Silverware Started as a Friend Group. Then the Band Got Real.

A lot of bands say friendship matters, but with Silverware, it feels central to the whole thing.

In this episode, Huckleberry describes Silverware as five very good friends, and that feels like the clearest way into the band. Not just because they are close, but because the way he talks about the project makes it sound like the band grew out of that shared energy. He says listening to Silverware is kind of like interacting with a friend group, and that gives you a pretty direct sense of what the band is about.

What stands out here is that the band did not begin with some huge plan. It started with a simple idea: get onstage and do UVic Battle of the Bands. That was the goal. Just play. But once they did it, something shifted. They got onstage, felt how good it was, and realized they wanted to keep going.

Silverware did not begin with overplanning. It began by doing the thing first. Then the lineup changed, the band kept evolving, and they gradually landed in the version that feels more settled now. It also sounds like the project has grown into something they are taking more seriously than before.

When Huckleberry talks about songwriting, it comes across in a very practical way. He usually brings in a fairly complete idea, then the band works through it together, tries parts, records rough versions, and sometimes sends a song back into the lab when it is not there yet. The process sounds shared. People bring ideas in, respond to each other, and sometimes something that does not fit one song finds a place in another.

I also liked what he said about “Lavender.” Out of everything they have made, that is the one he points to first. It came from a rough time in his life, and it still feels like the most personal one to him. That gives the episode another layer, because it moves from how the band started into what one of the songs actually holds.

By the end, Silverware sounds like a band that has moved beyond the early trial stage. They are working toward an album. They want a longer project out in the world. They talk about wanting to do this for the long haul, and that part comes through clearly in the way Huckleberry describes the group and what they are building together.

Transcript

This transcript has been lightly edited from the original recording for readability. Speaker labels and brief audio notes have been added for accessibility.

Transcript

Guest: Huckleberry from Silverware Host: Eric Chan Location: Victoria, BC

Cold Open

Huckleberry: Silverware is a band of five very good friends.

We all contribute more to the band than just the music that we create, you know?

We got on stage there and we were like, damn, this felt good. We should keep doing this. And so that’s how we decided to run with it, you know?

So yeah, listening to Silverware, you’re kind of interacting with a friend group. That’s how I would describe it.

[Music]

Intro

Eric Chan: I’m Eric Chan. You are listening to Inlet Wire, your direct line to BC artists.

Today I’m talking with Huckleberry, the frontman of Silverware out of Victoria, BC.

So let’s wire in.

How Silverware Started

Huckleberry: The band originally formed, we had a different lineup. It was originally me and my friend Thomas. We started playing guitar together and writing just a couple of songs with the intention of doing the UVic Battle of the Bands.

And then we needed a drummer, and Jack Glazer jumped in and played drums for us.

We formed the band with the intention of just doing Battle of the Bands. We just wanted to get on a stage and play.

Eric Chan: Yes, you heard that right. Let’s start a band and do Battle of the Bands.

But Silverware didn’t end there. They kept growing. Members shifted, and they eventually found a lineup that defines the band now.

Huckleberry: When Jack decided to play drums with us, we needed a bass player and Cole expressed interest in playing bass. And I was like, hey, I’ve got a band that you can play bass in. And then he jumped in there.

And then we stayed with that lineup for about a year. And then Amis moved to Vancouver, and then Ava and Ree kind of ended up joining on after that.

We’ve been rocking with this lineup for like two years. It’s kind of really settled into a more consistent kind of like, we’re taking it a little bit more seriously as a band as opposed to just sort of like a fun side thing, you know?

Battle of the Bands

Eric Chan: Well, that Battle of the Bands night ended up being more than just a first show. It was the moment that the band realized this project might actually go somewhere.

Huckleberry: We got on stage there and we were like, damn, this felt good. We should keep doing this. And so that’s how we decided to run with it, you know?

It’s great. It did a lot for us. It started the project. I mean, that’s why we ran with it.

I would actually recommend it to any aspiring musicians or young bands who haven’t played any shows yet. Battle of the Bands is fantastic because you get a built-in audience, especially at a university. You get a built-in audience. There’s a bunch of UVic kids who were just there.

