Feature | The Royal Thymes

Proudly Haligonian, The Royal Thymes - made up of Stephanie Kerzner, Sam Kerzner, Jordie Hamilton, Adam Hewey and Zack Gelmon - are slowly but surely obtaining the spotlight they deserve. Combining indie folk with a jazz twist they have progressed to the second round of CBC's Rock Your Campus contest with their track "Universal Truth". Eager to see them rise to success, East West Melody sat down with the band to learn more about what they're all about.

EWM: What is the Royal Thymes to you now and what are your goals?

RT: The Royal Thymes are, most importantly, a wonderful outlet for creativity, music, and stress-release. It's great to be able to play and write with these amazing musicians, and I can't wait to see what happens with us in the future!

EWM: How do you all feel about your experience on CBC’s Rock Your Campus?

RT: So far, the competition has really brought us together as a band. We have been writing songs, shooting music videos, and are coming up numerous ways to get our name out there. We are all veterans in writing songs and jamming, but this is the first time that we have had to enter the marketing side of music. Our friends and family have been incredible in their support for our band. It’s great to see how many people are rooting for our success. Whether we advance far in this competition or not, we are all having a great time together doing what we love. Plus, we need to have something to look forward to when we are putting those long days at the library.

EWM: Is there any special motivation behind “Universal Truth”? It sounds like there’s a pretty prevalent message there.

RT: The song is intended to encourage young people to find their voice and their passion. Too often do we accept our fate without questioning what is really right for us. Whether it is a political issue that you want to speak out about or a talent that you have hidden under your mattress, the world needs to be exposed to it. The people that make can make the biggest difference (in whatever they are passionate about) don’t give a shit about what other people think of them. We want everyone to have a different opinion about the meaning of the song, but to share the same feeling of inspiration after they hit play.

EWM: You guys are Toronto natives, why decide on Dalhousie/the east coast and cement the band’s position over here?

RT: I can't say that we planned to all move to Halifax and form a band here, it just sorta worked out that way. Halifax as a city seems to attract certain types of people - people who tend to be more easy going and prefer a pub with a live band over a rave. I think it was these similarities we shared that drove us to form the Royal Thymes. Halifax is also a perfect place to start a band - the music scene is fantastic and there are so many bars and venues looking for bands to play for beer. This is much different than Toronto where it takes a lot more to find a place to play as a young inexperienced band.

EWM: What is your 4 song playlist of what you guys are listening to right now?

RT: “Make Better” by Intuition

“Hunger of the Pine” by Alt-J

“Take Me To Church” by Hozier

“Stolen Dance” by Milky Chance

EWM: Favourite spot in Halifax?

RT: The grad house is a great spot right on campus. We played a few shows there last year, and we love the atmosphere. It's pretty chills, cheap drinks, and everyone's just enjoying themselves. Also, for anyone who's interested, the bands lead singer, Jordie, hosts open mics there on Thursday nights.

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Thanks to the band for sitting down with us! Check out Jordie and Zack's new original track "You Haven't Lived" - it's awesome!