After nearly six years of performing, three cross-Canada tours, two EPs and two years of recording, the Dusty Tucker Band is ready to release their first full-length album.
The group has been gaining momentum in the local rock scene, but has also been making their unique sound known across the country.
The boys of the band – Ryan ‘Coach’ Kuly (guitar), Joel Johnson (drums), Nathaniel Court (guitar), Trav James (vocals) and Matt ‘Whitey’ Furious (bass) – have been working hard to develop a lively, loud, energetic and exciting album.
The release party is a two-night, full production event with additional vocals and instruments.
The concerts are taking place at The Vat, shows on Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th.
Tickets are $15 and include a copy of the new album, The North Stone. Tickets are available online at dustytucker.bigcartel.com or in person at 53rd Street Music, The Soundhouse and The Vat.
“It’s super exciting right now. We’ve been working two years on the album and now it’s finally time to let the people have it. It’s really, really exciting for us and we’re a bit nervous. Saturday is already sold out, and Friday is selling pretty quick,” said Johnson.
The production of the album wasn’t easy.
The band experienced a temporary change in line-up due to a guitarist breaking his arm (Court), recorded the album once and re-recorded the album with a new sound engineer – after about four years of creating the story line and context of the album.
“This record is a concept record. It’s a western tale, and every song has the same characters and setting throughout. You get to know the characters as the record goes on, and that’s really different from any of the other EPs,” explained James.
“We’ve been a band for almost six years – two with the current line-up – and started writing this record several years ago. On April 14th two years ago, we tried recording it the first time but I’d been creating characters, concept and setting long before that.”
The group had recorded the album nearly all the way through before venturing to Edmonton to record their last couple of songs with their friend and music producer, Cam Boon.
The guys said that as soon as they heard Boon’s version, they realized they’d have to re-do the entire recording process.
“We recorded one song with Cam, and it sounded so much better than anything else we’d done so we decided to re-do the whole album. That was a huge difference – having someone who cared, and was invested in the record, rather than just pressing a button to record and saying it sounded good. It was huge.”
The guys of the Dusty Tucker Band have worked hard to gain recognition in their hometown of Red Deer. Since 2009, they have played over 250 shows, including opening on tour with Toronto’s Cancer Bats.
They’ve played Boonstock Festival alongside big names like Billy Talent, Korn and A Day to Remember.
Their first five-song EP, Locked, Loaded and Ready for Bear, dropped in 2011.
In 2013, they put out a second EP, Done Went and Got Gone. Throughout these productions, they have developed an identity of being an energetic, entertaining powerhouse band that easily commands the crowd’s attention.
However, the guys see their sound as constantly evolving and admit it’s hard to describe their sound.
“There are no rules to this,” laughs James, with the other members joining in.
Johnson continued the thought, adding, “When we write music, we don’t feel like you have to go in on a certain genre. You shouldn’t write music under rules – it’s you creating whatever you think is right. That’s why our music is so diverse.
“We’ve never really been able to fall into one thing, even though we did try at one point. We’ve been a band for so long, and there was a point where we thought, ‘We’re a rock and roll band and we’re gonna do the rock thing.’
“But there are all these different influences and it just bubbles into whatever. We don’t put limits on ourselves.”
The North Stone follows the journey of ‘Captain Skylar Jenkins’ and his tale of trails within a fictional town of Coyote Junction.
To borrow lyrics from the opening song, Our Hero’s Memory, the album recounts, “Talk of war, vengeance, corruption, survival/peace, justice, love and revival.”
The story of the album was written by vocalist Trav James, and he said his bandmates worked to successfully create the dramatic and engaging soundtrack to his concept.
The band will be playing the entire CD through during their massive production CD release party to give the crowd the fullest experience.
Part of the reason the album took until 2016 to be released was guitarist Court breaking his arm shortly after the band had begun to record the second time through.
He was out for two months, but the group worked as best as they could to produce while Court was out. Eventually, he healed and the album was wrapped.
All of the members have given up relationships, opportunities to make money and have struggled with their personal lives to bring success to the Dusty Tucker Band. They have no plans of slowing down, and are already writing songs for their next album.
“This line up works really well. Being in a band isn’t just being in a band – it’s harder than a marriage. It’s like being married to five other guys. We’ve given all we have to give for this band,” said Kuly.
kmendonsa@reddeerexpress.com
