Sam Roberts is touring the US (again) however this time Sam and the band are hardly flying under the radar.
Canada has a thriving independent music scene. From Halifax to Vancouver the airwaves are vibrant with bands such as The Trews, Arkells, ALEXISONFIRE, and Matt Mays+El Torpedo just to keep the list short. Even though these and many other bands achieve regular airplay and considerable national tours, many of the independent acts find it difficult to break into markets such as the United States. On an interview posted Monday Nov.23rd at The A.V.Club, Canadian musician Sam Roberts explains how difficult it was at first, and how this is all too common amongst Canadian acts. The full interview is HERE, a must read!
That's not all! as mentioned above, the tour is not flying under the radar this time around. Today the boys were in Minneapolis and performed three tracks live as well as a short interview in between tunes; oh yes, and he AGAIN talked about breaking into the American market. You can stream the performance HERE.
The Milwaukee fans also got the chance to see Sam and the guys play last week. The band did an interview with OnMilwaukee.com where they discuss the band's status in Canada, their gradual rise in popularity in the U.S. and the experience of 'crossing over the border'. The interview was posted today, you can find it HERE.
No doubt this tour will also help other Canadian acts get a foot in the door of the American market.
Just in case you're not from 'round this neck of the woods, here's a short list of some of my personal favorite home-grown:
Arkells: http://www.myspace.com/arkellsmusic
Sam Roberts: http://www.myspace.com/samrobertsband
City and Colour: http://www.myspace.com/dallasgreen
Alexisonfire: http://www.myspace.com/alexisonfire
Matt Good: http://www.myspace.com/hospitalfacilities, http://www.myspace.com/themattgoodband
Matt Mays and El Torpedo: http://www.myspace.com/mattmayseltorpedo
Wintersleep: http://www.myspace.com/wintersleep
Metric: http://www.myspace.com/metric
The Arcade Fire: http://www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial
The Trews: http://www.myspace.com/thetrews
The Tragically Hip: http://www.myspace.com/thetragicallyhip
Said The Whale: http://www.myspace.com/saidthewhale
Stars: http://www.myspace.com/stars
And just to keep the HEAVY METAL theme continous (hehehe) how about this home-grown?
Borealis: http://www.myspace.com/borealismetal
