Interview with videos: Toronto’s HIGHS ready for Axis Mundi live show

The key to standing out from the rest in the talent saturated music industry is to not try to, according to Highs guitarist Doug Haynes.

“If you try too hard and don’t do just what comes naturally, it seems a little too contrived,” he said.

The band out of Toronto is playing this Saturday evening, September 19 at Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s Revelation Lodge, during the Axis Mundi Harvest. This festival is harnessing and promoting the creative focus in Revelstoke, and aims to inspire with music, adventure, community, culture and the environment.

“A big part of our sounds is our live show,” Haynes continued. “We’re really excited about it. We spend a lot of time learning how to create it in terms of a live [event] and not just on the record.”

The release of their first full-length album is a big deal for band HIGHS. Photo: publicity shot.

This group of friends started their band in university as just a fun outlet to make music. Now they have started to break forward, their hard work paying off with the recent release of their first full-length album.

Highs are known for their tropical, happy, sync and pop sound, which the community can expect to hear echoing across the natural amphitheater of mid mountain. But you can also expect a little variation, with the band’s first single from the album, Handsome Man, moving away from the typical into something a little darker.

“It still has some of those pop sensibilities,” Haynes said. “There’s parts in there that are pretty dancey and poppy, which bridges the gap that has some depth in it.”

The music industry is notoriously difficult to break into and like most creatives, Highs knows the struggle of balancing passions with responsibility.

“You have to feel comfortable with not living in excess,” Haynes said.

Haynes works a second job at a restaurant and sometime as a high school teacher on the side.

“It’s strange, [music] is a full time job, it’s what we do and when we’re not playing shows, we’re doing band work,” Haynes said. “There is so much work behind the scenes. At the same time, without getting too pessimistic, it’s hard to make it as a musician.”

“For me, at least, to be completely honest, back to my 15-year-old self, you envision in being in a band and as a musician, and you glorify it in a way. I feel so fortunate I’m even at this point that I am right now.”

When: Ramp up your happy vibes with Highs’ pop sync sound at RMR’s Revelation Lodge. 6 p.m., Saturday September 19.

Band milestones:

• Nomads, from the HIGHS EP was used prominently in the trailer for the IFC film Adult World, starring John Cusack and Emma Roberts.

• Named one of CMJ’s must see acts in 2014. Summer 2015 festivals including Wayhome and Wolfe Island.

• Summer Dress held #1 on the CBC Radio 3 Top 30 for six consecutive weeks.

• Summer Dress hit #24 on the Hype Machine charts

• Have played alongside Cold War Kids, Bear’s Den, Kopecky Family Band, Wildlife, We Are the City, Sleepy Sun, Hey Ocean! and Twin Forks.

• Signed to Indica Records in Canada

• Just wrapped studio time with Luke Smith (Lily Allen, Foals) recording their full-length album

What the critics are saying:

“Combining driving rhythms with catchy boy-girl melodies and Vampire Weekendesque guitar lines, throwing in countless group sing-alongs and a few handclaps for good measure, [HIGHS] may be the beautiful love child of Library Voices and Modest Mouse.”- —Toronto Music Scene

“Kinda like Vampire Weekend- meets- Passion Pit, with the addition of a female vocal – so maybe mix some Best Coast in there … We happen to dig all these bands pretty heavy, so finding HIGHS is pretty radical.” —Nylon Magazine