The Local Hero Western Pub will be filled with timeless country classic sounds, back porch blues and stomping scrap yard funk when they host the Crooked Brothers on Monday Jan. 23. The trio of brothers (by choice if not by birth), have been rising up through the Winnipeg music scene, and are now hitting the road for a Western Canada tour.
“This is going to be a first for us, coming to Golden. We’ve been to the Kootenays a few times, played places like Fernie and Nelson, but never to Golden,” said Jesse Matas, who has been playing with bandmates Matt Foster and Darwin Baker for the past four years.
“I’m pretty lucky to be in a band with these guys. We get along really well.”
Their name is a tribute, in part, to that very relationship.
“The ‘brothers’ part of our name relates to the archetypical bluegrass, folk, family band idea. We’re essentially brothers every way but biologically,” said Matas. “The ‘crooked’ part is derived from a book we all read called Ironweed by William Kennedy. He used the term ‘crooked’ to describe people after they’ve died. He says ‘they’ve gone crooked,’ or ‘he was all crooked.’ It seemed to fit with our band. One of our original goals was to see beauty in everything, including death.”
The trio choose to make the writing process a collaborative effort. The three work very well together, but they also give each other room to be independently creative.
“We usually write our songs together. But sometimes one of us will come in with something already written, and then we’ll each sort of add our own little piece to it,” said Matas.
It is hard to describe one’s own music, says Matas, but the Crooked Bothers sound has been described as country/folk/roots. “I’m very lyrically inspired,” said Matas. “We have a lot of heartbreak songs which are definitely moving to yourself when you’re writing them.”
Their current album, Lawrence, Where’s Your Knife?, may have some heavy subject matter at times, but is still lively, energetic, danceable and entertaining. And their live show is often of the same tone.
“It (the live show) is quite a bit more upbeat now, we’re touring with our bassist this time. It can definitely be a dancefest, depending on the venue,” said Matas.
Still based out of Winnipeg, this is the only tour the band has planned for the near future, given how difficult winter travel can be in Canada. But the Crooked Brothers love to play live.
“I love it, I think we all do. And I love being on the road, seeing new places and meeting new people. When you put yourself out of your comfort zone like that, that’s when you get inspired,” said Matas.
The Crooked Brothers will be taking the stage at the Local Hero Western Pub at 8 p.m. on Jan. 23.
Admission is free. To learn more about the band, go to www.crookedbrothers.com.
