Fresh off the release of a new album, Sweet Alibi is hitting the road for a 20-stop tour that will bring the group back to Jasper with an arsenal of new tunes.
Walking in the Dark is the third album for the folk-rock trio鈥攎ade up of Jess Rae Ayre, Amber Quesnel and Michelle Anderson.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really meaningful album for us,鈥� said Ayre, the band鈥檚 guitarist, who shares lead vocals with Quesnel. 鈥淲e wrote it together, so it has a lot of our personal stories and experiences in it.鈥�
Although the band鈥檚 sound has matured, Ayre said the album still has 鈥渢he signature Sweet Alibi sound,鈥� with rich vocal harmonies and a mixture of country, pop, gospel and folk influences.
The group adds to its soulful vocals with everything from banjos to ukuleles, upright bass and electric guitars.
The group has been performing together since 2009 and has travelled across the country for hundreds of shows over the past seven years, including a performance at the 2014 Jasper Folk Music Festival.
That same year, the band鈥檚 second album, We鈥檝e Got To, won a Western Canadian Music Award for Roots Duo/Group Recording of the Year.
Ayre said, compared to Sweet Alibi鈥檚 self-titled album released in 2011, the band鈥檚 last two offerings have better flow, with both albums following a theme.
With Walking in the Dark, she said the band took its time, putting greater thought into the lyrics and the messages in their songs.
For instance, the album鈥檚 first track, 鈥淜eep Showing You鈥�, is about being there for friends and family who struggle with mental illness.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have a compassionate love and tolerance towards your friends and family who are going through those things,鈥� said Ayre, noting that just being there for someone can sometimes be enough.
The soulful new album touches on everything from love, death and addiction and offers progressive tunes with indie undertones, with 鈥淏odacious鈥�, as well as church-like keys and diverse percussive elements in 鈥淢iddle Ground.鈥�
To see Sweet Alibi perform songs from its new album check out the Whistle Stop on April 12.
Nicole Veerman [email protected]
