Asexuals (band)

Asexuals
The Asexuals (T.J., John and Sean with Paul on drums) in Montreal, October 2010
Background information
Origin	Beaconsfield, Quebec
Genres	Punk rock, hardcore, alternative
Years active	1983–1997, 2010–present
Labels	Og Music, First Strike, Psyche Industry, Cargo, Boss Tuneage, RPN
Associated acts	Doughboys, All Systems Go!
Members	John Kastner Sean Friesen T.J. Collins Paul Remington

The Asexuals (or Asexuals) is a hardcore punk band from Beaconsfield that was a mainstay of the Montreal punk scene in the 1980s before changing into an alternative band following the departure of singer John Kastner. Kastner left to form the Doughboys and later, All Systems Go!.

The Asexuals formed in 1983 when Sean Friesen, T.J.Collins and Paul Remington, all Beaconsfield High students, decided to start a punk rock band. Another Beaconsfield native, future actor Al Goulem, was in the band as second guitarist for a few months with Collins singing. Their friend John Kastner quickly joined and became the singer.

After briefly using the names "Commonwealth", "Dead Dog", "Johnny Jew and the Holocaust" and "VD Teens", they finally chose the name "Asexuals" because none of the band members had girlfriends at the time. Their music mixed elements of hardcore as well as more melodic punk rock à la The Nils or Hüsker Dü.

The band played gigs in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto, opening for touring Canadian and American punk bands before releasing their first EP, Featuring: The Asexuals on Og Music in 1984. The same year, the band contributed a song to the legendary Montreal punk compilation Primitive Air-Raid on Psyche Industry Records, then released their first LP Be What You Want on First Strike Records in December 1984.

By the following year, Psyche Industry Records had received much positive feedback about the Asexuals's song, "Contra-rebels", (the opening track from the Primitive Air-Raid compilation), so they happily re-released the band's Be What You Want LP after First Strike Records refused to do so, having stopped answering the band's letters and phone calls. Also in 1985, Psyche Industry released the Asexuals' second LP, Contemporary World, which featured a hardcore treatment of Bob Dylan's classic song, "The Times They Are a-Changin'", and generally flirted with a more alternative rock sound. The band went on a two-month, 69-date tour across the U.S.A. and Canada to promote that album.