Better Living Through Chemistry Brings The Heat With 'Burn Burn Burn'

BLTCband

Luigi Saracino really, really wants people to do something not many people do anymore: Buy a CD.

The lead singer of Better Living Through Chemistry is proud of the striking look of the Ottawa indie band’s sophomore album, Burn Burn Burn.

"We worked hard on the visual elements of the CD package,” Saracino explained. “For example, we used reproductions of my original lyrics sheets, scribbles, cartoons and all, for the CD liners.”

Better Living Through Chemistry will officially launch Burn Burn Burn on April 28 in their hometown – and Saracino is promising big things. “Ponies. And fluffernutters,” he joked. “Lots and lots of fluffernutters.”

Saracino and bandmates Trevor Kealey, Paul Townsend, Richard Girard, and Chris Saracino formed Better Living Through Chemistry in 2013 after the musicians came together to do a show and discovered they had – you guessed it – chemistry.

“We liked writing and playing together so much, that we decided to keep doing it,” he recalled. “And as trite as it might sound, it's pretty great to be in a band with four guys who just love music of all kinds.”

Despite the eclectic influences, Saracino said Better Living Through Chemistry is unabashedly a rock band. Think big guitar riffs, tight rhythms and a focus on melody, he said.

“While our individual musical tastes run the gamut, we are able to combine those seemingly disparate elements into a cohesive and forward-thinking style,” he explained.

“It's no secret we love the ’90s, though.”

Saracino and his bandmates are veterans of the Ottawa music scene. He fronted Dreams Go Colour, Sam I Am and Boywonder and played on the same stages as bands like Moist, Glass Tiger and Our Lady Peace.

“Ottawa is a much different city nowadays, particularly in regards to venues for bands to perform,” he said. “All of us in the band have had the opportunity to play in this city when there was a much larger focus and attention given to indie acts.

“There are certainly way more bands than there were, but the age-old question of trying to get people to actively participate in the scene is challenging.”

Still, Saracino believes the city best known for spawning Alanis Morissette and Belly continues to support indie music.

“Ottawa gets a bad rap as ‘a government town,’ but the fact remains that bands and solo artists in this city are world-class,” he said. “There are still venues open to having live bands, who still promote and encourage homegrown talent.”

One of those venues is Pressed, which will host the Burn Burn Burn CD release show on April 28. (The $10 cover charge includes a copy of the CD.)

“We pride ourselves on being a dynamic live act, and there will be a greater visual element to this show as well in regards to lightning and scenery,” Saracino promised. “We absolutely love to play live and hopefully that comes across when you see us.

“Also, there's the aforementioned fluffernutters.”

Burn Burn Burn is available at Bandcamp and via the band's Facebook page.