Help the Animals, Be Rewarded with Music

I donate to the SPCA at least once a year. Occasionally I'll send money to other organizations, too. But I never get a cool prize. Of course, that's not the point -- the point is to save the animals. However, local rock band Arctic wants to reward critter philanthropists with an exclusive master CD of their second EP, Today Brought Me Here. As a bonus to the highest bidder, they are even generous enough to frame it, include a personal note from lead singer Marcus Martin, and throw in a cool polar bear-shaped Northwest Territories license plate!

If you want to preview this sweet prize, listen to the songs from Today Brought Me Here. Lead singer Marcus Martin's inspiration for the auction has a lot to do with where he's from.

"Coming from up North, it's a very different life compared to when you move to the city. You see so much of an environment that most people don't grow up with," states Martin. "It's what you see in your backyard that drives you to do something different. In Yellowknife, they see bazillion trees and tonnes of fresh water... they have a lot of stuff up there and it makes a different imprint. There's a strong mining community. Whereas here in Vancouver, you see logging trucks and fishing boats."

Martin hopes that Arctic's fundraiser doesn't lump them in with Hollywood's celebrities pushing the environmental agenda. "I worry, because when big advertisers start pushing a message the audience becomes numb to it. I worry about the marketing spin put on it. The band's members are environmentalists, and we looked at our everyday lives and thought, 'How can we transfer this to our business?' For example, our band T-shirts that we sell, they're a mix of vintage and Value Village. We broke down our business in sections, and looked at all of it and figured out how we could be as green as possible."

Although Today Brought Me Here has a melancholy, solo spirit to it, the next live show in Vancouver (at Hoko's) features the entire band. "I do enjoy playing solo. But I also enjoy the dynamic the band will bring out. I'll do a bunch of solo shows but then I'll step it up a bit."

Photos courtesy of Shaun Applebaum / Kirsten Bole.