One of the perks of finding success in the music business is having people to take care of you, said James Murdoch, whose band The Dungarees is playing the Kispiox Valley Music Festival this weekend.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know what our accommodations situation is, to be quite honest,鈥� he said on Thursday, just two days before the band is set to take the stage at the 25th annual event.
鈥淭he best thing that鈥檚 happened for us lately is being able to show up for a show and worry about the music. I鈥檓 not really concerned about the other issues, they鈥檙e handled鈥� I know that there鈥檚 no real hotels around so we鈥檙e probably camping.鈥�
The good thing about camping, he added, is jamming around the campfire after the stage lights have been turned off for the night.
鈥淚 love that element, it鈥檚 certainly fun, so hopefully we get to take in a little bit of that,鈥� he said.
He鈥檚 also looking forward the remote location.
鈥淚 know a lot of the guys in the band kind of love being out in the wilderness, so, I don鈥檛 know if we鈥檒l have a whole lot of time, but if we get out for a little hike or a swim or something like that, that is a nice added bonus for us.鈥�
For Murdoch, who plays bass and sings, it is a homecoming of sorts.
鈥淚 grew up in Whitehorse and when I was 16, my first band, we played at Kispiox, 20-something years ago,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty crazy to be back, so I鈥檓 actually really excited to be back.鈥�
The Dungarees, who bill themselves as a 鈥渢rue-grit country band鈥� are fresh off an appearance at the Calgary Stampede where they played to 17,000 people, but Murdoch said Kispiox is definitely not a letdown after that.
鈥淚t absolutely does not matter the size of the show or where it is or anything like that,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e have just as much fun anywhere we go and each show is important to us. People are people anywhere, and if they like music that鈥檚 all that matters.鈥�
He said the thrill of a big show like that is fleeting, once the first chord is struck they just fall into the groove.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the four or five steps up to the stage when you can hear the crowd and then they see you walk up on the stage and it just goes deafening because people are screaming, that is a rush that you can鈥檛 really replace, it鈥檚 pretty unique and amazing,鈥� he said. 鈥淎side from that, every show is a show鈥� it doesn鈥檛 really matter if there鈥檚 four people in the crowd or鈥� 17,000 people in the crowd. Playing to one of those big crowds it鈥檚 mostly the initial reaction of walking out on that big stage that鈥檚 pretty overwhelming and awesome.鈥�
The band is definitely on the rise, however. With multiple Canadian and Alberta Country Music Awards nominations under their belt, Murdoch, Robb Angus (guitar/vocals), Kiron Jhass (guitar/vocals), Darrek Anderson (steel guitar) and Ben Shillabeer (drums), have been invited to some of the biggest festivals in the country music world and to open for country music royalty such as Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Dwight Yoakam and Alabama.
Murdoch said they were surprised by the treatment they got from those big stars.
鈥淭he thing about all of those artists is that they鈥檙e so genuine and kind and gracious with their time,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e friendly, and none of the artists that we鈥檝e ever worked with are snobby, divas or anything like that, everyone is really welcoming and wants to say 鈥榟i,鈥� or pay a compliment to the band or wish us luck as we鈥檙e going up on the stage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been an eye-opener because before we got the opportunity to do that I think we were a little worried that maybe we weren鈥檛 going to be quite as welcomed as we [were], but it was the total opposite of that.鈥�
The Dungarees play Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. on the River Stage. Murdoch said the audience should have their dancing boots at the ready.
The thing about the band is we like to think of ourselves as a fun band,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of high energy. We don鈥檛 really play a lot of down-tempo stuff, so up-tempo, sort of danceability, and it鈥檚 kind of got a throwback retro country vibe to it. So, if people like old-school country and rock and roll roots, that kind of thing, that鈥檚 where we fit in.鈥�
They will also be fitting themselves into the audience, he said, noting Five Alarm Funk as one of the acts they are looking forward to.
鈥淭hose guys are fun, for sure,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited to see all of it, I love music and Kiron, the guitar player in the band is crazy about festivals and taking in multiple genres of music, so I鈥檓 sure we鈥檙e both going to have a good time.
The festival starts tonight (July 26) at 7 p.m. with Don Alder opening on the main stage and runs until Sunday at 7 p.m. Inuit/First Nations/folk-rock duo Twin Flames is scheduled to close out the weekend.
editor@interior-news.com
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