“Five Minutes With” alternative rock band, Strange Breed

Raw, feral, anthemic music for the underdogs – Strange Breed is the shift in alternative rock that you’ve been waiting for.

Reminiscent of 90’s femme-rock heroines like Veruca Salt, L7, Hole and Sleater-Kinney while channelling the modern-rock prowess of acts like The Pretty Reckless or Paramore, Nicolle Bell-Dupas (Vocals/Guitar), Terra Chaplin (Lead Guitar), Megan Bell-Dupas (Drums) and Jess Dubois (Bass) have perfected the art of serving memorable rock hooks with a filthy side of riot-grrrl rage. Through layers of distortion and unapologetically feminist lyrics, Strange Breed is the musical equivalent of jumping on your bed screaming at the top of your lungs at the injustices of the world with your best friends. Hailing from Vancouver BC, Strange Breed’s polished releases and gritty live performances have been the catalysts to their quick and growing notoriety in their local scene and beyond.
Claws out and arms open; this is rock music for anyone seeking a way to amplify their own voice and discover a “safe space” in a scene that is not always inviting to all. Currently, you will find Strange Breed “behind the scenes” producing their sophomore album, planning tour dates and “queering the status quo” of the music industry.

Strange Breed

Name:

Strange Breed

Genre:

Alternative Rock

Founded:

2017

# of Albums:

1 LP, 2 EP’s, many singles!

Latest Album:

“Permanence.” (2019)

Latest Single:

“Tigers” (Dec 27th, 2021)

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

“Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries” – Terra

Favourite musician now:

“Brody Dalle / The Distillers: – Terra

Guilty pleasure song:

“Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus honestly brings a tear to my eye” – Nicolle

Live show ritual:

“We all kind of retreat to our own little bubbles before a show. Terra essentially sh*ts her pants; Jess gets super nervous and stares off into space; Megan disappears to go practice paradiddles on some sort of surface, and Nicolle gets really weirdly calm and zen and just tries to hype everyone up.”

Favourite local musician:

“I know it’s pretty cliche but it’d probably have to be Tegan and Sara!” -Terra

EP or LP?

“LP, because it has more tracks to enjoy. We love listening to full albums of everyone’s favourite artists on the road together” – Terra

Early bird or night owl?:

“Night owl, but not because I love going out. I am not productive or beneficial to anyone before 10 am on a good day, and I prefer to work, write and/or relax in the evening when most people are sleeping and won’t bug me” – Nicolle

Road or studio?

“HARD. We’d take either any day, but I think overall we all love the road more than anything. It’s a bonding experience, a way to see new places, meet new friends, and the best and most authentic way to share our music with people!” – Nicolle

Any shows or albums coming up?

“Throughout March and April We are going on tour with The Pack AD in Ontario and Quebec, playing BIG Winter Classic Festival in Calgary, Winterruption Festival in Edmonton, Treefort Festival in Boise, ID, and are solidifying a number of other exciting dates in Canada and the USA. We’ve been back in the studio (in February) recording something super different and exciting, and have some other singles lined up as well. Definitely lots of announcements coming this spring from us!” – Nicolle

Where can we follow you?

Website | BandCamp | Spotify | YouTubeLinktree

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Rapid Fire Vancouver Qs

Favourite local restaurant:

“Indian Junction” – Terra

“Zubu Ramen” – Nicolle

Favourite street in your city:

“Commercial Drive – good coffee/food, great parks, lively when it comes to entertainment – and lots of queer roots!” – Terra

“Front Street in New West – love taking walks near the water, great coffee shops, antiques, and a gorgeous mix of historical and modern architecture” – Nicolle

Favourite park in your city:

“Queen Elizabeth – so much to do!” – Terra

“Central Park in Burnaby – pretty ponds with cute ducks, lots of trails – feels like you’re somewhere completely different than just off Kingsway!”- Nicolle

Favourite music venue in your city:

“Probably the Vogue, because I’ve seen some great concerts there but we have also performed there which was amazing.” – Terra

“As far as my neighbourhood goes, probably Deer Lake Park. I love outdoor venues, and I saw Sigur Ros there once in the rain and it was transcendent!” – Nicolle

Favourite music store in your city:

“Red Cat Records! If they don’t have it, they will be able to order it – literally anything” – Terra

“Unfortunately there aren’t tons in my area. I love going thrifting to find iconic CD’s/Vinyl for the collection out here. But honestly, Sunrise Records in Metrotown is also pretty great, and a fun fact – I used to work there back when it was HMV. So yeah, I just dated myself a little.. ” – Nicolle

 

 

About Demian Vernieri 579 Articles
Demian is an Argentinian retired musician, avid gamer and editor for the Montréal Guardian, Toronto Guardian, Calgary Guardian and Vancouver Guardian websites.