Sure Thing: The Grass

After a turbulent year of touring, relocation and band reconstruction, The Grass are back in Dartmouth with a fresh perspective on their music, two talented new members and a much anticipated CD release: Rogue Waves.The Grass are a much different band than they were a year ago. After an unsuccessful move to Ottawa hindered their musical creativity and a rift in the original six-piece was obvious, original members Dylan and Willis Ryan and pianist Adam Burke brought their psychedelic folk-rock sound back to Dartmouth for fine-tuning, while the other members stayed in Ottawa to form Ship Shapes. “It’s been obvious there were always two things going on,” says percussionist Dylan. “Originally it was fun and we enjoyed two entities happening at once because it made the live shows better, but over time it became harder and harder to compliment both styles.” Dylan feels extremely relieved to continue writing with his brother at the pace they have always wanted to work at, which allowed them to finish Rogue Waves in just under two months. When it came time to find new members to write and record, luck was on their side. Rock Ranger bassist Daniel Baldwin signed on, and guitarist Ryan Stanley told them long ago that he could perform at a moment’s notice. A random chat on the street landed Whiskey Kisses singer Krista Maria. A recording studio encounter with Dale Murray and his pedal steel guitar lassoed him in, too.Rogue Waves debuts on a two-night CD release event Friday at the Seahorse and continuing Saturday at Dartmouth’s Monte’s, kicking off their Canadian tour to Ottawa, through Ontario and Quebec, and concludes at the Halifax Pop Explosion. After, they’ll “curl up in the basement in Dartmouth with some instruments and recording equipment and start working on a new album.”