#really this is very much a ramble and me trying to process prior to Ep 3

[yukipri]

Obi-Wan Kenobi show Episodes 1 + 2 thoughts

So I'm sure everyone else has already shared theirs, but now that I've had the chance to rewatch a few times, here are mine!

This is rather disjointed, just a ramble of my own thoughts!

Spoilers, obviously, beneath cut.

First of all, I think I found the setting that Obi-Wan was in to be very interesting. It's simultaneously less reclusive wizard and more reclusive wizard than I think most of fandom/Legends assumes. Less reclusive: he has a job, a minimum wage one for sure but he has one! He commutes! He isn't just mystery hermit in the sands; I doubt he socializes, but he is in contact with other humans regularly who probably know "Ben."

At the same time, it's more reclusive, because he lives in a friggin' cave. He has a little hut, we know this from Ep IV, and I think most of us assumed he lived there, because why wouldn't he? He certainly lived there in the Kenobi novel. Ngl I kinda like the cave, it looks less stuffy than I'd imagine a hut to be, but the change is very curious and I can't help but wonder what was behind the change.

One thing that made me incredibly sad: Nari.

A Jedi who survived all of these years, who looks younger than Obi-Wan and may have been a Padawan at the time of Order 66, like Kanan. One who wasn't looking for Obi-Wan, but stumbled upon him by chance, and clearly both desperately needed Obi-Wan's help and was just so incredibly relieved to find someone, especially someone he probably really looked up to. Nari was someone who has obviously been through a lot, but still never stopped helping people. Given how he talks about "the fight," there's a chance he was involved in the Rebellion; perhaps not necessarily on the macro scale, but at least in small personal ways, helping where he can.

And Obi-Wan turns him away.

Like, I do get it. I'm not exactly disagreeing with the writers but, it also hurt and definitely isn't my favorite interpretation of Obi-Wan's solitude. It's one thing to protect Luke because of his sense of responsibility to Anakin and Padmé, along with this being his final assignment from Yoda. It's one thing to say he can't abandon his post and go out of his way to help people if it means endangering Luke.

But someone literally fell in front of him. Someone who really needs him, a fellow Jedi, a fellow survivor who is actively doing good. That Obi-Wan rejects even speaking with him kindly, to at least tell him he's done well, to say anything that Nari likely desperately wanted to hear from another Jedi even if they have to later part ways...

On one hand, the positive: it was a good narrative way to show how broken Obi-Wan truly is. Past Obi-Wan never could have done that. This Obi-Wan is barely hanging on, doesn't have any empathy to give to even other Jedi. It likely also shows how disconnected he is from the Force, which we'll get to later too. I get it. It's heart breaking, but I get it.

On the other, the negative: I was defintiely not fond of the implication that "Luke is more important than all other Jedi, likely because of the Prophecy, or some weird extra expectation that he is Super Special." Like I had admittedly thought that that was in the back of Obi-Wan's mind, but that he's mostly protecting Luke because he's a young, helpless Force-sensitive whose parents were dear to Obi-Wan, and that Luke's life is not, intrinsically, more valuable than that of anyone else, especially not other Jedi. From Obi-Wan's rejection, I got some, "My passive duty to protect the Chosen Child is more important than the pressing and immediate help that could save this other Jedi's life." I don't know if anyone else felt that, but I was not a fan.

Moving on, Leia. Honestly I absolutely adored her, and I think her dialogue and actress were incredibly spot on. Clever, smart-mouth, sassy, hyper, disobedient, rude but eloquently so, and probably drives all the adults around her up the wall. I could literally feel Obi-Wan gaining more white hairs just being in her vicinity, and I think that's very fitting. Also has a great stranger-danger sensor, I'm proud of Bail and Breha's way of educating her.

I also adore that it adds to canon stories: the fact that Leia immediately trusts Luke when he comes to rescue her on the Death Star because he names "Ben Kenobi." The fact that she named her son Ben; I always hated the idea that she named her son after Luke's pseudo very short term mentor. But her own savior, who left a lasting impression on her? That makes far more sense.

