Chastity: Singing His Neighbourhood Song
Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
Brandon Williams, from Whitby, Ontario, makes music with a rotating collective of musicians that form up the grunge/emo outfit Chastity. They recently brought their nostalgic sound to Modern Love; a place where My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy music videos stream on every bar TV for the true emo fans at heart. A perfect complimentary atmosphere to Chastity, while they performed their latest trilogy of albums paired with stunning visuals of youth parading around their local neighbourhood. Tackling topics of isolation and alienation, Brandon Williams has cultivated a space where everyone belongs through the power of music.
REVERIE: How you did you get started in Chastity?
BRANDON: I think being in Whitby, Ontario at the time, I just wanted to sing my neighbourhood song. I didn’t really hear anyone singing it, but I could hear it, so I thought I kind of want to record it and get it out and I wonder if there will be more people around that might hear it and might feel less alone, like I was feeling alone in Whitby honestly.
REVERIE: And what’s the music community like in Whitby?
BRANDON: I know there is one because we’ve played there, but I would drive by people I didn’t know wearing METZ shirts because there’s no spot for us to all congregate. So there’s a community, but it’s hard to know. There needs to be a venue or some community space or someone organizing people together.
REVERIE: And Chastity is kind of like that…it is your project, but it’s also a rotating collective of musicians creating community?
BRANDON: True! Chastity includes friend’s of mine. I I wanted it to be collaborative.
REVERIE: Some of your music dives into grunge territory, sometimes hardcore. Is that due to the influence of different perspectives? Or your taste in music?
BRANDON: Yeah, I think on these three records that we’re doing, I wanted to chronicle a love of general outsider music. In my personal life, I don’t love just one genre of music. I love a bunch. On Deathlust, I wanted to do some Smashing Pumpkins type of shit. I kind of think Smashing Pumpkins in a way was the first emo band. So I wanted to do that and sort of give that nod. And on Homemade Satan, we got into some dancier stuff. Suffer Summer got a bit more into the sort of Jimmy Eat World territory. So I think I just wanted to chronicle what I was hearing that affected me when I was young and go from there. I think I feel dissatisfied doing just one thing almost. I think that’s people’s Spotify and the experience anyways: to listen to not just one thing; more of a mix. So maybe that’s Chastity.
REVERIE: Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to do a trilogy?
BRANDON: Yeah I wanted to. I heard Adele say that she believes in trilogies. So I do too. And she was doing that with her age or whatever. And I think The Weeknd, I had heard it again in other genres. And I thought, ah, I kinda wanna do that and just stick to themes on each record, you know? So that’s the trilogy.
Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
REVERIE: Are there any memories that kind of stand out to you during touring? Because you tour quite a bit.
BRANDON: We got to play Alexandra Palace in London, England with Alexisonfire. That was scary and good. Dallas Green has been such an influence on me and for him to speak to me in a hotel in Vancouver this one time for like an hour pumping me up. I think I even had a little piece of pizza in my teeth…it’s surreal. George Pettit came that day too and they both sang. George has harmonies on Suffer Summer that are amazing too. It’s been crazy every time that we’ve gotten to interact with them. I feel fortunate to have mentors whose records I love, now encourage me. We also played a show at the brewery right beside this venue we are at now. I forget what it’s called. Last Best? Yeah. I was about to say Last Chance...on the record. We played a winter festival and it was very fun.
REVERIE: Tonight at Modern Love you had some of the members from local band Witch Victim at the very front. They were singing along to every word of every song.
BRANDON: Love them, love them - another great band. Every time we’re here, I feel like it gets brought up that you know, Year Over Year is from here, bands like Witch Victim, great Calgary bands.
Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
REVERIE: Yeah, I love that you shouted out some Alberta bands at the show tonight, like I Hate Sex. those are the bands I grew up on in the scene.
BRANDON: An I Hate Sex and Chastity bill one day. So good. Powerful purity culture.
REVERIE: You mentioned Alexisonfire, Smashing Pumpkins. Who else would you say have been big influences?
BRANDON: I Love The Used growing up. I loved Copeland. I loved a lot of catchy emo. I love REM, I love the Pixies, obviously. I went everywhere I think. But I think someone said the music you hear at 15 stays with you for life. I think I see it in my parents. What they listen to then, they just keep loving. All the music that was in my mp3 player at the time.