Described as an electrifying musical powerhouse, Edmonton-based Rend plays the Vat on Sept. 30th.
Founded in 2010 by lead singer/songwriter/keyboardist Carol-Lynne Quinn, these past few years have been a whirlwind journey and have allowed Rend to see tremendous success in the Canadian music scene.
Rounding out the group are Jeff Quinn (bass), Steve Roe (electric guitar) and Jordan Dempster (drums).
The current tour, which includes shows in 13 cities, joins the group with B.C. band Isobel Trigger. At the end of their tour, to treat east coasters, Rend will be performing a special showcase at Indie Week Canada in Toronto in mid-October.
“To tour in Western Canada is extremely rewarding,” said Carol. “Canada is our home and connecting with people all over this country is such an amazing feeling.”
Rend opened Sonic Boom in 2013, and have performed alongside Mother Mother, City and Colour, Dear Rouge, Electric Six, Victoria Duffield and Zerbin.
The band aims to create music which inspires, excites, and sets them apart. Front woman Carol’s soulful vocals are coupled with the band’s rhythmic loops, gritty bass and electric guitar in their new EP Winter to Summer album – a compilation of six songs.
Carol said the band made the decision to release six tunes instead of a full-length disc as they felt an urgency to share more with listeners as soon as they could.
These days, the industry is becoming more singles-driven in a sense as well, so it made sense to get new music out sooner than later. She also recalls the recording of the songs as a rich, creative stint. “We really knew the material so well from touring it a lot.” Tracks were wrapped up within a month.
“We also didn’t want to keep putting it off to do a full length CD,” she said. “It just seems that it’s kind of the age of the single, too.”
Going into recording Winter to Summer, she said the band wanted to expand on their already established foundation. Early sounds included touches of rock, funk, R&B.
“After touring, and honing our sound, we realized where we are fitting more and more. Getting into the EP we wanted to represent what we are increasingly sounding like, which is more cohesive. We have this alternative feel, where we sort of get to play around with what we do.”
The band is charting in the top 100 of Canadian Rock Radio, and has Canadian wide radio play. Other standouts include the title track which glides along with a polished, sophisticated vibe, melding easily into the haunting sensibilities of Is It Just Me which showcases Carol’s crystal-clear, expressive voice to new heights.
Lamp Post has an lighter, luminous feel to it – whereas their latest single, the comparatively intense Scars, has just been released to radio. Plastic Flowers again shows just how connected and tight this band really is – again, Carol’s vocal performance is tremendous.
The past four years for the band has been a whirlwind – in 2013, the band showcased at Indie Week Canada, Canadian Music Week and were named Edmonton’s SONiC 102.9 Fan Choice and Band of the Month.
Members joined forces during their studies at Edmonton’s Grant MacEwan University. After they graduated, they found they had tapped into something unique. Gigs were requested around town and it was clear that Rend was carving out a niche for themselves.
They recorded their first disc No Lines only a few months after their first gig and immediately started receiving radio play.
They had recorded a project earlier, which Carol said really opened their eyes to what they could do and the range of possibilities that were there for the exploring.
The band has been described as having a ‘dash of Metric, a scoop of Coldplay and a layer of Paramore’ all topped off with The Cranberries.
Carol’s own passion for music surfaced early on. She didn’t take music lessons during her growing up years, but she had a desire to write her own songs while experimenting with melodies on the piano. It was also during time at church and taking part in school musicals that she found her voice.
Meanwhile, she can’t wait to hit the road. “Performing live, and seeing people’s reactions to the music is the best. You get to see unbiased opinions and what really connects with people.”
Joining Rend for the Red Deer show is alt-pop/rock band Isobel Trigger, which recently released their EP Nocturnal. Their music video for their third single Champion has also been posted on YouTube.
Darryl LeCraw, video director for the band’s first two music videos Dust and Bones and Tiger Shark, took many creative liberties with the band’s latest video and utilized CGI as seen in the first video Dust and Bones.
LeCraw and the band worked together from the very beginning to settle on the video frame by frame, resulting in a product that showcases the band’s alt-rock side, pulling between whimsical and powerful.
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