And lastly, it gives far more depth to Leia saying, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." I didn't predict that Leia would be in this, but in hindsight, I should have. I really, really appreciated all the ways in which her presence, and her meeting Obi-Wan really just gives so much meaning to all of these things.

I loved the bittersweet Padmé reference. Because gods, Luke and Leia aren't just Anakin. And Obi-Wan was there, when Padmé's tried so hard to talk to Anakin but he broke her heart. He was there when she gave birth, when she named the twins, and she spoke her very last words to him. Their past friendship aside, I think it obvious that he would be reminded of Padmé when he sees Leia again for the first time in ten years, when the last time had been beside her dead mother. And regardless of whether Padmé makes any actual appearances in flashbacks, I'm grateful she is recognized in this way.

Another thing I was grateful for, jumping back a bit: Bail telling Obi-Wan, "She's just as important as [Luke] is." We know this, but it's so cathartic to hear someone say it so bluntly. Bail and Breha's love for Leia is so bright, and I'm so glad we get to see it, even if it makes their deaths and Alderaan's destruction that much more heartbreaking. We don't get to explore much of how devastated Leia was in the OT, so I'm really glad they're doing that here.

I have to take a moment to talk about the one interaction that absolutely gripped my clone-loving heart: the clone veteran interaction.

That...was a 501st veteran. There's no way Obi-Wan wouldn't recognize his paint, though with his weakened connection to the Force he may not have been able to tell with that. It's heartbreaking enough to see a clone as a presumably homeless veteran begging for credits on the streets, especially with Tem playing him--but the fact that he's 501st, means that he very likely was one of the men who stormed the Temple. Obi-Wan saw the recordings, likely stepped over the bodies of his fellow Legion-members. So many thoughts must have gone through Obi-Wan's mind...but he still gives the man credits.

Just...that small gesture, there is so much to interpret there.

I don't know if the clone was still chipped, or if he broke free. It's been ten years, but he's still wearing clearly painted clone armor. I don't know if he recognized Obi-Wan. But even though Obi-Wan likely saw in him the men who slaughtered the Jedi at the Temple, his own 212th who tried to kill him, he still gives the man credits...still shows that he is worthy of life and simple comfort.

I am still hoping there will be more clones in this show, but this small moment was still incredibly precious and meaningful. It's a sharp contrast to how Obi-Wan treated Nari (perhaps even affected by guilt for how he treated Nari?), and that's something to ponder over too.

(although, ngl, given the context of the clone veteran speaking was directly after Obi-Wan says, "Master Qui-Gon, if there was ever a time I could use your guidance, it's now," or something like that don't remember exact quote...I was really expecting the clone veteran to show up later in the episode to help them out, RIP)

Which, speaking of the Force: I think it's really interesting how they're showing how difficult it is to reach for Obi-Wan. It's most obvious when we see how much effort it takes for him to catch Leia (the almost-Spiderman scene), but other things too, like I feel like he should have known that the dummy wasn't Leia. He's out of shape physically, getting beaten by thugs in a way that General Kenobi or even Knight Obi-Wan likely never would have. He punches dirty and uses a blaster and is more physical than he was before. He lacks a certain Jedi grace, which I have a hunch we'll see gradually return to him (perhaps). Perhaps his lack of empathy to Nari is also related, as well as how he had separated himself from his lightsaber by burying it.

(tho speaking of lightsaber can i just say--Obi-Wan, my dude, get a holster or something with deep pockets man, you're just letting it swing around out there for everyone to see. Also cover your dang face and Leia's too, that's more important than a coat maybe. I appreciated the Leia costume call backs, but in terms of common-sense, ahhhhh......)

Next, Haja. Gosh, I actually really enjoyed his character and his scenes. Given the lack of real Jedi, it's interesting to see how the public, non-Jedi people have perceived their absence, and his little gig shows that people still remember the Jedi (at least on Daiyu), even if he's using the title to take advantage of people. Him pretending to "use the Force" to close the shutters is like, that thing that I'm sure everyone has done with automatic doors (that Ewan himself has confessed to doing) where you pretend to use the Force, and it was hilarious to see that in universe. His trick levitating things with magnets reminded me of how Jango uses that trick in the Open Seasons comic, and momentarily baffles Count Dooku.

