It wasn鈥檛 long after Sam Heine arrived in Edmonton that he felt himself falling into his musical place.
After leaving Jasper for the city, he started jamming with an old friend, John Richards, a bass player who used to play with the Benders.
鈥淲e were out one night having a good time and wound up just dragging our instruments out to the side of the river and screaming out to the river beside the bridge,鈥� Heine recalls.
The chemistry was there, and quickly the duo鈥檚 jam sessions became practices. When Richards brought Greg Hann, his buddy from Grant MacEwan, into the fold, things instantly sparked, and Sam Spades was born.
鈥淧ractice was way too easy. And the songs kept coming out and we were picking up all the originals,鈥� says Heine of his old Sam Hate and the Jackals tunes. He added that after just three practices, Sam Spades was already playing gigs, and, according to Heine, rocking them.
When he describes playing with his new band, his voice gets a little higher and he talks a little faster. You can almost hear his grin through the phone.
鈥淓verything pretty much sounds the way I鈥檝e always wanted it to,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ur live performances have been unbelievable.鈥�
This is a big deal for Heine, who spent the last few years performing as a solo act after his band鈥攂eloved Jasper rockabilly group Sam Hate and the Jackals鈥攄isintegrated.
When his bass player and drummer left for Montreal, the Jackals collapsed. Since then Heine had been trying to make a go of it with an acoustic act. But, he says, 鈥減laying rock and roll acoustically doesn鈥檛 quite cut it, you know?鈥�
So finally, Heine made the decision to take off to Edmonton to pursue music full-time; 鈥渢o actually make it happen.鈥�
With a stockpile of about 25 songs he鈥檇 been working on during his solo years, he hit the city driven to put together a band. Stumbling upon Richards and Hann was 鈥渏ust sheer luck, pretty much,鈥� but Heine is more than happy with it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 at a point where we鈥檙e all professionals. My life has been leading up to this.
鈥淭his has been what I鈥檝e always wanted,鈥� he says, talking up the professionalism and work ethic of his two new band mates.
With such solid backing behind him, Heine says he鈥檚 itching to get into the studio to lay down some tracks.
鈥淚鈥檓 just coming to realize now that I鈥檝e been waiting because I wanted to get it right, and I鈥檝e finally met the right people and we鈥檙e all travelling towards the same goal.
鈥淭here鈥檚 this tune called 鈥榃olf鈥� which is just the sassiest, dirtiest, most rockenest, surfiest tune I鈥檝e ever kind of put out,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his song, once released, is going to shock people.鈥�
For a taste of Heine鈥檚 new sound, check out Sam Spades when they charge into Jasper later this month for two nights of shows.
聽Trevor Nichols
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