It has been more than a year since Calgary indie rock folk band Locomotive Ghost visited Lethbridge. But they have had a busy year or so. They welcomed three new members and have made their sound a little heavier and a little more cheerful.
They play the Owl Acoustic Lounge, May 30.
“It’s been a bit of a departure for me coming from more of a heavier or hard rock sound,” said new guitarist Matthew Howell, who joined Locomotive Ghost along with new singer/ pianist Laura Schoenberg almost a year to the day of the interview.
“It’s just fairly exhausting— the relentlessness of that style of music, not to say I don’t like it,” Howell continued, who used to play in a band called Living Radio.
Drummer James Bundy also joins founding members Ben Nixon and Mike Buckley.
They released a couple of new singles including “ Annie Dillard” and “ In the Garden” which is about founding member/ bassist/ vocalist Mike Buckley’s marriage proposal to his girlfriend/ fiance Amanda.
“ It’s a departure writing from a happy place instead of a sad place. It’s a different exercise,“ Buckley said.
“It’s definitely the most personal thing I’ve written. It’s about the proposal and the ecstasy from proposing to someone and her saying yes,” he said.
He noted the band is not touring as much as usual due to wedding plans and focusing on writing and recording.
“It’s nice to have that texture. And we’re getting together four part vocal harmonies which we’re trying to incorporate, he said.
“The last time we were there we were only a four piece, now we’re a five piece,” he observed, adding he is excited to play the Owl Acoustic Lounge again, where they have a bigger stage to play on.
“It’s been at least a year— the early part of 2014,” he said.
“ But we've got some new songs and we’re bringing down a lot of lights,” he said.
“ We‘ve been working a lot on the live show. So we’re hoping it will translate well,” he said.
They have a couple of festivals including the Lilac Festival in Calgary.
They recorded in a new Calgary studio called OCL Studio.
“ It’s the pet project of a contractor. It’s become the place to record in Southern Alberta if not all of Alberta,” Buckley said.
“These singles are the first time we’ve recorded in a properly equipped studio. Usually we record ourselves in somebody’s basement,” Buckley continued.
“We came in with a working knowledge of recording. But it has allowed Ben, who is usually the producer, to step back and just play and sing. He’s usually wearing so many hats,” he continued.
There is no cover for the show, which begins at 9 p.m., May 30.
