With their recently released debut self titled album and music video, Saskatoon’s indie rock band League of Wolves will tour from Saskatoon to Montreal and back this May. The tour includes an opening spot for Yukon Blonde in their hometown and will be highlighted by a showcase opportunity at Canadian Music Week in Toronto on May 6th. Now in its 33rd year, Canadian Music Week is recognized as one of the premier entertainment events in North America focusing on the business of music.
As a top 10 Regional Finalist, the band is also a strong contender in CBC’s current Searchlight competition. The grand prize includes $20,000 worth of music equipment from Yamaha Canada Music, and a spot on a high-profile music showcase. From the 3,333 bands that entered Searchlight, 225 moved into the regional finals.
“The Fratellis and the Arctic Monkeys must have stopped in Saskatoon for a little while, because this song (Runaway) from Saskatchewan Searchlight contestants League of Wolves summons those bands' inner indie garage-rock dance jams like few others can.” - KM via CBC
TOUR DATES
May 1 Saskatoon SK The Capitol - Opening for Yukon Blonde
May 2 Thunder Bay ON Black Pirates Pub
May 4 Peterborough ON The Spill Coffee Bar
May 5 Lindsay ON The Coach and Horses Pub
May 6 Toronto ON Rancho Relaxo (Showcase at Canadian Music Week)
May 7 Toronto ON Bier Market
May 8 Montreal QC Grumpy’s
May 9 Windsor ON Phog Lounge
May 12 Lindsay ON The Coach and Horses Pub
May 14 Ottawa ON Bier Market
May 15 Toronto ON Gladstone Hotel
May 16 Oshawa ON The Moustache Club
ABOUT THE ALBUM
The Piapot Public School opened in 1930 and was scheduled for demolition a couple of years ago, but the Beveridge family (Greig and Aspen’s parents) decided to save the location. League of Wolves fell in love with the acoustics and the sound the wooden floors and old brick gave their vocals and drums and decided to record their debut album there. “We try to make every track capture the energy of our live performance,” explains Beveridge. “What you hear on the album is the League of Wolves you hear any time we play, whether at a festival or small-town bar: raw, honest rock, minimally produced.”
The album was recorded and mixed by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Aspen Beveridge who studied Audio Engineering at the The Banff Centre with prestigious instructors Shawn Everett (Weezer, KD Lang, Bob Dylan) and David Gleeson (Lord of the Rings, Celine Dion). The album weaves together stories and themes pulled out of personal experience and prairie culture. Some of the stories include the burning and downfall of Detroit Michigan in “The City” (which was also the inspiration for the album art above), Saskatchewan’s ties to rum runners in the prohibition days in “The Runners” and references to a utopian town inspired by Tim Burton’s film “Big Fish” in the track titled “Youngstown”. The music video for “Runaway” was produced by local filmmakers Prehistoric Productions and released in early March . Watch here. “Runaway was also selected by CBC as one of the “Songs You Need To Hear” on March 18 in relation to their Searchlight competition.
ABOUT LEAGUE OF WOLVES
League of Wolves started as small-town boys in an unknown group playing cover songs at open mic nights, and now the Saskatoon rockers have evolved into a well-respected touring band, playing high energy rock with a purpose. Influenced by Kings of Leon and Canadian rocker Sam Roberts,
Dillon Currie (vocals, guitar), Ethan Stork (bass), Aspen Beveridge (vocals, guitar), and Greig Beveridge (drums, vocals) grew up together in Maple Creek, SK. By the time Greig, Ethan, and Dillon were 16, they were playing music regularly, developing new tunes influenced by the likes of Wintersleep and The Black Keys. League of Wolves has opened for The Trews, One Bad Son, Zachary Lucky and Glorious Sons and are scheduled to open for Yukon Blonde in early May.