If your weekends have been plagued with humdrum tunes blaring from your stereo, come to the Out Back Shack on Friday, October 15 to be energized and uplifted by Toronto pop-rock band, The Junction.

The Junction is a trio, that has been working together for more than a decade since forming in high school. Singer-guitarist Brent Jackson, bassist Matt Jameson and drummer Mike Taylor have played hundreds of shows across Canada including EdgeFest and The Virgin Festival, and have toured with the likes of Moneen, The Planet Smashers and Bedouin Soundclash.

Quoting older musical influences such as Pearl Jam and Radiohead, Jameson cites other current bands, as well as Brit Pop, as staples in their steady diet of music. They know that in order to succeed in the music business, listening to bands both past and current is what fuels their desire to create honest, upbeat songs and chart-topping hits containing exciting and fresh material. Gus Van Go and Werner F are two producers who worked with The Junction, in addition to working previously with the Stills, The Trews and Priestess.

Their third album, titled Another Link in the Chain, was intended to be an album about living a simple life. The visual representation of a circle of smoke on the album cover was actually liquid ink dropped in water, a graphic design trick used by Taylor's brother. This visual representation, the twisting and turning of a chain, is meant "to be seen as organic like water ... fluid with a full spectrum of light, (synonymous) with living life without boundaries," said Jameson.

And life can have its twists, turns and unexpected pitfalls. When asked about the interpretation of the song Miles in Denial, Jameson confides the song is about the drummer's brother who battles with alcoholism and fights a promise with himself to stay sober. This is an emotional exposure, uncovering the layers of the song with haunting vocals and a slow-yetpowerful, instrumental performance. It lets fans see a dark, yet real-to-the-bones addiction that can infect anyone young, old, musician or not.

A positive spin to their adventures is the excitement of travelling and seeing where they go. The Junction have been to Whistler, British Columbia to hang with Devon Soltendieck on MuchMusic, as well as Hannah Sung at the MuchMusic headquarters in Toronto. They have been showcased on MuchOnDemand in March 2010 for their release of their second album. Surely there is a great future ahead, and The Junction are, as their songs states, "Wanting to be another link in the chains / Keeping the music around," and taking a highly anticipated adventure.