B.C.-based indie-rock band, Yukon Blonde is hitting the road this fall with their seventh studio album, Friendship & Rock ’n’ Roll, and a 24-stop tour that will take them across 23 Canadian communities.
The album, out Friday, Sept. 19, marks 15 years since the band released their self-titled debut in 2010, and for frontman Brandon Wolfe Scott, it’s as much about the music as it is about the bond between the four members of the band.
“It’s kind of what this album is about – our friendship,” Scott told Victoria News. “We’ve all gone through a lot of ups and downs together in our personal lives, and they’ve always got my back."
The band – Scott, Jeffrey Innes, Graham Jones, and James Younger – have built a career on energetic live shows and a DIY approach to music.
Friendship & Rock ’n’ Roll reflects that ethos, with each member contributing songs and the band recording and rehearsing together before heading into the studio.
“We just started bringing in songs. Everyone brought in two or three songs each,” Scott says. “It was just nice to rehearse the songs and get them tight like you would take them on the road. Then we went into the studio and made it. It was just so quick and so fun, and I think there’s a lot of power in it.”
The album’s tracks showcase the personalities of each band member.
Jones sings lead on Phaedra, a standout track Scott calls one of his favourites, and Scott himself is drawn to Keep on Breaking My Heart, a song he says helped him through a rough breakup.
“It’s just fun to sing with everyone,” he said.
Touring, Scott says, has always been a central part of Yukon Blonde’s story, but it’s not all glamour.
“It’s not glamorous, but it’s fun. It’s kind of like this weird road trip with your best pals,” he says. “You get some of these dives, man, they’re crazy. Going across the Canadian Shield from Winnipeg to Sudbury, that is a long haul.”
After 15 years on the road, the band knows how to navigate the challenges, whether it’s worrying about van engines or staying sane on long stretches between shows.
This fall, the tour brings Yukon Blonde to seven B.C. communities, including three stops on Vancouver Island: The Queen's in Nanaimo on Oct. 16, Waverley Hotel in Cumberland on Oct. 17, and Victoria’s Capital Ballroom on Oct. 18.
In total, they'll have eight shows across B.C., with Kelowna set as the tour opener on Sept. 18, and concluding in Vancouver with back-to-back shows on Oct. 24 and 25.
Scott says returning to familiar places adds an extra layer to the experience.
“We actually just did a really fun island-hopping tour recently, Galliano, Salt Spring, and Mayne Island,” he says. “We’re looking forward to capping it off in Victoria. I went to university there, so that city always means a lot to me.”
Scott says the new album and tour are about keeping things simple and focused on music.
“There’s no fancy light show, there’s no gimmicks. It’s just a rock and roll show,” he says. “It feels energetic. It’s a standing-up record. It’s just us having a good time together.”