The moment where Obi-Wan pulls a freakin' blaster on Haja just made me laugh so hard, along with the line, "Goodness, that light is unforgiving." That sass. Like on one hand, ok gangster Obi, but on the other, just gosh idk what I meant to say but I found it hilarious.

Then, of course, it turns out that Haja has at least a bit of a conscience. I'm not sure if he just saw that Obi-Wan's a Jedi, or if he was actually a genuine fan of the Jedi and remembers names like Obi-Wan's specifically, which is how he ended up with his current "job." Either way, what a great way to show that some people, even those with dubious ethics, still remember and genuinely believe in the Jedi. Facing down Reva was no easy feat. I really do hope that's not the last we see of this character.

And lastly, oh, Reva.

I have...I want to say I have mixed feelings about her, but that wouldn't be true. I wanted to like her, so badly, but I was wary ever since she was announced, because I'm always wary when a POC is cast as the face of the Empire. There's an excellent post here that puts it in words better than I could why I feel that way.

Moses Ingram looks amazing, and from what I've seen of her in this show, she's an incredibly skilled actress who can project a phenomenal aura. I'm glad she's part of the Star Wars universe, and always think it's great when there's more black women on screen--but again, her specific role as an inquisitor made me wary, and watching the first 2 eps unfortunately did nothing to dispel that worry.

I get that they wanted to write a "strong woman character." A character who takes no shit, who is ruthless, who does what needs to be done. But at the same time, the way Reva is in the first two eps, made the other inquisitors look kind??? in comparison. Made child kidnappers seem like they have more of a conscience. There's strength, and then there's going too far to the point of cruelty, and I kept thinking yikes. And I get that she probably doesn't have a great relationship with the Grand Inquisitor, and he says some pretty shitty things too...but generally speaking, I think he was established as a cool antagonist in Rebels, one with dignity and to a degree, honor, and the dynamic she has with him really made me cringe.

I think it's likely that Reva was the first Initiate we see at the very beginning Order 66 scene, and I'm sure we'll get backstory as to why she's so fixated on Obi-Wan and why she knows Anakin's identity. I hope they will explain if not necessarily justify her actions.

I really wanted to like her...but given what we've seen of her so far, I'm baffled how, with the way she is written, she is supposed to be a likable character. You can write likable antagonists, you can write compelling but evil people in the Empire. Reva's character has left me feeling baffled, because I don't think this is it.

I'm trying to keep an open mind, and it's only been two episodes (or already a third of the show...). I'm hoping future episodes will change my mind. (But also, I can't help but wish they had written a different character for the actress.)

Oof that reveal at the end of Episode 2 though, oof. I'm not surprised he didn't know about Anakin, and am glad we got to see that moment. (I'm now pretty convinced that "oh no we have to delay 2 days but we'll air 2 eps at once instead!" was a bullshit excuse to just do a premiere 2 episode showing that gives a first glimpse at Hayden at the Star Wars Celebration, just for maximum hype)

I'm very curious what Ep 3 will bring. Other than Inquisitor Island, I think we've already seen most of what was in the trailer, so I'm curious whether we'll return to Daiyu/Tatooine or see new places, and what other new characters we'll see before we inevitably reach Vader.

...is just a pre-ep 3 ramble! Do let me know if you had any thoughts about the show so far!

Edit: Also wanted to give a shout out to the Asian Jedi who died at the very beginning. Couldn't see her face, and she dies a few moments in, but that's still the most we've ever seen of a live action Asian Jedi so. That's something ^ ^;

[nct-oli]

I also miss atots! I wanna read your ramblings so may I ask what are some of your head canon for phutian whether it’s during the series or post-series.

