The Proper Villains

What do the comics Superman, Batman, and Spiderman all have in common with the upcoming Live at Squamish music festival? They all contain proper villains.

While these comics have notable villains in their books Live at Squamish is no exception as they've booked The Proper Villains for this year's festival.

The band is made of five members from different genres creating an interesting unique sound including the rhymes and lyrical writing of Mike Harris aka Xo and the powerful voice of Michelle Chadsey. Bassist Jesse Mackle aka J-Miz, drummer Kelly Shmale aka ks-one, and guitarist Will Pryce complete the rest of the band to add an alternative sound to the mix.

The unique sound of The Proper Villains earned them the right to play with the likes of Weezer, Metric and the many others set to perform at Live at Squamish. After entering a competition they received the most votes out of the 144 entrees and made it into the final five and were then chosen from a panel of judges as one of the two winning bands to perform at this year's event.

"We were fairly new when we entered the competition and before we had our single, no one really knew who we were. It was kind of a shot in the dark; we really just wanted to place in the top five in the voting round. It turns out we put our song on there and it just kind of snowballed from there, people started sending it around, and people really liked it. We ended up finishing first which we were surprised and really happy about," said Vocalist Mike Harris.

Even though it's been less than a year since the band was established, The Proper Villains managed to beat out many other bands that have been together for longer, something Michelle Chadsey credits to a loyal fan base.

"It was really exciting, there are a lot of other bands in the competition who've been around a lot longer than us and have a lot more fans but it shows that the fans we do have are really dedicated and wanted to help us out," said Chadsey.

After the voting came through their debut single "Your Heart" made it to radio airwaves across Canada and is currently a hit on one of the top radio stations in Vancouver, 94.5 The Beat.

The band now turns their focus to August 20th when they'll be playing on their biggest stage yet alongside Metric and Weezer, something they won't take for granted.

"We're preparing a lot but I think it's going to be an opportunity to see the other bands and how they prepare and to see how these major artists are really doing it," said Harris.

According to Chadsey, performing at the event should have an impact on future performances as well.

"It's going to improve our show so much more because we're putting so much into this set because of the type of show it is. From there it's just going to make all our shows that much better," said Chadsey.

The Proper Villains may have sold out many of their previous shows but none of those will compare to crowds that are expected at this year's festival.

"Slowly we're starting to do bigger and bigger shows, but this is by far going to be our biggest to date. There a lot of major acts, we're really excited; it's going to be really cool," said Harris.

The Proper Villains debut album was originally slated for completion at the end of the summer but has been pushed back for release as early as this coming fall. For more information on The Proper Villains visit www.thepropervillains.ca
- The Chief Newspaper

With 2,111 votes of 11,111 cast by music lovers across the world, “The Proper Villains” took the number 1 position from among 144 of their peers in an online race for votes between April 24th and May 6th. The aim of the contest was to allow the public to decide who would perform alongside acts like Weezer and Metric at this year’s “Live At Squamish” concert August 20th and 21st. After the online voting round professional judges picked The Proper Villains to perform out of the top 5 winners.

With so many contestants, the Proper Villains are grateful to their fans and supporters for flocking to the online polls to support the local talent. The 5 performers from Surrey: Mike Harris (Rap Vocals, and Keyboard, Admired for his “in your face” sick rap rhythms and lyrical writing) Michelle Chadsey (singer, First noticed for her beauty and then blows people away with her vocal strength and angelic voice) Kelly Schmale (drums, Drumming from the age of 6, he has the wicked beats and patterns to keep the crowds begging for more) Jesse Mackle (Bass, The fat bass sounds that come out of his style bring that hiphop feel that shakes through to your bones), and Will Harris (guitar, A lot of the initial structure of the music can be brought back to his amazing guitar riffs) have worked so hard to make it this far in their careers in such a short time. You can hear their track “Your Heart” that won them the competition daily on The Beat 94.5 FM in Vancouver.

Next show, The Proper Villains will be headlining at the prestigious Republic on June 6th. They are also booked to back up fellow Canadian rising star Destineak at Spanish Banks for the Canada Day Benefit Celebrations June 1st and will be performing at the Urban Culture Conference and Awards show on Aug 27th or 28th (TBD).
What happens when a group of talented musicians of all different genres come together to create one sound? You get The Proper Villains.

