Hello, and welcome to the inaugural interview of Who’s Who in the Soo! Recently, I had a chance to sit down and speak with the members of one of Sault Ste Marie’s most promising young bands, Headfirst.
Headfirst is comprised of 5 members:
Anthony “Tony” Boudreau (26) on drums
Rainey Rancourt (19) on lead guitar
Red Jettison (24) on lead vocals, guitar, keyboard, and more
Liam Dinsmore (24) on rhythm guitar
Claire Jeffrey (27) on bass and vocals
(From left to right: Tony Boudreau, Rainey Rancourt, Red Jettison, Liam Dinsmore, and Claire Jeffrey)
How They Got Together:
If you’re anything like me, you’re always curious to know a band’s origin story. How did they all meet? According to the band, it might be fate.
Red and Liam met in public school, became friends trading Nerf guns, and bonded throughout high school, performing in the Pine Tones together. (The Pine Tones is the school rock band of White Pines.) They remained such good friends that they became roommates. One of their other roommates (Dave) had a girlfriend (Headfirst’s photographer, Saige) who happened to be Rainey’s sister, which is how Rainey ended up at their Halloween party in 2022. Interestingly, Red and Liam had seen Rainey perform with the Pine Tones in spring of that year.
With Rainey jamming at the Halloween party, “It was love at first sight,” according to Red. Rainey proposed forming a band, an idea that was immediately agreed to by Liam and Red. But they didn’t start jamming until March of 2023, as the band proposal was more of a “spotty idea” at first, according to Liam. He went on to explain that he and Red had watched Daisy Jones and the Six (TV series) and “we got very intrigued by the idea of making it.” They got a hold of Rainey and started their musical journey.
There were several musicians who came and went as potential members, but they lacked the dedication that Red, Liam, and Rainey were looking for. “It slowly started to build and become something. [...] I feel like we all need this in our lives right now,” Red said, referring to the music. Each of the members have taken breaks from playing and performing in the past, making this endeavour even more important to them.
At the end of May, Claire was asked to join the band, having jammed with them previously. Claire and Red are step-siblings and raised in a very musical household. Claire was originally supposed to be filling in, but her talent quickly cemented her as a member.
Then came Tony. In early 2023, Rainey made a post online, looking for a drummer, and Tony answered it. “Getting Tony was a lifesaver,” said Liam, as Red turned to Tony and said, “You’re a fucking diamond in the rough.” Apparently the feeling was mutual because Tony said, “It clicked right away.”
However, how exactly Tony met Red and Rainey is rather funny. Tony was invited to a party, and as he walked up to Red and Rainey who were standing outside, Red’s first thought was that Tony, “... literally looked like Jason Momoa in Aquaman.” Though with a duffel bag full of beer, which is why Tony passed out on the couch the night of their first meeting. This solidified the friendship and created an entertaining origin story.
“It felt like stars were starting to align.” – Red
And things certainly did align for Red, the only member of Headfirst that is not originally from Sault Ste Marie. Red was born in Chatham, ON. The pandemic was a very hard time for many people, and Red found himself missing his friends back here in the Sault. He moved back several years after the beginning of the pandemic, allowing him to rededicate himself to music.
How It Started:
As many musicians will tell you, love for music runs deep and usually starts young. For Claire, her guitar lessons began when she was 8 years old, inspired by a love for music. She played in concert band and the Pine Tones as well, but struggled with feeling “lame” in the scene. However, music “... has helped me emotionally,” said Claire.
Similarly, Liam also comes from a very musical family. His father played music, his sister would sing, and their dog would match pitch. Liam learned to open strum along on guitar, and his dad taught him the basics, at which point, Liam joined the music program at White Pines. Unfortunately, he was “stuck on drums” and wasn’t enjoying himself. Liam said, “But what really sold me on it was my teacher, Mr. MacLachlan – Greg MacLachlan…” It was Mr. Greg MacLachlan who said, "My only goal with this music class isn't to make you guys good musicians, it's just to teach you to … learn things that you can like about [different/difficult songs]. Learn what's impressive. Learn what’s good. Learn what’s impressive." This prompted Liam to open up and try new things musically. Liam was also a founding member for the Semi-Tones, the junior Pine Tones. However, his biggest inspirations are his dad and Mr. MacLachlan. And Rush, as the first song he ever learned was Fly by Night by Rush.
Rainey also got into music as a child. He was originally in a cadet program, starting with marching percussion, at age 10. He started on bass drum, later becoming a drum major. He said, "It wasn't fun … when I was in navy league, … but when I got drum major at 14 years old in sea cadets, I was probably the youngest drum major they sent to a competition. It was a lot of fun." Rainey said, “Cadets was a big part of my life.” But, “the thing that got me into music really, I was ten years old, […] I discovered AC/DC.” He started playing guitar at 11 at Bach to Rock with Mike Davies. His lessons were off and on over the years, however, in grade 11, his step-dad got him back into lessons with Mike Davies. "The first thing he showed me was the Star Wars theme and Back in Black [AC/DC]."
