When Hello Operator recorded their debut EP “The Breaks” in 2008 they intended it as an exercise in producing and recording their own music. The plan was to record a few songs they had been working on, spend a few months on the road, then get back in the studio to record a full-length album.
Two years later, after over 200 shows spanning the U.S and Canada, and a #1 video on Much Music’s “Much On Demand,” they realized their plan had not unfolded the way they intended. The EP had generated a buzz and taken on a life of its own.
Three of the six songs on the EP became singles which all recieved video and radio airplay in areas of the U.S. and across Canada. Various licenses to TV shows, video games and mobile phones broadened the band’s audience throughout North America and Europe.
Making “The Breaks” was also the first time lead singer Mike Condo jumped into a co-production role. Embracing their love of modern technology, Condo and synth player Evan Huson made the recording studio into an instrument, where they blurred the lines between writing, production, recording and mixing.
“We’re always trying to balance our love of studio bands like Garbage or Kraftwerk with our admiration for more traditional bands like U2 and Stone Temple Pilots,” says Condo. “Making ‘The Breaks’ was the beginning of that journey for us - trying to figure out where synths, effects, and programming can meet up with guitars and rock music.”
When Mike Condo and Evan Huson first met in 2005, they bonded over common childhood heroes like Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland and Trent Reznor, as well as their mutual love of electronic artists like Kraftwerk and Daft Punk.
They also shared, what Huson describes as a "sort of DIY mentality". They have self-booked and promoted tours across North America, released their music through their own label, Ampia Records, and currently run a studio out of Vaughan, Ontario.
The members of Hello Operator are active in various projects, including a yet-to-be-released album involving both Mike Condo and Evan Huson in collaboration with producer Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Finger 11).
Two years later, after over 200 shows spanning the U.S and Canada, and a #1 video on Much Music’s “Much On Demand,” they realized their plan had not unfolded the way they intended. The EP had generated a buzz and taken on a life of its own.
Three of the six songs on the EP became singles which all recieved video and radio airplay in areas of the U.S. and across Canada. Various licenses to TV shows, video games and mobile phones broadened the band’s audience throughout North America and Europe.
Making “The Breaks” was also the first time lead singer Mike Condo jumped into a co-production role. Embracing their love of modern technology, Condo and synth player Evan Huson made the recording studio into an instrument, where they blurred the lines between writing, production, recording and mixing.
“We’re always trying to balance our love of studio bands like Garbage or Kraftwerk with our admiration for more traditional bands like U2 and Stone Temple Pilots,” says Condo. “Making ‘The Breaks’ was the beginning of that journey for us - trying to figure out where synths, effects, and programming can meet up with guitars and rock music.”
When Mike Condo and Evan Huson first met in 2005, they bonded over common childhood heroes like Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland and Trent Reznor, as well as their mutual love of electronic artists like Kraftwerk and Daft Punk.
They also shared, what Huson describes as a "sort of DIY mentality". They have self-booked and promoted tours across North America, released their music through their own label, Ampia Records, and currently run a studio out of Vaughan, Ontario.
The members of Hello Operator are active in various projects, including a yet-to-be-released album involving both Mike Condo and Evan Huson in collaboration with producer Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Finger 11).
Rock Alternative Canadian Pop rock