Double bill of great musicianship

Heads up. St. Albert music fans will get a double dose of folk-rock, retro-pop this Friday featuring two dynamic area bands.

The Hearts team up with The Provincial Archive for a do-not-miss concert at the Arden Theatre. While the two bands are very different in sound, they both deliver energetic, expansive music.

The Hearts, led by St. Albert born frontman Jeff Stuart, just toured western Canada and released their third album, Equal Love, in Nov. 2015.

“It went as far as No. 1 on CKUA. It’s a nice Alberta institution with a far reach. We’ve also received national attention on CBC and charted on campus radio stations across the country,” said Stuart.

Rounding out the band is Gavin Dunn, Dwayne Martineau, Michelle Rempel, Christopher Quesnel and Brad Tebble.

In its early days back in 2009, the band performed with a rootsy vibe. However, by focusing on specific creative goals and experimenting along the way, the six-piece has evolved into edgy retro pop.

Not only do The Hearts work together in building sonically nuanced melodies, they also make smart recording choices.

Stuart credits mixing engineer Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, The David Wax Museum, Joy Kills Sorrow) with lending his experienced ear and deft touch on the soundboard.

“In this album, we use more synth and the groove is more uptempo. In our older material, the songs were more down tempo. The songs are easier to sing along and easier for the audience to sing along.”

And peers see them as a proven staple on the music scene. The Hearts was both nominated and performed at the St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts as well as performing as a feature band at the 2015 Seven Music Festival.

The double bill also features The Provincial Archive, an indie folk-pop trio ready to roll up its sleeves for the Arden gig.

The Provincial Archive has released three albums as well as a self-titled, six-song indie rock confessional on 12-inch digital in Nov. 2015.

They’ve toured Europe three times, criss-crossed Canada and beat out the competition for the 2014 Edmonton Music Prize.

Fronted by hometown boy Craig Schram, the band also showcases Stephen Tchir and Bramwell Park.

Through each of its records beginning in 2009 with Homeless Places, The Provincial Archive has progressively become a louder band and the self-titled CD is in full-out mosh mode.

“The first and the second album had lots of banjo. This one has no banjo. It’s primarily rock,” said Schram describing its pounding percussion, cranked up riffs and fuzzed out yells.

Putting a focus on serious writing chops, the trio crafts music with a sense of adventure, quirkiness and a fun groove.

“We’re really excited to be performing. I grew up in St. Albert and it’s nice to be performing on that stage. I saw some of my first concerts at the Arden and it’s an exciting prospect to go back as a performer.”