Indie rock band Long Range Hustle is back on the road and will be performing in Barrie next weekend.
The Toronto-based five-member band — consisting of Paul Brogee (co-lead vocals, guitars, violin), Jay Foster (co-lead vocals, keys, synths), AJ Fisico (drums, vocals), Mike Brogee (bass, vocals) and Ryan Pritchard (guitars) — are kicking off their North American tour for the latest album, I am alive, but only if you say I am, next week.
They are slated to play at The Rec Room in Barrie on Saturday, April 9.
“We’ve been together for quite a while now,” Brogee tells BarrieToday, adding they initially started off playing coffee houses and university campuses before beginning to tour around Ontario and Quebec.
Foster said while their sound has definitely evolved over time, they generally describe themselves as a “folk rock, alternative” band.
“We sound a little bit like the Arkells, a little bit like Half Moon Run,” he says. “We like big drums, big hooky choruses … music that’s geared to a live setting. We like to put on really good live performances.”
Their first album, which the band self-produced and released in 2015, featured a more folk-rock side to the band, while they say their latest release sees them exploring a more “experimental” sound.
“At the time, we were doing a lot of things that felt at home touring through the east coast, some big stacked harmonies and a little bit reminiscent of The Band," Brogee says. "I think that influence, that sort of singing around the campfire with your friends … is still present in the stuff we do today.
"With the advent of working with our producer Tony Doogan, we shifted a little away from the folk influences and started incorporating more of the driving drum rhythms and interesting synthesizer sequences. Our latest record is probably the most experimental type of work we’ve done," he adds.
Recorded during the summer of 2020 at Kingston's Bathouse studio and produced virtually from Scotland by Doogan, the 10-track album features “melodic ear-worms and thought-provoking lyrics that explore themes of self-reflection, human connection, and vulnerability in a time when it’s needed most.”
Foster and Brogee — along with the rest of Long Range Hustle — say they are excited to get back on the road after such a long time.
“It’s been amazing. We were able to go on a bit of a run in November before the (last) lockdown … (and) it was very intense. There was a lot of pent-up energy and emotion. We feel the same way now,” Brogee says. “It feels like we are starving a little bit and it’s a release of tension that it’s hard to explain.”
Their first live show after the first 18 months of the pandemic was a bit of an emotional experience, Foster admits.
“I remember openly tearing up and getting a little 'cry-ey' on stage as we were breaking into that first song. It was such an overwhelming, emotional experience to have that again and to be able to share it with other people again… and we are just really excited to be back in Barrie next weekend.”
For more information on the show, click here.