HI!! You’re so sweet. I am so sorry that I haven’t responded to this sooner! Life got really hectic, and it honestly kind of stole my creativity, to the point where I read this back when you sent it, but I could not think of a single headcanon at all.

But I’m here and I’m going to finally talk about some because I rewatched ATOTS with a friend and it sparked some headcanons in the process!!

1) This is probably my biggest headcanon. Phupha and Tian wrote emails to each other during their two years apart. I’ve seen some people say letters, and of course letters are super cute and classically romantic. Plus they are fitting given that’s how Tian was communicating with Phupha when he returned to Bangkok. But the reasons I like emails for them are:

Getting letters domestically to a rural village is one thing, but getting them internationally without some of them getting lost feels a bit less likely. And I think Tian and Phupha would know that. So emails are a more consistent and reliable form of communication.

Obviously Phupha can’t access the internet from the village, but you know who does have internet? Dr. Nam. I very much love the idea of Phupha strolling into the clinic every so often trying to be all cool and not at all giddy to check for a new email from Tian, and Dr. Nam never, ever letting him use the computer without a lot of proud best friend teasing. Remember when Phupha went to Dr. Nam to ask what a scar on the chest would mean? Yes, just like that, except regularly. (And when Phupha doesn’t go to Dr. Nam’s clinic, he could go to town to check his email too.)

This part doesn’t really fit the canon storyline at all given Phupha was still gazing at the only photo he had taken of Tian two whole years after taking it and also Phupha never told the children where Tian was. BUT think of the photos they could send each other. Tian sending photos of himself in various places in the US, his hand with Phupha’s ring always visible so Phupha can be there with him for every adventure. Phupha sending photos of the kids as they grow, the tea sachet business (or whatever the villagers end up doing with Mr. Sakda gone), the very rare selfie by a rather self-conscious chief... sending physical letters limits the number of printed photos they could send each other. Plus printing photos may be a bit easier for Tian, given he can just print them at a nearby Walgreens or something, or even have them ordered online. But that would be tougher for Phupha, needing to leave the village and find somewhere. So emailing photos back and forth would be easier.

Imagine Tian printing every email sent back and forth and collecting them. Imagine him in the library with the biggest smile on his face, printing out emails to and from his mountain boyfriend back in Thailand and his university friends watching him with the most confused but intrigued eyes. I love it. I love that idea.

I remember there being discussion post-finale about whether Tian and Phupha communicated in that time at all. The discussion revolves especially around how at ease they seemed in their Pha Pun Dao cliff reunion and they didn’t quite act as though they had been fully apart for two whole years. And I fullheartedly believe they had contact, even if very infrequent. I think they found a way. And while I do think letters are incredibly romantic and fitting, I just have this fondness to emails. Maybe it’s a result of watching We Best Love recently. I’m not sure.

2) Tian chose to go to the US ultimately on his own. Now, we all know his mother is the one who picked the university for him and “sent him away.” But I do like the idea that, after coming to terms with the fact that maybe running away to Pha Pun Dao immediately wasn’t the best plan, especially if Phupha wanted to forget him, he grew to like the idea of going abroad. It would be his chance to have probably as much freedom as he could get. He wanted to go to the US before he died (episode 3 conversation with Tul). He could take time to himself, without the influence of anyone else, and figure out just what he wanted for his life. And when Phupha showed up at the airport and they got their true feelings out in the open, Tian didn’t feel like his family was pushing him away from the man he loved and the life he wanted; he felt that he had agency in choosing the US and asking Phupha to wait for him, to give him the chance to figure out this new chapter first. I find comfort believing Tian didn’t board that plane feeling resentful but instead feeling hopeful. And when he returned, he wasn’t filled with regrets. He was filled with excitement that he was returning home to Pha Pun Dao and Phupha right on time. (Plus Phupha had more confidence when Tian returned to him that he truly wanted to be there in the village with him, because despite literally traveling the world and seeing so many options available to him for places to build his future, Tian still chose Pha Pun Dao.)

