Holy Mackinaws!

Childhood friends Michael Tokarchuk (lead guitar/vocals), Greg Cain (guitar/vocals), Bryce Green (drums) and Adam Tokarchuk (bass/vocals) started out as a group of local Hamilton teens that would get together and mess around with music. “There is nothing more fun than hanging out with your best friends,” said Cain.

The boys started playing together after high school and have been together ever since. Michael Tokarchuk said that the band “just came to be.” Making music started out as an excuse to hang out and have a beer. However, it soon turned into much more than that.

The Mackinaws released their first album on Feb. 9. The self-titled disc is made up of eight rock and blues filled tracks recorded at Porcelain Records in Hamilton, with Grammy-winning producer Steve Bigas. The boys also released their first music video for the album track “Spending Time.” “It was so much fun doing the video,” Cain said.

Being from Hamilton, The Mackinaws have played their fair share of stages around the city, including Lazy Flamingo, Honest Lawyer and Absinthe just to name a few. “We like to see where the song takes us live,” said Michael. “We never play them exactly the same.”

The boys will also be taking over the Casbah on Friday, Mar. 28 for their first CD release party. They’ll be joined by The Bandicoots, The Zilis and Fever City.

This lineup is fitting, considering that one of these other local bands encouraged the Mackinaws to take music more seriously. “We went to a Zilis concert and got inspired,” the Mackinaws said. Bob Dylan, The Band, Blink 182, The Doors and Led Zeppelin were a few of the other influences on the band’s music.

The Mackinaws also had some advice for other musicians seeking to break into the Steel City’s music scene. “Hamilton is really inviting,” Cain said. “Get your foot in the door and get to know other local bands,” the boys added. “Just have fun. Keep a smile on your face.”