Vancouver-based indie-rock band, Echo Nebraska, is touring Western Canada, including at stop at The Northern Bar and Stage.
The five-member band grew out of something more natural, as it started as an outlet for guitarist Devan Christodoulou to write and play songs.
“It was supposed to just be this silly kind of demo project for me to do some solo songs, because I was in a rock band at the time. The songs that I was writing didn’t really fit the band that I was in,” said Christodoulou.
Christodoulou started demoing songs with Andy Schicter, and says the two had instant chemistry.
“It just developed into something a lot bigger than what we intended it to be. Before we knew it, we were releasing an EP and getting other band members involved and it just kind of happened. It was natural; we didn’t have any intention of it being anything other than an acoustic side project.”
The group released their first single, “Hey Allison”, in November 2014, and is touring in support of their current EP Send the Ships. Christodoulou says the band hopes to release a full-length album by next summer. He says they hope to play some unrecorded songs on this tour.
The band has many influences, including many classic rock sounds, such as The Beatles, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. But the band doesn’t limit itself to only classic rock influences.
“We also like some modern bands that have come out in the past five to 10 year or so, bands like Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes. I guess it is sort of a mix of traditional folk rock or rock mixed in with some modern influences as well,” said Christodoulou.
As well as promoting their EP, the band is also touring in honour of their friend, Gunn Park. Park was the original bass player in the band, but due to a cancer diagnosis, was unable to continue with the group.
“He initially thought he was going to be able to do some treatment and then still go on the road with us and tough it out and see how it goes. It’s taken a turn for the worse and he is in the hospital as we speak,” said Christodoulou. “Everything that we do is dedicated to him. We are going to keep trucking for him. That’s the way he would want it.”
