Boasting four distinct singers and songwriters, Toronto roots-rock band The Key Frames return to Moncton for a performance at Plan B Saturday evening. The group has spent much of the last year playing everywhere from the Maritimes through to British Columbia and the Yukon.
Despite the fact that it might have taken a virtual eternity to get their 2011 debut effort released, the group did not want to let history repeat itself when it came to their sophomore record. Released last year, Low Light High Light is a slightly more moody listen than their debut Out On The Point was. But with that moodiness also came a wealth of live experience, which the group leveraged to its advantage.
“Our first record was made in such an impractical way,” Key Frames member Theo Edmands begins. “We recorded some of the parts of the tracks years before the rest and oversaw all aspects of the record ourselves. Bringing in a producer to oversee Low Light High Light is what made the most sense.”
Edmands band mate Rob Webster says that despite his own reputation among The Key Frames as being a bit of a control freak, he too was in favour of bringing a producer into the studio for their sophomore record.
“The other guys in the band didn’t think I’d be able to deal with working with a producer since I tend to be a bit of a know it all,” Webster laughs. “Ultimately though, it was the right decision for the music and for the band professionally.”
Both Edmands and Webster agree that they couldn’t have found a better person than The Skydiggers Josh Finlayson to help bring their second record to life. Finlayson, who has also worked with Moncton band The Divorcees, was the consummate professional in the studio, allowing the band some breathing space while also helping to serve the songs as best he could.
“Josh was recommended to us by our friend Don Pyle who has mixed both of our records,” Webster says. “I wanted to work with someone who would bring their professional expertise to the table and help us see things outside of the fish bowl we were in. When you work on something for 10 hours a day, getting that creative input from the outside was critical.”
“We felt as though Josh would be a good artistic match for us,” Edmands says. “Whether or not we followed through with all of the suggestions he offered, there was definitely a foundation of respect that we built from and helped make the record what it is.”
Fans shouldn’t expect to hear any new music from the group until next year. Aside from the typical day jobs and kids that many musicians balance with being in a band, the group wants to ensure that they are putting their best foot forward for their third record.
“We were able to release two records in such a relatively close span of time because we were writing the second album while still recording the first one,” Edmands says. “We just weren’t able to keep that pace of writing up for the next album but it is also affording us the opportunity to grow as a band in the studio and on the stage.”
Article published in the August 2, 2013 edition of the Times & Transcript
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