The same day as their debut EP will show up on the internet, Barrie's Cousin Jack will also hit the stage tonight to spread the word.
The trio includes drummer Jake Thompson, bassist Cam Stevenson and Lucas Millar on guitar, all of whom share in the vocal duties.
The band, which opened for the Sam Roberts Band on New Year's Eve in downtown Barrie, released their eponymously titled debut EP today. It is available through Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and various other platforms. CDs are also expected to be available at Sunrise Records at Bayfield Mall.
The first single from four-song EP was released in February.
Thompson told BarrieToday that the EP is "a huge milestone for us," and one that they're all excited to share with their fans.
"This is not only our very first EP as a group, but individually as well. None of us have ever released anything more than a single," he added. "It’s also very rewarding having a tangible piece of music that people are able to bring home with them."
The waiting, however, has been the hardest part.
"Ever since we set an official release date, we have barely been able to contain our excitement," Stevenson said. "It has been very hard to keep everything under wraps, but now that the day is here, it has all been worth the wait. We can’t wait to share our work with everyone."
The group describes the EP as "painting a picturesque scene of discoverable emotions, uplifting fortitude and the griping of character. It also gives the listener "a new, fresh outlook on the modern, generational young adult," by fusing a Tragically Hip-like sound, mixed with Red Hot Chili Peppers progression.
The musicians, who identify themselves as 'yacht punk rock', also promise their fans that the music adheres to the roots of rock 'n' roll, while fashioning a new twist on the modern alternative sound.
Thompson says the 'yacht punk rock' label is with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
"We have a pretty diverse sound and love hearing people’s comparisons to other bands," he said. "I’ve always found the whole genre labelling thing pretty funny. That’s where 'yacht punk rock' came from. We draw a lot of influence from '70s and '80s soft rock, and '90s grunge.
"We put it all together and that’s yacht punk rock."
Stevenson says people can expect to hear "varying degrees of sound with a bluesy-folk feel, all with a touch of punk-rock attitude."
"The emotional feel of the record truly expresses the things each member had going on in their lives, past and present," he said. "During the time these songs were written, there was sometimes conflicting hardships, but each song leaves a feeling of pending perseverance."
"Each song has its own individual message," Thompson added, "with the common underlying theme of mental-health experiences and our perception of society."
Recorded last fall with local producer Shane Heath at his One Star Studios, an EP release party is also set for tonight at Mavricks Music Hall on Dunlop Street West in downtown Barrie.
Stevenson says Heath was able to bring everything together "seamlessly."
"He produced the album in a comfortable, relaxed environment, which is a big factor in us completing tracking in a matter of five or six full-day sessions," Stevenson said.
The final track, Your Sky, was recorded a few months prior to the rest of the album, and has a slightly different mood than the other songs, he noted.
"Being personal friends with our engineer allowed the process to be pushed along beautifully, which truly brought out our creativity and potential," Stevenson said.
Thompson says the band's friendship with Heath was "crucial" to success in the studio.
"He knew what we were all about," Thompson said. "We knew he wouldn’t let us settle for mediocre when we were getting tired or frustrated. Our mastering process was painless as well, thanks to Noah Mintz."
While the recording process is only one part of the equation, Stevenson says most of the yeoman's work went into writing the songs.
"A large portion of the effort went into the actual composition of the songs and realizing the sound and atmosphere we set out to achieve," he said. "Many long nights, collaborating in our jam space, brought that to life."
Thompson says the band doesn't subscribe to a standard writing process to pound out the songs.
"What I think is the most interesting part about the EP is that the lyrics for three out of four songs were written by different members of the band," he said. "This wasn't intentional when we selected the track list."
That can only bring several voices to the finished product.
"With all of us being songwriters, it creates advantages, as well as challenges, during the songwriting process," Stevenson said. "The process allowed us to grow together".
The roots of the band, which has also played legendary Toronto venues such as the Opera House, the Horseshoe Tavern and Lee's Palace, were planted four years ago as Thompson was finishing up at college. He says he was "pretty distant" from drumming, because he was unable to have a kit in his Ottawa apartment.
"Cam hit me up once I moved back home," he said. "We didn’t talk in high school, but we knew of each other through music programs."
Before long, he was pounding on the drums again.
"Cam and I went through a couple line-ups," Thompson said. "I met Lucas while in Cuba with mutual friends. We all jammed once we got back home. It worked and basically Cousin Jack was born!"
Doors at Mavricks open tonight at 8 p.m., with the first band, All My Life, set to hit the stage at 9 p.m. Also on the bill is House Art. Cousin Jack is scheduled to perform around 10:30 p.m.
