It鈥檚 been almost a year since Sweet Alibi released Walking in the Dark, the third album for the folk-rock trio.
In that time, the band has clocked thousands of kilometres across North America, playing in all sorts of venues from quaint pubs to major summer music festivals.
The group鈥檚 next stop is an intimate show at Jasper鈥檚 Whistle Stop Pub, Nov. 7, with singer/songwriter Jadea Kelly.
鈥淚t can be really hard being on the road all the time,鈥� said guitarist Jess Rae Ayre. 鈥淭here are some days where you just want to be at home with your family or friends or pets, but we鈥檝e met so many lovely people along the way and that can be really inspiring.鈥�
While van life can be daunting at times, the countless hours of touring has paid off for the group. During the past few months, the three Winnipeggers snagged a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination and a Western Canadian Music Award nomination.
Walking in the Dark track 鈥淢iddle Ground鈥� also stayed afloat on CBC Music鈥檚 top 20 list for seven weeks.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited that people are still responding really well and connecting to the songs鈥攊t makes it very easy to still be excited about the music,鈥滱yre said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e feeling the support from our older fans, but also seeing some new faces which is nice.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 and ukuleles to upright bass and electric guitars.
According to Ayre, the band鈥檚 last two offerings have better flow compared to Sweet Alibi鈥檚 self-titled album released in 2011.
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 while 鈥淢oving to the Country鈥� talks about the woes of having to leave a small town for opportunities in the big city.
鈥淥ur live shows can get really personal. We really open up about the songs and let people know where they came from and show a bit of our personalities,鈥� said the guitarist. 鈥淏ut we also try to keep it fun and light and get people dancing.鈥�
The band has recently started promoting the vinyl version of Walking in the Dark.
鈥淰inyl is just something I don鈥檛 want to see get left behind in this digital age of music,鈥� Ayre said. 鈥淚 like having that physical thing you can hold on to and maybe put the cover up on your wall or something.
鈥淚 feel that vinyl is something that just still needs to be done.鈥�
To check out the folk-rock band head to the Whistle Stop Pub on Nov. 7. The show is free and starts at 9 p.m.
Kayla Byrne
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