Despite its name, Iconoclast is at its heart a classic hard rock band, complete with wailing guitars and pounding rhythms. Although the group has been around the Ottawa music scene since 2004, it was only last year that they released their first full length album, Are We Dying. In fact, 2012 was a great year for the five-member band, as they were nominated for Best Alternative Rock Band at the Toronto Independent Music Awards and performed at a showcase during Toronto’s Indie Week. We hit up Iconoclast’s frontman Marc Bourgon with our Bluesfest questionnaire in advance of their show this Monday at 6:00pm at the River Stage.
How would you describe your sound?
We draw from many influences, the predominant ones being from 90s rock and a lot of classic rock. I’m a huge Led Zeppelin guy, and I certainly have stolen from them in more ways than one. A keen listener of our latest record, Are We Dying, would also have heard me- shall I say borrow?- from bands like Blondie, too. We’re all over the place, but in the jam spot when we woodshed riffs they end up sounding like us.
When did the band start?
There are several answers to that question. The easy answer is 2001 when Mike Corkum, Mike Korn and Mars Dej got together and started writing and performing songs. But version 2.0 was when they poached me out of my band at the time in 2004. So that was a new era that lasted all the way up to late 2011, when we were finalizing our last record. We made probably the smartest decision ever and added a second guitar player to thicken the sound, Dave DiUbaldo. So I’d say in earnest, the real Iconoclast started with our first performance with Dave on January 21, 2012 at the Hard Rock Café in Toronto.
What are you hoping from your Bluesfest performance?
I’m hoping it doesn’t rain. I’m hoping the sun shines bright in my face. I’m hoping Rush fans don’t boo us. I’m hoping the work we’ve put in to get to this show justifies our opportunity to be on this stage, one in which I have stood in front of since Day 1 wishing my band was up there. Most of all, I hope people are ready to get their faces melted. We’re going to make the most of our time in the spotlight.
Bonus silly question: What monument or building from another city would you bring to Ottawa?
The statue of Wayne Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup in front of Rexall Place in Edmonton. I’d slap that puppy on my front lawn and build a full-on shrine to The Great One. That’d be sick.
To give you an idea of their upcoming show, check out “Straight Jackets” recorded live at Mavericks.
Iconoclast plays the River Stage, Monday July 8 at 6pm.
