Rawkin: Shack packs them in
The Out Back was filled to the brim to see Olenka & The Autumn Lovers and The Wooden Sky on February 5. This isn't the first time both bands have played the Out Back together, so people knew what to expect. Nevertheless there were people exposed to the sweet sounds for the first time and they were not disappointed.
Who They Are: Olenka & The Autumn Lovers are: Olenka Krakus — classical guitar/lead vocals; Sara Froese — violin, vocals; Paterson Hodgson — cello, vocals; Simon Larochette — trumpet; Daniel Mancini — drums; Blair Whatmore — electric guitar, mandolin, lap steele, accordion. The band is from Vancouver B.C. and London, and Olenka is originally from Poland and it shows in their diverse blend of music.
I had a great conversation with Olenka on subjects like her heritage and how it ties into her music, big labels, how they can get so much done in a year and her cat Mildred. Olenka and her parents immigrated to Canada at the age of five and she still reads, writes and speaks Polish. There are a few songs that she is planning to record in Polish and we can expect that coming soon. She has also written a song in French that was on their EP.
The group put out three albums in 2008, which is very impressive and quite exhausting. Their music could be considered folk music although they are always changing and adapting and exploring new ideas and styles. Sometimes it is overwhelming. One thing that we discussed were her views on the major labels and she explained that right now she is doing all that work herself being an indie band, and although she appreciates what a major label can sometimes do for a band, they also lose personal touch with the artists.
How They Did: Olenka & The Autumn Lovers opened to a packed house eager to embrace the music. They played stuff from their previous albums, and some new tunes that they are planning on putting on their new CD. They played many songs that I think have clever lyrics and brilliant harmonies. One song I particularly like is called Flash in the Pan; of which you can listen to streaming on their www.myspace.com/olenkalovers.
Who They Are: The Wooden Sky (previously known as Friday Morning's Regret) were formed by Gavin Gardiner — lead vocal, guitar and harmonica; with bassist/backup vocalist - Andrew Wyatt; after writing songs for a project at Ryerson University in Toronto. The rest of the band is made up of: Simon Walker — piano, vocals, guitar; Andrew Kekewich — percussion; and frequently joined by Anissa Hart (Obijou, Kite Hill, The Rural Alberta Advantage — cello; Mika Posen — violin, viola (Forest City Lovers, Timber Timbre); Edwin Huisinga — violin (The Mars Volta).
I had a conversation with Gavin and it was not a typical interview. Gavin was open about being wary of giving interviews to people who don't know their music and answering stupid questions like what is your favourite colour. I assured him that I was not going to ask questions like that. He became more open after that and we had a nice conversation. I asked him about having a song being named the same as the band name and if the two were about the same things or if they are different and just a coincidence. Apparently the song came first and they are exactly the same but the band name is more of just a label, not a specific meaning.
I also asked him about his views on downloading illegally and surprisingly he is ok with it. Most artists are either for or against it or slightly in between. He told me that as long as his music wasn't being used to profit from then he was fine with it because it helps gets his music to more people.
A five-part video is viewable at www.myspace.com/thewoodensky that is a very interesting experience. One of the streaming songs I recommend is Bit Part as it is a very good place to start before listening to some other songs.
How They Did: This band has an amazing line up of acoustical instruments as well as electronic. The mellower songs and then rawkin out to their heavier rock songs entranced people. There was a glitch with getting a banjo working so we were not able to hear the banjo song. When the banjo incident happened Gavin played a solo song and it was very powerful. They did an encore of two songs to end the night.
Any questions or comments feel free to email me. Also email me if there is anything particular you are dying to know about any upcoming bands. Until Next week KEEP ON RAWKIN!
Who They Are: Olenka & The Autumn Lovers are: Olenka Krakus — classical guitar/lead vocals; Sara Froese — violin, vocals; Paterson Hodgson — cello, vocals; Simon Larochette — trumpet; Daniel Mancini — drums; Blair Whatmore — electric guitar, mandolin, lap steele, accordion. The band is from Vancouver B.C. and London, and Olenka is originally from Poland and it shows in their diverse blend of music.
I had a great conversation with Olenka on subjects like her heritage and how it ties into her music, big labels, how they can get so much done in a year and her cat Mildred. Olenka and her parents immigrated to Canada at the age of five and she still reads, writes and speaks Polish. There are a few songs that she is planning to record in Polish and we can expect that coming soon. She has also written a song in French that was on their EP.
The group put out three albums in 2008, which is very impressive and quite exhausting. Their music could be considered folk music although they are always changing and adapting and exploring new ideas and styles. Sometimes it is overwhelming. One thing that we discussed were her views on the major labels and she explained that right now she is doing all that work herself being an indie band, and although she appreciates what a major label can sometimes do for a band, they also lose personal touch with the artists.
How They Did: Olenka & The Autumn Lovers opened to a packed house eager to embrace the music. They played stuff from their previous albums, and some new tunes that they are planning on putting on their new CD. They played many songs that I think have clever lyrics and brilliant harmonies. One song I particularly like is called Flash in the Pan; of which you can listen to streaming on their www.myspace.com/olenkalovers.
Who They Are: The Wooden Sky (previously known as Friday Morning's Regret) were formed by Gavin Gardiner — lead vocal, guitar and harmonica; with bassist/backup vocalist - Andrew Wyatt; after writing songs for a project at Ryerson University in Toronto. The rest of the band is made up of: Simon Walker — piano, vocals, guitar; Andrew Kekewich — percussion; and frequently joined by Anissa Hart (Obijou, Kite Hill, The Rural Alberta Advantage — cello; Mika Posen — violin, viola (Forest City Lovers, Timber Timbre); Edwin Huisinga — violin (The Mars Volta).
I had a conversation with Gavin and it was not a typical interview. Gavin was open about being wary of giving interviews to people who don't know their music and answering stupid questions like what is your favourite colour. I assured him that I was not going to ask questions like that. He became more open after that and we had a nice conversation. I asked him about having a song being named the same as the band name and if the two were about the same things or if they are different and just a coincidence. Apparently the song came first and they are exactly the same but the band name is more of just a label, not a specific meaning.
I also asked him about his views on downloading illegally and surprisingly he is ok with it. Most artists are either for or against it or slightly in between. He told me that as long as his music wasn't being used to profit from then he was fine with it because it helps gets his music to more people.
A five-part video is viewable at www.myspace.com/thewoodensky that is a very interesting experience. One of the streaming songs I recommend is Bit Part as it is a very good place to start before listening to some other songs.
How They Did: This band has an amazing line up of acoustical instruments as well as electronic. The mellower songs and then rawkin out to their heavier rock songs entranced people. There was a glitch with getting a banjo working so we were not able to hear the banjo song. When the banjo incident happened Gavin played a solo song and it was very powerful. They did an encore of two songs to end the night.
Any questions or comments feel free to email me. Also email me if there is anything particular you are dying to know about any upcoming bands. Until Next week KEEP ON RAWKIN!
