Holy Smokes

Holy Smokes returns with new music as well as a new lineup.

After taking a year-long hiatus, the local band just released its new EP, For All Intents, on Jan. 31. - Inside Halton

SCM Interview with Holy Smokes Friday January 17 2020 on The Hawk. We had some shits and giggles on the show! Looking forward to the band’s upcoming EP! - Gunner Smith

Holy Smokes is a brand new band from Burlington, Ontario made up of Jake Dunning, Sam Old, and Alex Hamnett. Their debut EP will be released on August 4. From what I have gathered, they have already become a hit in the local music scene due to the numerous shows they have played. This EP is a good indication as to why.

The EP is self-titled and features 5 punk-rock tracks. If you’re a fan of the genre you will be able to pick up a Green-Day-meets-Sum-41 vibe to it, primarily in the opening track, Can’t Believe It’s Not Better. Being a major fan of the genre, I immediately appreciated the skill level and hard work put into the album to capture such an obscure genre.

Closing song, “What I Miss” demonstrates the smoother side of the genre with a easy to bop to drum beat and probably some of the most catchy guitar lines out there. Pairing the great musical talent of Holy Smokes, is the vocals which ties the entire song together. “What I Miss” is my favourite track and embodies everything I love about this EP.

Check out Holy Smokes on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/HoliestofSmokes/

by Jordyn Meade-Baxter - Canadian Beats

Named for the exclamations coming from the crowd during its first live show, Burlington band Holy Smokes is heating up with new shows, new music and a new EP.

The band’s first EP features five original songs highlighting the band’s rock and roll sound and will be released on Aug. 4.
Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Jake Dunning (Keep the Change, Don’t Tell My Mother), bass guitarist Sam Old (Higher Ground) and drummer Alex Hamnett (Harm & Ease), the band formed last summer and performed its first show at last December’s Burly Calling.

“Alex and I were practising a lot and brought in Sam,” noted Dunning, who at 19 years old has already logged more than five years performing in local bands. “We’d never played together before but we all listen to similar music so when we write, it just works. It feels natural.”

Performing locally regularly, Holy Smokes plays throughout southern Ontario.

“(Our show is) definitely high energy, pretty loud, very melodic rock and roll.”

Not even a year old, Holy Smokes has quickly made its way into the local music scene.

“We’ve been pretty lucky just knowing a lot of people in this scene,” said Dunning. “The Burlington music scene has helped me out a lot.”

The band’s sound, created collaboratively by all three musicians, is captured on the new EP, recorded at Halo Recording studio in Hamilton.

“These were the first five songs we were comfortable playing as a band,” added Dunning. “They’re catchy tunes people enjoy. This is our raw sound — basically it’s the start of something — who knows what can come two years from now but this is the raw, pure form of what we are now as Holy Smokes. It showcases what we’re made of; and, even since we’ve recorded it, we’ve improved musically.” - Kathryn Dunmore Inside Halton

London/Burlington/Niagara band Holy Smokes is primed to release their Debut 5 Track EP on Aug 4th 2017. Who is Holy Smokes You ask? The Band consists of Jake Dunning, Alex Hamnett and Sam Old.
Holy Smokes big debut was at the Burly Calling 10th Anniversary Festival in December of 2016, opening for Burlington’s heavy hitters Say Yes. They were for some festival goers the “best surprise of the weekend”.
In January the boy’s hooked up with Mr. Chuck Coles of The Organ Thieves and The Creepshow to Record and Produce their project.
Still a little hung from New Years they headed up to Halo Recordings in Hamilton to record some drum tracks with Roman Marcone and the crew on January 2nd.
Drum tracks complete, the band decided to continue the project at Halo.

In the meantime both London and Burlington music scenes began to take notice. They have played gigs in both cities along side the likes of Big Lonely, The Kerouacs and Stuck on Planet Earth while making moves into the Toronto scene playing with Manshun and the Ticks.

They recently played their first US date when James Hall of The Penske File invited them to play Vehicle City Fest II in Flint Michigan. The Festival is bringing attention to Flint’s water crisis. Jake said that it was an incredible experience and that most bands donated any monies made to play to the cause.

A bit about the boys.
Q&A with Holy Smokes Alex Sam Jake
1. Where were you born? Born and raised in Burlington ontario, Oakville, Ontario Vancouver
2.where did you grow up? Burlington Oakville Vancouver/London/Burlington
3. Where did you go to high school? Burlington central high school, St. Thomas Aquinas – Oakville Notre Dame Burlington
4. Where did you go to post secondary school? Fanshawe college for music industry arts, Niagara College Niagara College for Horticulture
5. Most of my friends currently live in… Most of my friends currently live in London Ontario, Most of my friends currently live in London and Oakville Burlington, London, kitchener, Niagara.
6. How did you meet? Jake and I met at the dickens open mic, jake introduced me to Sam, I met Jake in college having a cigarette and I met Alex when I picked him up for our first show. Met Alex at Chuck Coles open mic at the Dickens in Burlington. I met Sam in college.
7. What did you want to be when you grew up answer from when you were five. I wanted to be a pro basketball player when I was five lol, I wanted to be a professional hockey player. Spiderman
8. What is your favourite food? Chinese or Mexican food The spiciest chicken wings you can find. TACOS
9. What is your favourite album of all time? favourite albums are revolver, nonagon infinity, and the satanic satanist Bayside – Self titled Record in a bag- Hollerado
10. What is number one on your current playlist number one on playlist is probably sleep drifter by king gizzard, New Found Glory – Ready and Willing Higher power-Dirty Nil
11. What is the fifth picture on your phone of? No cheating. A shore juniper Sam drinking beer
12. Favourite movie? favourite movie maybe death proof. Limitless Napolean Dynamite
13. Dream band to open for? dream band to open for the murlocs, Weezer Hollerado
14. What kind of music did your parents listen to? my parents were heavily influenced by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, a lot of mowtown too, Motown and classic rock The Clash and Van Morrison
15. How do you take your coffee? I take my coffee with one milk and one sugar DD Large Double Double is there any other way?



Jake is former front man of Pop Punk band Don’t Tell My Mother FNA Keep The Change. He has been a member of the Southwestern Ontario Music Scene for 6 years and still has a couple of days before he leaves his teenage years behind him. He released a solo acoustic album last year called Naked which can be found on itunes and Spotify.

Alex is a former member of Harm and Ease in Buenos Aires Argentina. A transplanted band from Burlington ON. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwvrchPKlKU

Sam fronted a metal band called For Higher Ground out of Oakville Ont. https://www.facebook.com/forhigherground/ - Bam Productions Canada