It鈥檚 not easy to make a name for yourself playing a genre of music that has been around for centuries, but that鈥檚 exactly what The East Pointers have done.
Blending traditional Celtic music with a contemporary twist, the Prince Edward Island band has somehow managed to make traditional music seem ridiculously hip.
Riding a wave of success since the band released their debut album Secret Victory, the trio of musicians have been touring the world from P.E.I to Australia and have a string of shows throughout Alberta over the next two weeks, including a stop at the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion.
鈥淲e wanted to try and capture that live kitchen party vibe on the album so we recorded most of the album live off the floor,鈥� said Jake Charron, the band鈥檚 lead guitarist.
According to the band鈥檚 website, the trio wrote the album while they were touring Australia in 2015 and recorded it in Hamilton, Ont., a few months later.
With 10 original tracks, only three of the songs include vocals, playing to the band鈥檚 strength as talented multi-instrumentalists.
In fact, it鈥檚 no surprise the band鈥檚 debut album has been so well received when you consider fiddler Tim Chaisson and his cousin, banjoist Koady Chaisson, are members of P.E.I.鈥檚 reigning musical family dynasty.
鈥淭im and Koady are the seventh generation of fiddle players so they鈥檝e had this traditional type of music in their family for a long time and I come from a musical family in Ontario so it鈥檚 something we all grew up with,鈥� explained Charron.
Tim is perhaps the most accomplished musician of the three, releasing several solo albums over his career, including his most recent album Lost in Light, produced by Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses in 2015.
Not to be outdone, Charron鈥檚 skills have has also been in high demand as a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar and piano with the likes of Shane Cook, Troy MacGillivray, and Liz Carroll, considered some of the best fiddle players in the world.聽
Completing the talented-trio, Koady also has earned his musical chops over the years playing guitar along side his fiddle playing brother J.J, and touring the world playing bass for his cousin Tim.
Together the trio has already won several awards for their musical talents and are strong candidates to win even more awards next year.
To catch the band, head over to Jasper Royal Canadian Legion on Aug. 11. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15 at the door.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
