Ruins

This is actually the first internet interview I have ever done and I have now been at it for 15 years. The Ruins were a SKA band from Ontario that were at one point on the same label as H.R. from the Bad Brains.

I recieved some stuff from DIA Records of New York months ago and at the time he had sent me some info about a band called Ruins, a 5 piece band from Burlington, Ontario. Accorded to the bio their music could be described as 'gangsta ska' or blending Ska, hip-hop, turntables, and group vocals, Ruins creates a unique sound that is filled with energy. Starting in the late summer of 1999, Ruins went through some line-up changes before finding the right sound. Breakdown Kid was formerly from the band 'Gym Class Joke' and Boobs and PuD were in the bands 'The Sandwich Mafia' and 'Boys Night Out' respectively. The band originally started off with PuD on drums, Boobs on guitar and vocals, and Breakdown Kid on bass. A short time later, Sukka D.C was added on second guitar. After being together for one week, Ruins decided to play a show. After this, Breakdown Kid switched to vocals and Sukka D.C switched to bass. Recently they've added new drummer Dan Hurst, as well as Brad White on Turntables, This is line-up that is Ruins today. Ruins has since played a handful of shows with quite a large following. A demo tape was released at one show and sold out quickly. Ruins finished recording their full length release 'The Brad White EP' which is availible through the band or through east end industries. The Following interview was compiled of e-mails sent back and forth from my yahoo account and the band hotmail account.

Is everyone in the Band from Canada?

Yep, all from canada.

What bands would you say influence the band?

We like bands like downfall, operation ivy, rancid, and jersey. We also listen to a lot of hip hop, reggae and dancehall. Like nine ix, and bounty killer.

Describe how you guys write your songs.

Loop dogg (guitar), usually starts it, them him and sukka dc (bass) turn it into a song, then the whole band pitches in to spit polish it and give it all the final touches and sh*t.

What have you guys recorded?

Pretty much, the demo tape only had about 15 copies made, it was done quick, by us, not mastered. Then we later went back to the studio, recorded a few more tunes, mastered it and pressed the cd.

Does the CD contain tracks from the tape?

The cd contains all tunes from the tape plus a few others, we basically just hope that the tape will give us the exposure we want and provide something new rather than all this trendy pop ska shit that's been floatin around lately with all the horns and all that nonsense. We wanted to come up with something real.

What do you mean by real?

Nothin fake, thats been done a million times before.

Where have you guys played so far?

Montreal, Ottawa, and a lot around southern Ontario.

Describe your best show?

We love playing small places with a lot of people jammed in, the best show was with gob at the trash in guelph, a sold out show. It was crazy.

Do you have any plans to go on tour?

Maybe one around southern Ontario, and Quebec/Montreal towards the end of January.

What do you see as the future of the band?

First of all its just RUINS. And what do I see in our future? Respect.