Canyon Rose Outfit unleashes grizzly sound

Canyon Rose Outfit’s debut CD release party is a high-water mark for the group, a coming of age story that was seven years in the making.

On Saturday, March 13 at the Starlite Room, this Morinville-based alternative jam band launches Grizzly House, an aggressive 12-track set of songs. It lays the groundwork for a distinct musical identity that celebrates its roots while cranking out hard-hitting contemporary grooves.

“It’s a collection of songs, a collection of feelings. That’s one of its charms. By the end you’ve had your heart broken, your spirits lifted, you’ve danced and you’ve been pissed off at the future,” says lead singer/guitarist Christan Maslyk.

With an average age of 21, the foursome also includes Justin Perkins (guitar), Matt Harrison (bass/back vocals) and Jesse Gauthier (drums).

Previously known as Louie on 3, a cover band that mainly played at friends’ parties, Canyon Rose shifted their vision after Maslyk and Gauthier attended Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music Festival two years ago. The festival’s attractions are multiple stages of live music featuring a dizzying array of A-list musicians from every contemporary genre.

This explosion of world-class talent redefined their perception of music and opened new possibilities. “We felt we could do more,” explains Maslyk.

Once back home, they burned the midnight oil with serious songwriting jams and produced tunes such as Homemade Wine, a roots-bluegrass number about injustices people down south face. Recorded live at Morinville’s Smith Music, “We just stuck a mike in the middle of the floor and played.”

And then there’s Tennessee Rain inspired by the surreal feel at Bonnaroo. “It starts with a soft organ, an intro with a lone voice that gives an isolated feel. Other instruments are added. The tension grows and then there’s a crashing storm. This one is significant for Jesse ‘cause he gets a drum solo.”

Coalescing the 12 songs gives the album a southern rock feel with elements of alternative country. “It’s reminiscent of ‘60s rock bands with really dirty guitars and drums.”

And on the surface the CD moniker Grizzly House, named after a Banff restaurant, might seem odd. But, “It embodies everything we do. It has a communal feel of bringing people together. At the same time there’s a lot of darkness and ferocity, and the grizzly represents that.”