Written by Brendan Kane

For every snarly chord and shattering snare on Little Foot Long Foot’s debut full-length, Harsh Words, is a backhand across the face and shot to the kidney of fad culture. Singer, Joan Smith has an authoritative, bluesy howl that wastes little to no time on small talk, choruses, fuzz or feedback. The aged rock ethics of Harsh Words is flavoured most pleasantly with its series of statements, most notably: “If this was your song, there would be a keyboard solo/Make sure its not a Rhodes, I want to sound much more hollow/Its funny how we both grew up liking Kurt Cobain/If he was still alive, then perhaps he could explain.”

After all, Smith and drummer, Isaac Klein had planned to be a classic rock cover band before initiating their own traditions proved to be the better option. Songs like Fake Cowboys, Market Survey and King Hipster snidely (and hilariously) profile what probably is wrong with rock ‘n’ roll without lament or whining - the Toronto two-piece put it right back where it belongs and thats in your speakers.

We caught up with Joan and Isaac who are touring across Canada with Harsh Words in hand. Go and check them out at Broken City on Friday, July 24th along with Calgary’s Mt. Royal and Montreal’s Mixylodian.

What is the best misinterpretation of Little Foot Long Foot you have heard or read?

Number one would be, most hilariously, ‘Looks like Zack and Miri made a band’. True, Isaac does resemble Seth Rogen…we really can’t get away from that one…but how the eff does that explain our brand of music? Anything else we hear always has to do w/ the respective size of our feet and ‘which one is which’? It is simply a band name, people. We’re still trying to come up w/ a clever response for that one.

Where would you be right now had you become a classic rock tribute band, instead?

Working in an office/garage by day, and snorting copious amounts of cocaine at night to try to deal w/ the rowdy audience members who would criticize Isaac’s lack of double kick in the 78th bar of Black Dog and suggestions that Joan do more ’scissor kicks’.

What is the most redeeming quality in the modern hipster?

That the hipster is a peace loving sort whom you could accidentally bang into in a bar, and the worst thing that would happen is that his/her horned rim glasses would go slightly askew. They would most likely mumble an apology even if it was your fault, and then you could clink your PBR bottles together in ironic commaraderie while stroking your moustaches.

Now that thats out of the way…what really grinds your gears about them?

That if your band lacks synths, ironic moustaches/beards, and a thumping dance beat along with singing that is SLIGHTLY out of tune…then you just aren’t worth a damn thing to ‘em. Also that it is just too easy to stereotype them, and yet it’s completely impossible to explain what they are to someone from another country who is ignorant of the entire phenomenon (mostly countries that lack parents with trust funds).

Which Toronto friend-band would you like to have on this western tour?

Probably My Shaky Jane…they have already come out west before us, and whichever bar we play at where they have left their mark, the bartenders nod their heads knowingly and whistle admiringly at the amount of mic stands they knocked over, alcohol consumed, and donuts driven in the parking lot. Hanging around them always makes us feel super bad ass.

What songs are ruling your summer, thus far?

Isaac swears by the whole album Cross, by Justice to keep him up during our long drives. Isaac also plays some mean air drums while listening to ‘Talk to Her’ by Priestess. Joan is just starting to get over her obsession with ‘Stormy High’ by Black Mountain…but to be perfectly honest, to get us through these long North Ontario and prairie drives, we’ve been listening to the audiobook version of The Stand, by Stephen King. The swine flu has never felt so real.

Which celebrity death in the last year has affected you the most and why?

Well it certainly wasn’t Micheal Jackson. Not that we don’t appreciate…we had just emerged from camping for 3 days out east while we were on tour, and saw his photo emblazoned on the front of a newspaper, and all Joan could wonder was ‘Why is HE on the cover?’ Didn’t figure it out for another couple of days, and by that point the hoopla was already out of control and completely annoying. This also meant that Isaac could no longer tell his MJ joke onstage while Joan tunes her guitar. Otherwise, Bea Arthur’s passing was rather affecting. RIP, Maude. Oscar Mayer’s recent passing also deserves a mention.