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Homegrown talent setting stage for musical success
Friday July 25 2008 By Kate Davis, for the Banner A flourishing musical scene,  catering to a host of different genres without rebuffing the integral hometown connection of the artist, can be found in the bars, halls and other venues in Orangeville.
As the scene continues to grow, so does the experimentation of style expressed by local talent. For the group Silverlane, Orangeville encompasses an accommodating environment perfect for an easy development of their unique sound.
The band — consisting of lead guitarist Adam Kozak, bassist Mike Ashton, guitarist Jason Masina and brothers Matt and Dave Kalinauskas on drums and vocals, respectively — began their journey with a decidedly community-based approach.
As a rock act with the ability to produce downtempo and acoustic melodies with ease, Silverlane thrives on stylistic creativity and honing their individual sound.
Silverlane began as a bunch of buddies jamming together, and after some member shifting and a scholastic hiatus, evolved into its current form of dedicated musicians.
Aside from citing international artists such as Switchfoot, Jimmy Eat World and Fugazi as just a few influences, the band also notes that other local artists motivate them. “Locally I really like Pant City; he’s a friend of mine,” says Kozak, adding that seeing other Orangeville bands gaining success is a great motivator.
For Matt, even his own bandmates impact his playing outlook.
“Recently Adam’s influenced me a lot,” he says, “(it’s) kind of a work ethic toward music and approaching it in a way that satisfies what you want to hear, and not worrying so much what other people think.”
As a group, their bond of friendship plays an integral role in their success and helps them work through any hardships.
“The best part about our band is the people,” Masina notes. “We’re all really good friends, so we can get through pretty much anything.”
With three of the band members creating the songs, their close relationship goes a long way in maintaining the integrity of the music.
“It’s cool when you feel like the feedback you’re getting [from fellow band members] is honest and constructive,” says Matt.
This has enhanced the kind of material the band is producing, and the creative upswing is leading toward a host of new projects, including a music video and eventual full-length CD.
Playing in their hometown serves as a positive environment when it comes to their development as a band.
“The general consensus is that the most productive shows come from rocking the suburbs,” Dave says, adding the only drawback is the lack of an arena venue for acts to play in.
Recognizing their small-town roots, and the long road ahead of them, the band maintains its sense of humour and ability at laugh at itself.
Playing in an unnamed small town, the band arrived to an empty venue, save for a bandmates’ grandma who told Matthew to turn down the volume of his drumming.
“It was such a bust,” Matt laughs, “but I bet Coldplay don’t have stories like that.”

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