16.08.2008

Home (Sweet) Home..

hey!

two words immediately come to mind: JET LAG.  or is it one word?  well, i am too tired to even care.  it is now 730 in the morning here in Toronto, as i sit at my computer for the very first time in 10 weeks.  i think i slept for about 3 hours or so, but i cant tell because i'm so insanely disoriented that i dont remember what time i went to bed, what i ate last night, or even what day it is today... all i know is that when i woke up this morning (and i do mean morning!) i was in a dark, unfamiliar room... so at first glance, i assumed i was in bremen... cause that was the running joke all trip when we didn't know where we were.  but then i realized that this dark unfamiliar room was actually MY room.  it was bittersweet.  i am so happy to be home, near my family, near my friends, and near everything that i have been close with my whole life (including, AND with notable mention, the most amazing burrito place which i missed ever-so-much this summer)... BUT it was also very sad.  it really solidified the end of the summer, and the end of the tour.  we made such amazing new friends on this trip.. and out of the three trips to Germany that 'outmatch' has made, this was by FAR the best.  we had so much fun!  i will miss Germany, and this past summer, more than you can imagine.  i will miss waking up in our house in Leverkusen, and playing volleyball and badminton on our off days.  i will miss hanging out with my boys, laughing and telling jokes, and pigging out like the end of days (yes, i gained some weight... so what's it to ya?).  but most of all, i will miss the shows.  i will miss everything about them.. i will miss watching people sing and dance to our music.. i will miss looking at my best friends beside me and feeling like we're rocking the world.. i will miss that special feeling in my stomach right before the first note of every show.. and i will even miss the long and treacherous drives, crammed shoulder to shoulder like sardines in a VW van with minimal ventilation and ZERO comfort factor, along with the shitty roadside stops with stinky trucker toilets, and stale baguettes with tomato, mozarella and pesto... and a bounty bar for dessert, and some days a kakao or a red bull too!  why would i miss that, you ask?  because.  it was part of the experience.  and i wouldn't change a single thing.

if you have ever been to an outmatch show, you have probably already heard me say this, because i try to make a point to every night.  we come from such a far away place, and from when this started, and even up until now and forever, we are just a bunch of guys who love to make music together... so for all of you who came out and listened: thank you.  you could have done a million different things (i mean, come on, you live in Europe!).  you could have gone to a pub, or visited beautiful ruins, or gone to a friend's house, or gone out for dinner, or rode the train to anywhere, or even just stayed at home and relaxed.. but you didn't. you came to see us play, and though you may not realize it, you have touched our hearts, and carved out a little piece inside all of us that we will carry for the rest of our lives.  you have given us a gift.. memories.  and that is a gift that will never wilt or die... it will live forever, in conversations, pictures, songs, and on paper.  so, for this gift, i/we must thank you. 

also, if you guys have any pictures you want to send us, or if you want to write to us, or if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  you can get us at:  outmatchmusic@gmail.com ... dont be shy! we love to hear from you!

so, what now?  now we are taking a much-needed little vacation until the end of september, and then it's back to work!  we will be starting to write our new album and hopefully recording it in the new year, and releasing it in spring or summer of '09.  exciting, isn't it??  :)  who knows how it will be!  all i DO know is that we will be back next summer, rockin' out for all of you once again.. and we're looking forward to it!  so we hope to see all those familiar faces, along with hopefully a bunch of new ones too!  so tell all your friends, and families... and make SURE they tell THEIR friends and families too!  and let's rock out all together!

and now, as i sit here at my computer back in Toronto, Canada, collecting all my thoughts from all those crazy nights spent in Europe with my boys, i realize one very important thing: the summer may be over, but the ride is just beginning.

thank's for all of the good times.

take care of each other, and until next time...

see you all soon.

much love,

martin.

28.07.2008

ALONE TIME

HEY!

so... here i am.  i am alone at our house in Leverkusen for the next two days while the boys are in Sardinia, Italy.  i will be meeting them in Rome on Tuesday, but until then i will be using the space and time to just reflect on what the last 5-6 weeks of my life have been like.... and i can sum it all up with one word: crazy. 

and yet, fun.  its been the experience of a lifetime.. we have had a lot of great times here in europe.  a lot.  some on stage, and some off stage.  some with cool new people, and some with just the four of us.  we came here with a different attitude than any of the other trips that we had taken over the last 6 years of outmatch.  we are a lot more relaxed and carefree this time around, and i think it shows in our every day life as much as it shows on stage and in interviews.  life is simple here in Germany.  wake up, eat, play volleyball or badminton, eat, play music, eat, eat, eat, play music, laugh a lot, and sleep.  (for those of you who are really paying attention, beer is included in the "eat" portion of that description).  and the beer, as always, has been fantastic.

