them away but we don't know how many we sold.

Okay, because what I did research is – well you know, Beacons was your second album and I'm not sure if you're familiar with Oasis' second album: (What's the Story) Morning Glory?

Jenny: Yeah, it's a classic.

And do you know how many copies that sold in its first week?

Casey: No... one million?

Jenny: Two million?

Uh, not quite, it sold three hundred and forty-six thousand copies in its first week in the UK alone but then it sold fourteen million copies worldwide.

Jenny: In it's first week?

No, that's fourteen million to date but still, it's one of the best selling albums of all time. Now I'm not saying that Beacons isn't a great album and I think you're right when you say it's done quite well but I also think that perhaps you've set a ceiling for yourself that perhaps you need to break through with some out of the box strategies.

Casey: Hmm, yeah I guess we could use the money. Who couldn't right?

Exactly, who couldn't?

Jenny: I wonder if people are still buying it though. Like are kids still going into stores as asking for that Oasis album?

I think so, in fact I hear they just re-released it on vinyl and that it comes with a free download code.

Jenny [laughs]: Yeah, I'll bet.

Anyways what I was thinking is that maybe you could call your next album "(What's the Story) Sibling Rivalry?" The cover could feature the two of you in mid-battle. Maybe a guitar is being smashed or some hair is being pulled, there would probably be a broken bottle somewhere.

Casey: Yeah, maybe... Our parents would hate that.

Okay, now Casey, I understand that in 2008 you were named one of 2008's "Women to Watch" in Chatelaine magazine, how did that make you feel?

Casey: Well I felt a little awkward but it was also a nice surprise.

I see, and were you watched a lot that year?

Casey: ...I don't think so.

And Jenny, how did that make you feel?

Jenny: I was fine with it. I thought it was awesome for Casey.

Fine but have you ever been noted as a watch-able woman by any major publications?

Casey: But I'm older than her though so-

But that was two years ago now and as far as I can tell Jenny still hasn't been recognized as worth watching.

Jenny: But I don't want to be on a list like that. I mean there might have been a moment where I was a little, you know, but overall I was just proud of her. I remember my mom showing that piece to all of her friends.

And did you get the impression that she was more proud of Casey at that point?

Jenny: Of course.

Well then, maybe that's something you could work with in terms of starting a headline grabbing rivalry.

Jenny: The Chatelaine article? [Casey and Jenny both laugh.]

Yeah, maybe you could write a song about it, "Watch This" might be a decent title.

Jenny: Or maybe "Watch Me."

Exactly, you see now that we're talking about it there are all sorts of things you could use to start building a strong rivalry. Casey, I'm not sure if this is true but I read that you used to work at Much Music.

Casey: Yes, that's right.

And do you still have contacts there?

Casey: Yeah, I still know a few people.

Well there you go, that's another resource you guys could exploit. You plan a gig, tip off some of your friends that there's going to be some feuding sister antics and tell that they might want to report on that.

Casey: Yeah maybe but I don't know how high we are on their priority list. I think they're more focused on the Justin Bieber's of the world than Ohbijou.

Well sure, now they are but that probably has a lot to do with how you choose to present yourselves.

[At this point we are interrupted by a woman offering free samples of some sort of lemon poppy seed loaf. Jenny turns it down, claiming that she's had too much sugar, as does Casey but I take my chances.]

In any event I'm quite pleased at how receptive you've both been to my suggestions. You know I think that there will always be a place for, you know, the lemon poppy seeds of the music world but I also think that if you jazz it up a little there's a whole new world of mouths and ears you could be reaching.

Jenny: Yeah, like maybe we need to get some tattoos or something because...

Casey: Because we're too homely.

A little low on the rocking out scale anyways.

Casey: Yeah, we were only a 3.

A 3.5 to be fair, if you don't factor in Colin's bizarre rating that is.

Jenny: But it seems like much more of an image thing than a sound thing. Like I said I think some tattoos would really mix things up or maybe we could try and look like we're from a farm or something, I don't know. I'm thinking of Attack in Black for some reason.

Great, well in any event I've got you guys thinking about new possibilities and I think that's a good thing so, last question: what's the secret?

Casey: The secret is that there is no secret.

Jenny: Can you give us some examples or something?

I think the secret is to be the sort of band who has snappy, off the cuff answers to the sort of questions that they know they'll be asked. Something that conveys a rock n roll or punk rock sort of attitude you know?

Jenny: So the secret is punk rock?

Casey: I think he means that we'd have quick one word answers to questions like that.

Yeah, like you'd say "the secret is I need a drink!"

Jenny: Or "the secret is that this interview is over!"

There you go, let's just leave it at that then.

Casey: This interview is over.

Alright then, thanks a lot.

Casey and Jenny: Thanks.