The High Dials
George Donoso and his impressions about leaving The Dears & about Montreal
Photo by Susan Moss
Most people hear "George Donoso" and think "The Dears". It's unavoidable. Donoso was in the band forever, but today, he's got a brand new bag: The High Dials.
We recently caught up with Donoso, who was quite candid about what he felt about leaving one of Montreal's most iconic acts after a near lifetime in the fold, his new band, Montreal's music scene, and a little bit of blank-filling-in.
Was it difficult to leave the band you're most closely associated with?
It was the most difficult decision I've ever taken. I thought about it for a year before being able to quit. The Dears made most of my dreams come true; we toured the world, played cool TV shows and made great records. I thought that was all I ever wanted but things within the band got weird and suddenly it wasn't fun anymore. I realize now that a band is like any relationship, you have to nurture it, you have to work at it. It's not easy.
Do you ever get sick of people asking you about the Dears?
Not really, I'm really proud of what we achieved. We started out as a broke ass Montreal band playing at Jailhouse and got really far. It was the best ten years of my life.
What attracts you to the High Dials? Why do you enjoy playing with them?
I've been a fan of the High Dials for a long time and Trevor Anderson has become one of my best friends, so it's nice to feel that family vibe again.
Now that the days of "Montreal's the coolest music city in the world" are kind of gone, what's left in the city? Is it still a vibrant, interesting place to create and play or is it a place on the downswing?
Montreal's still a great place to live in and create but like any music scene it's on a downswing right now. Everybody wants to sound like Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. The same thing happened in Toronto with Broken Social Scene. Well, you can't blame Nirvana for creating Creed and Nickelback so that's just how things go.
You've worked in music an awful long time. Is it fair to say that you've long passed the point that you'd want to do something else with your life?
For the first time in my life I've become interested in other things than music. I'm gonna keep playing 'til the day I die but it's nice to learn about other things. Being a musician makes you very self-involved so it's very humbling to try different avenues.
Finish this sentence: Pop music is _________________.
...underrated.
Finish this sentence: The best part about being a drummer is ___________________.
...if I fuck up, everybody’s going down.
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