Music "[is] life, it's part of life.” – Rainey
As previously mentioned, Red was raised in a musical household. His dad used to play a lot of Tom Petty and the Doobie Brothers, sticking mostly to a more hard rock and new age sound, whereas his mom used to listen to R&B and pop, such as Justin Timberlake. Red got a guitar at age 8 for Christmas. “My cousin bought it for me and I probably took lessons for 2 weeks and that was it. My mom cut it because we were gonna move.” Red’s guitar lessons were on hold until his mom got together with Claire's dad. Claire was in lessons and Red was then given the opportunity to return to the music classroom. Red said about music, "Since I was a kid, I knew that music was one of the finer products of humans in general." After this, he picked up the bass, keyboard, and many other instruments. He even took piano lessons for a few months.
Red said, “I love anything that makes sound as long as I can get good sound.”
For Tony, his “... family was always really involved with music.” His father was a guitarist, his mother and sisters sing, and his mother played accordion. “Out of the womb, I was listening to music.” His dad was a big part of his introduction to playing. "When you're feeling down, you wonder why a lot of the time, and when music means a lot to you and you don’t include it in your life, it affects you emotionally [and] physically. [...] You need it in your life." He says, "I belong in a rock band,” adding, "... playing with these guys has unlocked an entirely new feeling that I haven't felt [...] in 13 or 14 years." Tony had a falling out with his old bandmates and left the music scene for several years. He returned after meeting the members of Exploring Detritus, but it didn’t satisfy his love for music.
Tony said, “Since we've started 8 months ago, every single one of us has improved drastically.”
Musical Influences:
Tony’s musical influences would be better described by bands such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, Firehouse, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Eric Clapton, and Eric Johnson. However, his drumming inspirations include Joey Jordison of Slipknot, John Bonham, Neil Peart, James
“Jimmy the Rev” Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold, and Buddy Rich.
Red’s influences include the Doobie Brothers, Scorpions, Tom Petty, John Mayer, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, David Lee Roth, Jimi Hendrix, and David Wilcox.
Rainey leans more toward AC/DC (specifically Angus Young), Metallica (specifically James Hetfield), Eric Clapton, KISS (specifically Ace Frehley), Black Sabbath, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eddie Van Halen, Dimebag Darrell, and Bachman Turner Overdrive.
For Liam, his influences are the Foo Fighters, Catfish and the Bottlemen, John Mayer, the Smiths, Jimi Hendrix, and his dad, Kevin Dinsmore.
Claire is inspired by the Beatles, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, (she paused to add that, “Chris Cornell is basically the reason I started singing,”), the Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Tenacious D (for being musically complex while still being entertaining and silly), and the Pretty Reckless.
The band as a whole also attributes their sound and vibe to certain musical influences. Those being AC/DC, the Tragically Hip, and Bachman Turner Overdrive, however, Headfirst has learned over 40+ diverse songs in just 6 months. They like to play a mix of genres, with the attitude of the Stones: “We don't give a fuck”. Heasdfirst is heavily inspired by the sound of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and they consider themselves classic/hard rock, blues rock, and alt rock.
The Music:
There’s No Place Like Home:
Next, I asked each member of the band what they would change about Sault Ste Marie if given the chance. Red immediately and passionately chimed in with, “Brick roads! Bring back brick roads! [...] I’m so sick of gravel, and asphalt, [...] and dirt, and [any other type] of road.” Apparently the upkeep on brick roads is much easier than on any other kind.
Liam had a different answer (though he agreed with Red), stating that, “[...] 80% of the city isn't interested in going and seeing live music.” Rainey concurred, bringing up his own points about how the availability of music – in venues, in schools, in the city at large – should be expanded. He believes we should be focusing on garnering and fostering interest in the arts. Music lessons should be available to everyone. Tony added his agreement to both Red and Liam’s answers.
Claire brought up Sault Ste Marie’s abysmal transit system, and the whole band was in agreement. Liam mentioned how southern Ontario has much more efficient transit, condemning the current system in the Sault.
The band as a whole also answered the question, stating that the one thing they would change about our city is to improve the quality of life. That’s certainly a goal I can get behind.
What’s Next:
Liam said, “[...] right now we're cutting our teeth in the bars, finding our sound,” but the general consensus was that Headfirst is hoping to start putting out original music, “[...] once we get a following[...]” said Rainey.
Watch out for a music video from Headfirst, hopefully being released in the next few months. This is one band you don’t want to miss!
If you’d like to see Headfirst live, you can find them playing at Shooters Downstairs Lounge on Saturday, February 17th from 9pm to 1am, and at Jay’s Piston Broke Pub on Friday, February 23rd and Saturday, February 24th from 9pm to 1am. Additional dates include March 29th and 30th at Jay’s Piston Broke Pub, and June 1st and August 17th at Shooters Downstairs Lounge. They’re booking up quickly so if you’re interested in having Headfirst play at your venue, contact them soon. To keep up to date with this talented band’s shows, check out their social media. They can be found on Facebook, Instagram, tiktok, and YouTube.
Headfirst would like to shout out Kevin and Tammy for providing a rehearsal space!
