York Redoubt has a self-deprecating streak, but the band
doesn’t need it. Over sushi on Quinpool, the band gripes at length
about how terribly they played at a PEI show the previous night, and
refers to the content of their tape released this spring as “crappy
York Redoubt.” All this bad press from a young group that’s been
setting the local music scene on fire and looks poised to make waves
nationally, in just a year of existence.
Releasing its “ultra-limited” self-titled LP—just 100 copies
pressed—this week, the band has already toured the country, played
Calgary’s Sled Island Festival, finished two recordings and gathered a
strong following at home.
Various parts math-rock, post-punk, pop and feedback-filled, reviews
have alluded to a certain Halifax sound in York Redoubt’s music (they
say they sound the same as PEI bands, but louder).
“We finished the album quickly in May—we sort of rushed, which is
probably better,” says guitarist Brad Lahead (ex of Tomcat Combat).
“You stick to an idea better.”
“We’re going to try to do something new really soon,” bassist Mike
Wright adds. “We need a bad concept before we can start.” Lahead
suggests the Jonas Brothers.
What’s the concept on the first LP? “I don’t know if we were
thinking much about that,” says Lahead. “We wanted it to be noisy.”
“There are a lot of Japan references,” adds guitarist Caleb Langille
(the band also includes drummer Noah Dalton).
Half the album was recorded at a former schoolhouse in Truro, owned
by Lahead’s great-uncle. “I used to just go for family get-togethers,”
says Lahead. “I’d never cursed there before, or smashed things in the
basement.”
Wright calls the schoolhouse the “definitive sound” of York Redoubt.
Its tape, Cheap Funerals, took its name from a homemade sign on
the lawn. They found chains and baseball bats in the collapsing
basement, and are looking for conclusive proof that the building is a
serial killer’s hangout.
Their summer tour was “more of a trip,” according to Lahead, with
just a dozen shows over six weeks. “We were sort of planning on driving
across the country together before Caleb”—who also plays with The
Gideons—“joined the band, and then we thought we’d just play some
shows.” They camped out and made a stop at Sled Island along the way,
where they played with a techno band from Scotland.
As for York Redoubt, the national historic site, “we went, and it
was creepy,” says Lahead. “The band once journeyed to the fort at 3am
with friends The Gamma Gamma Rays.
“I was scared, I wanted to turn back,” says Lahead. But there’s
little to be scared of with this York Redoubt: with another recording
in the works and an upcoming appearance at Pop Montreal, the band’s
outlook seems bright.
“We’re the future,” says Langille, which sounds about right.
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This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.