New band alert: Prism Shores

Last year I focused mostly on interviewing established bands for First Revival, and I plan to do more of that this year, but I also want to profile some newer, up-and-coming bands I’ve been listening to. First up is Prism Shores, a band originally from Charlottetown, PEI that are now based in Montreal, QC.

I will admit that I find it hard to stay on top of new bands that are popping up every day. I continue to get emails regularly from publicists promising “this band sounds like band x, band xx, and band xxx” or “RIYL: [insert the name of every band I've ever loved].” I rarely feel that way about these recommendations, but Montreal’s Prism Shores stood out from the crowd.

Prism Shores have crossed my path before back in 2022, when my day job was programming music for a digital streaming platform. I had placed a couple of tracks from their debut album, Inside My Diving Bell, into a playlist featuring newer Canadian indie music. The fact that they had recorded both the album and the first EP, Youth in Abstract, at Ocean Floor Recording in Halifax with Charles Austin, a legend of the East Coast music scene in the ‘90s who played in The Super Friendz (among other bands), certainly piqued my interest. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Originally they were based in Charlottetown, the city that birthed Alvvays and their predecessor Two Hours Traffic - two bands I can only imagine Prism Shores must have taken some notes from.

The band - Jack MacKenzie, Ben Goss, Luke Pound and Finn Dalbeth - has since moved to Montreal, a city that can obviously help them capitalize on their ambitions. Now signed to Madrid’s Meritorio Records, their new album, Out From Underneath, finds the jangly quartet’s syrupy and placid melodies getting a boost from some Bandwagonesque-esque fuzz. In fact, I can’t help but reach for that early ‘90s Teenage Fanclub comparison for a few songs on the album, specifically oozy single “Tourniquet” and lofty closer “Unravel,” which finds them zealously jamming away at an extended outro that rivals “Alcoholiday.”

But I wouldn’t reduce Prism Shores’ music to just some kind of Fannies worship because it’s not that at all. Amongst all of the nods to C86 indie pop, shoegaze and dream pop, they have carefully crafted a consistently tuneful album that succeeds at capturing a sound that so many other bands try but fail to fulfill.

How did the band form?

Jack: Luke, Ben, and I have been playing together under this name since we were quite young in Charlottetown. We started taking it a bit more seriously after we all made it up to Montreal in 2021 and finished our first record (most of which was recorded right before the pandemic). We met Finn through playing shows with his band Dresser, and he started shredding with us in 2022.

What made you choose to move to Montreal from Charlottetown?

Jack: The boys were up here before me, but there were a combination of reasons: we knew we wanted to do band stuff up here, I was thinking of starting more school, and my girlfriend was moving up. Plus I just loved the city from visiting in the past. 

In your press photo you carefully placed a pic of Noel and Liam Gallagher into the frame. How excited are you for this summer's Oasis reunion?

Jack: Not excited enough to even attempt to get tickets apparently, but glad the brothers could stop marding. I definitely have a soft spot for the ‘90s Oasis records, Be Here Now included. Ben found that picture at a thrift store I think.

Ben: I did find the picture at a thrift store in Halifax, NS. It’s one of the few decorative items in our living room that belongs to me. On the big reunion, I firmly doubt that I could comfortably sit through any rock band in this world for over 45 minutes. I was really excited to catch Kim Gordon in Vermont last fall as I had just wrapped up her memoir and was listening to her new record all the time. But by the fifth song of her encore, I didn’t even care who she was anymore. I had to be out. 

You guys recorded your debut album, Inside My Diving Bell, with Charles Austin, formerly of East Coast legends The Super Friendz. How familiar were you with his musical past when you were in the studio?

Jack: We were definitely familiar with (and fans of) The Super Friendz going in. We met Charles before we recorded our first EP through playing shows with his band at the time, Fantasy Eye. When we lived in Halifax for a while, Charles and his studio partner Franc Lopes would let us practice at their studio, Ocean Floor, after hours. The two of them recorded both our first EP and Inside My Diving Bell. Showed us a lot of support starting out so shout out to them!

Ben: Sticktoitiveness is better than any Oasis album. 

What are your influences?

Jack: I’d say The Field Mice, The Wedding Present, Pale Saints, and The Bats are some big ones for us. But yeah lots of jangle pop, dream pop, and shoegaze from the 1980s until right now basically. There's an influences playlist on our Spotify that’s pretty comprehensive if anyone is looking to dig deeper!

Favourite shoegazers?

Jack: Pale Saints, I think. On the first two records. I caught both Drop Nineteens and Ride live recently, and they're up there. I’m seeing Slowdive soon, another favourite, of course. I’m trying my hardest not to just say MBV.

