hue is a Toronto-based indie band noted for its enthusiastic pop rock tunes, superlative sound production, and creative collaborations with a host of stellar acts (including Timbaland, We Are Wolves, The Wooden Sky, Two Hours Traffic, Said The Whale, Hollerado, Lights, and Mother Mother). Starting Fires is hue’s second full-length album. Recently the band’s leader, singer, and songwriter, Danny Paton, Jr., took the time to answer some of Wanda Waterman’s questions about hue’s past, present, and future.

Backgrounds

Andrew Schmidt, myself, my sister Jessica Paton, and Darcy Finck all grew up in London, Ontario. The boys met in high school. Andrew Jones grew up in Scarborough.

Andy and I started playing guitar together in grade nine, quickly learning beside each other and continuing to grow to this day. Andrew Jones and Darcy Finck played in many bands throughout high school, learning their way around the guitar.

Jessica and I grew up with the most loving parents possible. Our father played the Beatles, Bob Marley, Neil Young, and James Taylor on Sunday mornings and our mother made the greatest Italian meals, daily.

A Band Named hue

?Hue? initially stood for ?Human Use of the Earth.? It has transformed, and now we like to think that we’re our own ?hue? in the music industry?our own style and genre somewhere in the hues of music.

Rehearsals

Darcy and I live together in a loft-type second-floor apartment. The other members will show up and we’ll have coffee on for the group. we’ll sit and chat and catch up on the week, and then naturally end up in Darcy’s bedroom (our jam space). we’ll jam for a few hours, floating ideas around until we feel good and finished. Usually we’ll all go for food or at least a drink to wind down afterward.

Recently Spun

City and Colour: Little Hell
Tyler, The Creator: Goblin
Coldplay: ?Charlie Brown?
Cut Copy: Zonoscope
Foo Fighters: Wasting Light

On the Horizon

We plan on touring across the country, getting a few videos on MuchMusic, and just trying to be heard in the Canadian music industry. we’re going to work as hard as it takes to get to that point. Hopefully Starting Fires can do all this for us; we feel the album’s strong enough for that.

?You are so true
You’re so brand new
Through and through . . .
You called, you said It’s alive
You said It’s almost like the sun to ashes
You called, you said It’s alive
You said It’s almost like shy lashes?

From Starting Fires, ?Shy Lashes?