3) The teacher’s house remains Tian’s home too. Hear me out: I don’t mean full time. I’m obviously a massive softie for domestic PhuTian, so I want him to still stay with Phupha. And Phupha probably can’t leave the base permanently, as he’s the chief and needs to be there regularly for his rangers, so the two of them can’t move into the teacher’s house fully either. But Phupha’s room is quite small. I love the idea that Tian still escapes sometimes out to the teacher’s house where it’s quiet and he can still have his own space. A space to lesson plan, to take the students when they need a new environment, to feel connected to his three original months in the village when he fell in love with the people and his person (Phupha). That house was his home, and while Phupha’s place is now also his home, I like the idea that Tian still keeps that house for himself too. At least so long as it isn’t needed by anyone else. (Also, if Phupha and Tian need space, well, there’s no Yod out there to start knocking.)

4) This semi-connects to the last one. When Tian and Phupha finally get married, they have a ceremony in the village and Tian convinces Tul to stay a night in Pha Pun Dao. His parents come to the wedding too, but they stay in a hotel in the city, where Tul stays some nights except for the night Tian gets him to stay with him. Tian and Tul stay in the teacher’s house, and Tian tells him all about his many nights sleeping there. Tul is, well, not convinced of its appeal at first, but watching Tian share his stories with the brightest smile, he decides he can warm up to it a little bit. And after seeing Tian with Phupha, with the kids, and with the rest of the village, and finally understanding how perfectly Tian fits in Pha Pun Dao, it starts to make sense to him why some of the luxuries don’t matter to Tian anymore... will Tul himself ever move to a rural village like that? Absolutely not. He’s not convinced that much. But the joy that village life brings his best friend and the glow he exhibits is enough to leave Tul content for one night on a hard mattress inside a mosquito net in the middle of seemingly nowhere. (No but really, imagine the chaos of Tul trying to live in Pha Pun Dao for a night. I want to watch that so much.)

5) Okay, I hope the couple that got married have a child and that child goes to school under Tian’s teaching. Or someone else in the village has a child. Imagine Tian getting a new student and having to navigate a classroom with early teenagers and a tiny kid. (Headcanon within a headcanon: Tian did a LOT of research during his two years abroad specifically on multi-aged classrooms because he knew he wanted to return to Pha Pun Dao one day and would need the skills.)

6) Longtae and Tian most definitely go on that trip across the border that Longtae wanted (just a couple years late). And they have the best time. Longtae tells Tian about any new stories from university. Tian shares stories about his students and tries not to talk about Phupha too much but occasionally can’t help it, to which Longtae smiles brightly like the cute bestie he is. And the two of them get the CUTEST photos that Longtae prints for Tian immediately when he gets back to the city.

All of these headcanons are for those two years away or after he returns. I’m trying to think of some headcanons for the show prior to ep 10 part 4/4...

6) OH this doesn’t necessarily have to be before ep 10 part 4/4 in the timeline, but Phupha and the rangers apologize to Tian and the villagers for not telling them about Torfun’s death sooner and that burden being left for Tian to carry instead. I just want that settled.

7) HERE’S ONE FOR WITHIN THE SERIES TIMELINE. At the wedding in episode 4, Phupha didn’t deny it when Dr. Nam called Tian Phupha’s guy. So yes, of course Dr. Nam started calling Tian that all of the time, to which Phupha did eventually argue against but he secretly liked hearing it. His guy.

8) I’m back to going outside of the timeline again... all of my headcanons are for after the series it seems. Oops. But Tian most definitely brought the kite to Pha Pun Dao with him, and it hangs very proudly on the wall in their room. Tian tells Phupha about how he had it flying back at his family house in Bangkok, how seeing it blow in the wind brought him comfort when he felt homesick for the village and for Phupha. That knowledge had Phupha smiling for the rest of the week.

I’m running out of ideas. I kind of wanted to hit ten, but I just don’t have ten headcanons off the top of my head. BUT if I think of anymore, I’m sure I’ll post about them somewhere. Maybe I’ll even write a ficlet about some of these... I used to write those here and there, way back when... we’ll see.

