Passionate play

Rural Alberta Advantage brings hometown nostalgia

Rural Alberta Advantage have been compared to a hybrid of Neutral Milk Hotel and Arcade Fire.
Image by: Supplied
Rural Alberta Advantage have been compared to a hybrid of Neutral Milk Hotel and Arcade Fire.

If you play music with a passion, you must do it for yourself.

That’s Nils Edenloff’s motto.

“If you just keep playing music for yourself, eventually your audience will respond to it at some point,” he said.

Canadian indie rock band Rural Alberta Advantage tributes this piece of advice to their success. Aside from Edenloff, the band includes percussionist Paul Banwatt and vocalist Amy Cole.

“We’re excited about playing in Kingston again as we love the feel of the Grad Club, and how the audience is so close to us there,” Edenloff said. “It really gives us a vibe for what’s working with our music and what’s not.”

He said he remembers the recording process with nostalgia, remarking on the excitement of hearing what you’ve envisioned come to life.

“The best part about the recording process this time was our new studio in Toronto. It really helped energize us and got us working on the process of recording, which is always fun and stimulating,” Edenloff said.

Recording, he said, is a highly collaborative project.

“We’re always really immersed in our music and we’re passionate when we’re recording. The same goes for our songwriting process,” he said. “We always ask each other for opinions and advice when writing our songs. We really work well together as a team.”

Edenloff is the chief songwriter of the group. Most of his writing inspiration comes from his life in Alberta.

Music, he said, has always been an integral part of his life, whether he was involved in making it or enjoying it as an audience member.

The band officially formed in 2005 and since they’ve been nominated for two JUNO awards in 2012, for both New Group of the Year and Music Video of the Year.

“I still cannot believe that we have come this far and made it big. We don’t really have a long-term plan right now,” he said, “but we’re hoping we continue on our way to success.”

The band, he said, is enthusiastic about trying out some new songs, as it is always refreshing for the audience as well as the band to play something unfamiliar.

“We’ve been playing our songs for a couple of years now. It’s exciting trying new things and communicating your passion to your audience,” he said.

There’s a danger and excitement in live performance, he said. This drive to articulate their vision and share their passion is what usually inspires the band’s best shows.

“At the Grad Club … the audience is literally in your face,” Edenloff said. “It makes the art of communicating and sharing music much more involved and passionate.”

Rural Alberta Advantage will be playing a sold out show at the Grad Club on Jan. 18.

Tags

Interview, Music, Rural Alberta Advantage, Show, the Grad Club

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