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BROOMFILLER

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Hometown	Toronto, Canada
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Upcoming Shows	None

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About the Artist

BROOMFILLER is Toronto, Canada’s answer to melodic punk rock. Having been compared to the melodic punk rock sounds of Bad Religion, Face to Face, Millencolin, Husker Du, Foo Fighters, and Bracket, (to name a few), their heavy melodic punk alternative...

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Music

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Achievements

Reached 26th in Best of Rock chart in 2011. In the top 100 for 14 weeks.

Top 10 in Punk, July 2010

May 2010 Punk

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Press Coverage

Greg Cataline Interview's Richard D. Leko! by
Interview with BROOMFILLER's Richard D. Leko! www.myspace.com/broomfiller Date: Nov 10 2006 - (Somewhere in California on their 2006 Tour of the States) Richard D. Leko - guitar, vocals, songwriter Dylan Broda - drums, backing vocals Trip - bass, backing vocals MUEN: TELL ME ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THE SONG "YOUR FADING AWAY? RICHARD D. LEKO: "Your Fading Away" is basically about 'heart cleansing'. everyone has to do it at one time or another in their life. I went thru a very heartbreaking relationship - something that meant alot to me, and it was that point in my life when I 'realized' that I didn't care about her anymore, and that she was fading away out of my life / mind. MUEN: HOW MANY CD'S HAVE YOU RELEASED BEFORE BROOMFILLER'S 'ENTER THE STORM?" AND IS THIS CD THE FIRST THAT FEATURED YOUR SELF ALONE, DOING ALL THE VOCALS AND INSTRUMENTS? RICHARD D. LEKO: BROOMFILLER has had a few cd's out. There was a very small pressing of a 4 song cassette ep called "Yunta" back in 1997, which I played all the instruments on. A 4 song cassette called "...goggles" was released with me writing all the material, but only singing and playing guitar on the recordings. Then a 7 song cd ep was put out (in 2000) with the same music remastered and other songs on it. One of the early versions of a song "Herb Eaverstank" was put on the 7 song cd ep as well...which I played all the instruments. In 2002 the band's first full length album came out "Watching the girls go bi", and I played all the instruments on about half that album, with some other people playing bass and drums on some of the other tracks. In the years that followed, some band member changes occurred, and I felt most comfortable with just demoing everything myself, which was just easier at the time. So I ended up recording all the demo's (45 songs) for "Enter the Storm" myself... and then I had to choose the best 20, and then re-record them in good. From the 20.. I had to choose 12...but ended up putting 15 on the album. Thru this entire process for "Enter the Storm" ...I engineered, and played all the instruments on the album. MUEN: WHERE DID YOU RECORD THE ALBUM? RICHARD D. LEKO: I built my own studio in Toronto where I live... So it allowed me to procrastinate, as well as work till 6am whenever I wanted to. It was great! MUEN: WHO DID THE ARTWORK FOR THE COVER? RICHARD D. LEKO: A good friend of the band, Pierre, did all the actual art work for the band. He also was the creative force behind all of our recent merchandise, as well as the www.broomfiller.com site. Stephen Scholtz is also the other creative team member behind www.broomfiller.com. Both Pierre and Stephen were incredible people to work with, and have been fans of the band for many years. For the album cover... I had always loved tornadoes, and have a fascination with them, and I had this album cover pictured in my head for years... so it took several revisions ...and we mean SEVERAL!... haha.. but we finally got it to look like what I wanted. Pierre was amazing to work with ...absolutely amazing. MUEN: WHICH INSTRUMENT DID YOU START WITH WHEN THE DREAM OF DOING MUSIC FIRST BEGAN? RICHARD D. LEKO: My parents bought my brother and myself an acoustic guitar back when I was 8 or so. I still have this guitar actually. Then I moved onto drums and played them for about 15-20 some odd years, and putting the guitar to the side... but still while writing songs. I was really a drummer at heart, and a songwriter / frontman...second. MUEN: AND WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DID YOU START OUT WITH? IT WASN'T ALWAYS PUNK WAS IT? RICHARD D. LEKO: I played drums in a country wedding band, a metal band, some rock bands, alternative bands etc. however, I never did get ANY enjoyment out of playing covers (if/when we did). Punk was not really what I played. I just kept having people tell me that the stuff that I was playing was punk, or punk influenced...and I was like....um..ok cool!!! thanks!!??!! lol. MUEN: HOW IS THE TOUR GOING SO FAR? ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE TURNOUT? WHAT SHOW SO FAR, DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE MOST MEMORABLE? RICHARD D. LEKO: The tour is going great! It's the band's second tour this year. We will have clocked in 15 weeks in the US this year after this tour is done. Our California shows were really awesome! We started working with our new 'partner in crime' (manager) Haley, out of California, and she's been really REALLY helpful beyond words! Our last show in California was at a venue called Fitzgerald's. That was a stellar show. we also had another great time in Glendale, AZ. MUEN: HOW LONG HAS THE CURRENT TOURING VERSION OF BROOMFILLER BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER AS A BAND? AND IS THIS THE FIRST TOUR "IN THE STATES? RICHARD D. LEKO: This is the band's 3rd US tour. Dylan is drumming currently in the band, and drummed on the last tour. We have meshed quite well and I can see him touring with BROOMFILLER for a long time in the future. On bass, I asked an old friend of mine from Toronto named 'Trip' to play on the tour. BROOMFILLER has never really had a permanent bass player. We'll see how it goes. MUEN: HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENES IN CANADA WITH THE ONES IN THE US? RICHARD D. LEKO: We have received a HUGE reception in the US. People go out of their way down here, after seeing our show, to come up and talk to us, buy our merch, and tell us how much they enjoyed the show. I think it's also 'cause we are not from the area, which also sparks alot of interest as well. MUEN: WHAT CURRENT ARTISTS ON THE SCENE NOW, DO YOU ADMIRE MOST, OR FEEL INSPIRED BY MOST? RICHARD D. LEKO: Dave Grohl has always been a huge inspiration for me. From drumming in Nirvana, and then fronting the Foo Fighters ...that was around the time I started BROOMFILLER (1996 / 1997)... so for myself, being a drummer, and then fronting my own band ..it was highly influential. I also think he is an amazing songwriter. MUEN: ANY OTHER NEWS OR INFO YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE READERS? RICHARD D. LEKO: Well, we have just released our music video on line for the song "The Cause". You can check it out on our myspace page!! www.myspace.com/broomfiller And look out for us on tour in the US in the spring!! www.myspace.com/broomfiller www.broomfiller.com Interview by G. Cataline G.Cataline www.MUENmagazine.net www.MUENmagazine.com

