Takes an Army Share Passionate Debut “Somethings Gotta Give”
Hamilton rockers Takes an Army are a band of brothers – literally. With Tyler on bass and vocals, Sheldon on drums, and Brandon on guitar, the Geldermans are pleased to make their debut release with “Somethings Gotta Give.”
“Somethings Gotta Give” reflects on the death of a friend and echoes the sentiment of not being able to catch a break in a world full of frustration, sorrow, and pain. Even when you go to bed at night, your thoughts don’t stop. You do everything you possibly can to survive and thrive and even get to the mountaintop, but tomorrow you could die. Life is never guaranteed.
Listen to “Somethings Gotta Give” below and learn more about Takes an Army via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Takes An Army is a punk band based in Southern Ontario consisting of 3 brothers. We picked up our first instruments in 2007 and shortly took over our parent’s garage with our rapidly accumulating equipment. We combine raw emotions, catchy lyrics, and a quick tempo to inspire our listeners. Although we consider ourselves punk, we like to tap into different genres, and you can expect to hear new music from us showcasing this.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
“Somethings Gotta Give” was written shortly after the sudden passing of Mike Taylor “Beard Guy” of Walk of the Earth, in 2018. We have always been huge fans of him and the band as a whole, seeing them live over 15 times since they put out their very first album. Mike had a mighty presence, with his wise and deep eyes that gave me a feeling of “The Lion King.” This song was inspired by a feeling of sadness for such a big loss and wondering what the future would look like for their band and all the hearts he touched. As I reflect on my lyrics, I’ve realized that what I see in other people also resonates with me. I have gone through so many hurdles and setbacks in my life, and this song touches on the trials and tribulations we go through and how you must overcome them. Somethings gotta give, but something doesn’t always give, and so you have to give back to yourself, reach higher and go for your goals even if it’s unclear what path that is. You have to live out your dreams because you only die once, you live every day.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
I have ADHD which means I have a high sensory to sounds, sight, and touch. I constantly have tunes going through my head. Sometimes this is inspired by other music, and other times it is a matter of hearing noises together, building from it, and making it into music. When it comes to lyrics, I’m inspired most by resonating with how others are feeling. I’m able to feel life through different perspectives, and the positive and negative that others are feeling is what inspires my music the most.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
We have a show in the works at a local venue in Hamilton for our upcoming ep release in May. We will have three releases out by then, and we can’t wait to rock out!
What’s your goal for 2023?
Our goal for 2023 is to get back into the studio and continue creating music, play shows, and get discovered by bands we love so that maybe we could play live with them! It truly does Take An Army, and we are so thankful for all of our comrades that have gotten us this far and are looking forward to meeting even more creative music-freaks like ourselves!