The countdown is on for the third CD from Edmonton band Social Code, aptly entitled “Rock N’ Roll,” which will be released Sept. 1.
But first they play Bully’s in Exhibition Park, Aug, 24 with Buckcherry, Default and Inward Eye, the beginning of a five date tour with Buckcherry.
The band has gone back to their roots, playing a more of a raw classic rock musical style rather than the pop punk which was their bread and butter a few short years ago.
“We changed it (their sound) up a little bit,” said vocalist Travis Nesbitt.
“We all grew up listening to bands like Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. I think every guy in a band did. So we made a concentrated effort to take our music to t
he next level. It’s not that we stopped listening to it, its just we decided to see what would happen if we merged what we were doing with that sound and see what came up,” Nesbitt continued adding they recorded their third CD in bassist Logan Jacobs’ studio, with the help of Buckcherry producer John Travis, who has also produced Kid Rock.
“He flew up from Los Angeles and braved an Edmonton winter,” Nesbitt continued.
“That studio is the headquarters of Social Code,” he laughed.
The CD is an enjoyable mix of pop, classic rock and a touch of punk which sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Buckcherry with a touch of Incubus. The band broke out of Edmonton in 2004 with an independently released CD, “A Year At The Movies,” then released their second self-titled CD through Universal records and spawned a string of pop-punk flavoured hits including “Bomb Hands”, “Everyday (Late November) and “He Said, She Said.”
Leaving a major record label, Universal, to return to being an independent band wasn’t a big stretch for Social Code.
“ We always had a strange relationship with labels,” Nesbitt said adding they already financed and produced their album anyway. Being an independent band again means the band members have to take care of all the little details again.
“We’ve always been a self-motivated band so when we decided to part ways with the label it was a matter of hiring the right people to do promotions and things like that. We’re doing whatever it takes to get it to the public,” he continued.
Their third CD goes back to their roots.
“We started writing these songs a year ago in June, then recorded them, so we’re looking forward to touring on it, especially with Buckcherry and Default.
“Totally we’re looking forward to it. Any time you get to tour with a band that big it’s good,” Nesbitt continued, adding they also enjoyed playing the Virgin Festival in Calgary Aug. 8
“It was very cool. You can tell as soon as you roll into a festival if it’s well organized or if they’re still learning. The V-Fest crowd was great and we can’t say enough good things about it,” he said adding because they were in Brandon the night before, they missed Pearl Jam.
“We saw Metric, Billy Talent and the White Lies put on a great show. They’re one of my favourite bands. And we heard a little bit of Tokyo Police Club because we were on a side stage doing some things.”
Doors for the open at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24. Tickets cost $52.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat editor
