L.A. Beat

Cowpuncher are preoccupied with participating in the PEAK Performance competition, but  will be taking a break from it to play CKXU's fifth annual Love and Records in Galt Gardens,Sept. 12.

“We’re hoping  to show off some of the things we learned during the PEAK Performance boot camp about  stage craft,” said frontman Matt Olah on his second day back in the Calgary Folk Festival office, returning from a week full of music activities at the PEAK Competition boot camp.

“ Basically they said be an artist and have more fun,” he continued,  whose band already does some pretty crazy things on stage.
“It was incredible.  Boot Camp kept us going from 8:30 to 2 a.m., not including partying. It was a lot of fun, but not a lot of sleep,” he said.
Cowpuncher made the Top 12 along with many other talented Albertan musicians including Lethbridge's Leeroy Stagger, who played Love and Records Last Year.

 The PEAK Performance Project is a seven-year, $4.9 million contest open to all musicians in Alberta. The program will be run by Calgary’s 95.3 The PEAK and Alberta Music with the goal of developing Alberta-based emerging artists . The project, originally created in Vancouver by 102.7 The PEAK and Music BC, has helped to launch the careers of many fine BC bands. Each year, twelve finalists from Alberta will receive an intensive, one week, training program in the music business, live performance, songwriting, marketing and promotion. Artists will benefit from mentorships from some of the music industry’s top professionals and performers. Each of the finalists receives a base camp award of $5,000 to spend towards career development. All of these artists will have the chance to perform live in Calgary as part of the PEAK Performance Project Concert Series. Cowpuncher performs for PEAK Oct. 23. Leeroy Stagger performs for PEAK, Oct. 9.

 The First place band wins $100,953, Second place receives $75,000 and the third place band receives $50,000 to put towards their career. Shred Kelly, who also play Love and Records this year was part of the B.C. PEAK  and The Wet Secrets,who were a highlight of last year's Love and Records, won first place in last year's Alberta PEAK competition.

 

The bands  undergo a serious of challenges for the competition including releasing a video and  putting on a fundraiser. Cowpuncher will be raising money and awareness for MS, Sept. 18.

“ Our artistic director was recently diagnosed with MS. So we’ll be  raising awareness and funds for him,” he said, adding that makes the issue more personal for the band.
Their new CD “Hustle” is ready for release but the band is waiting to see if they win the PEAK Performance competition before they do.

“We’re looking at Spring 2016, but It’s been done for ages,” he said.
 They are excited to return to Lethbridge. Cowpuncher played the Slice in February.
“We’re following Fred Penner, which is fun but  Shred Kelly is before us,” he said.

“ We’ll be playing  music from the upcoming album, so it will be new if you missed us in February,” he said, adding he hopes to be able to spend some time at Love & Records.

“ We’ll be coming from Saskatchewan,” he said, adding he doesn’t have a record player.
“ I need to remedy that,” he said adding his first record was Prince‘s ‘Purple Rain.’

“I had it on record and cassette. My parents had their music and I had mine and Prince was my first,” he said.
Cowpuncher finishes off  the Love and Records Main Stage at 8 p.m., Sept. 12.