The Geomatic Attic opens the year with a super group of sorts playing Friday Feb. 16. Toronto based MOONRiiVR reference doo wop, 50s rock and roll and a touch of traditional country music. They will also be playing with July Talk’s Peter Dreams.
Gavin Gardiner, who played with Juno nominated roots band Wooden Sky for 15 years, is excited about the new project he formed during the pandemic with neighbours bassist Ben Whitely who has played with The Weather Station, Basia Bulat, Julia Jacklin; Champagne James Robertson who usually plays lead guitar with Lindi Ortega and Dwayne Gretzky and percussionist Kyle Molzan who has played with Kathleen Edwards and Corb Lund.
“ We all live in the same neighbourhood but have never worked together before, so James and I decided to get together and write some songs,” Gardiner said.
“ It was definitely a productive time,” he said.
He visited his friend “Champagne” James Robertson at his family farm north of Toronto and got to work.
“ I’ve been recording a lot of other artists in my studio like Fiver, Jason Collett, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson,” he said, adding the pandemic was a productive time for them creatively, coming up with a song a session.
They recruited Whitely and Molzan to fill out the sound.