Toronto riff-rockers Bella Clava make their Atlantic Canadian debut next week, performing shows in Halifax, Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton. The group, led by vocalist Caitlin Dacey and backed by guitarist Steve Suttie, bassist Scott Hannigan and drummer Jody Brumell, takes over Moncton’s Plan b Lounge on Monday evening.
The group comes to Atlantic Canada with a fresh new record, Medicine For Melancholy, set to drop next month. Recorded by Mathias Schneeberger (Brant Bjork & The Operators) at California’s Rancho de la Luna, their new record is their second full-length effort. As far as Caitlin is concerned, the record is an evolutionary step at finding their sound and identity.
“With our first record, we had worked with Canadian producer Ian Blurton and had an amazing experience,” she says. “This time around, we wanted to see what would happen if we took the reigns and produced the record ourselves. It was recorded live off the floor as we wanted the record to reflect what it is we do. It was a bit of a risky venture for us to do as we didn’t want to spend a lot of time doing a lot of post-production and adding things in after the fact.”
Caitlin says the end result is a record that she feels is truer to their live show compared to their previous record.
“I feel as though our new album is a step in the right direction for us. It turned out the way that we wanted and the way we hoped.”
Before relocating to Toronto a few years back, the genesis of Bella Clava, Caitlin and guitarist Steve Suttie, originally called Thunder Bay home. Acknowledging that the Northern Ontario city was home, Caitlin says that they also realized that relocating to a larger metropolitan centre such as Toronto would help them more easily find their way to music on a full-time basis.
“Thunder Bay is a great place but for the most part after awhile, you are going to be playing for the same audience who are more than likely going to get sick of you. Moving to Toronto made sense for us as there is so many more people and so many more venues for us to perform in. It has been a good test for us, evolving our sound and having the opportunity to try it out on different crowds.
“I am going to be making music forever, whether people like it or not,” Caitlin laughs. “But for the moment, I am enjoying the present. I am looking forward to introducing this record to audiences everywhere while also looking forward to where we are going to go next.”
What: Bella Clava with Bloody Diamonds, The Human Comedy and Spiralcase
When: Monday Apr. 28, 9:00 p.m.
Where: Plan b Lounge, 212 St. George St., Moncton