The High Drops Got Bored With Staring at the Roof

About a year ago, Vancouver’s The High Drops picked up some instruments, both out of boredom and a need to express their bond of friendship and skateboarding, and started writing some pretty decent shoegaze/ garage tunes. We don't know if anyone told them how many friendships and skateboarding careers have been ruined this way, but hey, at least they’ve managed to produce what must be the ideal soundtrack for both blocking out and soothing the soul-destroying aspects of public commuting. If that sounds compelling, you can download their self-titled EP for free by clicking here.

We also managed to milk some topical chitchat out of their guitarist, Mitch.

VICE: Hi Mitch from The High Drops!

Mitch: Hi.

Who plays in The High Drops and what do the members do?

I, Mitch Charron, play one guitar and build things out of wood. Alexi Baris sings, plays another guitar and cooks vegetables. Jen Smyth drums and sings and cuts hair. And Max Osburn plays the bass and measures silt, and he used to play guitar in Bummer High but left to pursue academics.

Haha "Bummer High". What's an average week in your lives?

Average week is music and band stuff then work/ school, depending on the member. We always watch lots of movies and I've been watching Cheers a lot lately.

Cheers is great. What’s your practice space like? You do practice, right?

Yeah. We share a space with our brethren band, The Shilohs. The room is in Beat Route's west coast offices. It's a good set up and it's above a dollar store, so we’re covered if we need batteries or a greeting card, or anything like that.

Useful. What's it like living in Vancouver?

Well, there aren't that many cool places to play. The city’s liquor and noise regulations really put a noose on that. But there are a few underground spots that keep it going.

Soldiering on in the face of adversity, nice. What's the music scene like when it isn't shut down or drink-free?

There's a bunch of really good bands right now in Vancouver. The Shilohs, Bummer High, Indian Wars, Student Teacher, and Hallow Moon to name a few.

You just released your debut EP, what has the response been like?

The people who have heard it seem to like it. But I don't think anyone has really heard it yet, have they?

I don't know, we hadn't. Are you on a label?

Green Burrito is releasing our EP on cassette in Vancouver in October. It's also coming out in December or January on Under The Gun Records down in East LA. So that's exciting.

PHOTOS: SETH FLUKER