Bill Messick - New Artist Radio by
When it comes to rock & roll BROOMFILLER knows how to set the standard of clarity to a new level of wow! This band has what it takes to be among the greats in the business of music, this music is like a new energy drink. With each sip of "Enter The Storm" you get a burst of music energy that makes your hair stand on end! This is not something you will want to listen to while you are going to sleep at night, it will keep you up all night and should come with a warning label to let you know! I had a really tough time coming up with the words to describe what I was hearing on this CD. There are 15 heart-pounding songs on this CD that will send your senses into overtime. The production and artwork of the case are amazing, you will love this band. I would recommend "Enter The Storm" to anyone that wants some high energy kick in their punk rock & roll. ~Dark, Bill Messick reviews@newartistradio.net

Linaea Tawney - Viciousmusicmag.com by
BROOMFILLER "Enter the Storm" LP Reviewed by Linaea Tawney - Viciousmusicmag.com Driving guitar riffs open up, add to that a similar driving drum line and Richard Leko's vocals and you have got the newest cd by BROOMFILLER. This band never disappoints when they release new material. There are some fairly long stretches of music in between lyrics on some songs but BROOMFILLER does a great job in writing the parts so that it doesn't get boring. From in your face songs like Turn to seconds of static to hidden tracks, BROOMFILLER makes the most of a full cd. There isn't a minute that doesn't mean something. If you have the chance to get Enter the Storm or catch one of their shows you will not be disappointed. Vicious Music Mag www.viciousmusicmag.com

Gregory Cataline - MUEN Magazine by
BROOMFILLER Enter The Storm" - reviewed by MUEN Magazine Imagine Ozzy Osbourne turns punk and re-titles himself BROOMFILLER! Ok, it's not that extreme, but there are some similarities in the vocal deliverance of Richard D. Leko. The truth is, this songwriter-vocalist-musician does a lot more than bite off the heads of bats and let camera crues into his home while he's sloshed.... Richard Leko did EVERYTHING on the album titled, 'ENTER THE STORM,' and he did it damn well!! The Canadian punk rocker is on tour now with his live version of BROOMFILLER and if they are anything like the album, in concert, one needs to take these "punk artists" seriously, at all costs. Songs like the first track, "The Cause," and others such as "Drainho" are brilliant songs that spotlight the artists uncanny knack for great storytelling. After just a few listens to this album in it's entirety, the songs have become engrained in my memory without wearing out their welcome. This CD is plenty long enough with 15 tracks of mainly high-octane material, and a pretty good recording of a thunder storm as well for the end of the song, "Backdown" which actually ends up being track 16 on the disc, before it's over.... great work! ~ Gregory Cataline (MUENmagazine.net)

Hawk - MousaGenre Promotions by
BROOMFILLER "Enter the Storm Reviewed by Hawk (MousaGenre Promotions) http://www.geocities.com/mousagenre/reviews http://community.livejournal.com/talk_music/ BROOMFILLER's new video 'The Cause' online [08 Nov 2006|06:25pm] I am thrilled about this band and what they are trying to accomplish. They are a 3 piece punk rock band from Canada. Their sound is most definitely different from the rest. They add heavy melodic alternative rock with deep guitar and heart attack drums and frame it around true meaning clean vocals. Each song is like the good old fashion punk with a modern twist. They recently released their second album Enter The Storm on Coach House Records. Also they have a new video out titled The Cause you can download it and other videos on their sites: http://www.broomfiller.com or watch it on their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/broomfiller

