[advertising]

By KRYS GRANDMOND
Staff Writer

How many people actually heard of Napanee before Avril Lavigne made it famous? And what about Norwood, the small town that new Canadian group, Three Days Grace, hails from? I'm sure you've heard of Ajax, but who really cared before Sum 41 tore up the music charts?

Canada's small towns are actually finding places in people's normal lives. Why? Well if the three names I just mentioned aren't enough, here's a new one.

Faithdown.

While 3/4 of the band were already in the GTA, the band was incomplete, and it took a small-town kid with a voice to make the sound finally come together.

Here's a new town to add to your map. Campbellford, Ontario. Know where it is? I do. It's a little place in Northern Ontario, smaller than Napanee and usually just a pass-through to Peterborough. But if you stopped and took a listen, maybe, just maybe, you would've heard this man.

Mike Bruce, lead singer of Faithdown, hails from the tiny town whose pride comes from picturesque landscapes and great fishing. Oh, and must we forget The World's Finest Chocolate Factory and Empire Cheese? Mike spent many years in this little place, perfecting his art, but moved to Toronto in search of better things.

"I moved here to be a rockstar," says Mike. "I was in a band in my hometown and we had lost a guitar player. Our bass player was from Mississauga and had a friend who was a great guitar player, so we grabbed him. At first he would come to Campbellford to rehearse, but after seeing that there was no hope of being a rockstar in Campbellford, he convinced us to move to the city. Although I am the only one who ended up making the move."

Then, in answering a want ad from a band, that was it. Faithdown, after auditioning about 40 singers, had found its new lead man, and Mike had a job.

The band's four members, frontman Mike, guitarist Anthony Chiarore, bassist Paolo DeBartolo and drummer Nick Chiarore, have been performing together for about three years. After winning Molson's Battle of the Bands contest in August of 2003, the group gained some heavy national exposure in opening for Sum 41. Appearing alongside other names like Pilate, Three Days Grace, I Mother Earth, Wide Mouth Mason and more, Mike admits that it's not so much the other bands they play with, but the places they play, that make a performance memorable.

"Although Sum 41 are great guys, and opening for them would be an honor at any venue, it was more about where we played and what the expectations were for that gig. I mean, a freaking baseball stadium that holds ten thousand people for a free Molson House Party Event! We were pretty excited. And it held up to every expectation. To hear your music coming through a sound system that big and to see all these kids feeling everything you put out there, is truly amazing. It pushed the motivation factor to infinity for us. Even Sum 41 asked us what label we were signed to: confirmation that we are on the right track and that this is definitley what we want to do for the rest of our lives!"

The group entered the contest, won the qualifying round, as well as the internet voting round, and on a mid-August night, found themselves at the finals.

"We suspected, not expected, that we may have a chance. We work very hard and we were on that night. It turns out that 8 of the 9 judges voted hands down for Faithdown. There were some good bands that night but it was our turn and we are very proud of it."

Winning an event of that magnitude is always a rush, and while it gave them a chance for some great exposure and publicity, Mike believes that it's the band's hard work paying off and even without the chance, they would be around the same place they are at now.

"It definatley adds credibility to the cause, but as I said earlier, we work very hard and I think it shows. The fan base is getting bigger and more solid and we are getting great feedback about our music. So I think we would be where we are now but it definatley did things for us as far as exposure."

So, with some high profile shows under their belts, and a calendar that's led them from the Horseshoe to Lee's Place, the Rivoli, the Phoenix, 360, and everywhere else from Windsor to Ottawa, what's next for Faithdown? What of record deals? Writing contracts? Long-term goals?

"There's alot of interest from a few different places but it's a different industry now than it was even five years ago. We just have to stay focused and keep doing what we are doing. Write songs, play gigs. We are also starting to seek out management. The goal is to make a living doing what we love to do. If that means signing a major recording contract and world domination, then that's the sacrafice we are willing to make!"