w/ Special Guest David Roberts of the
CCMA and Juno Award-Winning Group ''The Washboard Union''
Sept 12th, 2020
Hosted by Kim Cyr
Presented by NOW and THEN Magazine
www.nowandthenmagazine.com
Interview w/ Special Guest David Roberts From The Award Winning Group ''The Washboard Union''
The Washboard Union
Dock Rock
The Washboard Union, Canada’s leading country band, released a brand new studio album on April 24 called Everbound. The album is the follow up to their 2018 album What We’re Made Of, which led the band to a JUNO Award win for Breakthrough Group of the Year and multiple Canadian Country Music Association Award wins including Group/Duo of the Year and Roots Album of the Year.
Everbound will include 10 tracks, including the studio and acoustic versions of their Top 5 smash country radio hit “County Thunder” and their brand new single “Dock Rock"!
'Country Thunder' Watch The Video Below
The Washboard Union - Country Thunder #Canadatogether edition
The Washboard Union - Shot Of Glory - Quarantine Sessions (Episode 10)
“Everbound is all about chasing what actually fills your heart and makes you feel alive, never losing that sense of wonder that we’re all born with,” says band member Chris Duncombe. “We’re really proud of this collection of songs and the undercurrent of hope that seems to unite them all. Feels like we could all use a bit of hope right now.”
On “Dock Rock,” Aaron Grain says: “It is often funny how songs come to be written and then end up being on the album. I recall the beginnings of ‘Dock Rock’ being of very simple origin. We wanted a groovy, swagger type of song, and played around with a Steve Miller Band vibe. Lyrically, sometimes it’s harder to write something simple in an interesting way than to simplify a complicated concept. Since we grew up in Lake Country, we had plenty to draw from experience-wise, so we set out to write a great summer ‘feels’ song. I remember though, multiple times during the write, each of us looking up at one and another and saying, ‘are we really doing this?!?' because sonically, it was such a departure."
Adds David Roberts: “We wrote ‘Dock Rock’ in the middle of blistering Tennessee heat wave. We couldn't make it to the water that day so we brought the water to us.”
1. Country Thunder
2. Dock Rock
3. If She Only Knew
4. Never Run Outta Road
5. My Weekend Amen
6. Home Sweet Her
7. One More One More
8. Shut Er Down
9. More Memories Than Wishes
10. Country Thunder (Acoustic)
THE WASHBOARD UNION
The Washboard Union has become Canada’s preeminent country band with a growing following all over the world. What started out as 3 best friends (Aaron Grain, Chris Duncombe and David Roberts) and a love of songwriting has grown into the most exciting, recognized and talked about band in country music. Resonating with audiences far and wide from North America to Europe, performing in front of over 200,000 fans last year, The Washboard Union’s dynamic live performances have set them apart as one of the most unique talents in music today. The gold-certified trio are also the two-year reigning Group of the Year at the CCMA Awards and winners of the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, bringing their career music award total to an incredible 27.
By now, fans are familiar with the Washboard Union’s origin story, but it bears repeating. Grain and Duncombe first met at age 15 in Kelowna B.C. when Chris’s father began dating Aaron’s mother. The pair immediately forged a close friendship and a few years later decided to move to Vancouver to establish a music career. There, they soon encountered Roberts who at the time happened to be living in a 1920’s Tudor mansion overlooking the beach. While Chris and Aaron had already developed their harmonizing skills, the addition of David’s voice opened up even more artistic possibilities. Relying largely on acoustic instrumentation, including Roberts’s historic washboard that gave the band its name, 2012 saw them release their independent self-titled debut, co-produced by Garth Richardson and the legendary Bob Ezrin.
Three years later, The Washboard Union signed to Warner Music Canada and the hits, along with the awards and accolades began flowing. It’s an impressive list of awards that attests to the band’s dedication and talent. They are 7-time CCMA Award winners which includes being the 2-year-reigning Group of the Year and winners of the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, bringing their career music award total to an awe-inspiring 28 wins. It’s a story not just about how three guys managed to make great music together and become one of Canada’s most successful and beloved country bands, but that they’ve done it through the genuine friendship they share. Chris says, “We are incredibly close. We always joke that if everything to do with the band ended tomorrow, the first thing we’d do is call each other up and say, ‘Wanna hang out today?’”
Aaron concurs, “Our friendship is definitely based on making music together, but it goes way beyond that. We talk to each other every day, whether we’re working or not, and our lives are so entwined that I can’t imagine that ever changing.”
It is indeed rare to find a band led equally by three distinct personalities. It’s not something The Washboard Union has gone out of its way to promote—their bond has naturally sent the message that all are welcome. As David says, “At one point, some of our female fans started telling us after shows that their husband or boyfriend wasn’t a country music fan, but after seeing us he became one. That’s one of the most satisfying things to hear, because it’s totally beyond our control.”
There are sure to be many more converts in the wake of Everbound as The Washboard Union continue to prove that creativity is not limited by the use of traditional instruments. Although they will still be called country, The Washboard Union will always sound exactly like who they are.
The Washboard Union - Shot of Glory - Official Music Video
The Washboard Union - Shine - Official Video
More Memories Than Wishes
For all the up to date information on The Washboard Union, visit our publicity website here!
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