we have played some good shows, and some not so good shows, but we have always made the not-so-good-ones into fun ones too... it all goes back to that relaxed attitude.  two nights ago we played in Travemünde... what a surprise that one was.  we were a little disappointed when we found out we couldnt rock out like we always do because there wasnt an adequate sound system, and there was no drumkit there either, but john busted out his Djembe drum and we rocked two acoustic sets for a really really great crowd who had us come back and do encores until we basically ran out of material to play...  so thank you to all of you that were there for that! 

now we are looking forward to next weekend because we are playing here in Cologne (which is right next to Leverkusen, where we live) at the Blue Shell.  it is a very small venue, but i think it will be a busy night, so we are hoping to rock out in front of another great crowd!

i want to take this time and opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has been writing to us... in our guestbook, commenting on the myspace site, and to the many people who have emailed us just to say hello, or to thank us for playing wherever you may have seen us.  those little acts of kindness mean the world to us.  we are just four guys from Canada who love to play music, and we got in this to get our music out there to as many people as possible, so we love to hear from you.  even if we dont have the time or means to get back to you every time, just know that we are reading and enjoying everything you send to us. more importantly, please know that we appreciate every single letter of every word.  if you werent enjoying it, we would not be enjoying it either. so again, THANK YOU.

now it is time for me to cook myself up some lunch on the BBQ!  i hope that you are all well, and that we see you at one of our remaining shows this summer!

thanks for making this the best summer of my life.

much love,

martin.

08.07.2008

Berlin!

hellooooooo!

we have arrived in Berlin!  (actually we got here a few days ago, but this internet thing has really become a struggle!).  nevertheless, we are here, and we are ready to rock!  tomorrow we play a radio festival in Halle and we are really looking forward to it, because it seems the shows have been getting better and better as the tour/summer progresses!  we played what i now regard as one of the "funnest" shows of my life on the way to berlin... BREMEN.  thank you to everyone who listened!  you guys were an amazing crowd!  its nights like those that make it worth it for us, for me.  thanks to everyone who danced, sang, screamed, bought a cd, and even those of you who just said hello.  we appreciate you.

we are really busy this month with lots of interviews, shows and sightseeing when we have spare minutes.. and i think its fair to say that im the happiest i have ever been right now.  so thank you for THAT too.  there are a few tidbits of news, but i dont want to jump the gun yet.. i think ill wait till everything is final.  just keep checking the site for more shows.. they will be updated again soon!

so there you have it. that is me just checking in..

thanks for reading!  take care and until soon!

martin.

26.06.2008

Euro Cup and more!

HEY!

so, yesterday Germany defeated Turkey in the semi-finals of the Euro Cup... and what a scene it was here in Köln (Cologne).  mayhem all over the streets.. car horns that could be heard over oceans and drunk people EVERYWHERE!  but everyone was suuuper friendly.. except maybe a few pissed off Turks..  but hey, you cant win them all, right?  fun times though.

now we are leaving for our  next show in Saarbrücken.. which i think is about a 2 hour drive from Cologne... autobahn stylez.  (translation for all those who dont live here:  driving really fucking fast.. yet, somehow, legally) 

p.s. i love the autobahn.

so anyway, should be a grrreat show this weekend. we are all really excited! we love to play! actually, i have to run now cause the van is waiting, but i will try to find a computer again soon!  getting the internet has been tough! 

thanks for all of your love and support!  you guys rock, and see you soon!

martin.

17.06.2008

we are HERE

ok, i have to keep this short but i want everyone to know that we are in the GERM!  safe and sound, and finally moved into our place in Leverkusen, which is only a few minutes on the tram line outside of Cologne.  its a beautiful little duplex with a wicked patio and a professional beach volleyball net in the back, put up by our more than friendly neighbour whom i was delighted to share a pint of my fav beer with after his efforts.  we thought our neighbours would all be petrified that a rock band from a far away land was moving in, but to our surprise, weve become somewhat of a "hit" in the neighbourhood.  good times!

the bad news is that we lack internet at this time so we havent been able to keep everyone as posted as we like.

we had our first festival show last week and it was a lot of fun!  were also booking a lot for the future and we are excited for july which is looking uber busy... till then, we might do some travelling around.. europe is such a beautiful place.. so were gonna rock it.

thats all the time i have right now, but we hope to see you all in the next few months.

much love, and talk soon!

martin.

