Interview – Bucko and Toad

By: Amanda Hather

Bucko and Toad are a country/pop duo from Victoria, BC. Signed to 604 Records, the duo consists of husband and wife, Kenn Coutu (vocals, guitar) and Kelly Michelsen (vocals). The band name comes from their parent’s nicknames for them when they were children and add to the fun atmosphere that they strive for with their music.

We had the opportunity to ask the duo a few questions, so if you wish to learn more about Bucko & Toad, check out this interview and the links to their social media below.

Why did you decide to pursue music?

Kenn: I realized at young age how powerful music was, whether you were singing big open notes in the shower or whether it was having your headphones on at bedtime, that feeling of energy was when I knew.

Kelly: Haha I’m not sure I decided to pursue it.. I hesitantly trusted Kenn that it was a good idea, and it was!

Who are some of your musical influences?

We are both influenced by everything; we listen to so many types of music at home.  Growing up County music was always playing in both of our homes, I was fan of everything and Kelly was obsessed with Barbra Streisand so the music spectrum was vast haha!

Do you think being married makes it easier or harder to work together?

Both! Difficult because we don’t always see each other as professional partners, we wouldn’t talk to anyone else the way we talk to each other sometimes haha Easy because we’re not afraid to be honest with each other and being a team with both life and career goals it’s easy to be on the same page.

How are you inspired to write your songs?

Kenn: Song writing is my passion and I do as much as I can. Kelly and I have a song title list we’re constantly adding to, I sit down and look at a list of titles and I try to write to those. Other times they come on their own, but you can’t always wait for that, so you have to dig deep.

What is your writing process like? (E.g. melody first, lyrics first, etc.) Do you write the songs together, or does one person bring an idea forward?

Song writing is expression and communication. A rhythm on guitar is how it starts, follow that up with the melody and finally lyrics. We are always bringing up ideas, not a day go by where we aren’t discussing what a song should be about or how we can make it better.

If someone hadn’t listened to your music before, what song would you suggest they start with?

Any Excuse! It’s fun, it’s upbeat and it’s about love! What’s better than that!?

You’re signed with 604 Records, who have quite the roster of artists and bands. If you could collaborate with anyone on the label, who would it be and why?

Currently we are working with Tavish Crowe from Carly Ray Jepson’s band, he’s awesome, we just love him!

Kenn:  I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with Chad before but working with Josh from Marianas Trench would be rad, he’s such a creative person.

Can your fans look forward to any new music soon?

We’ve recorded a bunch of songs with Tavish Crowe that we are excited about, as well as brand new stuff we are currently writing! So we do have some new stuff ready for our fans!

What’s coming up next for you guys?

We are about to put out our music video for Any Excuse which was Directed by Stephano Barberis, we love it!  We are also going to be playing Sunfest Country Festival on Vancouver Island with Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett and wack of other people at the end of July! We’re excited to see what’s in store for us!

At Canadian Beats we like to throw in a few fun questions as well:

What’s your go to karaoke song?

Oh that’s easy! Purple Rain by Prince and it’s best when people are confused by the song choice and they just stare at you strangely!

Who is your favourite musical duo?

Kenny and Dolly, their Christmas album.  Their harmonies are amazing; we sing those songs together all season long!

Who would your dream tour be with?

Kenn: Truthfully the first tour with Kelly! I would love to go on tour with her, we will have a lot of fun!!

Do you have any Canadian bands/artists you would recommend to your fans?

There are so many..  Dallas Smith and Dean Brody are great Canadian Country artists!

Where are the top three places you’d like to travel?

Across America on an antiquing road trip, sail the North West Passage and Easter Island!

And finally, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?

Really just.. THANK YOU!!!!

Connect with Bucko and Toad:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/buckoandtoad
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bucko-Toad/151246291624713
Instagram: https://instagram.com/buckoandtoad
Website: http://www.buckoandtoad.com/