On August 29th in Calgary, Alberta at the Marquee Beer Market & Stage, The Age Of Electric will reunite for their first show in 17 years. Fronted by Todd Kerns – who presently plays bass in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – The Age Of Electric were staples on Much Music (the Canadian MTV) during the ‘90s. In addition to their now ultra-rare pair of indie cassettes, AOE issued three CDs: Ugly (1993), The Age Of Electric (1995), and Make A Pest A Pet (1997).  

Originally from Estevan, Saskatchewan, and currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada, Todd Kerns took part in an exclusive Q&A chat with BraveWords scribe Aaron Small.

After 17 years of silence, what caused The Age Of Electric to reform?

“People keep asking why Calgary? Why no tour? The answer is my schedule. Everyone's schedule, really. The reason Calgary came up was because a promoter took the initiative and made it happen. Had it been anywhere else we'd probably be playing there. There was a break in my schedule so it all just kind of came together. The offer came in and we all happened to be able to make it work. It's that simple.”

This upcoming show in Calgary, is it a one-time only event?

“As it stands right now, a show seems like a good place to start. We have new music and it will be fun to introduce some of that in a live setting. The possibility of more shows is definitely there. That will all depend on the almighty scheduling.”

Will you record the show for a possible live album or DVD, Blu-Ray release?

“We will definitely document the show. Any actual release would depend on multiple factors. AOE has always been about moving forward. Though this will be a retrospective of sorts, it is still going to be about now.”

Any plans to re-release the band's back catalogue or record new material?

“All of this is a possibility. We have new music and have been looking for a reason to get it out there. This may very well jump start all of that. The back catalogue really should be out there. It's a crime that it isn't. It's on iTunes but it really should be made readily available in all formats. We are looking into all of that. The best thing is having control over our catalogue.”

Why did The Age Of Electric break up in 1998 after touring with Our Lady Peace?

“The band had been together almost 10 years. We all had other interests. A more sober perspective would have been to simply take a break and reconvene but that break stretched on and on. We all got busy with other projects. Getting back together, whether for a show or more, has been talked about for many years now. The fact that this is actually happening is as much a surprise to me as to anyone else.”

The Age Of Electric made its first mark at the end of the hair metal era with "Aphrodisiac Smile", and enjoyed continued success throughout the grunge years with "Ugly" and "Remote Control". Was it difficult to survive such a drastic switch in popular music at the time?

“We were kids when we started. We loved all forms of big, loud music. As we found ourselves and our sound we very naturally evolved. We were fortunate enough to have evolved along with a scene that was changing around us. AOE was always very tunnel-vision oriented. We did what we did and paid little attention to what anyone else was doing. Even now when I listen to what we did it's hard to quantify all the influences. Everything from straight up rock to Replacements and Pixies influences. To us it was all rock n roll. It was all the Beatles. In reality we didn't really start making an impact sales-wise until Ugly and forward.”

The Age Of Electric was comprised of two pairs of brothers - the Kerns and the Dahles. That must have made for some interesting dynamics.

“It certainly made for the uniqueness of it. Kurt (Dahle, drums) and I had become best friends with a real vision. Our little brothers were kids. They were still in high school. I have a unique connection to each member. John (Kerns, bass) is blood. He is my brother. Kurt is one of my oldest friends and one of the most naturally gifted musicians I know. Ryan (Dahle, guitar) is a close friend as well, but we also have the creative connection behind the writing of the music as well.”

Bob Rock (Metallica, Mötley Crüe, The Cult) served as executive producer on The Ugly EP, what was it like working with such a legend?

“Bob is the reason we finally relocated to Vancouver. It started a whole chapter where we became very focused on our career. Our direction became much more focused. From that we created the Ugly EP which led to the Untitled album and Make A Pest A Pet where we made real impact.”

What are your fondest memories of being in The Age Of Electric?

“I miss Canada a great deal. My career has taken me away but my heart remains. It was an amazing journey attaining success right there in our backyard. I have many great memories and hope to make many more. I remember signing autographs at Much Music when David Bowie walked by. The kids didn't even register he was there. He just smiled at me bemused like 'who the hell are you?' It was surreal. I said to the girl I was signing an autograph for 'Oh my god! That's David Bowie.' She just said 'Oh yeah. My mom likes him.' Totally unaffected, surreal.”

Years later when playing with The Sin City Sinners in Las Vegas, people in the audience would often request AOE songs; those must have been proud moments.

“To this day people bring me AOE CD jackets to sign and it never hesitates to make me smile. They show up in the weirdest places like the other side of the world. I'm very proud of that legacy.”

Are Slash, Myles Kennedy, or your co-Conspirators Brent Fitz and Frank Sidoris fans of The Age Of Electric?

“I'm not sure they're all that aware, most of them being American. Fitz was at an AOE show at the Dragonfly in LA back in the ‘90s. Fitz has always been a supporter. The guys are supporters of whatever I do and vice versa.”