The Whytes offer vintage sound with a twist

There is some music that is so timeless you can immediately identify what decade it stems from. Edmonton-based band The Whytes accomplish this with ease on their latest EP, bringing back a nostalgic sound that has long since passed, yet still seems unique at the same time.

For those pessimistic music-enthusiasts out there mourning the downfall of modern music, here’s a must-see, hometown talent that will bring back hope for us all.

These five young, multi-instrumentalists showcase their skills on their first folk-rock EP, exceeding even their own expectations.

“The raw live off the floor recordings and the final mixing and mastering that was done took us all by surprise,” explained Nicole Koch, a St. Albert native on vocals, tambourine, shakers, and keyboard.

“We are all so happy with the end result that we decided the quality was better than a demo, which was our initial goal, so we decided we would proudly and excitedly debut the four songs as our first EP.”

Their sound has been described as a cross between Oh Brother Where Art Thou and Fleetwood Mac, emulating the old-time country sounds backed with Koch’s dauntingly beautiful vocals.

Each member of the band brings something to the table with Dan Bourbonnais’ gritty guitar rhythms, Shane Ducharme creating a full sound on bass, Jeff Meszaros’ exceptional keyboard skills and Nate Hodder, the backbone of the band on drums.

They have a variety of songs despite the fact that it is only a four-song EP, ranging from a jug-band sound, to delta blues and folk harmonies. Yet the true beauty of the EP is their ability to recreate the Blue Rodeo sound, with their voices complimenting each other in unison, creating soulful melodies.

Like most bands, they faced many challenges when first starting out, especially during the initial recording of their EP.

“It’s not always easy hearing yourself on a take we weren’t so happy with, but I’ve always thought that’s one of the best ways to grow as a musician. It can be very encouraging to hear yourself and it definitely highlights unknown areas that are in need of improvement,” said Koch.

Although the band has only been together for six months, they have already come a long way in the Edmonton music scene. They have been fortunate enough to be invited to numerous amounts of shows, such as opening for The Steadies, playing at The Dragon Boat Festival and most notably being asked to open for Shane Philip, who was one of the most well-received musicians at the Open Sky Music Festival.

“We have a lot of goals as a band, but we are hitting them very quickly while still having a blast,” said Koch. “We have a great music scene here in Edmonton; there is so much talent oozing out of unexpected places. Independent artists are not only celebrated and recognized but also well supported to break into larger audiences with things like Sonic band of the month, folk festival and Open Sky Music Festival. Even young bands like ourselves can find a place to go to get our feet wet.”

While they are all very talented musicians, their biggest feat is their ability to appeal to all ages.

“Our music has a very vintage sound with a twist to keep us current enough to appeal to a large audience. We often have a range from 18 to 55 at our shows grooving to our tunes so that’s very cool to see.”