BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [February 2018]

THE SHEEPDOGS
exploring multiple shades of rock ‘n’ roll
The Sheepdogs released ‘Changing Colors’ on February 2.
Damn near everyone can croon the iconic
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers line:
“The way—eh—ting is the hardest part”
(emphasis on the waiting… and waiting).
The adage runs true in the classic rock
track as it does in life. Just ask The Sheepdogs’
front man Ewan Currie. Their new
record ‘Changing Colors’ finally dropped
on February 2, and according to him, it’s
about time.
“Truthfully, it’s like ‘Get the damn thing
out already.’ It’s been done for a while and
we just want people to hear it,” he says.
Although it’s only been three years since
their previous offering ‘Future Nostalgia,’ he’s
excited for the changes the band implemented.
“It’s because we’re excited about it. I always
loved when a band would make a big, sort
of sprawling album with all kinds of stuff you
can sink your teeth into, so that’s kind of
what we did. I hope people dig it and I think
they will.”
‘Changing Colors’ isn’t so much a departure
from the band’s pleasant brand of bluesy
rock ‘n’ roll as it is an addition, incorporating
smooth pedal steel hooks, groovy horns,
funky bass lines, and other unique sounds.
Did BROS (Currie’s side project with his
brother and Sheepdogs keyboardist Shamus)
influence the sound of ‘Changing Colors’?
“I think it did to some degree. We made it
in the same place where we made our BROS.
record,” Currie responds.
“And I think what that BROS. project did
was expand our palette and open our minds
a little more to different sounds and different
BY TREVOR MORELLI
ways of doing things.”
Another layer on ‘Changing Colors’ is the
addition of multi-instrumentalist Jim Bowkill,
who joined the band in 2015. Currie believes
Bowskill adds a texture to The Sheepdogs’
sound that elevates them to another level.
“He actually helped me write a couple of
songs straight up so that was pretty huge,”
Currie remarks.
“He’s a crazy talented, amazing guitar
player. He’s also a very good singer. He sings
a lot of backups and stuff. He’s also a really
tremendous pedal steel player. He’s a fiddle
player and plays mandolin. We really wanted
to take advantage of those instruments.”
Bowskill’s luscious pedal steel playing can
be heard on mellower tracks like “Let it Roll”,
while Currie and the boys crank up the guitars
for a rollicking good time on first single
“I’ve Got a Hole Where My Heart Should Be”.
Without question, Currie and The Sheepdogs’
hearts will be into every show on the
band’s upcoming Canadian tour. They’re glad
to be out touring the country even though
the weather was less than favorable for the
first month of the year.
“It’s a great time to tour Canada. Summertime
is the time when everyone’s taking off. I
think it’s actually the best time. It helps that
we’ve got a tour bus we’ll be on.”
Catch the Sheepdogs performing Tuesday, Feb.
20 at Union Hall (Edmonton), Wednesday, Feb.
21 at The Palace Theatre (Calgary), Thursday,
Feb. 22 at Cadillac Hall (Cadillac), Friday, Feb. 23
at O’Brian’s Even Centre (Saskatoon) and Saturday,
Feb. 24 at the Burton Cumming’s Theatre
THE HEIRLOOMS
avoiding genre traps and keeping momentum
Seeking to create something honest,
something reflective of internal struggles
and the satisfaction of overcoming them,
Calgary indie-psych-rockers The Heirlooms
are on the verge of releasing their latest
single, a teaser of their new album to come
in 2018.
The four-piece, fronted by Kat Westermann,
have released three albums, each
building upon their mellow, rainy day vibes
while incorporating something new. Clean
guitar riffs rise around subtle drum beats
and lilting keyboard melodies to create a
soundscape conducive to moonlit drives and
introspective contemplation of the sunrise.
At times, though, the pace picks up and leads
to something more upbeat; like a folk anthem
begging the listener to enjoy life despite the
ups and downs.
“I think all of us really just want every song
to be somewhat different, and that leads us
to having quite the diverse set list to play in
terms of having different emotive qualities
for different crowds and different places,”
Westermann remarks.
“In that way, it’s kind of nice that we’ve
avoided falling into one particular genre or
another.”
In the first week of March, The Heirlooms
will be releasing a brand new single which
they have been working on throughout the
winter. The track (or tracks, as it may be) is
Calgary psych-rock group drops single and hints at album.
BY JODI BRAK
going to be a glimpse into their latest full
length release which is planned for release
later in the year.
“One of the songs we will be recording we
actually just wrote about a week ago!”
Westermann says, “it just felt like it was
way too good to not record right away, we
were all quite excited about it.”
“The first one we are recording is called
“Feel This Out,” and it’s a really fun sounding
song, but the lyrics are actually about having
horrible social anxiety,” she says, with a bit of
a chuckle.
“It centres around how sometimes what
you say and what you feel in a situation kind
of contradict each other. The other one is
called “Hear Me Now,” and it’s about coming
out of a funk… How coming out of that period
of introspection can actually make you
stronger. It’s a very fun, beachy type of song.
It’s super groovy, and there is a drum solo!”
These new singles will be the first releases
from The Heirlooms to feature some new
instrumentation they are experimenting with,
namely organs and more pronounced keys
and piano interspersed throughout the songs.
Catch The Heirlooms on Saturday, Feb. 24 at
The Ironwood Stage (Calgary), and stay tuned
to their Facebook page for their newest single
release on Friday, Mar. 2, along with a show at
The Palomino (Calgary)
22 | FEBRUARY 2018 • BEATROUTE ROCKPILE