Interviews About Albums: The Mendozaz - The Completely Fictional History Of This Great Nation Of Canada (2025)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Canadian Pop Punk/Punk Rock band The Mendozaz to ask questions about their album, "The Completely Fictional History Of This Great Nation Of Canada".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

The EP is called The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada, and it is a concept record. Each song is based on a True Canadian Legend (that we made up). It's eight songs, and each one of them is a different look at a chapter in our history that never actually happened. We're throwing punk rock fuel onto a fictional fire.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

We feel that Canadian history is often given a really dry treatment in the arts. Occasionally, a band will step up and do something that stands out, like Handheld and their record A Canadian Tragedy. Those guys are well-read and articulate. We're in no position to do something on that scale, so we just made a bunch of stuff up.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

Jonny (that's me) writes the lyrics and usually brings in a half-written idea. Then Michael and Dic bring in their expert musicianship and transform it into something cool and exciting. Check out the marching drum in "The Unlikely Legend of Captain Fuchs" or the bass solo in "Fuck You: The Musical!"

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

That's like asking me to choose a favourite child! Which is something I'm very happy to do. "A Piercing Shriek of Death" is the best by far. Sorry, other kids, your big brother has set the bar high, and you have work to do. The cool thing about that song is that you get to dance during the verses and mosh during the choruses.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

We live in a time when the world is *very serious* and often *very scary*. If you're not into it, there's nothing stopping you from creating your own existence and spending your time in it. Grab a pen. Write a story. I'd like to live in a world where the Expos never left Montreal. Maybe we'll do a follow-up? "The Alternate History of This Two-Baseball-Team-Having Nation of Canada". I like the sound of that.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

You can say that we fib liberally

He jolly-rogered Death quite literally

There's a song about a lecherous sea captain who never met a lady he couldn't seduce (and he has the child-support invoices to prove it!). When the reaper came for him, he looked her dead in the eye (yeah, I said her. In my story, the reaper is a lady), pulled out a bottle of her favourite drink, and said, "wanna see my bedroom?" If you look at it from the right perspective, the song is about love, courage, and most of all: family.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

They say it takes a village. And it doesn't dawn on me until I get to writing the liner notes just how big that village is. If you'd like to know exactly who's in that village, you can pre-order the liner notes (they come with a CD) from our Bandcamp page. But the short version is, everyone who played a part in the creation of this record, supported us in the studio or on the road or was willing to listen to me blather on about my crazy ideas.

Which leads me to a story: two years ago, I was at a musical festival hanging out with Jesse Rhodes from A.S.O.P. He, in an attempt at flattery, compared me to John K. Samson, which is insane because John K. Samson is an incredibly talented songwriter, and I wrote "Fuck You: The Musical!" I said, "I could never be as great as John K. Samson. He knows so much about Canadian history!" And thus an idea was sparked.

Jesse, this is all your fault.

8. Something to add?

This record was a lot of fun to write. And a lot of fun to make. Hopefully it's just as fun to listen to. Thanks for taking the time to listen to me blather on. And I hope you're into what we're doing!