Fresh off a European tour, The Dead South has no plans to slow down.
The Regina-based band is set to begin its Western Canadian tour this week, with nine shows in 11 days, including in Jasper on Nov. 30 at the Olive Bistro and Lounge.
“It was probably the most successful [European tour] we’ve had yet,” said Colton Crawford, an hour after landing in Toronto.
“We’ve put together what we feel is a pretty good set and it went over really well in Europe so we’re excited to bring it to the West.”
The four-piece band blends elements of folk, bluegrass, country and rock to create boot-stompin’ acoustic music.
Besides the tempo of their music, the first thing most listeners will notice is Nate Hilts’ gritty vocals and Crawford’s blazing banjo licks. It’s also hard to ignore Scott Pringle’s soaring harmonies and mandolin chops and Danny Kenyon’s prominent cello melodies.
Part of the band’s distinctive sound can be traced back to the member’s musical influences, which include some of the biggest punk bands of the 80s and 90s, including Pennywise, Bad Religion, Strung Out, Lagwagon and The Casualties.
“We all grew up listening to a lot of punk and classic rock so that influence definitely sneaks in there as well,” said Crawford.
“Most of the songs are just stories about people doing bad things or getting themselves into some sort of trouble. We’re all big fans of Tarantino movies and spaghetti westerns and horror films so I guess that also creeps into the lyrics.”
The band released its first full-length album Good Company in April 2014 and hasn’t looked back.
Shortly after the release of the album, The Dead South played at Canadian Music Week in Toronto where the band caught the attention of Jörg Tresp, manager of Devil Duck Records, based out of Hamburg, Germany.
Tresp immediately signed the band, released its album in Europe, and booked several European tours.
“It definitely was a lucky break,” said Crawford, reflecting on the moment.
Beyond its music, the band also takes pride in not taking itself too seriously, as is evident on its website, where the members have written fictional biographies about themselves.
“We definitely don’t take ourselves too, too seriously,” said Crawford. “We do put a lot of work into our music and especially into our live show, but all the work we put into it is to make it a fun and enjoyable experience.”
Since the band’s inception three years ago, the group has played dozens of festivals, including the Regina Folk Festival, Ness Creek Music Festival, Gateway Music Festival, Juno Fest 2013–14 and the Grey Cup Festival in 2013, among others.
Advance tickets for the Nov. 30 show are $10 and music begins at 7:30 p.m.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
