Singer takes the spotlight

“It was a huge challenge,” says the former drummer for now-defunct Ottawa band On The Edge, about fronting his own four-piece ensemble. Pethick sang backup and helped write music whilst whaling on the drums for OTE back in the early 1990s, when grunge sounds and plaid shirts were all the rage.

But being frontman, he explains, is a different animal entirely. “I always enjoyed singing, and always wanted to get up front at one point in my life. But I think with each performance I gain more confidence, and with each performance I learn something,” he says. Though he describes himself as a “visual drummer”, he also acknowledges the added stress of the centre-stage can be nerve-wracking. “So this is going to be a continuing effort. “Back in the day, though, being more of a backbeat kind of guy, my band members would say there was a part of me that enjoyed being in the spotlight.”

Indeed, if it’s the spotlight Pethick craves, it seems he’s found his niche. The 11-song debut album features a collage of rock, pop-rock, acoustic and even classical sounds and was recorded solo, in his basement studio. “There are songs about life, songs about death, songs about relationships,” he illustrates. “A lot of the songs are about celebrating life.”

Pethick plays guitars, keyboards and drums on the record though he’s recruited a crew of local musicians for live shows, including his CD release bash at the Orléans Theatre Friday, Sept. 7.

While the Beacon Hill native says he’s ecstatic to have his own production, he’s also under no illusions about the realities of independent music production and promotion. “It’s a ton of work,” he confides. “It probably took me two years, end to end, to complete setting up the (studio) room and then record it myself, up until the release. And I’ve been working towards the content for probably up to five years.”

He spent those five years assembling the bricks and mortar of a “foundation of creativity,” as he calls it – writing songs, buying equipment and outfitting his studio, along with slowly preparing to make the leap to lead position.

And while he reiterates fronting a band takes some getting used to, it’s a transition process he’s happy to endure. “I guess I always wanted to be noticed, and be up front,” he says. “I guess I’ve got my chance now.” Tickets for the Sept. 7 show at the Orléans Theatre are $5 at the door and all proceeds go to the Canadian Cancer Society.