L.A. Beat

Treeline’s new spilt CD “Prairie Sentimentalist”  with Edmonton’s Sean Brewer of Sean Brewer and the Switchmen is a ‘coming of age’ for the band according to guitarist/frontman Ryan Dyck.

“We got to know him over the past few years,” said Dyck from Medicine Hat.

“We’ve played together a lot over the past 18 months,” he continued.

They will be releasing the CD at a special CD release party at the Slice, June 4 with special guest Cowpuncher as well as pedal steel player Darrek Anderson.
 Tickets are $20 and include a copy of the CD. Advance tickets can be purchased at Blueprint Music.

“He has a lot more experience than me. He was in the Uncas and he’s a guy I always looked up to. So this has been great for me,” Dyck said adding half the songs are Brewer’s and the other half are his. They sent rough tapes to lead guitarist Taylor Ackerman, bassist Tyler Bird and drummer Clayton Smith, who learned them for the record.

“We did them totally apart from each other, so we didn’t attempt co-writing. But I sing a verse on one of his songs,” Dyck said noting they recorded the CD at Riverdale Recorders in Edmonton with producer Scott Franchuk.

“It was our first one in a professional studio. The others were recorded in basements, which isn’t to say you can’t make great music in a garage,” he continued.
“This one is more focused. We’ve been developing the country sound over the past couple years,” he continued adding he has always written Treeline’s songs.

“Taylor (Ackerman) plays in a lot of other bands, but this is the only one I’m in,” he said adding the subject matter of the songs draws heavily from typical prairie music themes as well as relationships and personal things.

“It’s a light hearted take on people who are overly sentimental. Well we can be too. It’s playful and lighthearted but also serious,” he said.

Because Treeline now has a full lineup, Dyck said they probably won’t be playing a lot with Brewer who has his own projects in Edmonton.

The group will be playing a street festival in Medicine Hat the night before they play Lethbridge.

In Lethbridge, Cowpuncher will begin at about 10 p.m with Treeline and Sean Brewer following.
 This summer they will be playing most weekend all over the province including at the Tongue N Groove on June 17 a swell as opening for The Sheepdogs and the Sadies, June 27 in the Geomatic Attic parking lot.