It’s free. It doesn’t cost anything to do, so you can just apply for it. You don’t have to have any previous show experience to do it either. It’s just an application. You’re pretty much guaranteed to get the gig. If you want to do a first show, Battle of the Bands is a fantastic way to do it.

[Music]

Eric Chan: For Silverware, Battle of the Bands wasn’t the goal. It was the launch.

Huckleberry: When it was the four of us doing a song that we had written, that felt really good. I think that was the moment where we were like, damn, people kind of like this. And we created it. This is kind of dope.

The connection that we’re feeling with all these people, a lot of whom we don’t know. It’s just a bunch of university students that we’ve never interacted with before, you know.

[Music]

Songwriting

Eric Chan: That built-in crowd of students gave them a real first push. And once they decided to keep going, the next step was figuring out how the songs actually come together.

Huckleberry: Generally, I try to come with as complete of an idea as I can, and sort of run through the general structure.

When we’re running through it, everyone comes up with little lead lines, little parts and stuff. And then over time, we do a little live off-the-floor recording in our studio.

If it works right away, then awesome. Some of our songs, I’ve come with an idea and it’s come together immediately. And then some songs we’ll sit on for a while, and then I’ll be like, ah, it’s not really working like what we need.

Then I’ll usually put it back in the lab with everyone’s parts in mind. Now we have a more complete idea. And then I look at what we have, trim things where we need, maybe add a section or something.

And we sort of just ping-pong it between the full group and me working on it at home. It eventually becomes a full song from that, as many times as we need. That’s more or less the process.

In It for the Long Haul

Huckleberry: We all had a conversation and were like, hey, how seriously do we want to take this? What do you guys want to get out of this? Are you down for the long haul to try to turn this into a job one day?

We’re all really aligned in our goals and what we want to get out of Silverware.

Because of that, all of the rehearsal and the meticulous work is all in service of something that we all believe in. Everyone understands that sometimes we’ve got to be a bit critical of something that someone does.

We’re really good about taking an idea that maybe doesn’t work for one song and using it for another one, and giving praise as well. I think that’s another big thing. We all acknowledge when someone does a really good job.

During rehearsals, someone will be like, hey man, I really like that thing you did. And I think that goes a long way too.

[Music]

Start With Lavender

Eric Chan: That process, taking rough ideas and turning them into full songs, really defines Silverware’s sound.

And if you are new to the band, there’s one track that captures it best. I’m with Huckleberry on this one.

Huckleberry: Personally, I think they should start with “Lavender.” I think that song is my personal favorite song that we’ve made.

It’s very, very relevant to my life. It came from a very messed up time in my life.

It’s the one that I’m most proud of lyrically, and also one of the ones that I’m most proud of sonically. I think personally it sounds really good, and the recording was really fun.

We also have a music video for it. If you wanted to just look it up on YouTube, you could see the music video, you could see the band and all that stuff.

It’s a song that we’re all really proud of. So yeah, I would say “Lavender” pretty solidly.

[Music]

What’s Next

Eric Chan: Well, after three EPs and a bunch of singles, here’s what Silverware is focused on next.

Huckleberry: We’re currently working on an album. We’re going to be getting into the studio and trying to bang out as much as the remainder of the album. I think we’ve got like six more songs, something like that.

We’re going to work on an album release party at some point, probably in the early summer, late spring.

We want a big long-form project out there, you know? It’s been too long.

Closing

Eric Chan: If you are feeling Silverware, make sure you show them the love that they deserve.

Huckleberry: We’re all just loving what we’re doing. And as corny as it is, we want this band to be our job one day.

We all kind of joke about it. We’re like, this is Plan A for us. Everything else is Plan B.

Every listen, every comment, every like, all that stuff is not only super appreciated, but if you have something nice to say, shoot me a DM. Say, hey, I like what you’re doing. I love hearing that kind of stuff.

Eric Chan: That’s Silverware out of Victoria, BC.

Go check out the show notes for all their links and the featured playlist for this episode.

I’m Eric Chan, and this is Inlet Wire, your direct line to BC artists.