The Wild
Late in 2016 the trio of Nils Edenloff, Paul Banwatt and Robin Hatch hit the road for a unique set of shows in some of their favourite venues across North America and Europe. They had been hard at work writing their next album and wanted to work out the new material the way they love best: by bringing it to their fans in person. As Nils put it, “I've never been good about focusing on a theme or having a specific plan at the outset of a new record. For me, writing music tends to be more of a constantly evolving process, like following one strange trail after another until a song has come to its general conclusion. This time around, we're following that natural writing process more and inviting the fans to come along those trails with us.” Over the ensuing months they took the lessons of the road into the studio, laying ten new tracks to tape. Earlier this year, fans had their first chance to hear the results with the release of singles “White Lights” and “Beacon Hill.” Now, the full fruit of their efforts can be found on The Wild. The Rural Alberta Advantage's percussive folk songs about hometowns and heartbreak, and relentless tradition of touring have taken the trio from humble recognition amongst indie rock die-hards as "Canada's best unsigned band" to sold-out tours and devoted fans around the world with featured coverage from Spin Magazine, Pitchfork, The New York Times and Rolling Stone all taking note. The band has been nominated for two 2012 Juno Awards (Best New Group and Video of the Year for their song “Stamp”), long listed for the 2011 Polaris Award, and awarded the CBC Music Prize for Best Independent Artist in 2014. The RAA has previously released three albums on Saddle Creek/Paper Bag Records: Hometowns (2009), Departing (2011) and Mended With Gold (2014).
The Wild maintains a real sense of spontaneity, a sound in keeping with their manic folk impulses and the heady adrenalin…
The Wild is the Canadian folk-rockers' fourth full-length, and the first Rural Alberta Advantage outing for new recruit Robin Hatch, who replaced longtime keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Amy Cole after the release of the 2014's Mended with Gold.
For over a decade, the Rural Alberta Advantage have quietly built themselves one of the most rabid and passionate fan-bases in Canada. Since...
Review of 'The Wild' by The Rural Alberta Advantage: On 'The Wild' The Rural Alberta Advantage get personal without getting deep.