the miniatures

In spite of their name, The Miniatures have always thought in the largest possible terms. To begin with, the six-piece from Kitchener, Ontario -- Ian Smith (lead gtr/lead vox), Nick Skalkos (drums/vox), Chris Finn (gtr/vox), Ryan Allen (bass), Kevin Hundt (keys), Shawn Feeney (perc) -- were always too big for their hometown. Although friends since their high school days in the early '90s, it was a common love of the era's alternative rock revolution that inspired them to form the band. Each weekend would find them (despite being underage) at Kitchener's premier rock club at the time, The Volcano, absorbing whoever was appearing and taking notes. It wasn't long before they themselves were regularly on that stage and becoming the automatic opening act of choice for an endless number of bigger Canadian acts passing through town.

Their collective ambition to make The Miniatures into an unrivalled musical force did draw a loyal local following immediately. Yet, the band's focus on songwriting, especially in Smith's case, kept them out of the studio until the right songs were ready. That moment finally occurred in 2000 with the release of their self-titled independent debut, a blazing self-produced collection of ambitiously arranged tunes, which was unfortunately heard by too few due to a lack of distribution. In the years that followed, the band persevered, relentlessly chasing the goal of crafting the perfect rock song, while remaining the most recognizable faces in the Kitchener club scene, whether or not they were playing shows.

Still, the songs kept coming at an alarming rate. At one point in 2001, Smith had enough original material to be able to front three other bands simultaneously.

"There were never any doubts about what we were doing, it was just the environment that we were in," Smith explains. "Part of it was that we were always hanging around guys like Danny Michel, Shannon Lyon and Paul MacLeod, who just kept working no matter what challenges they faced. But right from the beginning, this band has been a way of life for all of us and it's shaped us as friends as much as we've shaped the music."

Now, after 18 months in the studio laying down their most recent stockpile of instant modern classics, The Miniatures are set to hit the road. Months of touring will lead into the release of only their second full-length album, due out in early 2004. Powered by Smith's impeccable guitar playing, and gift for melody, it is sure to attract the attention of any music fan starved for dynamic, intelligent and invigorating rock and roll.

The band's recent rise began in late 2001 when they caught the ear of Junkhouse guitarist Dan Achen, who immediately offered to produce their next album at his base of operations, Catherine North Studios in Hamilton. With a few rough mixes in hand, The Miniatures landed deals with booking agency S.L. Feldman & Assoc., and EMI Publishing Canada in early 2003. By May, they had struck a deal with MapleMusic Recordings, following a string of explosive shows with Matthew Good and The Dears.

But in the end, it's The Miniatures' music that has been the source of all the buzz. They are a band that confidently straddles the lines between power pop ("Coma Kid"), neo-psychedelia ("Detached Screenwriter") and classic rock ("Little Bird") without alienating any other camp. While there may be more genres that some songs fall into, the common thread is that they're all done on an epic scale, befitting the band's live show. "It's a full sound," Smith admits. "I dislike going to see a band when their album is full of overdubs and their sound is lacking. We put on a very animated performance and whatever we record, we can do it bang on."

Only a band from Canada could embody all these elements and still have the humility to call themselves The Miniatures. For Smith, there's still only one simple goal after all these years: "All we're trying to do is something different. For the love of God, something different!"