Touring Canada solo for the first time, blues-rock outfit July Talk performs at the Gateway Oct. 26. Based out of Toronto, the band consists of Peter Dreimanis, Leah Fay, Ian Docherty, Josh Warburton and Danny Miles. Following a stellar opening for the Arkells last month, the band decided to return to the campus as headliners. This week, The Weal caught up with Leah Fay to discuss their upcoming tour.

 
The Weal: How did July Talk come to be?

Fay: Peter and I met one night at the local bar in Toronto. It was almost last call. It was a blurry night for everyone. I was there with a girl I was playing in a band with at the time.

We found a guitar and started drunkenly playing songs. Peter showed up out of nowhere and just kind of perched down right in front of us. He was staring at us really intently and listening really intently. He started banging two beers bottles to the time of the music; we were playing this kind of waltz song. At the end of the songs the beer bottles shattered all over the ground. And he kind of disappeared into the darkness.

There was some yelling from the sidewalk. We were on our bikes already and he was like, “I want to get to know you! Let’s go to a restaurant and get some fries!” We were like, “yeah, whatever dude.”

He found me a few nights later and he was like “I can’t get your voice out of my head; I want to make music with you. Here’s my phone number.”

 
The Weal: How would you describe your style of music?

Fay: First and foremost, they are catchy pop songs. It’s rock and roll, it’s bluesy, and then there is a lot that has to do with the opposing forces of this dark, gravelly sound and then there’s me who doesn’t sound like that at all.

 
The Weal: What kind of audience do you tend to see at shows?

Fay: We would all unanimously agree that the best show was at SAIT in Calgary. It was insane, we lucked out. We showed up and there was already a line around the hall for the Arkells. At that point you just have to show up and play as hard as you can. We were telling them to party and they were like, “Yeah! We will!” I will be interested to see what kind of audience we attract this time.

 
The Weal: Being on the road can be tough, how do you plan on making it easier?

Fay: I make sure that we are eating okay. That was advice given to me. You can’t eat crap all the time. Stay healthy and take lots of vitamins. I am a dancer and I need to stretch to stay sane.

 
The Weal: Do you have any advice for younger musicians trying to get started?

Fay: Don’t be afraid to really like sink your teeth into what it is that makes you feel unique. In a world where anyone can write an entire album, you really have to be honest with what you are doing.

July Talk performs at the Gateway Oct. 26. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10, available at www.ticketmaster.com