The Wooden Horsemen have undergone a handful of changes since they began as a three-piece folk band in 2013.
Now, the blues-rock band has added four more members to round out the brassy and electrified sound. Singer Steven Beddall and Missy Cross combine their weaving harmonies mix with drums, keyboard, electric guitar, bass, and trumpet, played by Paul Clark, Owen Connell, Craig Aalders, Cole Graham, and Joseph Lubinsky-Mast. Connell, the trumpet player, won’t be with Wooden Horsemen for the show in Golden.
Some in Golden might recall the sounds of the Wooden Horsemen from their set at the Golden Sound Festival in 2016.
“We had a great time. We always have a fun time in Golden,” Beddall recalls of his times spent playing in town.
The band brings back the same energy, coupled with their latest album, Past Lives, released in November, 2018.
Wooden Horsemen’s Past Lives is described as a fiery testament to the gospel spirit of the American South, and an intimate acknowledgment of the relationship between music and spirituality.
“We’re bringing our new record that we released in November, so we’re going to be playing all the tunes off that,” Beddall said. “We even have a couple more songs in the works… since the last time we played there, it’s an entirely new repertoire of material.”
Golden’s show on Saturday, June 1 marks the end of a mini tour for Wooden Horsemen. First, the band will travel to Calgary, and then Camrose on Friday to play, before performing at the Rockwater.
“It’s a pretty long drive, but we like getting out of town,” Beddall said, adding that all of the members share the driving. “For us, it’s totally worth it to go and play those kinds of shows.”
Local band Smalltown Revival will open up for Wooden Horsemen on June 1 at the Rockwater. The doors open at 9 p.m.
Listen to Wooden Horsemen and learn more about the band at www.woodenhorsemen.com.
Listen to Smalltown Revival and find more about their upcoming shows at www.smalltownrevival.ca.
