Edmonton-based indie rock trio Scenic Route to Alaska is winding its way through B.C. in promotion of its new LP, Long Walk Home.
The band stops by The Kal bar in Vernon's Kalamalka Hotel Friday, Oct. 7.
On stage, Scenic Route to Alaska’s energy is palpable and the fun contagious. Always locked in with a syncopation that can only stem from a long collective history, the band bounces from ballads to bangers with ease, leaving a lasting impression on any kind of audience in front of them.
“It’s no secret that Scenic Route to Alaska are one of the best bands in Edmonton. Long Walk Home might just be in the album to let that secret out to the rest of the country and take these hardworking guys to the next level," said SONiC 102.9 music director Brandy Taylor.
Long Walk Home, the Prairie indie outfit’s third LP, finds Trevor Mann (lead vocals/ guitar), Shea Connor (drums) and Murray Wood (bass) effortlessly weaving catchy vocals and memorable melodies through relatively rich arrangements. The high-energy opener and lead single, Coming Back, offers a perfect sampling of what’s most abundant throughout the record: a slew of group vocals and sing-alongs anchored by cheery melodies and impressive musicianship.
Meanwhile, the radio-ready Love Keeps sounds like Wintersleep covering classic Pearl Jam, showcasing the band’s ability to sway from focused and fragile to all-out frenzy. It’s a coveted combination within the crowded sphere of indie rock – and one that’s rarely the product of anything but time, talent, and heaps of hard work.
The longtime friends started making music together in their early teens, forming Scenic Route to Alaska in 2010.
Their early releases – a self-titled 2011 EP and 2012 full-length All These Years – belied the youth of the band and its members, owing to their years of making music together and brotherly bond.
The attention and accolades poured in and earned them performances at prestigious events like the Edmonton and Canmore Folk Festivals and Canada Music West.
They propelled themselves to an even higher peak with 2014 album Warrington, which earned rave reviews in addition to shows alongside contemporaries like Hey Rosetta!, Said the Whale, and Born Ruffians. They also landed a Western Canadian Music Award nod for Pop Recording of the Year and were finalists in the inaugural edition of Alberta’s Peak Performance Project.
The band continues its tour of Western Canada before heading to Berlin, Hamburg and Amsterdam for showcases supporting their release, including the Reeperbahn Festival.
Opening for the band in Vernon are local folk artists Lowell Friesen and Jupitor Azura. Friday's show at The Kal starts at 8 p.m. A $10 cover charge will go back to the artists. The venue is 19-plus and is licensed.