Rokky - BigRockFinish.com by
BROOMFILLER at Rock & Roll Heaven - December 20, 2007 Reviewed by Rokky - BigRockFinish.com (Febuary, 2008) So the last show that I went to in 2007 would have been the BROOMFILLER set at Rock & Roll Heaven. One of the strangest places I had ever seen a show at ever. It was awesome in the fact that I got to be put on the Media Guest List made it all that much sweeter. Unfortunately that meant I was actually working that night. So being personal guests of BROOMFILLER was pretty awesome. It was weird because it was a Thursday night. I really dislike the fact that all the good shows are always on Thursdays. When I still have to work on Friday. But it's a sacrifice I'm still willing to make. Me and Alex (my date, and I suppose partner in crime) are settling in and getting our beers in while I'm checking my camera, when the band hits the stage. I can never tell the difference between the sound check and the show when a sound check is basically running through a whole song. So I took pictures. Why not. Went back to my beer, and giggled just a little when Alex was thrown a video camera and said "Well, TFO it up!" Because...well...you know. French Canadian television rocks. Anyways. The set started, and BROOMFILLER hit everything pretty hard. Considering I own all of their albums, I recognize all the song and generally took pictures of the band on stage while singing along. Making sure Alex didn't trip over me while he was working the video camera was pretty hectic as well. And overall trying to find different parts of the venue to get the shots I wanted...difficult when there are people in the way. I definitely need to get a new lens. Richard suggested a fisheye, and I might just do that. But anyways, the banter reminded me just a little of the banter from their show in the summer time. Some things never go out of style, and toilet humour is one of them. But the show was as energetic as I could ever imagine it. The fog machine drove me nuts. Loved it. Definitely a great way to end the year. Couldn't ask for anything more. Well, maybe the beer that Richard bought for me at the end. :)

Scott Bryson - Chart Magazine by
BROOMFILLER Take The O.C. By Storm Monday October 29, 2007 @ 05:00 PM By: ChartAttack.com Staff If we've learned anything from television's The O.C., it's that California kids seem to be in the know when it comes to hip music. Back before it turned into a bleeding-heart soap opera, the program was a hot spot for indie name-dropping, and the show's soundtracks often featured Canadian artists such as Stars, Ron Sexsmith and A.C. Newman. It turns out that the kids in real-life California know a thing or two about good Canadian music as well. Toronto-based melodic punk act BROOMFILLER was nominated for a slew of awards in southern California both in 2006 and 2007, and last year took home the trophy for best international act at the Inland Empire Music Awards and the Orange County Music Awards. While BROOMFILLER haven't made a tremendous breakthrough north of the border, it seems that SoCal success has come pretty easily. Ironically, primary singer/songwriter Richard Leko doesn't have a clue why the O.C. kids dig his music so much. We don't have that typical California sound, which might be like Lagwagon or NOFX," he says, somewhat perplexed. "I have no idea. I was really floored. We played the Orange County Music Awards and we played a song and, a couple of nominations later, we found out we won best international and we were shitting our pants backstage as we were packing our gear up. We didn't write a speech we didn't expect anything and we came out there like bumbling idiots. With his U.S. prospects seemingly under control, Leko recently began focusing on the Canadian market and inked a deal with Toronto's Fading Ways label for the cross-country release of the latest BROOMFILLER disc, Enter The Storm. While one might expect a disc beloved by California kids to be a bright, sunshiny affair, Leko's latest effort is quite the opposite. I never really write when I'm happy," he explains. "I always write when I'm mad or sad or pissed off. During that time, I didn't have a band. That was depressing as hell. Both of my parents went through a lot of health-related issues it was a really traumatic time for me during the last half of 2005. Enter The Storm was my way of saying if you listen to the album from beginning to end, you will endure 76 minutes of Richard's personal experiences of hell or trauma. It was just basically a slice of my life a time capsule of what I was going through. The pressure of making a good disc was doubly intense in this case because Leko had no one but himself to blame if he mucked things up. As he's done on some of his past recordings, Leko played every note on the album himself. The reason that I did Enter The Storm by myself was that the drummer that I did have left and went to Florida, and the bass player I had left and went to California, and I just really didn't feel like trying to scrape another band together," he explains. "I sort of built my own studio and just did the Trent Reznor thing on my own. Leko is putting together a new touring lineup and hopes to take BROOMFILLER on the road either this fall or next spring. The lone show scheduled at the moment will take place at Toronto's Phoenix on Nov. 15. Leko has also started recording demos for a new album that should be released in 2008. Scott Bryson

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