Thank you again for your message, anon! You are a wonderful human. I’m sorry for taking so long to respond, but I didn’t forget about your message or ignore it. I just couldn’t get my brain to give me anything to respond with! I hope my rambling was sufficient for you. <3

(Also man, I miss writing about ATOTS so ridiculously much. This felt so familiar and also kind of sad. Phupha, Tian, villagers... come back to us. I miss you.)

[timelessbian]

hi it me again. IVE SAW AOTW. Physically I'm like. Fine. Emotionally? I've been laying face down on the floor ever since. Also whY ARE YOU APOLOGISING FOR A RANT?? IT'S WHAT I WANTED >:3 God there's just. So much to say about this ep!! I don't even have the WORDS, words reduced to AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. So. Thoughts?

ADHFSJDFH hi again!! sorry that it’s taken me a while to respond; i’ve been really busy with moving and everything the past few days, but i really wanted to answer this before the finale bc i have Many Fears asngjsjdjbvhdsbfvhbsa

under a cut again bc this is rambling and probably incoherent, but let’s go!!

my first thought is that i LOVED the episode. from the animation to the storytelling to the voice acting that made me cry...this was an absolute highlight of an episode. they packed SO MUCH into like 20 minutes and i have so much love for everyone who works on this show i just can’t, it’s so good!! 

also i feel like i conveyed this in my last rant, but i think lilith is such a well-written character, and not to be That Bitch, but the fact that the majority of the fandom really just full on lost their minds on her is literally kind of hilarious. like...i am a female villain stan first and a human second. i am simply vibing ashvhbdfhvbhdb.

i feel like a lot of people have said this better than i could at this point, but i think there’s be a redemption arc coming. most of eda and lilith’s interactions prior to 1x18 really played up the love that still exists beneath the tension. the sisters still clearly love each other, but obviously so much has happened between them that they could never have had any kind of true resolution without the secret of the curse coming out. lilith’s been carrying her guilt for years and at least with it out in the open, they can maybe start to reconcile. (obviously this would need to be a very long process, and even if lilith is working hard for it, eda (and luz!) aren’t under any obligation to forgive her for anything) (also full disclosure: i’m a lil bit biased on the sister thing bc my current original project has a sister set in a similar situation with similar vibes to lilith and eda (coincidentally, i swear!), and i know i’m writing them a fitting reconciliation, so i’m hoping the show will give me the same lol)

also, i know this is something i covered in my last rant, but there is clearly SO MUCH MORE to lilith’s story. she clearly feels guilty and genuinely seems to want to try to help eda, but i think she’s been so completely under the emperor’s thumb for so long that it’s going to take a major betrayal by him to get her to realize just how far she’s gone. again, this isn’t excusing anything she’s done, but i think that s2 could really delve into the relationship between the sisters more (which could play well with an arc in which amity has to reconcile with the reality of the emperor’s coven given that lilith is her mentor). what was the final straw that split the sisters? what was their relationship really like before the curse?? can we get lilith eventually coming around to be the cool goth aunt of the owl fam??? @ dana terrace i want answers!!!

as for my thoughts moving into the finale, i’m predicting that lilith is going to realize that the emperor has been lying to her the whole time, and that she’ll make some kind of big sacrifice so that eda and luz can escape, whether it’s her position or her magic (or her life, but i really don’t think they’re going to go that way) and she’s going to have to figure out who she is without the emperor controlling her. (okay, random thought that i literally JUST had typing this out: what if she loses her magic and has to start learning with glyphs like luz or something like that?? i have 0 evidence to support that, but it’s just a thought i guess) 

also, i don’t really have thoughts about this stuff, but i’m a fan of the ‘lilith is also cursed’ theory, even if it’s just a side effect of casting such a powerful curse or something like that. i’m not into the idea of belos being their dad (i’m still lukewarm on him being related to luz though. if the whole ‘camilia is azura’ theory pans out, maybe he’s camilia’s father and luz’s grandfather or something? idk, but i’m interested in how it’ll play out! i don’t think belos will be dying in this ep, so i think there’ll be a lot to unpack there next season. also just everything related to the palismen, and in particular owlbert vs lilith’s raven. give me more palisman lore immediately!!

