Band is very used to travelling.

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Sled dogs aren't exactly a summer animal. Picked for their strength and endurance, the dogs "" often huskies or malamutes "" are used to navigate harsh winter climates, often working in teams to pull sleds long distances. It's not exactly an image you associate with beaches, summer sun, and umbrella laden cocktails.

Enlarge Photo

Until now, that is. Kelowna based rock trio, Sleddogs, are spending the summer of 2008 crisscrossing the country in support of their 2007 release Take Me Away - including stops at the Fort Howe Hotel July 4 and 5 "" and bassist/vocalist Kenny Byrka is looking forward to the trip.

"We love playing in Atlantic Canada," says Byrka. "People tend to be very passionate about live music out there, and Canada is so diverse in its human and physical geography so it really feels like another country to us." Like its namesake, Sleddogs is used to travelling long distances. The band "" which also features guitarist/vocalist Michael Donley and drummer Eric Funk - will travel over 10,000 km to perform the two Saint John dates, flying to British Columbia and back in the process. It's an epic journey for a couple of gigs, but Byrka doesn't mind the jetlag.

"We will take the West Jet cookies and Bits & Bites over the five-day drive anytime," he says. "Driving 5,000 plus km isn't even on the radar for us anymore."

The group is getting used to flying. Sleddogs has logged 1,000s of km flying to the United Kingdom and back, where the band has gained a large, loyal following. Byrka says the response they receive in the UK is overwhelming.

"People come out to support live music in the 100s each night of the week," he says. "We played in front of 1,000s of screaming fans for 16 shows. They even had to put up barricades to keep people off the stages - a first for us!"

The band's two night stint in Saint John will be a little less intense. Performing in the 100-seat Top of Town Lounge as part of the Rising Tides Festival (which seems to have every local event ever planned lodged into its 12-day schedule), the band will play stripped down versions of its made for radio rock tunes. Byrka thinks it will give fans a new insight into the band's song writing process.

"Michael and I will play unplugged for the two nights, using some electric guitars, acoustics and the electric piano," he says. "We will be setting up the songs as we perform them "" kind of an inside look at the mechanics of Sleddogs song writing and the personalities who define the band."

Expect to hear a lot of material from Take Me Away. Produced by Steven Drake (The Odds), the disc has done quite well for a band, selling over 5,000 copies and picking up five trophies at the Okanogan Music Awards. Byrka is quite pleased with Drake's work, and is already collaborating with him on a few upcoming projects.

"We approached Steve based on his work with the Odds and The Tragically Hip," says Byrka. "He has a very relaxed approach to making records, and has a unique way of pulling out the best in each of us during the recording sessions. "He's producing my solo album in Vancouver, which we're fitting in between now and Sleddogs album number three." Until then, Byrka and the gang will continue entertaining people live onstage. The band is booked steadily until August, and plans on making a return trip to the UK in the fall. Byrka promises a good time, musical or otherwise.

"We actually get a lot of people saying we sound better live than on the CD," he says. "Michael has a great guitar tone, so it feels like there are two guitar players in the band at times. He is also quite capable of stand up comedy, so be warned now!"