25.05.2008

ITS BEEN A WHILE...

Hey Everyone!

it's been a while since i last wrote on here, or anywhere regarding OUTMATCH... but here i am again.  sorry for the delay, there has just been SO much happening that it's been difficult to find the time and words to describe it, but i promise that i will keep you posted from now on!

so, here is the good news for all of you German fans: WE ARE COMING!  we will be there for two months this summer playing a ton of shows, which we are still in the process of confirming, but as soon as we get the green light for those, they will be posted on our websites.  We will be playing a mixture of big radio festivals with smaller club shows as well, so there will be fun for everyone!  we are incredibly excited.  radio is picking up our new single "Ordinary", and receiving it very well.  we're hoping to get our music to as many people as possible, and try to get as many of those people out to the shows as we can too!  we will be living in Cologne for the most part, which we love, but we will be super busy and travelling so much that i'm not sure if it is fair to say that anyway.  and i am insanely excited to be in Germany for the Euro Cup.. if you guys dont know, i used to play a LOT of football (soccer) growing up, and i am a BIIIG fan.  if anyone has a hook-up for tickets or anything, throw me an email!! 

we have been rehearsing like crazy and for all of you Canadian fans, we have booked a show for before we leave!

SATURDAY JUNE 7TH, 2008 @ EL

MOCAMBO, TORONTO.

so, there you have it.  now you cant complain that we're only playing shows across the pond.... we are playing first, so get there early!

we appreciate all of your love and support so much, and we cant wait to kick off this leg of our "weightless" tour.

thank you all so much for everything.

take care, and see you on the road!

martin

& the boys.

25.04.2008

Hello and Welcome Back

hey!

so it's been a long while since i've sat and written anything of substance on here.. for that, i'm sorry.  BUT, here's the good news.... i'm here now, and i've got some pretty big news ;-)

a couple of things actually.. let's start with this summer: the details are still being finalized, but the plan is in place for OUTMATCH to head to Germany for the whole summer!  we will be playing many many shows starting in June and through to the end of August, and we cant wait!!  all the details will be posted on this site as soon as we get them.. so you can all go screaming to ticket vendors.. haha! (maybe you shouldn't scream.. they might think you're totally insane).  these shows will consist of some huge radio festivals all around the country, as well as some small club shows in the middle, so if you prefer seeing us in a small venue you will get the chance to do so.  Germany, here we come (again!).

For all of you Canadian and American fans... we have been getting loads of emails from you asking how to buy our record from North America because it's been difficult for all of you to get a hold of it from where you are.. i PROMISE you that we are making serious progress on this issue.  and so i announce: we have a commitment from a distributor in Canada!  what does this mean, you ask?  simple. it means that though the details are still being worked out, the album will be released in Canada at some point this year!  so you will be able to order it online (in english, and dollars!), and you will also be able to walk to your local record retailer and pick it up yourself!  what this ALSO means is that we are working towards a cross Canada tour!  i cant say when yet.. but we're thinking right after we get home from Germany in the early fall!  unfortunately, no American leg of the tour yet, BUT maybe we'll make some stops close to the border, and at least we can get a copy of our record into your hands a little easier.  AND, if you make enough noise down south there, perhaps we can find a way to release and tour the U.S. too.. 

so, that's the news for now.  hope it makes your day a little brighter.  tour rehearsals are already underway!

i hope you are all well, and we'll see you soon!

much love,

martin.

03.03.2008

:)

back to the snow... and what a snow storm it is.. it makes me miss Germany so much!  we had so much fun playing all those great shows (yes, even the ones that weren't as populated as we would have liked).. that sometimes i wish we didn't have to come home.  We had some pretty great experiences on this trip.. anywhere from playing  great shows, to getting on the wrong trains (going to Brussels instead of Amsterdam!) and trying to re-route without having to pay and extra hundred euros!  that was pretty fun.  but our wit and charm got us out of trouble!! haha.  sometimes being from far away allows you to get away with just about anything :) and now it's back to our beds at home for a few days until we play our big show at the MOD club here in T.O... man, we love this venue. i think for me it's probably my absolute favourite venue to play.. but i might take that back if we ever sell out a stadium (keep dreaming martin.. keep dreaming..).  ANYWAY.  i want to take this opportunity to thank every single person who came out to support us on our short little club tour through Germany.  you have no idea how much it means to us to come from so far away and have that kind of support.  you guys are amazing.  i also want to thank everyone who went out and bought our album too!  sorry if it was hard to find, but i'm glad you found it!  and lastly, i want to thank everyone behind the scenes who made the tour possible... Marc, Sven, Nina, Carina, Sabine & Henry, Dunja, The Luke White Band, and of course.. our main squeeze.. the driver, the roadie, the friend: Christian!!  so, thank you to all of you guys so much, and we cant wait to do it all again soon!  keep posting in our guestbook and on the myspace, we love to hear from you!