really the tl;dr of it all is that i know hating lilith is the popular opinion rn but ummm....evil raven lady go brrr you know? i am TERRIFIED for the finale, but i’m also so beyond excited for it because i know even if it makes me cry (again) it’ll be well worth it, and i hope that the hiatus before s2 isn’t too long because i don’t know what i’ll do with myself lmao. (i mean, i do have a half-finished angst fic that i’m holding to finish until after the ep just in case, but i’m just gonna be vibing until the new season ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

so yeah, those are my thoughts as they stand right now. thank you so much for indulging me!! my roommate whomst does not watch the show is probably sick of hearing about it by now, so i love having an outlet to scream lmao. i don’t know when you’re reading this, but as of writing this, it’s only about 2 hours until the finale drops online, so i am Afraid and i’ll probably be face down on the floor immediately after i finish it. feel free to come back and scream after the finale bc i’m already sure i’ll be screaming!! anyway, luv you anon, and i suppose i’ll see you on the other side sbhbvdbavjs <33

[thepermanentrainpress]

THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH SCREAMING AT TRAFFIC

Winnipeg’s Screaming at Traffic is known in their local music scene for their energetic and chaotic live shows. We covered their debut EP S.A.T., released in June, a bold four-track that fuses punk rock, grunge and hardcore notes. Comprised of vocalists and guitarists Jacques Richer and Duncan Murta, bassist Paul Colman and drummer Stefan St. Godard, the band of longtime friends are poised for a big year.

You released your EP, S.A.T., in June. For those who haven’t heard it yet, what is your pitch to potential listeners?

S.A.T. is a collection of the first songs we wrote as Screaming at Traffic. It’s lo-fi emo punk through and through. We wanted to get something out right away, so we teamed up with a friend of ours, Stefan Smith, and recorded it in our house over a weekend. We really wanted to capture our energy and I think Stefan did a great job of getting that out of us.

Is your sound still evolving?

I would say it has evolved since the EP, but a lot of the same elements are still there. Our newer content is still fast and loud, but is maybe a bit more refined? Or at least more focused at this point. Most bands evolve their sound as they progress and I don’t think we’re an exception.

What’s the songwriting process like for your band? Is it very collaborative?

It is. Duncan and I are the primary song writers for the band, so one of us will bring a sort of bare bones structure and lyrics for a song to the band, and from there everyone builds their parts. Paul (bassist) and Stefan (drummer) do a lot of producing after we nail down our parts. They add dynamics to the songs that Duncan and I bring to the table. We’re also always looking for each others’ opinions on whether or not each one of us is playing something that fits the song well, or if maybe something one of us is doing is a bit too flashy for a certain part. We’re definitely very open with each other during the process.

S.A.T. by Screaming at Traffic

The high energy in your music transitions well to your live shows. What do you enjoy most about performing in front of people? What’s your favourite concert you’ve played to-date?

I’ll answer the concert question first. I think to-date one of my favourite shows was a local one in Winnipeg. I had set it up with two other fantastic local bands - Fox Lake and Sit Calm - and I was really looking forward to playing it. We showed up for it and before the first band had even played the bar had almost entirely filled up. By the time the end of the night rolled around, about 200 hundred people had been through the doors. Now this venue we were playing is a 100, maybe 120 cap? So everyone is just shoulder to shoulder, and the second we started playing the crowd just erupted. It had been one of our like, first ten local shows, and it was crazy to see how many people showed up, and wanted to check us out alongside these two great bands. It was very humbling to say the least.

As for my favourite part about performing, I just love putting on a high energy show. I’ve always been a huge fan of bands going crazy on stage. I remember seeing live videos when I was younger of bands like Moneen, Black Flag, and Bad Brains (the list goes on), and they’re all just going bonkers. I’ve always thought the band should be enjoying it at least as much as a spectator, if not more. Energy is contagious, and you can definitely see it in the crowd when you’re jumping around having a ball.

