"Mr! Mouray: A man of impeccable 1950s style and taste, Mr! Mouray has been reborn a half-century later through modern words and music"
Bankers Of Yonge is one of three blast-from-the-past masters on the John Critchley-produced Lady Rock And Roll EP, which celebrates Mr! Mouray’s sixth anniversary. The video for the T.Rex-fueled title track and first single has racked up nearly 3,000 views and found a home on multiple playlists, while the brooding, Cramps-inspired Then & Now displays the breadth of the quartet’s sound and influences. Lady Rock And Roll also marked the debut of new drummer Craig Adams, who replaced the late David Otanez in 2022, minutes before the release of the band’s second album What’s The Stouray…
Check out Bankers Of Yonge on YouTube here - MR! MOURAY
Adams, Bedford-James, bass player Jaimie Vernon and lead guitarist Nelson Pereira were once members of 1980s Toronto new wave act Swedish Fish. Some four decades years later, they haven’t lost their knack for crafting a sharp pop-rock hook, anchoring it with a punchy groove and topping it with some sweet harmonies. Yonge Street’s loss is your gain. Which reminds me of one more essential fact: The Bankers of Yonge video was directed by another former member of Swedish Fish: Len van Bruggen IV. Who says there’s no loyalty in rock ’n’ roll?
We caught up with Jaimie Vernon in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario and he had this to say about the current band Mr! Moray: "I wasn't playing at all in 2018 I got a call from Simon, he said they were having a hard time finding a bass player would I like to play with Mr! Moray. I hadn't been playing for awhile and I thought why not? We launched Mr! Moray and we have been having a great time ever since. Our expectations our different, we know we are not going to be touring rock stars so we don't take gigs that don't make sense, we take gigs that are fun. We enjoy rehearsing, hanging out, healthy fighting over tunes and arrangements. We are making up for lost time, making up for the heartaches. It's been four years and we are still going strong making music. Simon writes all the tunes, I do back up vocals. No egos, no stress."
"There is more joy in it for us now, we play with a passion. I have the experience of the Bullseye label (which is still in existence) and we all have a following and fanbase that is so supportive, we are humbled by it all."
“The song explores the age old story of ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ — except in reverse,” the band say. “The song tells the story of (singer-guitarist Simon Bedford-James’) encounter with an old friend who became a Toronto banking executive on Yonge Street, and experienced the unexpected demands and personal costs, of living a high-octane, stressful life in finance. The character in the song wishes he could live a life of commitment-free solitude as a common worker bee in a menial job instead. Ironically, that was the very life that Simon was desperately trying to elevate himself out of. Trading places, indeed.”
Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/artist/543TgdZNvZfmp5ZrgvzTNc
"We are working on a new EP, and keeping with our title deliveries this one is called "Whiter Pale of Shade", Vernon goes on to say. "I have a song on it I wrote a long time ago called American Dreamer, and Simon has convinced me to sing lead vocal on it. So I guess I am back in the thick of it now."
My advice to the up and coming artists: "I'm leading the charge. I'm making waves. If you want to come along, follow in my wake."
