When a lifestyle creates a musical style, that’s pretty much the definition of authenticity. So when we say that The Denim Daddies are creating their own form of authentic country music, you might feel a little bit confused. For example, you may ask, how does guitarist/vocalist Andrew Brostrom keep writing songs that sound as if they stumbled out of a smoky barroom? Steady work on the craft, beer drinking, and breaking hearts, that’s how.
Brostrom and his fellow Edmonton-based good ol’ boys who comprise The Denim Daddies—bassist/vocalist Kurtis Cockerill, pedal steel guitarist Booker Diduck, keyboardist Sahil Chugh, and drummer/vocalist Matt King—have been finding ways to satisfy the tastes of both country music purists and newbies for over five years now, burning up every stage they grace with outlaw-inspired alt-country that parties as hard as they do. With tunes about hoedowns gone right, hootenannies gone wrong, and the pain in your heart after hearing a Luke Bryan song, they’re doing it on their own terms. Several old guys once told them that their sound was reminiscent of The Flying Burrito Brothers. A man with a mullet once said they sounded like Steve Earle.
You can judge for yourself as The Denim Daddies are returning with Northern Goods, a seven-track album, and the long-overdue follow-up to their 2018 companion EPs, Drinkin’ and Thinkin’. Kurtis Cockerill says the gap between releases was largely due to the band abruptly shelving an album they were halfway through finishing, in favour of a different batch of songs that seemed a more accurate reflection of their live sound. “Some of these songs are our oldest ones that weren't yet recorded, written as far back as early 2018,” Kurtis explains. “These songs are all of our favourites to play on stage. We feel they have a tenacity to them that makes for a very cohesive sounding album.”
Expect to see and hear a lot more of The Denim Daddies as they’ll likely be bringing their posse to a town near you in support of Northern Goods. They’ll be in their van of course. None of them can ride a horse.
Doors 7:30
Music 8:30
All ages, rush seating, no refunds. Youth 15 and under get in free!
Wolf Willow is a twelve-piece band that sounds like what would happen “if Dick Dale had joined Loretta Lynn’s band and made a wall of sound album inside the Grand Ole Opry.” Soul of Slippery Butte, their new full length album, is the much-anticipated follow up to 2021’s critically praised Old Guitars & Shooting Stars. Old Guitars dove deep into Wolf Willow’s sensitive side—layered with lush strings and horns, the sweet orchestra sound defined this album and era of the band. Soul of Slippery Butte takes the best of Old Guitars, swaps the sensitivity for swagger, and combines pop-adjacent arrangements with compelling stories and timeless melodies.
"Western Swing Alternative Country. Sorry what? Yes, that is a music genre, and local Regina band Wolf Willow plays it best. "
~ The Carillon, Regina
"What I found was a sound that builds on that basis of country with strings and chorus but brings in other aspects of music from the 1950s through the 1970s in surprising, playful ways, resulting in a fun, retro-pop collection of originals that instantly transport you to the past, whether it’s to a swanky cocktail lounge with a dance floor or to the ocean for some beach blanket bingo."
~Adventures in America
