Words: Miljan Milekić
A while ago, I somewhere read a story that involved a comparison between a sparkle and a candle. A sparkle, once lit up, shines strong and bright, however, it only lasts for a couple of seconds. A candle, on the other hand, is not as shiny, not as bright, but its flame is slow and steady, and it can last for hours. Somehow, that comparison reminds me of Chaser. They never had a hit song that would launch them into the heights some of the punk rock and pop punk bands of the late 90s, and early 2000s reached. They are not as talked about as some of the other bands of their era. However, they were always there. In two decades as a band, they produced a steady flow of great records, raising the bar every time, expanding their fanbase, and playing shows all around the world. Back in June, they did it once more, with a brand new album ‘Small Victories,’ so we had to jump on a call with singer Mike LeDonne. Check it out below!
Hey Mike! Thanks for the time to do this with us! So, how are you guys?
Mike: We’re good, man. We’re heading out to Europe tomorrow, so we’re really excited.
It seems like you have quite a following in Europe! What are you bringing to the fans on this run?
Mike: Yeah, we’re very fortunate that we get to go to Europe every Summer. We do have a good following out there, and we’re very thankful for that. The shows are always amazing, and this tour is gonna be cool. We have a really good mix of festivals, and headlining shows, and at some shows, we will be support for bands like Strung Out, Belvedere, and Mustard Plug.
And you will be bringing your new album ‘Small Victories’ with you. Some of the songs, especially ‘Stay Gold’ and ‘Fault Lines’ already seem to be fan-favorites, but how happy are you with the feedback so far?
Mike: Man, it’s been amazing. We’re so overwhelmed with joy and so thankful for all the amazing feedback we’ve been getting since we released the album. Everybody is loving it and saying such great things. It means so much to us ’cause we worked really, really hard to make this album. It’s so cool that everybody’s loving it and it’s perceived so good.
Did you have the chance to play some of the new songs yet and experience that reaction where it matters the most?
Mike: No, not yet. We’ve never played these songs live except for ‘Fault Lines’ and ‘The Breaks.’ We had one local show a couple of months ago where we played these songs because they were already released, but we haven’t had a show since the album came out. The first show in Europe, in Austria, will actually be the very first time that we’re playing pretty much all the songs off of ‘Small Victories.’ And that’s gonna be really exciting.
And speaking of shows, how fun was it to do a gig in the Pennywise Garage in Punk Rock Museum?
Mike: That was super cool, man. It was really crazy. It was during the Punk Rock Bowling weekend too, so there were a lot of fans from all over the world. Everybody came in for that festival, so there were people from Australia, Canada, Europe, and all over the United States. So it was really fun, really cool. And the Pennywise jam room is a full replica of their practice space, so that was fun, too.
So, I would like to get back to ‘Small Victories’ for a bit. Once again, you were able to deliver a record that is 100% Chaser, checking all the boxes of what we love about your band, but still making it fresh. How do you approach your records this deep into your career, and how challenging is it to find that balance?
Mike: That’s a good question. I feel like we’re developing our own sound so that when you hear a song, it sounds like Chaser. We are definitely heavily influenced by a lot of melodic, skate punk bands like No Use For A Name, Good Riddance, Pennywise, Bad Religion, we definitely draw elements and influences from those bands, but each time we put out a record, we really hone in and develop our own unique style.
So, that was a really big goal of ours that we wanted to accomplish, especially with this album. Of course, we’re gonna draw off our influences and the melodic punk, but we wanted to develop our own sound. So, I think it’s a good mix of staying true to the style we grew up with, that melodic punk style, but also writing in the special way that Chaser does. We have a unique flair, and we always try to make our songs positive. We definitely have that theme in our music. You know, we’re not a political band. We don’t really have negative lyrics. We always try to find positivity in things – unity, love, being a good human being, and taking care of each other.
READ MORE: Check our interview with Czech skate punk band Krang
This is your first record since ‘Dreamers,’ which was released under very unique circumstances, with all the lockdowns and travel restrictions. How does it feel to once again be able to release the album, and actually be able to hit the road and play new songs to your fans?
Mike: Yeah, that’s a good point. We finished recording ‘Dreamers,’ literally the day before the entire world shut down. It was the end of March 2020 when we finished the album. We were all stoked, we couldn’t wait to get it out, and then next thing you know, the very next day, borders are closed, and everything’s shut down. We had to sit on it for over a year, which was terrible. It just sucked. So, yeah, with this one, it’s so cool to be able to release the album, and boom – we’re going to Europe tomorrow! We released the album, and three weeks later, we are able to start touring. And that’s how it should be.
‘Small Victories’ has a really interesting artwork, which I believe looks amazing on vinyl. Can you tell me more about it? How did it all come together and is there any special meaning behind it?
Mike: The ship at sea is a metaphor, it illustrates how we’re all navigating life together, and we all have our own personal battles. And the big waves are saying that life is not gonna be easy. Every day we have to overcome the challenges we face. But the title of the album, ‘Small Victories,’ means that – life is never perfect. You’re never gonna be perfect, so celebrate the small wins that do happen on a daily basis. Ultimately, they will add up, and you’ll be back on stable ground.
So that’s the meaning behind the ship in rough seas, but it’s approaching the shore, and, then, you got the lighthouse, which is a symbol of hope. So, the ship is finally reaching the land. It’s basically saying – “Life’s hard, but just stay with it. Play the long game, stay positive, and ultimately you’ll have stable ground under your feet.” So, we presented that idea to Sebas [Theriault], our designer, and he came up with the ship-at-sea metaphor. And it was perfect! It was perfect for the album title, and for what we were trying to portray because it represents both rough times and light at the end of the tunnel. Positivity.
READ MORE: Check out our interview with Californian ska reggae punk legends Mad Caddies
For this record, you once more went with the SBÄM/Thousand Islands combination. How happy are you with the collaboration so far, and how different is the work with them compared to your previous labels?
Mike: I really love working with all these labels. And what’s great about having multiple labels is that it works best for the fans. If we just had one label, say in North America, our fans in Australia or Europe would have to pay crazy prices for shipping. So, having different labels on different continents makes it more accessible for the fans to obtain the record. And they’re independent DIY labels, so they’re very easy to communicate with. They’re like family to us. They pull for us and help us out in a big way. We have a great relationship with all these labels, and SBÄM, Thousand Islands, and Pee have all been amazing. They’re fans of music. Just like being in a band – you do it for the love and the art, and that’s what they do as record label owners.
I know you guys have a few shows in Quebec this Fall, but what about the rest of Canada? Is there a chance we will see you here in the prairies and Saskatoon anytime soon?
Mike: Yeah, we’re working on a full Canadian tour next year. We’ve been getting a lot of requests to go to Western Canada. We absolutely love Quebec, and we’ll always keep coming to Quebec, but we all have families and careers, so we don’t get a whole lot of time to explore other provinces. But next year, we’re gonna make it a point to really focus on some other cities and provinces. We’ll do Western Canada and then Quebec and Ontario again. So, yeah, it’s definitely part of the plan to get to Saskatoon!
Follow Chaser:
Website: chaserpunkrock.com
Instagram: instagram.com/chaserpunk
Facebook: facebook.com/chaserband
*Interview edited for length and clarity