Paul
Gigliotti and Dave Thomson know what a great
song is. "California," the infectious
first single and opening track on Nothing As
It Seems, is one of those songs that you hear
for the first time and never forget. With the
release of their debut album, Paul and Dave
prove themselves to be a formidable song-writing
team with remarkable harmonies, creating a sound
that is instantly recognizable.
Wave's
music is a result of an incredible chemistry
that comes as a product of a close friendship.
And yet, although they sound as though they've
been writing songs together for years, the
reality is that Paul and Dave had actually
only worked together a short while before
getting their recording deal. Both attended
the same high school in Niagara Falls, Canada,
but they only knew each other by passing nods
in the hallways. It wasn't until 1999, after
graduation, that they joined the same band
and started working together.
"We
were both in a full band at the time that
we met Ben Dunk at a Stereophonics concert
in Toronto," remembers Dave. "He
said that he was looking for bands to produce
so we exchanged numbers and I started going
over to his place a couple of weeks later.
After a few weeks, Paul started coming over
and it became clear that we worked well as
a duo so we ended up leaving the band. Ben
proved to be the perfect sounding board for
us and we now consider him the third member
of the group."
The
result of their collaboration was a four-song
demo that got passed to the people at Warner
Music Canada. Impressed by what they heard
on the tape, the label immediately invited
Wave to their offices for a live showcase.
The
next day, Paul and Dave made the 90-minute
drive from Niagara Falls to Warner's Toronto-based
offices. The duo performed four songs acoustically,
shook everyone's hand and went out to the
parking lot to pack up their gear. But before
they could get in the car they were asked
back into the building and offered a record
deal right there on the spot.
Once
the deal was struck, the guys got
down to the business of recording
the album, splitting their time between
the legendary Sunset Sound and A&M
Studios in Los Angeles and Toronto's
Metalworks Studios. Nothing As It
Seems was produced by Ben Dunk in
collaboration with Justin Gray and
Rick Neigher. Justin brought his experience
as a remixer to the project and provided
his keyboard programming skills. Rick's
forte is recording vocals which was
key in capturing the warmth of the
group's harmonies.
The
trip to L.A. not only provided a fresh
atmosphere to record in but it also
gave them access to some of the top
session musicians in the business.
As a result, the album features Vinny
Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting and Seal)
on drums, John Pierce (New Radicals)
on bass guitar, and Tim Pierce (Goo
Goo Dolls, Crowded House) on guitar.
Now
that the album is recorded and the video is
shot, Paul and Dave are preparing to take
the Wave show on the road.
"The
feeling that you get playing live is very
warm," enthuses Paul. "No matter
what else is going on, when you write and
play music you feel in control."
Information
courtesy of the official WAVE web site.
