Q: Okay, so who are you?

From left to right: Bassist Andrew Hall, guitarist Olin Valby, guitarist and singer Michael A. Charles, and drummer Dean Drobot.

I'm Michael - guitarist, singer, and website guy. I live here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and so does Andrew. Olin and Dean are presently living in, respectively, Texas and Scotland. For a time - a depressingly brief time, when you add it up - we all lived together in Saskatoon and formed the core of the band known as Sea Water Bliss. There've been other members, over the years.

Now I guess it's just me and Andrew, but we don't do much except make low-budget music videos and play a coffeeshop gig every once in a while. But back in the day - back in the day, my friend - we were huge. Huge!

Q: Really?

No, we were always tiny.

Q: What does this so-called "band" of yours sound like?

Sigh. Well, a lot of people have said we sound like the Barenaked Ladies. But we hate the Barenaked Ladies. So you might say we sound like what the Barenaked Ladies would sound like, if they hated themselves.

When the Ness Creek Festival asked us to submit a blurb describing our sound, here's what we came up with:

Taking their inspiration from AC/DC, Hank Williams, and John Denver's collaborations with the Muppets, The Band Known As Sea Water Bliss doesn't really sound like anyone else out there. Which may or may not be a good thing.

They used to play punk rock - under the name "Bonerface" - but that got boring. Then they tried jazz, but that turned out to be really hard. Now they just play whatever they feel like - which means fiery guitar solos, melodic bass lines, and songs about evil children, crazy hippies, and bad '80s movies.

Q: That answer doesn't help at all. I don't suppose you have any recordings I could listen to?

Yes, finally, we do.

After playing music together for almost fifteen years, during which time we never recorded anything more sophisticated than lo-fi basement tapes, in 2006 we finally completed our self-titled debut CD, samples of which are available here.

Q: Is it true that there's a secret, seldom-visited section of this website where you post weird stuff that has nothing to do with the band?

It's not really a secret. Visit the Michael A. Charles Archive to read the plays, poems, screenplays, short stories, and other writings that divert my attention from a flourishing music career.

Q: What's with the fish-girl on the main page?

That attractive ocean creature is Marrina, reproduced (without permission) from the early-'80s Marvel comic book "Alpha Flight". For another take on Marrina, by local artist Troy Mamer (who painted our album cover, above), click here.

Do you have any further questions?

Q: No, that's all I can think of.

Okay. Well, thanks for dropping by.

Q: Yeah.

Maybe we'll talk more later?

Q: Yeah, sure. I'll see you around.

Okay. Bye.