take care for now, and we'll see you all very very soon!

martin.

25.02.2008

KOELN!

Hey Everyone!!

so we just played Koln (cologne) last night, and let me tell you, we had a BLAST.  the crowd had a great time, and so did we.  this trip has been a lot of fun, and its kind of sad that we are going home in a few days, but at the same time i am SO excited to play the mod club cause i dont feel we have had a good, strong show at home in well over a year.  so, all you GTA-ers get ready for us, cause we are comin home to ROCK! 

the language barrier has totally not been an issue at all.  everyone here has been sooo friendly to us, and we are so greatful to be here and to have this opportunity to play our music to tons of new and interesting people.  its crazy to me that we came across an ocean and there are actually a good bunch of people that want to hear what we have to offer, and who love our songs.  this makes me so happy, that its hard to put it into words... so, we have one more show in Frankfurt on wednesday which we are all pumped up for, and i guess i only have one thing left to say... :

THANK YOU GERMANY!! SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!

take care until then,

martin.

18.02.2008

Munich

HEY!

so we arrived in munich late last night after our looooong drive from hamburg where we played the previous night.. what a show that was.. so much fun.  berlin was great too!  we are having a fantastic time playing every night and today is the first of three back to back shows for us.. hard work and a lot of driving, but its been totally worth every second once we step on stage.  there was one video tape made from the show in hamburg and i think we will try to post it here on our website soon so you can be a part of one of our fav shows that we have ever played.  the audio quality is misrepresented, but you can certainly catch the vibe of the show.  thank you to all you troopers who came out to support us, and will continue to come out for the rest of the tour!  it means more to us than you could ever know.  this tour has definately reaffirmed how much we love making music together and how much we love to be on stage together too.  special thanks to christian, marc, and sven for making our lives so much easier than they would be if they werent around!  you guys rock. 

alright time to fly!

see you all soon!

martin.

01.02.2008

Contest & Weightless Tour!

Hey!

so, Happy February!

as i am typing this, all hell is breaking loose outside my window... the snow is falling harder than any other day this winter and (like always) i am seriously dreading the fact that i have to remove all of this snow pretty soon.. there is so much that i think my car is going to get stuck on the road anyway! so maybe i wont even try..

yesterday was the last day for the meet and greet contest, and i want to personally thank each and every one of you that submitted an entry!  the winner(s) will be chosen within the next few days, and you will receive an email notifying you that you've won.  and since we're on the topic... there is LESS THAN ONE WEEK left before the beginning of our 'Weightless' tour!!!  We begin in Toronto, then move to London, and Sarnia.. and then drive all the way to the airport and fly out to GERMANY!!  We will kick off our European leg of the tour on none other than Valentine's Day!  so, if you're in Berlin, bring your loved one and ring in Valentines Day in style with us!  rehearsals are kicking serious ass, and we're having such a blast getting ready that we cant believe that it's even going to get better when we actually hit the stage! 

so if you dont have tickets already, move your ass and get some dammit!

the time is almost here!

(and speaking of time.. time for me to take care of that snow... AGAIN)

see you REEEAAAALLY soon.

martin.

29.01.2008

Less than two weeks

Hey!

So, we are less than two weeks away from our first show!  Let me tell you, i am EXCITED!  rehearsals are going kick ass, and the songs are all starting to come together really well.  hey, we're even throwing in some old songs into our set that we haven't played in years!  so much fun.  the last few weeks, and the next few weeks coming are going to be a lot of hard work, sleepless nights, and travelling, but we look forward to this challenge and we look forward to rockin' the people too!  if you haven't already bought your tickets, go do so right NOW.  we've also found a great band to play with us every night.  "Luke White".  they're from the U.K. and their songs are wicked.  love their stuff and cant wait to see their show every night before ours! 

i'm finished my job at my old high school and i'm in full time music-mode now!  watch out! haha.  look forward to seeing you all on tour.

take care, until then!

martin.

