Music
Press
Burlington band, the Lovejoys, is bringing a lighter side to music with its upbeat sound and fun-filled live performances. The band plays tomorrow night (Saturday) at the Piccadilly in Oakville.
Although the group has only been together a year, band members feel they have developed a distinctive sound.
The lineup includes Tim Amor, vocalist and guitarist; Tim Moore, bass guitarist and vocalist; and Ryan Degelder, drummer and percussionist.
"Up until last August, Tim and I played as an acoustic duo," said Amor. "We needed a drummer and found Ryan who is phenomenal. We played our first show at the Burlington YMCA."
Individually, the members have years of musical experience, which contributes to the Lovejoys' fun attitude.
"A lot of music is almost taken too seriously," explained Amor. "There is a whole emotional spectrum people can relate to. There are beats and a groove to our sound that people can dance to. We've had people come up to us after shows and say we were funny or we made them think."
Amor said the band's musical genre is summed up in 'rock and/or roll'.
It's a spoof originating from The Simpson's television show character, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, whom the band is named after. "The Simpsons is just so cleverly brilliant," said Amor. "It makes fun of life and all the different things we do in a satirical way."
In fact, the Lovejoys spend a large portion of their time on the songwriting component of forming music, to ensure each song has meaning.
"We make sure everything flows smoothly. I think we've developed a sound that is easy for people to take," said Amor. "There's something pure about music when its done simply, so we try to keep everything compact and to the point.
"Tim and I write about everything from love interests to life experiences. Musically, we try to find a mix between U2, who questions what is for, and Bare Naked Ladies, who have a tongue-in cheek approach to life."
The band also touches upon the issue of religion and questions its role in today's everyday life.
"I think a lot of people are more spiritually aware than we have been in the past," said Amor. "Recently, the search for happiness has been through money and I think that leaves people unfulfilled and questioning. We question if there is a God and what does it mean if there is a God. We try not to be pushy on it; we're not into that. I'm just some guy singing in a bar."
The band will perform July 10 at The Rising Sun Martial Arts Centre in Oakville. Then, the focus will shift to recording a new album.
"We're taking it a little easier on performing now as we're spending a lot more time working on our songs and getting them ready for recording," said Amor.
And entertaining show is promised for tomorrow. "If we're not having fun, then who will?" noted Amor. "We're upbeat and maybe a little over the top."
For more details, visit the Web site www.starpolish.com/thelovejoys.
Backbeat
Kathryn Dunmore - The Burlington Post
Discography
The Tim Amor Band - Straight On Till Morning
Second Disc due out Summer 2010!
Photos
Bio
It was love at first sight for Tim Amor and music. As a precocious toddler in Burlington, Ontario, he discovered that a certain arrangement of pots, pans and a pair of wooden spoons could create a tantalizing and addictive new sound. That was it – he was hooked. Tim had affairs with maracas, egg shakers and a myriad of other avant-garde experimental music makers before his parents grew tired of his fickle ways and formally introduced him to the acoustic guitar. It would be a loving relationship.
Tim set up camp next to the radio where he taught himself the instrument by ear. After mastering a handful of chords, he was invited to begin performing with the band at his church. It was here that he had his first taste of playing in front of an audience.
Soon afterward, Tim began jonesing to take his relationship to the next level and begin writing music of his own. He joined forces with a couple of his high school friends and formed his first band, Going Nowhere Fast, who began playing locally and quickly gained a dedicated fan base. It wasn’t long before the punk rock threesome was invited to play shows all over Ontario. Going Nowhere Fast achieved almost instant local success and would go on to sell hundreds of demos and t-shirts. Unfortunately, the pressure to live up to the stellar local bands that preceded them proved too much for the trio of teenagers to take and they disbanded in 2002.
Sad and confused at the rift created between him and his music, Tim continued on his own for a while before joining forces with bassist Tim Moore and drummer Ryan DeGelder to form the Lovejoys. The band took on a more poppy feel and quickly found success all over Canada. To this day, Tim rarely plays a set without someone requesting one of his songs, fan favourite “I Think I’m In Love.”
At the height of their success, the Lovejoys went on hiatus, to give the members – all in their mid-late 20s – time to get settled with their own lives. Tim Moore got married, Ryan DeGelder focused on his family’s business and Tim Amor, who at 23 was the baby of the group, moved to London, Ontario to take a job sharing his love of music with the local youth.
Even two hours away from home, Tim’s musical ambitions were not put on hold. He formed the hard rock band, Saint Empire, which developed a local cult following. A year later, Tim returned to Burlington just in time for fate to give the Lovejoys a second chance. The band had found a home playing on Sunday each month at Burlington’s Legendary Red Rooter Vintage Café.
Tim, not content to let his once-illustrious love affair with music slip into a part time fling, recently began branching out into his own solo work. After a decade of playing in bands, Tim’s catalogue of original songs had passed the 300 mark and he decided it was time to go back to the studio. Tim enlisted the help of the Lovejoys to go forward with what would be called the Tim Amor Band. The release, chalk-full of catchy lyrics layered with harmonies and reminiscent of the Barenaked Ladies’ Gordon, has been released in limited areas and sold over 400 copies in a short amount of time.
Currently, Tim is playing locally from time to time, sometimes as a solo act, and sometimes with the full band, as he plays the sweet, sweet rock and/or roll music that sets the soul ablaze. The Tim Amor / Rock’n’Roll relationship is stronger than ever. Be sure to catch him play with his good friends when they come to your town!
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