The band West My Friends describes itself as folk music written by three quirky classical musicians.
The three musicians in the band, which play a mandolin, accordion, and sometimes a flute, met while attending the music program at University of Victoria.
“This band was something to do with all the music inside us, but was different than what we were doing all day,” said Eden Oliver, the band’s song writer.
The band is releasing a new album in September. Oliver said many of the band’s songs are about interactions with people.
“Writing for me is about trying to understand the world around me.”
The album is about how people treat each other and how we give meaning to our lives and connect to one another said Oliver.
Some of their songs can be described as “cheeky”.
The line, I don’t want to write a song today, is the start of a tune called No Good Monster.
It’s about Oliver sitting in her room, writing something and hating it. Then trying to writing something else and hating that.
“The no good monster in my head telling me it’s all awful and you’re never going to make anything good,” Oliver said.
Not able to finish, Oliver said she left her room and complained to her roommate, who told her to get back into her room and not to come out until the song was finished.
“So, I went and wrote this song tongue and cheek. I thought people could relate.”
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| The band is releasing a new album this Sept. (Submitted) |
When the band performs the song, they ask the audience to put up their hands if they have ever started something creative and your brain keeps telling you it will turn out poorly.
“And everyone puts up their hands,” Oliver said.
The name of the band comes from their love of the west. More specifically, it was inspired by a line in the movie One Week, where a young man learns he has cancer. Distraught, he goes to Tim Horton’s for coffee and rolls up the rim. It tells him to “go west young man”. And so he does.
He rides his motorcycle from Toronto to Tofino, B.C.
“We’re kind of playing around with this phrase go west and thought instead go west my friend,” said Oliver.
West My Friend will play in Revelstoke on August 8 as part of Summer Fest. However, it isn’t their first time in Revelstoke. They played at the Last Drop in 2013. It was their first show as a trio.
READ MORE: Line up for Revelstoke Summer Street Fest announced
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