12.01.2008

21.12.2007

04.12.2007

15.11.2007

hey Everyone!

so, we're back here in Canada, working hard in studio once again trying to spice up our album a bit... it's been a very long process, and we have written some great new songs that we just couldn't ignore or leave for the next record.. so here we are!

we are really excited that 'broken' has been getting a great response from the media, and more importantly, from you --the fans! it makes us SO happy to know that people are connecting with our music :) it's been our goal from the start. so, 'broken' is out in stores and online!! wowowow! we are insanely pumped up about that! if you don't already own it, go pick it up!! we wont disappoint you!

we have also been starting to get ready to play some warm up shows here in canada before we head over to Germany in the new year to launch our first official major tour, in conjunction with the release of our first major album, 'weightless', which will be in stores on Feb. 15th, 2008!! we are so pleased with it, especially now, after we get to put some of these new songs on there too! we cant WAIT to play these songs live! it feels like we've been dying to do this forever!

it's getting cold now, and we just had our first snowfall the other day.. so that means Christmas is just around the corner, and that means the new year is just as close.... and THAT means that our tour is really not that far away either! so just sit tight, and we will be there in no time!

i want to, again, take the time to thank everyone reading this, and everyone supporting us from everywhere around the world. thank you so much for everything. without you guys, we would be nothing.

there's more from OUTMATCH coming in the future, i promise you.

thanks so much.

be well,

martin & the boys.

23.10.2007

hey everyone!

so, we're back from our first trip to Germany!! everything went amazingly well over there.. better than expected, in fact. we were supposed to go there, shake some hands, and let some media people know who we are, and what we're doing, in hopes that they would add our song to their stations and maybe get some write ups in some magazines... and well, we did just that. but before we even started our rounds, we were informed that "broken" had been added by all the major radio stations in the country, and a whole whack of the smaller ones too! so, instead of just shaking some hands on some lunch breaks, we ended up booking a load of on-air interviews, along with an on-air acoustic sets, AND a bunch of magazine interviews too!! so, that was a grrrrreat start, and the rest was even better. the interviews all went really well, and everyone we met was EXTRA nice to us! we drove something like 3800km in five days, so the scenery was kind of a blur... but we've all got some pretty cool pics from our vw love-wagon van windows! notable mention: THE BEER. if you've been there, you know. if not, and you're a beer lover, please make it your mission to experience what Germany has to offer. personal favs:

augustiner, gaffel, and the most interesting banana flavoured beer the world has to offer.. but if you ask jay, they were all the best he's ever had. so, "broken" is already on the german top 300 charts, and most radio stations hadn't even started playing us until this week!

if you're in Germany, call in and annoy your local stations with requests for it! yes, even if they dont currently play it! lets move this baby up the charts!!!

we cant wait to get back there and really launch the tour in january!

you guys have been so wickedly cool with us.. thanks so much for signing our guestbook and letting us know what you're thinking.. your love and support means everything to us. also, feel free to sign youself up to our mailing list, and keep yourself updated. the single drops NOV 9TH in stores and online... until then, keep on rockin!

thanks again!

martin.

04.10.2007

hey all,

so here i sit, sipping some green tea on a chilly october morning in Toronto, Canada -- home. the next few weeks should be exciting.. we're getting ready to go to europe for the first time as a band.. we're going to do a whole bunch of media stuff, like meet and greets and acoustic performances, things like that. we're all pretty pumped up about that, and slightly nervous at the same time i suppose. but it's all good! we're gonna have a blast, i'm sure of it. it's all just seemed so far away for so long, and now the time has finally come.. it seems surreal that we're actually doing all of this. i mean, really, it's not everyday that people get the opportunities that we've gotten. we get to live our dreams out, and not a day goes by where i dont truly appreciate that. we're bringin' along a video camera, so we will be able to document a lot of stuff on the road, which we'll try to post up on the webpage at some point during or just after the trip, just so you guys can live it a little bit with us :) we'll also be updating this diary frequently while we're gone.. so we'll get to tell you all the funny stories that happen to us while we're away... and we are usually good for at least one every couple of days, and that's when there is NO language barrier involved! so stay tuned.. well, i'll cut this short this time, but keep checking back to see what kind of crap we've gotten ourselves into while we're gone.. until then... keep rockin'.

thanks for all your love and support,

martin.