Listing to Jicah on myspace (http://www.myspace.com/jicahmusic), I can’t help but recall the days when I was privileged enough to sit and play in the same room as Jeff. Always determined and ever critical, it’s probably why we never made it big as fourteen year-olds. Really, that says more about me than it does about him, because even then I figured if he put half the effort he did in getting change off his parents for a slurpee as he did into his music, he would make it somewhere. It appears I was right.

Their sound has come a long way since I used to hear Jeff and Micah playing with The Nods. A much more polished and melodic sound which is fun, and easy listening. It’s complicated with out being stuffy. Each time I listen to it, I hear new interesting things I didn’t hear the first time.

The songs have a familiarity to them using the defining trends from the pop and rock world over the last 50 years. You hear Paul McCartney bass lines and chord progressions, it’s light and playful like Vampire Weekend, and has the rawness of Jack White. They have the dynamics and harmonies like David Bowie, and yet somehow mange to stay unique.

Jeff Bruce started the side project on a lap top while in The Nods, and soon Micah Braun, also from The Nods, joined in. When rifts between the members of The Nods became too frequent and large, Jicah soon became their only project. With the writing credits split 50/50 between Jeff and Micah, they added musicians Majche Bunjalowski on guitar (Pagan Sunflowers), Joey Penner on bass (Waking Eyes), and keyboardist Brain James (Quinzy). This is an experienced ensemble that knows how to rock.

After a year and a half of writing and recording, and just over a dozen gigs, they secured a meeting, in Barbados no less, with Graeme Lowe (Kasabian, Oasis, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) to promote the eventual album and tour.

The plan is to spend the next three months recording and writing, and then eventually tour for a year straight in Canada and Australia. They plan on playing 100 shows in Canada alone so check your local listings.

I saw Jicah for the first time at The Caver last night (April 19, 2010). They were filming a music video for “Our Time” which featured a giant yellow mascot. With still only a handful of songs, the gig was short but an appreciative crowd didn’t seem to mind. I was sitting at the back and those that weren't dancing at the front could be seen bobbing their heads in unison and tapping their feet.

I sat down with Jeff on Saturday, April 17 in Osbourne Village to talk about Jicah and where the music has taken him over the last few years.

A: So does it feel like you’ve made the big time now?

J: It doesn’t feel like that we’re not... I have like, twenty dollars in the bank account. We haven't made anything. We secured the right people to try to make it... He wants us to demo our music for the next three months and then take everything we got and find us a Canadian and Australian label.

A: So how did Jicah come about?

J: What happened was, Micah was losing interest in The Nods... and I decided to get a laptop and started recording stuff, and him and I started screwing around on the side, and it started to sound really good. It basically wore down the band, people quit and so we did Jicah full time.

A: How is it writing songs as a drummer?

J: While I knew back in The Nods that if I ever wanted to write songs I had to learn how to play guitar, so I have been playing around with it for like four years,I know a few chords, enough to write songs.

A:Is it all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll?

J: It will be, but right now it’s not as easy, no it’s not like that right now, we all have girlfriends... except for our piano player Brian, he gets any kind of girl he wants... Big, tall, hairy-chested rock star guy... He just looks at a girl and she wants to fuck him so...

A: How do you build your songs, because they sound very light and well layered.

J: It’s not like a super complicated deep thing. All we do is get drunk and write music, and it always starts off with a really simple hook, something really really easy. Really simple and you start like, maybe I’ll play a drum beat to it to get a good tempo, and just start throwing stuff on top of it one by one. Usually we write lyrics last, just kind of mouth a bunch of lyrics or use temporary lyrics, find the melody we want and get all the good harmonies we want.

A: How is it working with Micah? You’ve been working together for a while now?

J: MIcah has some sort of.. I swear to God, inner connection with John Lennon or something. He’s the biggest Beatles fan I’ve seen in my whole life. He’ll change a guitar chord to a Beatles-esqe guitar chord. We’re not trying to sound like the Beatles and anyone who says we sound like the Beatles, I don’t think you can have a bigger compliment. We don’t ever try and sound like it, we just love them so much it’s impossible to not sound like your favorite band... Micha’s actually an insanely talented musician... He’s got feel, he’s got some sort of musical soul in him you know what I mean? He can pick up any instrument and get good at it really fast. Basically the only thing that person was born to do was make music. He’s horrible at everything else... I think there is something special about Micah’s voice. I think he’s got a cool unique voice that no one’s heard of.

A: How has the music evolved over your time writing and playing together?

J: It’s this maturity thats like always happening. I don’t think this band would exist with out that trial period of The Nods. That was all us learning how to become mature... It’s like, everyone in this band has been in bands for seven years, we all know how to be in bands, we got to just put the guys on stage and everyone kind of just rocks it up, I couldn’t ask for a better band.

A: Why should people listen to you guys? Why should anyone care?

J: Okay, I think people should listen to the album because we’re trying to put albums back on the map. Where it’s like, you don’t have two songs that are great and like 90 percent bullshit. There’s not much out there these days where you find an album that’s stacked, and that’s what we’re trying to do. Make an album front to back with really good songs... I think there is something special about the songs. I actually truly believe in the music and truly believe in the band. I’ve never been able to say that before. I didn’t believe they deserved to be out there and I do with this band.

A: Awesome, thanks a lot, any shameless plugs you want to throw out there before you go?

J: Sheepdogs, unbelievable, like the Guess Who. If they would have came out in 1965 they would have been bigger then the Guess Who. Just so damn good. Ya, plug those guys.

A: Thanks a lot Jeff it was a pleasure, best of luck.

J: Thanks, it was great, good to see you again.