It is a cold November night as we make our way to meet with An April March to talk about their latest CD Lessons in Vengeance. The wind blows hard against our faces, and leaves swirl around our heads. We have miscalculated the distance to the apartment of lead singer Danella Hocevar, and by the time her house is in sight, we are oddly beginning to enjoy the hard bite of the wind. The exertion of walking has made us warm, and we become oblivious to the cold. As a matter of fact, that's very much how this new album makes me feel.

An April March usually conjure up comparisons to the Cocteau Twins, but Lessons in Vengeance will change all that. Chris Perry's guitar still swirls like leaves around your head, and Danella's voice still puts angels to shame, Michael Klug's strong percussion is still the sharp bite of cold that makes your cheeks turn pink, but the soft ethereal harmonies have melded into something stronger, and the addition of bassist Andrew Starling, as well as a general maturing in their overall sound have An April March sounding more like Bedazzled label mates The Curtain Society than any 1980's 4AD release. And if you've listened to any Cocteau Twins recently, you'll understand that this is a very good thing.

I suppose you could still refer to them as "ethereal", but on this newest release the lyrics are much more discernable, and they have gained a harder edge that keeps them from sounding like a repetition of previous releases. An April March have made the transition from a "Goth" band (if they ever really were one) to a multi-faceted ensemble that progresses and matures with time and experience. I would even venture to say that parts of this disc genuinely "kick ass", but considering that part of the inspiration for Lessons in Vengeance was a burglary to Danella's apartment where she actually came face to face with the dastardly criminal, it's no wonder!!

This is my favourite An April March release to date, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in ethereal/goth stuff, or better yet, anyone who's beginning to get a bit tired of that genre. This disc will be a refreshing breath of crisp winter air that is certain to lead into a developing sound that leaves lots of opportunities to grow and mature.

An April March was formed in 1989 in Kitchener, Ontario. Originally called The Whiddingtons, they changed their name when they moved to Toronto in 1991. Of the original four members, only Danella Hocevar and Chris Perry remain. Drummer Michael Klug has been part of the group for three years, and bassist Andrew Starling is six months new to the band. Since 1994 Danella had been playing bass as well as doing all of the vocals, and is pleased to be back on guitar again.

The band got their start in Toronto by their inclusion on CFNY's New Music Search compilation. Back in the days when "The Edge" really was alternative, AAM was pleased to be included with The Technicolour Raincoats, whom they started gigging with. That eventually led to gigs with local favourites Parade, and finally on to headline shows of their own.

Their connection to Bedazzled Records in Washington D.C. came about in part through liasons with Boston band The Curtain Society. Apparently Roger from TCS received a homemade tape (gasp! - copyright infringement ed.) which included a track by An April March. He contacted them to let him know how much he liked the song and soon they were pressing a 7" together. This disc was distributed by Bedazzled which eventually signed both bands.

Fickle Toronto audiences and a receptive Goth scene in Boston provoke Danella to refer to Boston as home away from home, "Boston is our real fan base... I feel more at home at shows there; I know more people, there's a really big Goth scene, huge, and they're really into it." The band doesn't consider themselves "Goth" but they admit that their fanbase in America is predominantly of that genre, as the type of music they produce is bound to appeal to more of a darkwave set than to a college crowd.

As I mentioned earlier, newest member Andrew Starling has had a definite impact on the band and its sound. Along with his fretless bass, he brought a different dynamic to the group that all of the other members were open to; it offered the opportunity to put more energy into both recordings and live performances. From all of their shows stateside, the band wanted to "rock" a bit more onstage, and while they are not throwing out any of their more airy, flowery pieces, Lessons In Vengeance includes a number of tracks that have a much harder edge than any previous releases.

An April March have (as of December, 1995) just completed a mini tour of Eastern America and are planning more dates, both in the States and locally for early 1996. Their latest release, Lessons In Vengeance, is available now, and they have recently been included on a number of compilations including Bedazzled Records' Woke Up Smiling; Anon on the Castle Von Buhler label. You can contact them by writing: 2238 Dundas St. W, PO Box 59070, Toronto, Ontario, M6R 3B5 Canada; faxing: (416) 922-9719; or by e-mail: aam@passport.ca