Rewind back to 2009 when five Saskatooners emerged from the depths of the woods into the great, wide open — the year when junior album, Winter Hours caught the attention of Canadian critics.
Since then, the Canadiana roots-rock unit, the Deep Dark Woods — a fitting name for musicians from a northern landscape — have been on a blazing touring trail that consists of record, release, repeat.
That trail will take them all the way to the Bragg Creek Centre for the Bragg Creek Performing Arts 2012-13 season Oct. 27 for an 8 p.m. main series show.
“We’ve done a lot over the last 18 months,” said frontman, songwriter and guitarist, Ryan Boldt. “We released our last album in August of 2011, The Place I Left Behind, and it’s been a non-stop tour since then.”
With four albums in the bank, the boys will be hunkering down this winter to work on what they intend to release in the summer or fall of 2013.
Comprised of Ryan Boldt (songwriter, guitar, lead vocals), Lucas Goetz (drummer, multi-instrumentalist), Geoff Hilhorst (organ), Chris Mason (bass, vocals) and Burke Barlow (lead guitar) the band has been well-received across the plains, noted for their ability to inject warmth into solemn, dark themes such as isolation and detachment through minimalist instrumentation, layered over melodic song.
Their use of traditional instruments such as banjo, pedal steel guitar and organ are used to capture sounds of yesterday — infusing roots-rock with elements of blues, bluegrass and folk; their last appearance in the area, for the 2010-11 Cochrane Valley Folk Club season, was positively received by a soft-seater room filled with winter-frosted Cochranites.
For songwriter Boldt, the songs, no matter the theme, come first from a personal place.
“It’s always personal…I’m always writing lyrics, it’s just the melody part you can’t really force, so I do that part whenever I’m alone,” he explained. “…I’m really influenced by traditional music — even R&B and bluegrass music. I love what guys like Bob Dylan did…taking traditional music and making it into rock’n’roll.”
This traditional approach transcends to the band’s recording style, as well.
“We do a lot of live, off-the-floor stuff …adding some overdubs afterwards,” said Boldt.
Their wholesome, somewhat grassroots approach has also been getting them noticed south of the border, as much of the last year and a half has been spent touring the U.S. and Europe; this even earned them a nomination for an Americana Award — a near-add to their growing tally of awards, including Best Roots Group at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards, and Ensemble of the Year at the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Opening up for the five-piece is blossoming 23-year-old Saskatoon musician, Zachary Lucky; the young musician will be touring with the Deep Dark Woods for a number of shows along their nine-date mini-western tour.
Tickets to Deep Dark Woods with opener, folkster Zachary Lucky, are $29.
They are available at braggcreekperformingarts.tix.com or through the ticket hotline at 403-949-4114.