Ben: My Bloody Valentine.

Luke: Swervedriver or Catherine Wheel.

Finn:  They’re more of a recent addition but They Are Gutting A Body Of Water are sick. Seems they’re already pretty influential on the direction many are taking shoegaze these days.

Favourite C86ers?

Jack: Tough. It’s a toss-up between The Wedding Present, McCarthy, and The Pastels. Likely The Wedding Present if I had to choose, mostly because I’m just excited to see them here in a few months. Shop Assistants are on there too, right? It’s too hard to pick.

Ben: Primal Scream and The Wedding Present.

Luke: I think Primal Scream or The Wedding Present, for me.

Finn: The Pastels, for sure.

Which record label would you have signed with in the 1990s if you had the chance: Sarah, Creation, Flying Nun or 4AD?

Jack: Sarah or Creation probably. 

Ben: Creation.

Luke: Sarah.

Jack: No word from Finn on this, but he’s a Kiwi so he probably would be tried for treason if he didn't say Flying Nun.

What is your food of choice while recording?

Jack: Has to be tuna sandwich and a piece of babka from the Hasidic bakery up the street from the studio. Got that at least twice. 

Finn:  Big bag of Rold Gold pretzels.  

Luke: Cheskie’s tuna also.

Ben: I’ve recently been turned on to Cobb salad.

What TV show does the band watch together?

Jack: Raptors basketball.

Finn:  We’re all big Sopranos fans.

Ben: Pro darts on occasion.

What is the album most played when the band is hanging out together or on tour?

Jack: Recently? Probably Dead Meat by The Tubs.

Ben: When Luke got an early link to the Laughing record, we listened to it all the way to Toronto for a gig and then all the way back.

What is an activity the band does together outside of music?

Jack: Sit in Little Italy park.

Luke: Drink beer lol. Also hooping. Just relaxing with my men.

Finn: Creamers [This apparently means “have a good pint of Guinness” - Ed.]

Ben: Afternoon loitering sessions outside the tea house in like -15 weather. We drink a lot too.

What other names did you consider for the band?

Jack: Our name was a last-minute, random name generator pick before a gig. So nothing else was considered at the time, though I do probably wish we changed it before we got in too deep. I used to hate it but kinda like it now. It’s hard to say to people.

Ben: I’ve asked the fellas about coming up with a new one a handful of times, but to arbitrarily change the name at this juncture would probably feel just as silly as having a band called Prism Shores.

What is the hardest part of being a band?

Jack: Finding the time to work on stuff consistently, I suppose. 

Ben: Not owning any of my own gear.

What is the best part of being a band?

Jack: Writing and recording together. We got our records in the mail right before doing this, and hearing our music on vinyl for the first time was a trip. Obviously I love playing shows too.

Name another band from Montreal or another band on your label that fans of Prism Shores should know about.

Jack: Laughing are both on our label and from Montreal. They're probably my favourite band in the city.

Luke: Slack Times, The Smashing Times, and Best Bets for Meritorio bands.

Finn: Bracelet is a new band in Montréal that I was super impressed by. Can’t wait for their first tunes to drop.

Ben: Go check out Feeling Figures, Laughing and Psychic Armor from MTL.

If you had to pick only one subgenre listed on your Bandcamp page to describe your music it would be?

Jack: Maybe just indie pop would be the most applicable umbrella genre, especially since this record sort of runs the gamut from jangle pop to dream pop to noise pop, etc.

Ben: Harsh Jangle.

What are most of your lyrics about?

Jack: Depends. Mostly how I’m feeling and my surroundings, I guess. Hard to pinpoint exactly what most of the time though. 

What is your favourite venue to play?

Jack: Probably Casa Del Popolo in Montreal because we’ve played there so much it feels like our home court or something. I’m excited to play our release show there in a couple weeks time.

Luke: Sport Page in Charlottetown because it’s always a blast with our good friends.

Ben: Sport Page.

What is your favourite record shop in the world?

Jack: Back Alley Music in Charlottetown because I started buying records there as a kid and eventually worked there up until I moved to Montreal. I still rock the occasional shift when I’m home – easily the best job I've had. 

Luke: Back Alley.

Finn:  Looney Tunes in Boston is worth a visit. The owner lives up to the name, nice guy though.

Ben: Back Alley in Charlottetown and Sonik in Montréal.

What is your favourite East Coast Canadian band of the 1990s?

Jack: Probably The Super Friendz or Eric’s Trip. I like a lot of that stuff though: Sloan, Plumtree, The Inbreds, The Hardship Post, I could go on. 

Luke: Plumtree. 

Ben: The Super Friendz.