Substance and accessibility. They’re often considered opposing forces when it comes to pop music, making it all the more impressive when a band like Scenic Route to Alaska so effortlessly delivers ample doses of both.
The heralded Edmonton-based indie pop trio – Trevor Mann on lead vocals and guitar, drummer Shea Connor, and bassist Murray Wood – have worked tirelessly scaling the summit of the Canadian and international music scenes. They dropped two acclaimed LPs – 2018’s Tough Luck and 2016’s Long Walk Home – that weave memorable melodies and catchy vocals through compelling, musically-rich arrangements and earned a slew of awards and accolades on their backs. They’ve toured relentlessly across North America, Europe, and Australia and have seen their global fanbase grow exponentially with each amplified chord.
Since taking time to write and workshop new material earlier in 2019, Scenic Route to Alaska have released a pair of singles “Give a Little” in October 2019 and “Daydreaming” in Feb 2020 and played a nearly sold out tour throughout Canada. These singles will soon be featured on a limited edition 7″ vinyl.
With its release on April 29th, “Call Your Friends” is the first single of their upcoming album “Time For Yourself” (release date: Aug 19th). This song is the first in the direction of revisiting their roots with a more organic, unfiltered take on their now-signature sound – or, as Mann puts it, “a truer representation of what we do when we get together and make music.”
Despite the nearly non-stop touring and unwavering determination throughout their time together, the three musicians have enjoyed every step of the journey. That was especially the case with their packed 2019 hometown performance on the main stage of the world-renowned Edmonton Folk Music Festival – a definite career highlight thus far. They’ve also racked up handfuls of awards, including a SOCAN #1 distinction for the single “Love Keeps” and a Western Canadian Music Award for Best Rock Act.
The recordings effortlessly capture the excitement of the band’s live performance, where the energy is palpable and the fun contagious. Always locked in with a syncopation that can only stem from a long collective history, the boys bounce from ballads to bangers with ease, leaving a lasting impression on any kind of audience in front of them. The band is perhaps best defined through dichotomy: young but mature, curious but collected, accessible but substantial. Such balance is all too rare in this scene, but thankfully, Scenic Route to Alaska strikes it with a style all their own.
