In the past 40 years, there has been one band from Canada that has graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine — example: the Band. And even then, it was only four-fifths Canadian and that was 1968! In fact, nearly as many Canadian comics and actors have graced the cover of the venerable American rock magazine as musicians. So just how great would it be for a virtually unknown band from the Prairies dubbed The Sheepdogs to double that number overnight? The band is one of two finalists in a contest to find the greatest unsigned musical act in North America. The prize is the holy grail of the music biz: the cover of Rolling Stone (specifically, the Aug. 18th issue). Toronto gets a taste of The Sheepdogs in action this July 9 at Edgefest in bucolic Downsview Park and July 22 at the Hillside Festival in Guelph.
But just who are The Sheepdogs?
“We’re a pretty straight up rock ’n’ roll band from the Prairies influenced heavily by the late ’60s, early ’70s,” says Ryan Gullen, bass and vocals for the band. “We try to emulate those bands, bring back those elements that are lost in modern music.”
It’s not like The Sheepdogs came out of nowhere.
The band — Gullen plus Ewan Currie (vocals/guitar), Leot Hanson (guitar/vocals) and Sam Corbett (drums/vocals) — met in high school, and they’ve been plying their trade for seven years, criss-crossing Canada trying to get noticed amid a sea of overnight successes and manufactured music. Then, from a pool of some 1,200 unsigned bands, they were selected along with 15 others to compete for the cover of Rolling Stone, and a recording deal. It is down to two, them ’Dogs, and Lelia Broussard from Los Angeles.
“She does the singer-songwriter thing, very similar to a lot of acts that are out there,” says Gullen. Oh, snap.
But, win or lose, the contest has already paid major dividends to the band, including a recording session in New York City and a chance to appear at the Bonnaroo music festival.
“Our style of music, I think, is lacking in modern music, and as a result, a lot of people are very excited about that and that’s been very cool for us,” says Gullen.
“People have really latched on to us and that’s helping with the contest. It is not the usual music new bands are putting out.”
The Sheepdogs have released three albums, including their 2007 debut Trying to Grow and 2010’s Learn & Burn. For more information, go to www.thesheepdogs.com.