Folk music will have its day on June 1, as a Vancouver-based band, Red Haven will be making a stop at the Critical Mass Pop Up Gallery in 100 Mile House.
“This will be our first time actually playing in town,” said Jen Charters, one of the four members. “We have driven through the place so many times and there are so many lovely people from the Cariboo that we’ve met, [we’re] just excited to see what the environment is like.”
Made up of Charters, Nathan Turer, Brendan Steele and Max Ley, the four have combined indie-pop songwriting with jazz to create their own brand of folk music.
“Our music is a blend of indie, folk and jazz that really has a fancy, high energy feel to it but we are really influenced by older styles,” she said. “We have a new sort of dancy element and the old sort of folky, jazzy element.”
Their primary influences right now are the bands Whitehorse, The Devil Makes Three and The Alabama Shakes.
The band is just off the back of releasing their second LP, Funhouse Mirror, on May 16 and was produced by Shawn Cole, who has worked with popular Canadian indie band, Yukon Blonde, on their debut self-titled album released in 2010.
“It’s amazing to finally have it out in the world and play these new songs for everybody. It’s been a while since we’ve released any new music and it feels good to have a new face to show the world,” she said.
The album’s name and theme are inspired by the thought of how people look at themselves and the world around them through different lenses.
With just two LPs and two EPs, Red Haven has found moderate success, featuring in many folk festivals around Western Canada and have toured across Canada, central United States and a three-week tour in southern England.
They have also played at the Hootstock Festival twice.
This tour is just a 14-dater going through British Columbia and Alberta. Later in the summer, they will be going a little further on another tour.
Red Haven formed in 2014 while playing at a shared house dubbed Admiral Grant after they all moved in as roommates after quitting former bands. The house had a room where they could all jam together, which eventually caused the start of the band naturally.
The house’s nickname came from the house being on Grant Street. One of the members, Charters isn’t sure who, discovered there was a famous Admiral Grant in the 1800s and they all felt it was a cool regal looking name to give to the house.
Doors to the show will open at 7:30 but the band doesn’t play until 8 p.m. Admittance price is $10.
“People should expect a real fun, energetic show,” says Charters. “There is always something for everybody.”
