In between tours with Bif, Doug also assembled another project, The Almighty Truth a few years back which released a severely under-rated record. More recently, he joined another band called Scatterheart which just put out their debut EP. The record is a livewire, full of enthusiasm and power. I did an interview with Doug via email recently to get introduced to the band.

antiMUSIC: How and when did the band come together and who are the other guys?

Doug: When I met Scatterheart, they were a 3 piece band that came to my studio, (Fortissimo Sound), to record. While recording, I played the guitars on their record for them. This grew to doing the odd gig in Vancouver with them, to having jam sessions and developing a friendship. They're a refreshing group of guys and it's been a natural progression.

Jesse Enright is our vocalist. He's is a super powerful singer with a fresh voice, a great presence, and a positive outlook on life. He's got a really good energy about him. I think that his vibe is infectious and people can sense it when we play.

Wes Deboer is our bassist. He's a great musician both in playing ability and style. He comes up with melodic yet challenging ideas on the bass and can really hold his own on his instrument. It's great to have such a solid foundation.

Mike Southworth is our drummer. He's rock solid on the kit and has a lot of ideas for song arrangements. He also produces a lot of bands, so he hears the songs from more than just a drumming perspective.

antiMUSIC: What is the status of The Almighty Truth?

Doug: The Almighty Truth is on hiatus for now. My studio keeps me really busy and my drummer Scotty McCargar is busy doing a lot of session work in here in Vancouver. So it's a project on chill out mode while I focus on Scatterheart and the studio.

antiMUSIC: How did the record develop? Did you get together with the intention of recording material or was it just a "fun band"?

Doug: These guys had the material written for the most part before I met them. I came in as a producer at first, and eventually evolved into being a full time member. It started from a fun place though, and I feel like that's the vibe this band has overall. Scatterheart is influenced by Bowie, Queen, and the Police. All this music is very fun but also challenging. I have a great time with these guys!

antiMUSIC: What were the first songs to come out and how did the ideas come together?

Doug: Well, they came to me with 10 songs to record. I listened and picked the ones that seemed strongest to me. We're already in the stages of recording another album.

antiMUSIC: How does the songwriting work within Scatterheart? I assume you write the lion's share of the music or is it a group project?

Doug: The way it's going now is, Jesse and I will come up with the core for a song. We'll work it out as far as we can and then we bring it to the jam spot. From there it really grows into a Scatterheart song. All 4 members really bring a lot to the table.

antiMUSIC: The material is a bit poppier than your previous work. One could say, instrumentally speaking, that it's on line with some of Bif's material but Jesse's vocals make it sound even more radio-friendly. What factors helped determine the direction of your material?

Doug: We really want to have a positive vibe to it. I come from a heavier musical background and this is really fresh for me. I'm finding a new power in a major chord! It's interesting for me. Scatterheart aims to be a breath of fresh air and we're getting great response so far.

antiMUSIC: What's the significance of the band name?

Doug: Jesse came up with it. I think he wanted to convey a sense of a "LOVE EXPLOSION" The concept of love as being powerful is missing in a lot of the new rock music these days.

antiMUSIC: The pictures on your site suggest a pretty un-inhibited stage show. How have your recent shows been received?

Doug: Our shows are our biggest strength right now. The audience feels the energy off the stage. The response when we play is really beginning to start a groundswell here on the west coast. I'm actually elated and surprised at the amount of buzz around the band after so few shows. We've all been in bands for a while now, and we haven't had this kind of early response before, so it's great! I guess having your singer doing handstands on stage with colourful feathers projecting from his shoulders helps too. HAHA

antiMUSIC: With your ongoing involvement with Bif, your studio and in demand production and recording duties, will it be difficult to find a balance with all of this?

Doug: Sometimes the scheduling can be tough but these are all things that I love to do so it's a good problem to have. All of these projects help the other ones grow. What I learn from one can be transferred into the others.

antiMUSIC: Tell us about your studio. When did it get started and who is all involved with it?

Doug: The studio is called Fortissimo Sound and is located in East Vancouver. Check it out at www.fortissimosound.com. I've been recording for many years but this studio was set up two years ago. It's a great little powerhouse room where I can get big sounding recordings on indie budgets. I run the studio myself mostly and it's a great room with low stress and a relaxed creative vibe. For me it's a "haven"!

antiMUSIC: You're originally from London, Ontario, I believe. How did you get involved with music as a full-time gig and trace your path for us from London to Vancouver.

Doug: I had a band in London that was called Genocide which had a name change to Face The Pain. We were a heavy band that did really well in the city. I managed to get the band signed to Universal. The band got so busy I needed a manager as I was still working a full-time job. This is when I hooked up with Peter Karroll, who is Bif's manager. We toured with Bif as an opening act. At that point I got the call to play guitar in Bif's band. This is when I was able to do music full-time. I played in her band but stayed in London until it came time to record "Purge". I relocated to Vancouver so I could help write and record with her and haven't looked back.

antiMUSIC: You've been with Bif for almost a decade, playing both guitar and bass as well as writing and studio work. How do you describe the synchronicity involved in your working relationship?

Doug: Bif is easy to work with. She has no ego and that really helps when writing songs. Ego can get in the way of so many great ideas. She's a solo artist and so she writes with many other people. I think that it's a different process with each person she writes with, but with me, for the most part, she writes the lyrics and I'll come up with the riffs.

antiMUSIC: Bif just wrote a blog saying she's writing for the next record. Have you started music for her as well? What can you tell us about what the next record will sound like?

Doug: She's usually fills a kajillion notebooks with potential lyrics on her own first, and then we get together and hash it out. I'm not sure which direction she'll want to go on the next one. She's always full of surprises. I'm not even sure what my involvement will be on the next record. That's the thing with this music gig – You never know what's next. HAHA!

antiMUSIC: What are your hopes and dreams for Scatterheart? Obviously to play for as many people and sell as many records as possible, but where do you realistically see this band in a year's time?

Doug: In a year we'll be trashing every hotel room we can get our hands on. How Rockstar HAHA. Really though, this band is a good time, so I want to give it a full swing and see where it can go. As far as predicting what will happen? That's always tough especially in the music game, but I do know this band has that intangible thing when we play live… I want to take it and run with it!

antiMUSIC: What are your plans for the rest of the year, both with Scatterheart and your other projects?

Doug: Scatterheart is going to tour for the next year. It will likely be short tours for now while we continue to build momentum. This record we have out is meant to be a 6 song EP to introduce people to the band but we've got 6 new songs already in the works. We'll record another 25 songs in the next year and pick the cream of the crop. There are a ton of ideas on the songwriting front right now. It's going to be a busy year and likely a bit crazy too! The Almighty Truth is on chill out mode for now, and with my studio Fortissimo Sound being booked solid, I'm looking forward to working with some interesting artists over the next little while. As far as Bif goes I'm not sure...

antiMUSIC: Anything else about the band or yourself that you would like to mention that I didn't ask?

Doug: Scatterheart will be touring at the end of April 2007 and we are looking forward to playing our arses off!