The Banff Centre Blog

Polaris-nominated Chad VanGaalen helped close The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience with a concert.

Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen headlined the October 1 Indie Band Showcase Concert at The Banff Centre. Photo courtesy The Banff Centre/

All this past week I’ve been recapping The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience, playing you interviews, concerts and some amazing videos. To help culiminate the amazing experience Mise En Scene, Doldrums, and The Abramson Singers had working with Producers Tony Berg, Howard Bilerman, and Shawn Everett, Chad VanGaalen stopped by to play some classics and new songs off his album Diaper Island.

Chad VanGaalen helped close The Indie Band Experience. Photo courtesy Jeff Thorburn.

Coming up in the next few days you’ll hear that recording of Chad playing at the Margaret Greenham Theatre and an interview he did with Jessa Runciman. Subscribe to our podcast to make sure you get that interview and the concert recording. While you’re there, you can hear all the other interviews and concerts done by the Banff Centre Audio team.

It’s been really amazing getting to recap The Indie Band Experience. I know everyone had a great time working, recording, and making some amazing music. Keep your eyes on the blog to stay apart of other incredible things happening here at The Banff Centre.

Captivating, haunting, and completely mesmerizing, are just a few ways to describe The Abramson Singers.

Leah Abramson and the Abramson Singers play The Club. Photo: The Banff Centre.

We’ve been going back to the fall of 2011 on the blog this week to recap The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience. So far we’ve featured videos, interviews, and concert recordings all in the attempt to recount the amazing 3 weeks bands had recording, writing, and working with faculty like former Banff Centre resident and Weezer Producer Shawn Everett.

Yesterday I featured an interview and concert with Toronto’s Doldrums. Today you’ll hear an interview with Leah Abramson of The Abramson Singers followed by her sonically rich concert in the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

Leah Abramson belts it out. Photo: The Banff Centre.

“Singing makes me happier than anything…Even if I’m singing something sad, it still makes me happy.“

Listen to that interview and the concert recording.

Also, check out the great video below from Shot at the Dark of The Abramson Singers trekking their instruments through the Banff forests and making great music.

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Special thanks to CBC Radio 3‘s Chris Kelly for his ongoing support.

Our last blog post on the Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience will feature Chad VanGaalen, keep your eyes on the blog or our iTunes U page for that interview, concert and more.

Dreamy, experimental, electro-pop has Doldrums Airick Woodhead feeling right at home.

Airick Woodhead of Doldrums performs live at The Club. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre.

All this week on the blog we’re going back to the fall of 2011 for The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience. There are interviews, concert recordings, and videos recapping the amazing 3 weeks bands had recording, writing, and working with faculty like Producer Tony Berg – who’s worked with Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder and others.

Yesterday I featured Winnipeg’s Mise En Scene. Today we’re changing gears to hear an interview with Airick Woodhead of Doldrums, recorded and produced by Jessa Runciman. After, you’ll hear a live concert recording from underneath the Eric Harvie Theatre in The Club. If you haven’t heard Doldrums (and even if you have) this concert is really something special.

Doldrums mixing on stage at The Club. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre

“The stuff I’m doing now is actually more similar to what I started doing – when I started thinking of music as my own creation.“

Listen to that interview and the concert recording.

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Also, check out the great video below from Shot at the Dark of Doldrums performing on a gondola up Sulphur Mountain.

Special thanks to CBC Radio 3‘s Chris Kelly for his ongoing support.

Keep checking the blog all week for more on The Abramson Singers, and Chad VanGaalen.

Alt-Pop duo Mise En Scene laugh at “franglais” pronunciations of their name and love to perform.

Winnipeg’s Mise en Scene, one of the 3 bands in the 2011 Banff Indie Band. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre.

All this week I’ll be bringing you interviews, concert recordings, and videos from The Banff Centre’s Indie Band Experience that happened in the fall of 2011. Bands got to work with faculty like Arcade Fire drummer/producer Howard Bilerman, recording new songs and honing their skills.

The first band of our feature is Mise En Scene from Winnipeg. Members Stefanie Johnson & Jodi Dunlop talk to Podcast Production work study Evie Ruddy about art, working in an Icelandic community, and intensely collaborating.

Stephanie Blondal and Jodi Dunlop, Mise en Scene, at The Club. Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre.

“it’s not about just being a rock-and-roll band…which is great…but it’s a craft.”

Listen to the interview and a live recording of their concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

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Also, watch this great video from Shot at the Dark of Mise En Scene performing in front of Cascade Mountain.

While in Banff, Stephanie and Jodi were turned into fairies in a video for their song Hey Velvet. Keep an eye out for the next issue of Boulder Pavement to see how things turned out.

Keep checking the blog all week for more on Doldrums, The Abramson Singers, and Chad VanGaalen.

Special thanks to Chris Kelly from CBC Radio 3 for his ongoing help with The Indie Band Experience.

Last fall 3 incredible bands visited The Banff Centre to further develop their skills with industry professionals.

Producer Howard Bilerman (left) in the studio at The Banff Centre. Photo courtesy of the Banff Centre.

The Banff Centre Indie Experience invites bands from around the world to utilize the centre’s extensive facilities for 3 weeks to write, rehearse, and record new work. This past fall, Mise En Scene, Doldrums, and The Abramson Singers all came to work with the likes of Tony Berg, Howard Bilerman, Shawn Everett, and the Banff Centre Audio team…amidst the and inspirational Banff mountains.

At the end of the three weeks, a lot of work, and an ample amount of learning, the bands were joined on stage  by Polaris Prize shortlister Chad VanGaalen to perform a concert at the Margaret Greenham Theatre as a part of Alberta Arts Days.

Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen. Photo courtesy of Jeff Thorburn.

Luckily, the Banff Centre Audio team was on hand to record everything. Over the course of this week I’ll be bringing you those concert recordings, interviews with the three bands, and some great videos.

Today we get to know the bands and faculty in this short documentary, produced with the support of ARDN and with the help of our friends at Deluxe Design Group.

They’re all gone!

Mise en Scene were the last of the bands to leave today, after wrapping up a music video shoot late last night for their song, “Hey Velvet.”
The crew was made up of Jodi and Stef, filmmakers Chris and Nick from Deluxe Design in Calgary, Brock from Shot at the Dark, costume stylist Susan Clarahan, and photographer Manu Buechting. They met before the sun came up to start rolling at the beach behind Tunnel Mountain.

As Manu put it:

“I was so happy to be able to join Mise en Scene for the shoot. We got up early in the morning and waited for the sun to rise up at the beach. Susan dressed the girls up – it was freezing cold, but a lot of fun! I took endless pictures and watched the guys filming. Jodi and Stef enjoyed the shoot – we had some funny moments and Jodi’s coat caught on fire for a second, but it wasn’t serious! The highlight of the day was the fireworks…they were even heard downtown! I wish I could have more days like yesterday!”

Here are some of the beautiful photos Manu took yesterday. You can just imagine how pretty the finished music video will be!