You just kicked off your Western Canadian Tour. What are you looking forward to on this run of dates?

An easy answer to this question is absolutely everything. For some specifics, it’ll be the first time we’ve ever played the west coast, so I’m excited to be in Vancouver and Victoria, and all the rest of the BC dates. In Victoria, we’re actually teaming up with local college station CFUV to do a live on-air performance for their Pledge Drive on Thursday March 22nd. We’ve done stuff like that here at home and it’s always a blast. I’m also excited to see/play with a bunch of bands we met on our last tour in October. We got to be pretty good buds with a lot of them, so it’ll also be sweet to see them as well. Oh, and of course our St. Patrick's Day show in Calgary should be insane.

You performed at Timfest, a benefit show for Tim Tkachyk, in February. How important was it for you to play and show your support for Tim?

It was really important for all of us to be involved. We actually didn’t know Tim super well prior to the benefit, but the people putting the show together contacted us and told us that he and his wife would love to have us on the bill. I think it’s important to give back to your community, and give back to people who support you as a band or musician. I mean, we have a unique opportunity as a band to use our (very minimal) influence to help people and/or the community. I think to a certain extent it’s kind of our responsibility to use that in a productive and positive way. In this case it was being able to perform and bring a couple people out to raise money for a great guy in our scene. For a fun fact, Tim works at a music store in Winnipeg, and he was actually the one who sold me my current guitar.

You chart on CKUW and CJSR. Community radio is so important to build a local (and Canadian!) music scene, how much has their support meant to you?

Man, if it wasn’t for community radio, I don’t know where we’d be. They’re so committed to giving local, smaller, and more niche bands a public platform and it’s honestly just awesome. It’s amazing to have the support of the stations. I know a number of us have been involved in pledge drives in other projects as well as in Screaming at Traffic.

Aside from being band members, you are long-time friends. What are your favourite activities to do outside of music?

We pretty much do everything together, honestly. We all have the same group of friends, so we see each other all the time. We try and get together to play DnD whenever our schedules allow it. We also try and make it to some music festivals. Most years Duncan, Paul, and I camp together at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Honestly, most weekends you can find at least three out of the four us together, hanging out, listening to music, having a couple drinks, and going to shows.

Do you ever face challenges working together musically? If so, how do you overcome them?

We don’t ever really run into a ton of challenges working together. We’re usually on the same page, and when we’re not we’re pretty diplomatic about it. We give everything a chance and decide as a group whether something is the right musical choice for a song. The only issue we ever seem to run into is communication between members sometimes when trying to describe what we’re looking for, but all of us are pretty good at “translating” at least one other member’s thoughts to the rest of the band.

For someone that has not visited Winnipeg before, what are your go-to places for tourists?

Honestly the best thing someone coming to Winnipeg can do is look up the local music scene and see what’s happening. There are a TON of great bands coming out of Winnipeg, and every weekend there is a ton of shows. I’d list some names of bands to look for, but there’s almost too many to count and I wouldn’t wanna risk leaving anyone out. The Forks also has a pretty sweet skatepark if it’s nice out.

What are your plans for the rest of 2018?

Well, we haven’t officially announced anything yet, but we have been working on a bunch of new material that we’re gonna be debuting on tour. When we get back to Winnipeg, we’re gonna be starting pre-production for an album that we’re super excited about. We’re also gonna continue playing shows locally, and gonna try and make it out of the province for a few more shows before we release the new album. We’ve got a couple exciting gigs that we’re gonna be announcing in the coming months so keep an eye out for it!

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Thanks to Jacques of Screaming at Traffic for taking the time to answer our questions! Visit https://www.facebook.com/screamingattraffic/ to stay updated with their new music, tour dates, and fun shenanigans. Catch Screaming at Traffic live in Vancouver on Friday, March 23rd at Stylus Records with The Jins, The Rambling Derelicts, Young Lovers, and Wander. 

Find details and RSVP on Facebook.

Photo credit to: Mike Sudoma