FM HI LOW

"In the wilds of that which is music, FM Hi Low lives somewhere between the backwoods and the dance floor." Victoria Dekker
- Here Magazine, New Brunswick

"Frontman Fraser MacDougall’s singing is slick and apparently effortless. Find me another white boy who can reggae like this."
- www.hotsoupe.com

¨Somewhere between reggae, folk, hip-hop and even indie rock, you’ll find FM Hi LOW jamming out. Fraser MacDougall and this Montreal quartet will surely send good vibrations your way, which may or may not result in uncontrollable dancing.¨ Pop Montreal

- Pop Montreal

"It was obvious after one or two listens to Fraser MacDougall's "FM Hi Low" recordings, that this was an artist with genuine talent.  As well as being a tremendous songwriter, singer and musician, Fraser is a showman.  It is rare to find a single player who can inspire a room to its feet, armed with just a guitar, voice and his trademark stomping style.  His songs are funky, infectious and meaningful, just like his person.  Dealing with Fraser was a pleasure; he is both flexible and professional and swiftly captured our community's heart.  I wouldn't hesitate booking Fraser again, and personally look forward to watching his star rise."
Toko-Pa Turner, Director, Kootenay Flow Fest.

- Toko-Pa Turner . Artistic Director, Kootenay Flow festival,

"FM HI LOW has great diversity in their music which can swing like a pendulum from soul to an explosive dance party!" - Jonas Colter, Artistic Director, Evolve Music Festival.

FM Hi LOW's performance was electrifying, whipping the audience into a frenzied sea of humanity, collectively lifting the roof off the community hall and filling the town with a tsunami of love and good vibes - Paul Crawford, Artistic Director, Artswells Festival, Wells B.C.

"I fully support and appreciate the independence of art coming out of the FM HI Low ensemble."
Dave Tobey (owner of the Spill Coffee Bar in downtown Peterborough) - Dave Tobey

"Fraser Macdougall's songs continue to resonate with the young and the young at heart, a testament to the timeless quality of his music."

- The Seed Independent Review

"FM Hi Low practices what they preach, aiming to make music that can resonate with people of any age, class, or social group. They have a sound that is universal; it reaches beyond categories and styles by blending musical influences with the same unifying intention.
How their music is classified comes second to how it feels. “The music is a vibe,” said MacDougall, “It’s a positive energy. "

Written by Allie Mason. - the Concordian Newspaper, September 2011.

"MacDougall’s songs have a groove, but they’re also quite catchy, with warm textures supporting the vocal hooks, like the mandolin and harmonica on Water From This Well, or a simple electric piano riff over a reggae shuffle on Human Enemy. On every song, he finds an ingenious way to draw you into his life-affirming lyrics.

"It’s not necessarily a style; it’s more of a vibe," he explains. "It’s a positive one; I’m just trying to communicate with people in a way with more of a positive outlook on things, with so much darkness and so much negative, crazy stuff going on in the world. I used to write about that stuff, but it would just put me in a bad mood, so I’m really trying to focus on what’s positive and channel it as much as possible. Without being corny, people are really stoked on that positive energy.

Written by Stephen Cooke.
- The Chronicle Herald . Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"Fm Hi Low is pure magic, they bring to the stage beauty and truth" - www.dub9design.com

People often forget that musicians write music as a form of expression. We forget that with every note or every lyric, people have something to say. Artists themselves often forget that music is a way of voicing one’s own opinions. Fraser MacDougall is that overarching reminder that a song is a conversation, a dialogue of values and perspective between the writer and the reader, the composer and audience. His music is heartfelt and historical in that it draws from both his external life experiences and his internal reflections.
In the summer of 2005, he recorded What It Sounds Like with a friend, an 8-track D.A.T. recorder and one intention; to introduce the world to the mind of Fraser MacDougall, the album is what that sounds like.
His sound is somewhat hard to place as he draws from so many different wells of inspiration, but his sense of rhythm is perhaps the most powerful element to appear in his compositions. He no doubt, has an ear for groove and can turn the simplest progression or melody into the funkiest vamp. Fraser’s guitar work blends jazz and folk into a unique hybrid which audiences can comfortably dance to and genuinely marvel at. But like improvisation, Fraser’s art is full of surprises and rooted in exploration and evolution. Like Dylan, Fraser is a bard. Like Davis, he stretches himself in every possible direction. Like Difranco, his political views cannot be separated from the music that encases them. And just like everyone from whom Fraser has learned, he can teach and must be given attention. Jeremy Young, January, 2006 (www.weburninggirrafes.com) - www.weburninggiraffes.com

