Napoleon
Toronto Post-Hardcore
Interview by Aeryn Shrapnel
Absolute Underground: Who are we talking to and what are you known for?
Jon: My name is Jon and I sing in a post-hardcore band from Toronto called Napoleon.
AU: How did Napoleon get together? Can you give us a brief history?
Jon: I formed Napoleon when I was in high school, we played our first show in 2018! Since then, we’ve put out a handful of singles, an EP called Enemy Within and have gotten to collaborate with some cool bands like Silverstein, The Dirty Nil, Rarity, etc.
AU: What can you tell us about your new EP, Dear God?
Jon: Dear God is definitely a step in a heavier direction for the band, it’s a lot faster, and darker than our last effort.
AU: What’s your favourite track and why?
Jon: “Help Me” is my favourite Napoleon song to date; it tells the story of someone that I know personally who fell down this horrible spiral where he got very obsessive with his religion, and tried to force it on other people and looked down on people who did not share his faith. I think the song has a powerful message about religion and respecting others’ beliefs, and the song is very close to me as result.
AU: You’ve also released music videos for “Heartless” and “Help Me”. These videos have some pretty dark themes and seem to be connected. Was it intentional to release the videos this way?
Jon: Yeah! Both songs deal with similar themes, like I just mentioned! “Heartless” however, is a little more personal, and deals with my own struggles with faith, and coming to terms with the fact that I am not sure that I believe in the same religion that my family does. The song keeps asking the question “Am I not good enough?” which was something I always wondered growing up, as everyone around me seemed to have found comfort and peace in their religion and faith, but I never managed to.
The videos are connected, they tell the story of an unnamed character who deals with the loss of a loved one (which can be seen in “Heartless” at the graveyard) and then struggles with faith, feels guilty, etc. and ultimately decides to end her own life as result, an example of someone putting faith and religion over what really matters.
AU: Where do you get your inspiration?
Jon: On this record, I really tried to piece together my feelings on organized religion, and faith and all that. At the beginning it was not intentional to have every song be about it, but all the themes just seemed to flow together so nicely.
AU: Any plans for a full-length in the future?
Jon: I hope soon! I’m always writing, but nothing set in stone yet.
AU: Any shows or tours to promote the EP?
Jon: Yep! We’ll be touring quite a bit through the summer! You can find all our upcoming dates on our website.
AU: Final words for our readers?
Jon: Hope to see you at a show!
napoleontoronto.com
Photo Credit: Mike James
