Like Satellites Band: A band that maybe on the next Warped Tour
Interview conducted on June 03, 2019
by Dan Locke
Band Members
Leah Gillespie (Vocals) – @leahishazy
Logan Arsenault (Bass) – @loganabass
Alex Bullen (Drums) – @AJBmusicgroup
Ryan Goodman (Guitar) – @ryangoodman
Like Satellites is a Toronto based alternative pop/rock band anchored by singer Leah Gillespie, and bassist Logan Arsenault. After two years of practicing, writing, and reworking their lineup they are finally releasing their much anticipated single Muscle Memory produced by Sam Guaiana (Like Pacific, Rarity, Carried Away, We Were Sharks) and mastered by Andy Krehm. They are currently playing with Ryan Goodman on guitar, and Alex Bullen on drums. With shows planned across the Toronto area, and an EP planned for this Winter, Like Satellites is poised to explode onto the music scene.
From its inception in 2016, Like Satellites has been the love-child of singer/songwriter Leah Gillespie (also known as Leahishazy). With a penchant for soaring melodies and punchy lyrics, she has been a slow-burner in the local music scene. With influences ranging from We are the In Crowd, All Time Low, The 1975, and Lights to Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Something Corporate, and Bring Me The Horizon, Like Satellites has a fresh sound that still hints at summers at Warped Tour and teenage angst. They blend their collective experience in bands to create the right balance of maturity and melodrama, and through everything one thing has remained stable: this band’s drive to release music that people want to listen to with the windows down and the volume turned way up.
Dan Locke: How did you get the nickname Leahishazy?
Leah Gillespie: I wish there was some really deep story here, but I was basically making a snapchat for the first time and decided that I liked it, and somehow that stuck from my Instagram to my Soundcloud, Youtube, all of it. I guess the “meaning behind it” if I was to assign it one was a reference to the idea that my sense of self had been kind of lacking, and I only had a hazy idea of it, and sometimes still do, and that I wasn’t really sure at the time where I was going and who I wanted to be. Leahishazy is almost someone different from me now, it’s what I use for anything that the public sees, and it’s kind of the best version of myself that I’m able to be. I’m able to be really genuine through anything where I use that name, and in my day to day life I’m definitely more reserved and less able to be open and express myself. There’s a time and a place, you know?
More and more people are writing about mental health issues these days. People like
Sinead O’Connor – bipolar disorder
Eric Clapton- depression
Roky Erickson- Paranoid Schizophrenia
Kurt Cobain- bipolar disorder
Ray Davies- bipolar disorder
Brian Wilson- depression, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar
Syd Barrett- Schizophrenia
Selena Gomez- lupus
Why do you feel this issue has become more in the spotlight?
I mean, I think we all know that these issues were always issues before too, it just wasn’t talked about. At some point, society seems to have started to move towards being more open about struggling with mental health, and actually seeking help, but it used to be the kind of thing that no one wanted to talk about. I personally think the rise of social media has a lot to do with it because it’s given people, musicians included, a platform where they’re able to speak freely without someone else dictating what they say. I also think that these musicians, actors, and other public figures are a big part of why it’s become so much more normal of a thing to discuss. Because if your favorite musician can struggle with it and still be someone you look up to, obviously it doesn’t make you any worse of a human being.
I never personally had to struggle to be open about my mental health issues because I live in a country where getting affordable, good help was an option, and they started to become more obvious in a time when it was already becoming more normal of a topic. I was pretty young when “emo” became the thing to be, and I definitely fell into that scene where everyone was talking about it because our feelings were being validated by the music we listened to and people we looked up to. I can’t imagine how much harder it would have been for someone twenty years ago, and how much more judgment people who did decide to be open about it were met with. It’s no wonder it wasn’t in the spotlight then, you know?
What part of Toronto are from you?
I’m actually from Scarborough! I grew up about a half hour North of Toronto, and have been living in the North part of Scarborough since I was about 18. If I could, I’d be down near Church and Wellesley, or near Lakeshore, but it’s such an expensive city to live in that it’s the outskirts life for me.
What was Bailed?
In short, a favor for a friend of mine. I met John in a Facebook group and we were kind of clicked as friends, one day he reached out to me saying he had a song for his new album that he wanted a female voice on. He sent it my way, and the next thing you know my guitarist Ryan was helping to record my parts and gave it a nice shiny polish before it went out into the world. I really wanted to help John out, and I heard potential in the song, so that was just what we did. But let me assure you, it’s not about me, and I didn’t write it. John Houseworth is the mastermind behind all of that, and it’s about the relationship that he’s in. We really wanted to make something that his girlfriend would love too.
