Eleven Past One have won the hearts of many with their upbeat arrangements, crisp production and soulful, yet intimate lyrical content. Citing pop and rock icons Maroon 5 or The Killers as main influences on their music, their sound could probably be best compared to genre greats such as M83 for their utilization of 80’s inspired production values or vocal techniques akin to that of accomplished artists like The 1975.
Hailing from different parts of Canada, the band are considered locals of Toronto or Ontario and were mostly born into a life of sound. Eleven Past One have also made various TV appearances including Much Music’s New Music Live, The Marilyn Denis Show and YTV’s The Next Star among many others. The band recently played a sold-out show of 16,000 attendance for Family Channel’s Big Ticket Summer Concert at the 18-year-old Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto, as well as having performed to an estimated 80,000 people for Mississauga’s Canada Day Celebration at Celebration Square which would mark their biggest performance to date.
We caught up with Eleven Past One on vibrant stage chemistry and musical progression:
(Be sure to stream Eleven Past One’s latest single ‘Closer’ below!)
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
We’ve all been in the arts since we were very young. All of us have classically trained backgrounds. We’ve all wanted to be in the arts since we can remember.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
The idea usually.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
Not exactly, but we worked on this song with Cimo Frankel and Rik Annema.
What’s on your current playlist?
Sofi Tucker, Justin Timberlake, Angel Elgort, Loud Luxury, G Easy, Halsey, Maroon 5, Majid Jordan, Migos… just to name a few.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
The chemistry is vibrant on stage. We find our fans really engaged while we play.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
To get our original sound, we usually have to all write together in the same session but a lot of the time we co write.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
We’ll start by laying the tracks we already have created. One by one, instrument by instrument and then finally, vocals. There’s usually some beers involved. Haha
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
Completely, it was at a young age, I can’t really pinpoint the moment but I know that as soon as I graduated University, I began seriously working on how to immerse myself in the music industry. – Daniel
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
Water and a set list.
Any emerging artists on your radar?
Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine
What gets your creative juices flowing?
When I’m alone with a piano, or in a group of creative minded people all striving to write a great song. – Daniel
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
When I’m writing alone, it’ll just be me and the piano. But when writing with others there’s always a guitar and laptop with programs on it. – Daniel
Any side projects you’re working on?
As a matter of fact, yes. I’m beginning to explore solo projects. – Daniel
I know Steve (drummer) is always producing beats, especially loving writing country songs.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
Absolutely. But there’s always refining to do. Always eager to learn more and better our craft.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
You can expect to hear more music and for us to start touring.
For more information follow Eleven Past One on Facebook
