I recently had the privilege of asking Mobile vocalist Mat Joly a few questions about their music and touring:

T.O. Snob: First off, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us. You're playing the Sound Academy in Toronto on March 12th as part of Canadian Music Week. For people who have never experienced it, what can fans expect from a Mobile show?

Mat Joly: They can expect a very high-energy set filled with passion and great tunes. We've always been recognized as a really good live band and we love to hit the stage and give everything we got.

T.O. SnobWhen you play a festival like CMW do you get a chance to check out any of the other acts playing? If so, who are you looking forward to seeing this time out?

MJ: We sometimes have time to check out other bands, but I don't think it's gonna be possible this year. We have a very busy schedule this year and we're leaving the very next day after our set cause we're in the middle of a tour right now. It's been a while since we played the CMW but I do remember discovering Billy Talent a few years back and they played an amazing set that night. I was in the audience with Frank my guitar player and we were both blown away by their performance that night.

T.O. Snob: What inspires a Mobile song?

MJ: Well it can be a lot of things, for our latest album "Tales From The City" I've been inspired by a lot of things that was going on in my personal life. A lot of people in my family died during the writing and recording of the album and had a big impact on me. I went to 5 funerals in a matter of 3 months so I got to see a lot of people that I haven't seen in years and they all had a lot to say.

It was a very sad time for me and I been able to write about certain things that I haven't been able to write about before because I guess I had to live them to talk about it.

Also for the new record I tried to write around a character I invented and this character is present in certain songs like The Killer, Gravity and All Is Forgiven. I did that so I could write certain things that are totally unreal but that could create a world of it's own. Just like a mini movie....

T.O. Snob: I understand you recently had to replace your drummer. What's the story behind that?

MJ: Pierre decided that he didn't want to play music anymore, he lost interest and his heart wasn't into it so he basically just quit the music business.

It was obviously a tough thing to go through because we're long time friends and loosing a founding member is never a fun thing to go through but it's all in the past now. The new drummer Martin is just amazing; he's a super nice guy and a powerhouse behind those drums. We were completely amazed by his way of playing and we're so happy that he's in the band, it gave everyone of us a new energy and I don't remember having so much fun playing music.

T.O. Snob: Montreal has been one of the hottest scenes in music period over the last several years. However, your sound is different than most of the bands coming out of the city. Does that make it harder to be accepted by the scenesters?

MJ: Ha! good question, what can I say more than I was born in this town, lived here almost all my life and still live in this city. Montreal always been a great source of inspiration for me and always will be. I don't care if the scenesters don't like my band, I make a living out of playing music and I don't care who likes my band, as long as they love the music and as long as they buy the records and come to our concerts that's good enough for me.

T.O. Snob: You've had a couple of hits over the last few years. What does success mean to Mobile?

MJ: It means that we can keep doin' what we like and keep making records and go on tour and I love this more than anything else in the world. Being successful is a good thing when it allows you to do something you love and that's all I care about. I didn't get in that business to be successful, but it's just a part of the job and it has it's good and bad sides.

T.O. Snob: If you could tour with any artist in the world who would it be?

MJ: There are too many to mention but I would love to tour with bands like The Cure, Primal Scream, Oasis, Kasabian, The Twilight Singers and many others....

T.O. Snob: Twilight Singer, excellent choice. What is your guiltiest musical pleasure?

MJ: I would say listening to old songs from the 80's cause it reminds me of my youth and brings me back to a good place and makes me smile. I can be a nostalgic kind of guy...

T.O. Snob: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to say to your fans in Toronto?

MJ: We love them and it's always nice to come back to Toronto where we lived for a couple of years, we got a lot of friends there and we always played good shows in this town so we definitely look forward to come back.

T.O. Snob: Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us.

MJ: My pleasure.