Trevor Mann, Shea Connor and Murray Wood have been best friends for years. They live together, they travel together and as a band they share their successes together.
Since its formation in 2011 Edmonton鈥檚 folk-pop trio Scenic Route to Alaska hasn鈥檛 stopped鈥攚hether it be touring across Canada and Europe, recording countless songs or filming music videos.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pretty wild ride and we wouldn鈥檛 trade it for anything in the world,鈥� wrote the band in an email. 鈥淭he whole process of growing up together, both as friends and as musicians, has definitely helped develop a pretty unique bond.鈥澛�
Up next the guys will be heading for the mountains to headline Friday night at the Jasper Folk Music Festival, Sept. 9. 聽
鈥淗onestly, it was a little unexpected, but we鈥檙e really quite humbled and stoked to be able to close out a night,鈥� the band wrote about being chosen as one of this year鈥檚 headliners. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait to get up there and give it all we got鈥攖here鈥檚 no better setting for a music festival than in the Rockies.
鈥�(When we play live) we love to stay in the moment and give lots of energy. We really try to wear our hearts on our sleeves and have fun up there.鈥�
During their Friday night set, the band will perform some crowd favorites from previous albums, as well as tracks from its latest album Long Walk Home, which is expected to drop in October.
鈥淲e鈥檙e extremely proud and excited. It鈥檚 been a long time coming with this one,鈥� wrote the band, adding that the album has been in the works for about a year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to hold back on releasing something that you want to show off so badly but, in the end, I think we鈥檝e made the right decision to wait until now.鈥�
As the guys get ready to release their fourth studio album, they reflected on how much their style has changed over a few short years.
鈥淲e were so innocent and much less experienced back in 2011, which we think really comes across on our first EP in a super endearing way,鈥� the band wrote, adding that its latest album is more polished and 鈥渋n your face鈥濃�攖wo qualities the band attributes to its producer Howard Redekopp, who has worked with Tegan and Sara, Said The Whale and the New Pornographers.
鈥淭he songs were captured onto tape and have an air of confidence about them that we felt we lacked to the same extent on our previous records,鈥� wrote the band.
鈥淐oming Back鈥�, the first official single off Long Walk Home is already flooding in positive feedback.
鈥淪ome of the tracks have been pegged as fairly radio-friendly so we are aiming to get some solid spins on radio stations across Canada and in Europe,鈥� the band wrote. 鈥淎lso, we plan on touring the heck out of this new one so we hope folks will start hearing it and becoming familiar with it and, in turn, come out and hang with us when we play in their town.鈥�
After wrapping up its gig in Jasper, it鈥檚 off to Europe for the guys for a few shows in Germany and the Netherlands.
鈥淲e just want to keep running with this amazing experience and all of us are fully committed to taking this band as far as it will go,鈥� the band wrote. 鈥淎fter that, we鈥檒l start working on new tunes and start the process all over again.鈥�
Scenic Route to Alaska will be taking the stage Friday, Sept. 9 at 9:30 p.m. For a complete Jasper Folk Music Festival schedule visit www.jasperfolkmusicfestival.ca. 聽
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
