Like virtually every band out there on the road trying to build a fan base, Kill Your Radio is looking to shed humble beginnings and make a name for themselves.
The four-piece rock band is made up of Bow Valley musicians who have gotten together seriously in the last couple of years and are now gigging in Valley bars.
On March 3, KYR headlined at the Canmore Hotel, with Red Deer’s Dusty Tucker Band opening. This Sunday (March 20), they play Banff’s Rose & Crown.
Kill Your Radio is Guy Pettigrew (vocals), Andrew Western (guitar), Josh Cremers (drums) and new bassman Francois LaBelle.
“We started out with just myself and Andrew playing in my basement about six years ago,” said Cremers. “Then we added a bass player and Guy joined about a year and a half ago.
“We had to find a new bass player though, and Frank’s been with us for the past several months. Actually, Frank got his first dollar making music after the Hotel gig.
“It was a jam band start, but we’ve been working on writing a lot of songs and we’re hoping to do some recording soon. We all bring different elements to the band and we’ve been working on all different types of music as we develop our own sound.” From pop to reggae to heavy rock, influences range among the band members.
A Kill Your Radio gig is a rock combination of original tunes and covers.
Originals, said Cremers, are a collaborative effort. “We work together on the music, then tailor it and sometimes it goes in a completely different direction than we thought.”
Once the music is pretty much nailed down, Pettigrew pens lyrics, which can then sometimes call for yet another re-think on the music – a work in progress until things are solidified. Kill Your Radio has been gigging for most of a year now, and is making its name heard on the local bar scene. In recent months they’ve played the Canmore Hotel and the Magpie and Stump, Bruno’s, now the Rose & Crown and in the future, The Saltlik (April 7) in Banff.
Three of the band members are from Canmore and one from Banff, “but we seem to have more of a following in Banff,” said Cremers. “Lots of people are coming out, which makes the bars happy.”
Beyond continuing with Valley gigs, Cremers said he is also hoping to encourage the creation of more local bands. “There are jams and open mics,” he said, “but not a lot of local bands happening. There are more places to play in Banff and I’d like to see more of a local band scene.”
As well, the band would like to branch out to include gigs in Calgary, one of the reasons KYR is looking to get a demo recorded. A demo helps attract bookings.
In the end, said Cremers, Kill Your Radio is about passion. “We started out just for fun, and it’s still about that, and even if we don’t get anywhere, we’re having fun.
“We could be a cover band and do shows and make some money, but our passion is to do our own music and that’s our goal.”
