About The band:
Faux Confessions is a five-piece band driven by a commitment to song writing and composition, and to the role that music plays in building meaning, community, and family. We are inspired by the folk, rock, and rhythm-and-blues that underpin western popular music traditions, and our music continues a long-standing dialogue with these traditions.
Faux Confessions has been exploring our contemporary experiences, family lives, work, and pandemic experiences, since 2018. We came together at a time of renewed curiosity about the potential and creative force of creating and playing music together. We soon began to identify some key textures in our studio, including harmonies, complimentary voicings of electric guitars and old-school amplifiers, and a blend of piano and organ stylings. The rhythm section draws on both roots and progressive threads.
Faux Confessions brings together musicians who have been creating and performing music in a common music community for over thirty years.
While our influences may be textbook, our songs are our own, and our ears are wide open. What matters is continued creation and expression.
Our music explores musicality and poetic expression; lyrical themes explore the legends and lore of geographical, psychological, and social spaces.
Doug Hume
Doug Hume is a voluminous songwriter, bordering on compulsive, and has written over 1500 hundred songs. He performs and has performed in a number of different musical outfits (Hank’s Hangover, Group Therapy, The Nothingheads) on a range of instruments that include banjo, guitar, bass, harmonica, trumpet, and mandolin. He spent some time in the mid-nineteen nineties earning his livelihood with solo performances at The Collection, The Dunvegan Pub, The Elbow Room, Arts Court, The Manx, and other small rooms in Ottawa. His ongoing struggles with bipolar condition (he prefers condition to disorder) pushed him away from pursuing a music career, although he has continued performing throughout his teaching career (part time). This recording with Faux Confessions will allow him to travel farther afield, to share his vision with a wider audience, and to build momentum for the next phase in life.
John Jastremski
John Jastremski is a songwriter, singer, and guitarist, and has been laying it down for over thirty years. He has performed with artist such as Bob Stark, Meg Lunney, and Suzie Vinnick, and was a founding member of bands such as the Lost Valley Ramblers, No Time for Tea, the Mustards, and Sonnymoon. As a member of the Mustards, he was fortunate to cross paths with Canadian rock legends April Wine, and this connection led to several coveted opening spots for the iconic Canadian band as they toured the country. John is strong supporter of emerging local artists and is a regular performer at many of Ottawa’s live music venues. He is passionate about the role live music plays in the community and most recently played a lead role in rallying the community to save the Rainbow Bistro, one of Ottawa’s longest serving live music venues.
Mike Lister
Michael Lister is a guitarist and songwriter from Ottawa and has been playing and making music since the late 1990s. As a member of the pop bands Zoe and Lister, Mike played on songs that were featured on shows of the era, such as Dawsons Creek and Party of Five. With his brother he pursued his musical dreams to Los Angeles, performing in local clubs and showcases. Whether in Ottawa or LA, the brothers focused on building community through music, including hosting regular free shows. His style is inspired by song-focused guitarists like Robbie Robertson, as well as analog sounds and imperfections. Mike learned the guitar in part by watching current bandmate John play in bands with his older brother, bringing this project full circle.
Lou Rankin
Lou Rankin is a fierce defender of the low end and a slave to the groove. He has been on the Ottawa scene playing and creating original music since the early nineties and believes that music is the true pathway to joy. Faux Confessions is an incredibly creative outfit, and their music needs to be shared. In a world powered by Artificial Intelligence, #Hashtags and eBikes, being able to create, perform, record and tour with Faux Confessions represents the culmination of a lifelong musical journey for Lou.
Randy Innes
Randy Innes is a drummer and percussionist who has played in a range of bands since the 1980s. Some of his earliest bands were with fellow faux confessors, and he has returned to play, perform, and record with these fellows on many projects over the years. Randy is committed to ensemble playing, having learned the importance of supporting the whole through experiences ranging from classical and jazz orchestras, to a range of blues and rock-n-roll outfits, to co-hosting open stage nights, to leading musical fundraising initiatives.