THE SKINNY
Admittedly, I spend too much time on Facebook. My wife would say WAY too much. But Zuckerburg’s time suck keeps drawing me back in, mainly because I keep stumbling across incredible bands like Old Man Canyon. This crew of Vancouver, British Columbia indie rockers is top notch. The brainchild of songwriter Jett Pace, Old Man Canyon performs catchy, hook laden tunes. After taking a listen to the band’s recently released EP, Phantoms & Friends, I was hard pressed to choose just one song for this month’s Trail Mix; every single tune was that good. Take a look down below and find out how to hear them for yourself.
FOR FANS OF
The Lumineers, Bonnie Prince Billy, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
“Phantoms & Friends is a minty fresh, five song collection that paints a vivid soundscape and introduces the band as a very capable independent upstart. Sure, there are hints of Mumford and The Head & The Heart mixed in among the miscellany, but more obscure influences like Loney, Dear and Iron & Wine are also implied. Musicians often absorb and gather inspiration in a sort of musical osmosis, so it’s forgivable, especially when the results are honest, focused, and passionate. This release expresses all three admirably.”
— Charles Fontaine, Honest Tune Magazine, on Phantoms &Friends
ON STAGE
Bad news – if you live in the Southeast, and you dig what you hear from Old Man Canyon, it might be a while before you can catch the band live. Though there are plans for a trip to our region, it will be some time before it happens. If you are game, though, pile in the van and head west to Vancouver on June 29th, when the band plays a show at Electric Owl with their good friends Wake Owl.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“When I wrote ‘Wiser’ a little more than a year ago, I was going through some big changes in my life. This song was really born out of that unknowingness that we all face sometimes about what’s next. Usually, there are feelings of fear and doubt when going through hard changes, but for me this song is really about just surrendering to that unknown future and being okay with where you are. It’s about trusting that the next step will present itself when you are ready to receive it.”
— Jett Pace, of Old Man Canyon, on the inspiration behind the song “Wiser”
ON THE WEB
I highly recommend you surf over to http://oldmancanyon.bandcamp.com/ and grab Phantoms & Friends, Old Man Canyon’s new EP, which is available for free download. Absolutely free. Get there quickly, or at least before Jett comes to his senses and starts charging for music this good.
If you want a little taste before you download, check out “Wiser” on this month’s Trail Mix.