In 2015 you began writing music with Mario. Which were inspired by bands like Paramore. Is that the reason why your hair was the bright red color during that time?
Oh god no! I’ve had red hair since 2006 on and off. I decided I loved it after I watched the movie The Titanic, Rose Dawson was the first fictional character that I really fell in love with, and I basically begged my mom to let me have red hair until she finally caved. Plus, I’m Irish and Scottish and both of my grandmothers who have a similar complexion to mine were natural redheads. I just really love bright colours, so over time the colour got brighter and brighter. Right now, my hair’s actually orange!
Is there any chance of your album being voted for a Juno award?
As cool as that would be, no, not really. Maybe in a few years, there will be talk of that kind of stuff, but right now we’re just trying to reach people who will love what we’re doing. But thank you! It’s a huge compliment that you asked that.
Why did it take you so long to release your first single Muscle Memory after it was recorded?
Somehow, you’re the first person to ask about this! I’ve kind of skirted around it a lot when talking about it because it’s just a weird situation overall. When Muscle Memory was recorded the lineup was actually very different than what it is right now. The guys I was playing with were incredible musicians and artists, but they were also all much older than I am, so there was kind of a disconnect sometimes. At the end of the day what ended up happening was that Mario left the band due to some communication issues that we were having between him and I. The rest of the lineup kind of fell apart after that with our drummer leaving due to some pretty major family issues, and our bassist bowing out so that I could re-create the lineup. It was pretty amicable, and Mario said that he wanted me to keep going and do something with the music we’d been writing because he believed that it was good. If you check the credits, a lot of the tracks still have his name on them because he did some much incredible work on them.
So long story short, we basically had to completely re-work the lineup which is really hard! I didn’t want to jump into something too quickly and have it fall apart again, and I had some pretty real trust issues for a while. I had to work on my communication and the way that I worked with people as well (because I won’t even begin to place blame here, it was a pretty mutual issue). Eventually, I just took the leap and said that it was time to do or die, and finished off the lineup with Alex and Ryan, since I’d had Logan in the band for a while already and we just went ahead and did it. I don’t regret how long it took; I had a lot of growing up to do before I was able to handle what we’re doing now.
How did you develop the name for the band?
I was writing a song that I really liked some of the lyrics in, but the song itself wasn’t that good. There was a line that basically said “we are like satellites” and I loved it! So, when it came time to name the band I was like “Hey, how about Like Satellites” and we just went with it. I really wanted to be about to shout “We Are Like Satellites” on stage, and now I get to. Worth it.
What happens with the Warped Tour?
We never actually got to play Warped, and that’s probably my biggest regret actually. We released Muscle Memory the same year as the final Warped Tour, and we did it that way because I wanted it to be part of that era. I needed Muscle Memory to exist before Warped died since it was really what fueled that sound for me. My very first Warped Tour I worked merch for a company and sat and talked to an A&R guy for a small label (LeakMob in case you’re wondering) for hours. That was also the day I realized that I had to do music. I had been kind of unsure about what I wanted, and unsure how to start. Warped Tour is 100% the reason I figured out that this was what I wanted to do.
Are you planning to tour the United States?
Hopefully soon! Definitely not this summer, but maybe we’ll dip our toes in next summer if we’re lucky. We have a lot more fans down there and would love to be able to meet some of them, but Visa regulations for musicians recently changed and now you have to have your entire years’ worth of dates planned and confirmed before you can apply for the Visa, and you can’t add on more dates after the fact, which really complicates the whole thing.
Have you checked out the music scene in Buffalo NY, because you are so close to it?
We have, and hopefully, we’ll be able to come down sometime next summer, I’ve heard nothing but good things and have met some incredible bands from there through doing music who I’d love to play with as soon as we’re able to make it down.
How do you see your band in five years?
Honestly, I don’t know. I try not to plan my life years ahead because things never really go how you plan them. If I have my way, I’d love to be making music full time with the guys. You know, release a few albums, play a couple shows, hopefully, have enough people who care about what we’re doing that we can do only this.
Anything in closing for your fans?
I personally really hope that the fans know how personal all of this has been for us, and for me and that doing this is really an excuse for me to bare my soul and invite other people to join me in feeling too much. But on behalf of the whole band, we really hope you’ll connect with us. We try to reply to everyone’s messages on Facebook and Instagram (@likesatellitesband), and Twitter as much as we can as well (@LikeSatellites_), myself and Logan run all of our accounts, so when you inevitably get a message back, it’s from us and we love reading your messages.
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