Simone Schmidt has money issues. Among the many similarities between her and the late Notorious B.I.G., Schmidt believes that mo’ money can lead to mo’ problems, and she’s dealt with this by playing in bands called One Hundred Dollars, which is currently on hiatus, and now Fiver, an edgy, folk-infused rock four-piece from Toronto that has taken its name from a colloquialism about borrowing five dollars.
“I dunno, it seems to be obsessed with me,” Schmidt says about her fixation on cash. “It’s always screwing things up for me; the problem’s always money. I don’t want to have to deal with money but somehow it just keeps popping up. It’s unavoidable, y’know?”
Listen to "Oh Sienna" by Fiver.
Perhaps her fortunes will turn, now that people seem to be shelling out for the recently released Two Songs from Fiver 7". It will be for sale when Fiver plays the Theatre Centre on Aug. 17, as part of the Summerworks Performance Festival in Toronto. It’s also available at fine retailers, or you can order it online at the band’s slightly paranoid-sounding Bandcamp page, fiverforreal.
“When you name things after money, there’s all these other websites that are called ‘fiver this’ or ‘fiver that,’ and they’re all coupon websites,” Schmidt laughs. “This is not. You can buy it digitally or order it. Indoor Shoes put it out and they’re a label run by nice guys from St. Catharines.”
Fiver has a full record finished but has yet to figure out when it will be released. All four members – Schmidt, guitarist Paul Mortimer, bassist Kyle Porter and drummer Simone TB – have another band together called the Highest Order of the Blue Sage. Schmidt suggests that, unlike Fiver, where she calls all the shots, HOBS is more collaborative. They’ll be releasing a full-length album in February on Idée Fixe Records.
As for the Summerworks performance, people can expect a bare-bones version of Fiver to take the stage.
“I can play in different configurations and for this one, it’s just gonna [be] me and Paul, who’s my favourite guitar player in the world,” Schmidt says. “We’re gonna play two guitars and I’m gonna sing the songs. We’ll be playing the theatre part of the Great Hall so I think the sound’s good. It’ll be a sit-down show, too.
“I would prefer if everyone would shut their eyes and just listen during the set,” she adds helpfully. “Deal with your own darkness.”
CC Listen to "Calm & Collected" by Fiver
Catch Fiver at the Theatre Centre in Toronto for the Summerworks Performance Festival on Friday, Aug. 17.
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