LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: My Own Addiction
- Michael Drukarsh
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh - For this month’s local artist feature, I had the opportunity and pleasure to sit down with the members of My Own Addiction in their cozy and very cool space to learn about the past, the present and what the future holds for band members Andrew Losier on guitar, Todd Burrows on drums, Tim Reesor on bass and lead singer Alexandra “BOOTS” Augustine.
Tucked away amongst the labyrinth of halls and creaking floors in what was once Cedardale Public School is the rehearsal space for My Own Addiction (MOA). Now referred to as the “Rehearsal Space” or “Melody Rehearsal" the building has a long history dating back to 1920 when it first opened its doors as a public school. Today, the ambiance of this historic building not only lends itself to the DIY approach of musicians coming and going but also to the inspiration for a song that will be featured on My Own Addictions upcoming release.
Coming together in the fall of 2022, the band quickly put out their self titled debut album. Todd and Andrew, having known each other for some time, already had some riffs down and, after deciding to start their own journey with songs and ideas they had compiled, broke away from being session musicians and began auditioning for their own band. After several bass players auditioned, Tim was first to join, and an instant connection was made. Moving to Oshawa not long before finding the band's ad on Kijiji of all places, “a divine intervention” according to Alex, who was next to join. Creating melodies and lyrics that fit with the rest of the band's vision, Alex was the piece that completed the puzzle. By August the band was formed, they christened themselves My Own Addiction in October and by December were in the studio with 11 songs ready to go.
Discussing her “lyrical diarrhea", Alex shared where inspiration for her lyrics come from. Despite often feeling like deep personal themes, her ideas can come from everyday moments. “I see stories everywhere. For the track 'Cigarette', I saw graffiti in a porta potty, it just said 'I am cigarette.'" From there the ideas started rolling, “I think of someone who has addiction and then what if you are in love with someone who has addiction… I am constantly making stories.”
For "Reaper", which will be appearing on the band's upcoming release, Alex got inspiration from a very sad moment when a friend’s wife passed shortly after getting a photo with her. Despite not really knowing this person, Alex was impacted by the fact that, “you meet someone and you may never see them again. All of us are running from the reaper, we’re all just evading death. We never know when it’s going to come so I had to write about that.” On the topic of death, another new song, "Isabelle", was directly inspired from the plaque hanging on the wall as you walk into the Rehearsal Space. Dedicated to Isabella Swanson who died tragically in a fire before she was able to officially become the first principal of the newly built school, the plaque along with the haunting atmosphere helped spark the idea for the song.
As for the rest of the band, they also contributed with Todd providing lyric ideas that sometimes make it through and Andrew creating backing vocals. They feed off of what Alex is singing, “I’ll hear something she’s doing and repeat it or add something that fits in.”
Both Tim and Alex were lucky, joining a band that already had material written. Tim brought up the fact that when he and Alex joined, Todd and Andrew “already had the first album compartmentalized in the can, had a start, middle, end.” The difference now of course is that the new album, expected out later this year, is a total collaboration, with all four members getting together and "entirely bopping off each other, there is no set thing.”
As for influences, the band members all have similar tastes, leaning into the 70s rockers like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, along with 80s heavy rock like Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne and Twisted Sister. However, each does bring their own unique sound. For Andrew, his influences are Dark Side of the Moon”ish” with “big long passages that go up, come back down and go all over the place” while the rest of the band often “goes at it four on the floor rock the song from start to finish.”
Having played together in several bands since the early 90s, Andrew and Todd bring a musical bond that allows them to play off each other which lends itself to the dynamic and sound of MOA. Tim, who got his start as a guitarist, switched to bass out of boredom during covid and actually showed up to the audition with a little toy bass and no amp. Having gotten the job, his sound comes from his constant efforts at not playing guitar on the bass, “focusing on a John Paul Jones type of vibe where everything is melodic, everything has a purpose… everything is brand new again… it’s special”. By bringing together Alex’s story telling, along with Tim’s “not guitar” bass and the history between Andrew and Todd, MOA creates a sound that delivers pure rock and roll.
Opening up for amazing bands such Anvil, Buck Cherry, and Killer Dwarfs (which was my introduction to MOA), the band has learned a lot from these more established acts such as just being grateful and to just have a lot of fun on stage and enjoy the moment. MOA really stood out for me as a live act and as it turns out I, along with the sold out crowd at the Biltmore, was treated to something very special. This was the first time the band focused on the unreleased songs they had been working on. According to Andrew, “we were so into recording mode that, while our last album was on the back burner, we played almost that whole new album. This is the first album we all wrote together in the same room. That was a really special show for us too.” Alex agrees, adding, “we just have a lot of fun and we just love playing live, being on stage.”
Being part of such a strong local music scene in Oshawa means that MOA has developed a huge dedicated fanbase, “we have some people who show up to every show and they buy merch at every single show… and they are so supportive.” MOA are also creating new fans at every gig, with people coming up to them so excited after hearing them for the first time, which for Alex is her favourite part. “It is so special. And I had one person come up to me and say, 'I want to do what you do.'" And she did, as Alex would find out a year or so later running into her singing at a local pub.
As the interview comes to an end, we needed to address the “armour” that Alex has acquired... her trademark boots. What started as a love of all things 80s hair metal, despite not having the privilege of growing up in that time period, Alex insisted that her first time on stage would be with a pair of kick ass 80s style silver rocker boots with a three inch heel. From there the heels grew longer, and she became more herself in her “protective armour” and the nickname was born. For Alex, the boots add to “the performative aspect of just becoming your most unattached self.”
Giving high praise for the music scene that is bursting in Oshawa and the comradery that is found amongst the musician who not only share the venues but fill the rooms at the rehearsal space, My Own Addiction hope to be part of, and possibly lead the way in bringing the Oshawa music scene to the rest of Ontario and beyond.
With finishing touches and videos for the new album taking place and the freedom of doing everything on their own, the band is taking their time to ensure they deliver songs that are on the next level. However, they have given me some exclusive news including what looks to be a couple dates in May with a Canadian metal institution, as well new music coming out in the next couple of months. Of course, as plans are confirmed, LoudTO will bring you all the details!
I spent about three hours with My Own Addiction. After the interview I was invited to hang out and listen to a few songs as they went into rehearsal mode. And just as I saw them on stage, they were just having an absolute blast and the vibe in the room was electric! Thank you Alex, Tim, Todd and Andrew for this opportunity! We can’t wait to see what’s next for My Own Addiction!
My Own Addiction Online
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