Five Questions With Andre Pettipas and The Giants

On July 14th, Andre Pettipas and The Giants unveiled their new single, “The Swedish Motel” which was co-produced by Jon Landry (The Stanfields) and Jason Jenkyns (CodaPop Studios).  This is the first single released since the band won the 2017 Q104 Homegrown challenge which prizes included $5000 in recording at CodaPop studios in Halifax!

“The Swedish Motel” is now available on all major streaming platforms across the world.

Check out the single below and find out more about Andre Pettipas and The Giants via our newest segment of Five Questions With!

Care to introduce yourselves to our readers?

Brothers Andre and Travis Pettipas along with longtime friend, Mark Cosh make up the high energy, harmony-driven trio. We’ve been at this music thing since we were kids but only formed this band just over three years ago. Stemming from I guess what you’d call a blessing in disguise. Andre came home to Nova Scotia from Alberta for Christmas holidays in 2014 and the very next day landed on the hospital after being rushed by ambulance that night after taking multiple seizures. He was diagnosed with a brain virus called, “encephalitis” which left him unable to work or drive for six months. This gave Andre plenty of time to hone his musical craft.

After writing a bunch of music he shared the music with his brother and they searched for a drummer. After seeing Marcus playing a gig with his cover band in Antigonish one Saturday, Andre chatted with Marcus after the show about the new project. The brothers were set to begin recording an album that Tuesday. The boys had their first rehearsal that Monday and recording for their first album, “Stay Gold” happened the very next day.

Since then it’s been a steady few years of gigging. In 2016 the band were finalists for the Casino Nova Scotia Artists in Residence program. The very next summer they won the q103 homegrown challenge which sparked the flame underneath them to strive for me.

That takes us to today where they’ll be a Sweden bound in September to perform and network at “Live At Heart.” They’ll be using this time to look for interested buyers for their industry demo, “No Fools No Fun” that was recorded at Coda Pop Studio in Halifax as part of the homegrown prize. The plan is to finish a full-length album by spring of 2019.

Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.

A band that your parents and your older sibling can all agree on. Grease Coast Rock N’ Roll reels you into a fusion of 90’s rock/pop vibes mixed with the 70’s classic rock sound. Combining sing-along pop tunes with rock n’ roll attitude and getting away with it one scream at a time. Picture the Black Crowes writing with Tom Petty and Axl Rose gets his two cents in whenever he can.

The writing style focuses on quick songs that have a purpose on a certain catchy approach to them. In today’s day and age, we look for instant gratification so we don’t try to over think the songs. We keep them short and sweet with the shock value door always open to entertain ourselves and the listeners.

Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?

We’ll be opening for the Trews on August 1st in Truro for Civic Square. Following that, we have Black Top Ball in The Ponds and a tour spanning from Nova Scotia to Edmonton and back. We have dates in Hamilton, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. Following that we return to Nova Scotia for “Rock The Hub” on Sunday, August 25th and 26th. The following week we head to Sweden to perform attend and perform Live At Heart in Orebro.

Our live show is something we take pride in. If we’re not tired or sore after we get off the stage we didn’t do our job right. We like to give the audience a high energy performance every single time; to get crowd feeling welcomed and engaged on the stage. Forget about your phone for a few hours and focus on making memories and feeling united with the people around you. Feed off the energy that is being thrown off and on the stage.

Visit www.andrepettipasandthegiants.com for full details.

If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?

Tossup between “Rubber Arm” and an unreleased tune, “No Fools, No Fun” that is on our unreleased industry demo. They’re both dead ahead rockers that capture the energy of our live show. They’re the pieces of bread in our show sandwich. No Fools being the opener while Rubber Arm always finishes things off.

Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favourite Canadian bands/ artists?

Arkells, Glorious Sons, The Trews, Matt Mays, Adam Baldwin, Wintersleep, Joel Plaskett to name a few. Lots of east coast flavour in the mix.

Connect with Andre Pettipas and the Giants:
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Jenna Melanson

I’m Jenna, the founder and editor of Canadian Beats. I have had a strong love for Canadian music, which started many years ago. I have a passion for promoting these talented Canadian bands and artists, and that’s how Canadian Beats came to be.

Canadian Beats has grown to become more than media, and what a journey it’s been.