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Advertisement oopStory continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Subscribe $1 for 6 months Advertisement 2AdvertisementThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentFrom the Thin Lizzy-like dual guitar licks to the crazy-tight four part harmonies, there is no mistaking the deep ’70s influence in the Yukon Blonde’s sound. While decidedly not a retro crew like The Sheepdogs, the combo wears its power pop chops on its sleeves with pride. The band has written the equivalent of Cheap Trick’s Hello There with the song Waiting On A Call, a number that any group would love to be able to pull out to open a show.Article content“We are playing the first four songs in order to open our sets right now,” said Innes. “The second sub-mandate, if you want to call it that, applied to the recording, nothing was tracked until we had the songs as good as any others in our live set. A lot of jamming was involved to have a record that was absolutely show ready.”Article content“We previewed those four songs — Colours of My Dreams, Keep On Breaking My Heart, Phaedra and I’ve Got Yours — for the first time at the Shipyards in North Vancouver last year,” added Scott. “It’s the first time we ever played new songs that weren’t recorded to an audience. A new thrill.”Article contentArticle contentDedicated touring has been key to Yukon Blonde’s career longevity.Article contentSingles, from Get Precious to Love the Way U R, have done well on radio. But what got the group the kind of recognition to have tunes turn up in hit shows from Grey’s Anatomy to The Summer I Turned Pretty was the dedicated following it built through persistent touring to every market there was a place to play. This is a group forged across the Canadian landscape.Article contentThe band’s upcoming cross-country tour includes 24 dates taking in everywhere from Cumberland to Thunder Bay and points in between. It finishes up with back-to-back performances on Oct. 24 and 25 at Green Auto in Vancouver. Tickets are on sale at eventbrite.ca.Article content“Our goal as a band was to conquer every little city as we went along, as it is one of the last resources that indie artists have available today,” said Scott. “Record sales are tricky, at best, and you can survive touring if you do it smartly. We learned valuable lessons over the years, touring like madmen to make money one place only to lose it touring to others.”Article contentArticle content“Lord knows we learned the hard way from doing a few of those bloated fancy bus, full crew and individual hotel room tours.” said Innes. “Since then, we have always paid ourselves a moderate salary across the year and keep our expenses extremely low by sharing hotel rooms, $20 a day per diems, selling the merch ourselves and staying with friends and family anywhere possible on the road.”Article contentWith the trappings of music stardom taken out of the picture, what’s left is the joy and release that comes from playing rock ‘n’ roll with friends.Article contentArticle contentLove concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.Article content Featured Local Savings
