Like countless other bands, Choices Made have the internet to thank for their union. "It was a typical formation via Craigslist, really," bassist Andrew tells No Echo. "Steve (guitar) had moved back to Toronto from Vancouver, I (bass) am originally from South Africa, Josh (vocals) was also living in Vancouver prior to that, and Mike (drums) had just recently moved to Toronto from Cleveland. It took a while but once the cards fell in place it just seemed to work out great."
Formed in 2018, the melodic punk band also injects hardcore muscle into their songwriting and performance style. "We all have a love for punk rock and hardcore, but certain members enjoy the more melodic side of punk and others enjoy the more heavier side of hardcore," Andrew explains, "So, it's a definite mix of Good Riddance meets Sick of It All.
"We kind of like the fact that we can play on a bill with straight-up NY hardcore bands and then the next night play with some more Fat Wreck-styled punk bands."
Choices Made's debut in the release department was last fall's Don't Settle for Them! EP. "We recorded it ourselves and sent it off for mixing and mastering. The songs were songs we have been working on over the year and it was meant as an introduction to the band. Credit for lyrics are all Josh and I think he captured the frustration the band has with us all being 9-5ers and the frustration we all have with everyday life and working for a boss. Music should be uplifting and positive and I'm stoked we're keeping that going.
We're currently working on a new EP that we'll hopefully have released by March, so we're looking forward to that."
With a new record on its way in a few weeks, No Echo asks Andrew how far ahead he and his Choices Made bandmates have things planned out. "It's tough. I think we have long term goals in the back of our minds, but we're focusing on the smaller steps like getting out as much as we can, putting out some fresh material every now and then and gaining a following by putting in the hard work and being as professional as we can. It's not easy being a new band on the scene so we're having to prove ourselves by playing and putting on as good and honest of a show as we can."
Choices Made social media pages: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
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