Rock ‘n’ roll coming to Jasper

London, Ontario-based band The Joys will rev up the rock ‘n’ roll factor at the De’d Dog on March 31. 

As part of a six-week tour, which will take the band from Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest festival and back up to the great white north for a tour spanning from British Columbia to Ontario, The Joys are a hard-working band playing more than 200 shows a year. 

The band’s new album, Unfold, is due out in July and the title track “is just about going with it and living your life and letting it happen as it’s going happen,” said lead singer Sarah Smith. Guitarist Mike McKyes’ mother passed away during the making of the album, which was an influence for the song. 

Unfold, the album, is definitely rock’n’roll at its purest, but also contains tinges of blues, country, folk and funk. “Every time we write a song, it’s different,” said Smith, adding that all the band members “have very different influences and love all different kinds of music.”

Even though big guitar riffs are central to many of the band’s songs, “mostly to us it’s just about melody, making sure you can sing along and feel good,” said Smith. The band is known for its live shows, she said, and “you’ll just find an honest rock ‘n’ roll show,” at the D’ed Dog. 

The quartet, including Smith, McKyes, Glen Gamble on drums and Ken Ross on bass, has received numerous accolades in addition to a gold single for their work, and played with the likes of Robert Plant, K-OS, Sloan, Matthew Good, David Wilcox and Smith’s favourites, The Trews and Thornley.

For more info on The Joys, or to watch their music video for the single Storm, visit www.thejoys.ca.