The Carps Interview

“I don’t want some wood grain for Christmas,” Jahmal Tonge belts out on the Carps’ drum-induced song “All The Thugz I Know” on their EP, “The Young and Passionate Days of Carpedia Vol 2.1.” I was originally introduced to the Carps by a friend of mine, and I can recall the first song I heard by them literally catching my attention in the most vibrantly and rhythmically authentic of ways.
Coming from the frigid tundra (better known as Toronto, Canada), Jahmal Tonge (drums and vocals) and Neil White (guitar) are making a solid impact there and beyond their local music scene. Imagine this: a progressive rock duo with elements of punk rock, soca, hip-hop, and soul blended together and you have the Carps. Jahmal and Neil are the complete mix of rock, soul, funk, and R&B to quench even the most eclectic music aficionado’s acquired taste.

First and foremost, who are the Carps (collectively and individually)? How did you guys meet?

Neil and Jahmal:
[Our names are] Neil White and Jahmal Tonge. [We] met playing music at a youth group in Flemingdon Park, Toronto, ON. Neil [was]on bass and Jahmal [was]on guitar.

The first time I heard of you guys was on your EP entitled “The Young and Passionate Days of Carpedia Vol 2.1.” Why did you guys pick the band name the Carps anyway? Is their any significance behind the name?

Neil and Jahmal:
The band is named after the saying “Carpe diem” a motto from a poem by Horace meaning, “Seize the Day.”

On the song “Compton to Scarboro” was there any significance behind the premise of the song? Was the song actually made for an individual that you guys know, or was it made to show a dynamic of people that choose to walk their lives down the wrong path?

Jahmal:
It’s a bit of both. I [Jahmal] grew up [as a] black boy in a middle-class neighborhood, and right on the other side of the freeway was government housing. I knew a lot of cats who thought Toronto was Compton. It was made for all those guys. The ones I knew, but more so for the ones that are coming up.

I had heard a remix that the Bay Area producer, Trackademicks did of your song, “The Tumultuous Adventures of JJ Iscariot & the Insatiable Booty Fanatic” and I thought it was hella good! Are you guys acquainted with Trackademicks, and how do you feel about the work he has done on other remixes for other artists? Did you guys enjoy your remix that he did for one of your songs?

Jahmal:
We LOVED it! Track is a great dude, and the Bay recognizes him for sure, but the world is sleeping on him. His beats are out of this world. [And] more than anything else, he’s just a great dude. Bayyyyyyyyyy!!!

Jahmal, you have a vocal style that reminds me of Lenny Kravitz. You have a very strong singing voice. What are some of your musical influences that helped mold your cadence?

Jahmal;
Definitely not Lenny. I would credit M.J. and Otis Redding. After that, I really don’t know.[I am] just trying to do my own thing and [I] hope I don’t sound too much like Omarion.

Is either one of you in any other side projects other than the Carps? Are there any other projects coming out soon that your fans can be watching out for?

Neil:
I produce on the side. Nothing [has] slated for release at the moment, but there will be some cool remixes come ’08.

You guys put together a collective sound that is definitely hard to put in a genre. How would you guys define your musical sound?

Neil and Jahmal:
We don’t, and we wouldn’t!

Neil, you have a great talent on your guitar. Who are some of your influences (musically) that made you want to pick up a guitar in the first place?

Neil:
Definitely would have to be Les Claypool from Primus; he’s a tremendously inspiring performer. When I started playing bass, I was really into punk rock music, and artists like Fat Mike (of NOFX) and Matt Freeman (of Rancid) usually supplied my favorite bass lines.

I have never seen you guys live, but I hear that you guys have one hell of a great live set! What can people expect to see when they come see the Carps perform?

Neil:
Well, [before] Youtube, answering that would be difficult. But, it’s all on there for everybody to see.

If you guys could do a collaboration with any musical artist or artists (dead or alive), who would it be with?

Neil:
Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Cody ChesnuTT, Jackson and his computer band.
Jahmal:
Shawn Hewitt-.The actually talented version of myself.

What can Carps fans expect from the Carps in the future? Are there any future albums coming out in the near future and when?

Neil and Jahmal:
We’ll definitely have something out in the U.S. in ’08, and tours and tours and tours.

You guys being from Toronto, how do you feel about the music scene there? Are there any local Toronto artists that you guys enjoy listening to?

Neil:
[There is an] incredibly vibrant music scene in Toronto. We have a great collection of venues and a number of excellent festivals: Canadian Music Week and North by North East. From Scarborough, (just north of Toronto) I really enjoy Shawn Hewitt (www.myspace.com/shawnhewitt). There is also an excellent prog-rock group called dd/mm/yyyy. Others I enjoy include MSTRKRFT, Death From Above 1979, Crystal Castles, and Let’s Go to War
Jahmal:
Shawn Hewitt. Thunderheist.

"Compton to Scarboro"
The Carps are a bright set of individuals with an even brighter future. If you haven’t already, go cop “The Young and Passionate Days of Carpedia Vol. 2.1.” I would like to thank Jahmal and Neil for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in this interview.

-Kevin Robinson, Jr.