Get ready to mark your calendars. The infamous Fernie based band Shred Kelly is dropping their fifth album on June 19, 2020. Like a Rising Sun will include a number of tantalizing songs, including two already released singles Dead Leaves and Disconnect. Drawing on life experiences such as birth, death, and cherished memories, the band pieced together another lively conglomeration of explosive and original folk rock.
Having started the album in May of 2018, the band wrote songs for a year, taking influence from musicians such as Elliott Brood, Old Man Luedecke, Fleetwood Mac, and Arcade Fire. Recording with Nygel Asselin and mixing with Ben Kaplan, by February of 2020 the group had finished their rawest collection of songs yet. With the goal of always continuing to create, Shred Kelly’s love of writing and recording music oozes out of each melody.
“I’d say this is the most personal album lyrically,” said band member Sage McBride. “In the past two years there were a lot of significant changes in our lives. Tim and I had a baby, and Tim lost his father. So a lot of the song writing was inspired by those two major life events. Those two experiences really changed the way we viewed the world and impacted the lyrical content.”
While typically one member of the band works on the original idea of the song, later proposing it to the rest of the band, McBride stated that each member worked alongside one another to incorporate their flare into the entire album, making for a collaborative and personal composing experience.
“I think each member has a song that resonates with them more than others. For Tim and I, some of the lyrical content is really personal, so certain songs are impactful because they are inspired by Tim’s dad, and we can picture him so vividly when we’re listening. There is a really strong emotional connection for us,” said McBride. “The songs are a collection of past experiences and memories, both challenging and fond, that brought us to where we are now. As we look into the future, especially as new parents, songs like Dead Leaves and Disconnect challenge our current viewpoints in a hope that we can collectively make changes that will affect future generations.”
While all of Shred Kelly’s tours have been cancelled at the moment, McBride claims that the pandemic has given them the opportunity to dive into live streaming and online concerts. Though the band was supposed to currently be on tour with The Dead South in Europe, they have found a number of other ways to keep their musical creativity alive during the last few months, such as by filming videos titled Shred Kelly and Guests Saturday Night Live Streams, viewable on YouTube.
They also hope to come out with a virtual ticketed private listening party to celebrate the release of their album. Doing so would allow fans to hear the new tunes before the album drops, followed by a question and answer session with the entire band. The band also hopes to plan a live stream event for their album release, should they be able to play together.
For updates and information as to how to support the band, visit their website at Shredkelly.com.
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