Customer Service loves a slumber party

Before hitting the stage at Sommo Festival in Cavendish, P.E.I., on Sept. 14, Customer Service was best known to Halifax university students for late-night house shows and sweaty nights spent dancing in local dive bars.

“When half of us were still in school, it felt like every person who came to the shows went to Dal or King’s,” says drummer Owen Harris. 

Now, their audience has expanded past their Halifax roots, and the band is hitting the road for a string of shows across Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.

The band kicked off their tour in Hamilton, Ont., on Sept. 25, but not before stopping in Prince Edward Island to perform at Sommo Fest. The set list included two songs from their upcoming EP, If You’re Here, You Must Be Fine, dropping everywhere on Oct. 31.

“The playing was good and the hanging out after was even better,” says Harris. “We’ve played P.E.I. four or five times a year over the past two years and have built a pretty good reputation over there.”  

For the band, performing at the same festival as Alanis Morissette was a full circle moment.

“We’ve all been listening to Alanis Morissette since we were little,” says Harris. Getting to see her perform — doing the spin and running all over the stage — was so sick.”

Less than a week after Sommo, the band reloaded the van for their tour.

“One of my favourite parts of the tour is that first drive,” says Harris. “Even though we live together, we’re never forced to be around each other all the time. 

“When we’re in the van, it’s condensed chat time and bit time — there’s always some bit that forms in the first two hours that lasts the entire tour.” 

Harris and guitarist Max Hayden started the band in high school after growing up as next-door neighbours and friends. Together, they learned to play their instruments and committed to practicing several times a week. 

“In high school, Max and I kicked two of our childhood best friends out of the band because they weren’t taking it seriously,” says Harris. 

Guitarist Matt Cheverie and bassist Nick Adams joined the band three years ago.

“As soon as we joined, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is it, I’m taking this so seriously,’” says Cheverie.

The band’s early Halifax shows were mostly attended by friends, but through touring, they’ve built a fan base across the country. 

“One of the best parts of being in a band is going to places, meeting people and slowly making friends all over the country,” says Harris. 

But at the end of each day on tour, the band finds their way back to each other. 

“My favourite part, other than playing, is going to bed every night,” says Cheverie. “It’s like a slumber party, but everyone immediately goes down to the IQ of a 12-year-old.”