" His music’s got reggae beat, with electronic layers and a sweet pop croon." www.Indyish.com, c/o Risa Dickens - www.indyish.com

Fraser McDougall is a recent musical transplant to the electric city. He brings with him a sunnier side than often gets heard in this town, scattering his music with warm, rhythmic guitars and percussion. MacDougall will be performing his laid-back material at The Spill on March 14th with Hamilton (and currently half-Peterborough) band The Abbreviations. He’s been performing around Peterborough with a revolving cast of supporters under the moniker FM Hi Lo since November and spoke to Arthur about his first forays into music, the recording process for his album and some of his summer plans.


Tell me about FM Hi Low.

FM Hi Low is Movement Music: Danceable, Driving, and Conscious. Music in every sense of the word, the highs the lows and us in between. The name is a parasol Umbrella that came to me while busking solo, live and electric in the streets of Edmonton during the 2006 Fringe Festival. It has come to be something that represents what I output, creatively. This could be a solo ritual or with a band performance. I have been collaborating with the one they call Mr-Stingray since this past summer. He now plays bass live, sings and raps. I’ve also teamed up with an old university friend and multi-instrumental musician Jay Richards. He plays drums and guitar with the band live, but was also responsible for recording a couple songs from the mix-tape I released in June of 2007. Since Mr. Stingray and I moved to Peterborough, we have had a rotation of other local musicians playing in the band; now it seems to be set with the drums and guitar additions of Steve Disher of the Reverie Community.


How long have you been playing music?

I started playing music in elementary school. I got kicked off the recorder in third grade music class because I was playing it with my nose. My teacher placed me on the xylophone and marimba instead and my life changed. I started singing in school plays and in the choir. I played piano by ear for about five years and then picked up the guitar at 17. I went on a solo acoustic voyage to Australia and New Zealand when I was 19 and really started writing and performing songs. Then I learned the bass, percussion and drums while getting a Jazz Guitar degree at Bishops University in Lennoxville, Quebec. I have been traveling, recording and writing songs ever since.


Who are your influences?

Who, would take forever, but what influences me most often is Jamaican and African rhythms. Hip hop, reggae, funk, jazz, soul and rock-and-roll. I like the textures and sounds-capes of electronic and dub music, and I’m really drawn to the traditional rootsy sound of bluegrass and the storytelling capabilities of folk music.


What was the recording process like for your album "What it sounds like"?

It was a four-day journey. My childhood neighbor Drew Vergil and I rented some mics, an 8 track Dat Tape machine and a 12 channel mixer. We set up in the empty dining room of the house I grew up in. My parents had just moved out but the house was not officially sold yet. I tracked vocals and guitar together and overdubbed drums, bass, piano, harmonica and percussion. We also used some loops I made with my loop station and mixed the whole ten song record down to a stereo dat tape and released it in on CD in December of 2005.


How do you spend your days?

Mr Stingray spends his days learning as much as he can, watching conspiracy docs, practicing the bass, working on recording projects and eating a glunten/lactose free diet. I am on my computer a lot, booking shows, maintaining our myspace and website, and making posters. I play music every day, writing and fine tuning songs for the next record. I am going to Montreal at the end of March to work with Juno award winning Producer Pierre Marchand in his studio. I’m super excited to work with someone that has the technical skills, super sweet equipment and track record of working with people like Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright and Ron Sexsmith. The best part of it all is that he is a super chill guy that is willing to work with me to get the FM Hi Low sound out there after we are finished recording.


What shows do you have coming up?

We are playing at The Spill on Friday March 14th, with a half local band called the Abbreviations and Hamilton bass junkies, Saint Even. It’s gonna be live and crazy. $5, 9pm. I am currently planning an outdoor festival with Trent student Julian Wiersma, that will be held on his family farm near Rice Lake the weekend of April 26th and 27th. Keep your eyes out for the line up of bands and tickets.
Ariel Sharratt - the Arthur

FM Hi Low's conscious Pop is dance floor & radio ready.
- Trent Arthur-Alex Lord

"Insanely radio-ready pop / reggae / sweet sweet boy soul." - Risa Dickens