I checked out Left of Zero's MySpace page a couple days before I was supposed to interview them. I was under the impression that they were a Toronto-based indie band, but to my surprise they turned out to be an industrial metal band -sans vocals- from Michigan.

Not that there is anything wrong with that particular genre of music, or even that band... I was just caught off guard and knew that I was even more ignorant of that style of music than I am of indie rock. I was a little concerned, so I double-checked, and searched a little more thoroughly and it turns out that there are two "Left of Zero" bands, and that I would be interviewing a Toronto band after all.

However, their American alter-egos are not impressed with the name-sharing. I met with Jade Lamarche (bass,vocals) and Adam Boyle (drums) at the Green Room to further investigate this war of name-calling... of bands... with names...

Adam: "We had a little battle with them [Michigan's Left of Zero]. I knew there was another band when we first got together. So I thought that they'd do their thing, and we do our thing, you know - so many bands have the same name. They sent us a letter saying that it was their name, so we should stop using it. And then about two months ago, they sent us a cease and desist letter, and I basically just told them no. They haven't done anything, they're not trade-marked."

Jade: "Yeah, they're mad."

Adam: "They called us a bunch of Canadian douche-bags on their website, and I e-mailed them and they took it down. They were pretty aggressive about it. They said that it was affecting them, like they're trying to get shows and people think that they're us. So to me, it's just like, well sorry you're not as good as us."

The band formed just over two years ago. They released a full-length, and have just recently released a three song EP in February. Adam stressed that he thought it was important that the band continually released music in small increments.

Adam: "We just think it's important to keep making music, and releasing music, even if it's just a few songs. The full-length is fine, but we knew that by the time we released the EP, we had matured and it needed to come out so people would have a better idea of what we sounded like now."

Jade: "We also went in a different direction with it. I find that the record is a lot more subdued - heavier and sulky. That's not what we sound like anymore."

Adam was found on Craigslist. Jade let me in on a little secret.

Jade: "Well, he had his own jam space, so that's why he got it. Ha ha ha!"

Adam: "That's probably partly true."

The band will be playing a bunch of shows this summer and are planning on releasing a second EP, hopefully by the fall.

Adam: "It'll probably be a little longer, maybe five songs."

Left of Zero will be playing Rancho Relaxo on Saturday, April 25th.

Photo courtesy of Left of Zero