What would a combination of two seemingly opposite musical genres sound like? The Strumbellas gave everyone a convincing answer Nov. 2 at a packed Cafe Dekcuf in downtown Ottawa, putting their unique blend of country and pop stylings on display in full force.
Based in Toronto, yet conceived in the small town of Lindsay, Ont., The Strumbellas came together as a group in 2006 through the internet, forming the band through online classified ads.
“We all came together on Craigslist,” explained guitarist and singer/songwriter Simon Ward. “We met in my apartment in Toronto and after some hirings and firings, we were left with six people and we took it from there.”
Having the small-town connection made an impact on the musical output of The Strumbellas, most notably on their sound and lyrical themes.
“In some of the lyrics, there’s this tension of growing up in a small town and moving to the city,” violinist Isabel Ritchie said. “It’s definitely a theme in both the songs ‘Lakes’ and ‘Rhinestone.’”
A variety of musical influences also played a role in shaping the band’s output, according to drummer Jeremy Drury.
“I think we all grew up listening to different kinds of music. Simon was really into hip-hop, I was into punk. We all had different musical tastes growing up in Lindsay, and I feel that once we moved to Toronto, this is kind of what came out.”
The six band members play a variety of different instruments which contribute to the overall sound. Rounding out the sextet behind Ward, Drury, and Ritchie are David Ritter on vocals and keys, Jon Hembrey on lead guitar, and Darryl James on bass guitar.
Despite so many people contributing, Ward expressed that the writing process was fairly straightforward.
“Everybody has their part,” he said. “The bare-bones beginning of a song is one part of it, and everybody adds their own element. We have people all the time saying ‘Oh, I love that song because of the guitar riff, or the violin riff.’”
“I then decide whether it’s good or not, and then that’s the song. I’m a strong supporter of dictatorship leadership styles,” Ward jokingly added.
Earlier in February, the band released their first full-length record, My Father and The Hunter. It was produced and engineered by Jason McCaslin, bass player for renowned Canadian rock act Sum 41.
“He plays in Sum 41, and that’s a certain style of music, but he’s a fan of all types of music,” Drury said.
“He was easy to work with and very open to ideas. He wanted to make the band sound the best that we could. He didn’t want to mould us or shape us into anything, and he just tried to bring the best of us out on the record.”
The band was also quick to praise McCaslin’s strong work ethic, and credited it for having a huge effect on themselves.
“It was really a good lesson for the band to realize that going into the studio is fun, but it is a job. You are working towards something at the end of the day,” Drury said.
“His work ethic really rubbed off on us, and made us realize that this isn’t all fun and games, we’re looking to put our best foot forward.”
The band put on an energy-filled set at Cafe Dekcuf, engaging the audience and providing enough stomping and clapping to keep the heavy metal thunder from below at Mavericks to a dull roar.
Joined by the Tom Fun Orchestra from Nova Scotia, and Ottawa’s own Jonathan Becker & the White Devils, all three acts were well-received by the crowd.
The Strumbellas will now head west on tour, to round out 2012.
“We’ll be recording some new material at the end of the month, and we’ll release in some form or another in the new year,” Ritchie said.
“Even though the album just came out, we’re all really excited to get back in the studio and record some more.”