The Proper Villains are a fresh young group with incredible talent in the Vancouver, BC area. Their sound is a unique mix of Hiphop / Alternative that blows people away. Each member adds their own style to create sound you have to hear. 2011 will be their year to shine. They will be starting the year off with a bang with their 8 song debut EP and music video to be done by the summer! With many shows under their belt they have been impressing the crowds and building a dedicated fan base. In addition to their debut album their first music video will be release at the end of August 2011. - Vanmusic

The Proper Villains is the Surrey band that recently won their spot to play at LIVE at Squamish, they recently performed at the Republic. The place is a more like a night club, but sometimes they have bands. Check out the photos that Stephanie Bentzen took for Vanmusic. Keep your eyes open for this upcoming band, they have potential to become a mainstream band with their mix of pop genres.

Their sound is a unique mix of Hiphop / Alternative. Each member adds their own style to create sound you have to hear. They will be starting the year off with a bang with their 8 song debut EP and music video to be done by the summer! With many shows under their belt they have been impressing the crowds and building a dedicated fan base. In addition to their debut album their first music video will be release at the end of August 2011.

They are also booked to back up fellow Canadian rising star Destineak at Spanish Banks for the Canada Day Benefit Celebrations June 1st and will be performing at the Urban Culture Conference and Awards show on Aug 27th or 28th (TBD). - Vanmusic

It only takes a few to rock the world... this rings true when listening to The Proper Villains. This group has been making waves in the local scene as well as spreading their word beyond BC. Sold out shows in distant places like Surrey where getting a crowd is harder than finding a corner without a hooker! Getting steady radio play on 94.5 The Beat FM isn't an easy feat either! These guys are kicking ass in the scene and taking names. Never taking no for an answer. They are pushing to the top and leaving everyone else in the dust! Playing big stages like the PNE for the Westcoast Tattoo and Culture Show and schedule to be playing the Ubran Culture Conference and Awards Show in august. Be sure to keep an eye for them in August when they share the stage with big names like Metric and Weezer.

Their sound is a combination of Pop, Hiphop and Rock all mend perfectly together to form this grooving sound which penetrates your soul. Check out their song "Your Heart" on the first ever Hammer Radio Webcast! To the right hand side of the page.

Keep your eyes on these guys and let them rock your body! - Hammer Records

Two local bands have been chosen to perform alongside groups like Weezer and Metric at this year’s Live at Squamish music festival.

The Belle Game and The Proper Villains were selected from five acts, shortlisted by fan voting, by a panel of judges that included Metro’s Kristen Thompson.

“(The contest) was really fun and nerve-racking,” said Katrina Jones, The Belle Game’s pianist and back-up vocalist. “We’re constantly on the site and refreshing the page to check how many votes we had. We're really happy that so many people came through for us.”

Mike Harris, vocalist and keyboardist for The Proper Villains, said it was exciting to go up against other experienced bands in the contest even though their band has only been together for eight months.

“It doesn’t matter how long a band has been together because we’ve been musicians our whole lives … but (being in the top five) speaks a lot for our music (and we see) a lot of people are enjoying what we're doing,” Harris said.

Festival organizers are giving the winners all the usual perks — rider, dressing room, backstage massages, $250 to cover fuels costs and a spot in the artists’ campground.

The festival will be held Aug. 20 and 21 at Squamish’s Logger Sports Grounds. For tickets or information, visit www.liveatsquamish.com. - Metro News Vancouver

It took an online popularity contest to land Surrey band The Proper Villains a gig on the Live At Squamish concert stage this summer.

The hip-hop/pop quartet topped 144 artists during the recent two-week contest, earning 2,111 of 11,111 votes. The goal of the contest was to let the public decide who'd play alongside Weezer, Metric and some other big bands at the Aug. 20-21 festival in Squamish.

"It's very, very cool," Proper Villains bass player Jesse "J-Miz" Mackle told me. "For most of us, it will be the largest audience we've played for."

Prior to that, the band's high-energy, Black Eyed Peas-like sound has them backing Destineak at Spanish Banks on Canada Day. Other gigs include a regular outing for The Proper Villains at the Olympia Pizza joint at Central City. "It's an unlikely place for a hip-hop show, but it's a fun place to play," Mackle added.

Meanwhile, the band's "Your Heart" song is getting played on The Beat radio station, giving them another boost in popularity.

Joining Mackle in the band are vocalists Mike "Henny XO" Harris and Michelle "Let's Party" Chadsey, drummer Kelly "KS1" Schmale and guitarist Will "Pryce" Harris. Check them out online at www.thepropervillains.ca. - The Now Newspaper Surrey

Interview starts at 2:45 - The Express

Close Look (channel 4 on Shaw Cable) interview - Close Look