It’s been a couple years, but Saskatchewan’s One Bad Son returns to Penticton this Saturday with a new album and a number one song.
Fans will remember the last time the seasoned Canadian rock and roll band played Peach City when they opened for Def Leppard in 2015.
“We know it’s been two-and-a-half years Penticton, but we’re bringing our ‘A’ game, a new album, new merch and a hit song. We can’t wait,” lead guitarist, Adam Hicks said during a phone interview about two hours out of Red Deer.
Tuesday night was the opening show of their 25-date tour that starts in Red Deer and wraps in the band’s hometown Saskatoon just before Christmas. The group is touring their new album, which debuted Oct. 13, called Made in the Name of Rock N Roll. It’s their fifth studio release.
“We’re really proud of it. A lot of hard work went into this. It’s been the most challenging and most rewarding album so far,” he said.
Hicks credits no-nonsense producer Gavin Brown (Tragically Hip, Billy Talent) for working with the band to streamline the 10-track album.
“If you turn on the radio there’s a song he’s worked on playing every half an hour. He really pushed us as writers to make sure we were giving our fans what they want and to make it clear what we were trying to say.”
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The collaboration worked. Two songs from the album have already made an impact with Raging Bull recently hitting number one on the Canadian Rock Charts and the new release Scream for Me named radio’s most added track last week.
“It feels really good,” Hicks said of hitting number one. “It took 13 years to get it. I think we really appreciate it.”
Hicks said the song Raging Bull is a reflection of where the band is with this album. Hicks started writing the song about two years ago in his mother in laws basement. After many transformation and input from his band mates and Brown it turned into the hit song.
“One of the lyrics is that we’re feeling the temperature rising and that’s really where we are. We want it so bad we’re going to make it no matter what,” he said. “It’s funny we were following it on the charts during a mini tour in Ontario. It was number six, then number four. We’d never had anything higher than five before and we thought maybe there’s a chance. We’re in Northern, Ontario with no cell service and it hits number one. It’s kind of fitting to found out about it in our van cause we are always in this van,” he said.
The entire album is about paying homage and being authentic with their rock and roll roots.
“Rock and roll spans so many generations. Everyone who likes some form of rock and roll keeps it close to their heart. Real rock and roll might not be popular music right now, but the people who love it it’s always there for them.”
With all this success comes a new face in the band.
This summer Adam Grant, bassist for the band for the past 10 years, retired. Filling his shoes is Saskatonian Steve Adams who played with the band for a few months about 11 years ago.
“We had the first switch up this year. Adam Grant our previous bass player was with us since he was 17 and I think he just needed to move on to the next point. It was amicable. We’re lucky to have Steve Adams. He’s over the moon excited with our stuff. I can see him right now and he’s got a big smile on his face,” he said.
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The band recently returned from a little tour in Germany making a stop at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. They hope to put together a larger European tour with stops in Portugal, England and Germany in 2018.
“It’s our time to branch out to new territory and I think this album is going to do it for us,” he said.
Anyone looking to hear some true to their roots rock and roll should head out to the show Oct. 21 at The Mule. Tickets are $10 in advance at The Grooveyard, Mosaic Books or ticketweb.ca, or $15 at the door. The band takes the stage at 11 p.m.
“It’s going to be a great time. We’re starting a little later because of the Foreigner show so people should come on over and keep the night going.”
