Edmonton pop band Stereos is the epitome of “overnight sensation” even though the band’s success wouldn’t manifest itself for a few years.
Formed in 2005 under a different band name, Stereos achieved widespread fame in 2009 after having appeared on Muchmusic television show disBand. That year proved to be very kind to the Alberta quartet with their first single Summer Girl moving more than 120,000 digital downloads while their full-length record notched more than a respectable 40,000 units sold.
The band’s newest record Uncontrollable, released this past December, has yet to show the group the same huge rewards that they scored with their debut effort, however Stereos fans (and there are many of them) are a loyal bunch and will certainly have Moncton’s Capitol Theatre hopping when the group takes the stage there this evening.
Fellow Canadian band Neverest will be opening the show.
From a tour spot somewhere in Canada, Stereos bass player Daniel Johnson says that the group is very pleased with the way their career is unfolding with their sophomore record.
“In our experience, things are pretty much exactly the same as they were when we were supporting our debut,” Johnson says. “The success stemming from our first record was far more instant though. When that record was released, we had just gotten off the television show disBand and everything was that much more fresh and urgent.
“With Uncontrollable, we didn’t necessarily have such high exposure via television like we did with our first album but we have been very lucky that our fans have stuck with us regardless.”
Johnson says that Stereos’ experiences touring and promoting their first effort inevitably helped shape the direction of Uncontrollable.
While the band has mostly held firm to their pop/electronic rock sound, he admits that a year and a half of touring in support of their debut helped the band members advance their songwriting skills immensely.
Working with a variety of skilled producers including Gavin Brown (Billy Talent, Metric) to make Uncontrollable, Johnson says that having multiple, varied voices guide the band makes the record stand out that much more.
“I think Uncontrollable shows us heading in a more mature direction. We were all around 22 years old when our debut came out and needless to say, we have grown up since then, have been maturing as a band and as individuals and that ends up being reflected in the songs themselves.”
Article published in May 13, 2011 edition of the Times & Transcript