Calgary-based band Woodhawk is coming to The Atria in Oshawa on Sept. 9, on tour to promote their latest studio album, Love Finds A Way, released on June 6th.
The band returns after seven years, bringing a fresh sound rooted in groovy stoner rock. Their new album takes listeners on a sonic journey of emotional honesty and banging anthems laden with crunchy riffs and raw power.
Woodhawk’s cross-country tour started in their hometown of Calgary on Aug. 27 and will continue through to Oct. 11 with a final stop in Edmonton. The band was just at Toronto’s Monarch Tavern this past Saturday and will play Oshawa on Tuesday.
Turner Midzain, vocalist and guitarist, told the Chronicle that Wodhawk is no stranger to the road and has “never really sat still.”
“We’re a high-energy band. We definitely love to bring a nice fun rock show to the small clubs and we’re just so excited to be playing again and be playing like for weeks on end.. [and] spend a lot of time just playing shows and driving around our beautiful country,” Midzain said.
And what’s the one thing he wants to do most of all on tour?
“Entertain. I just want to entertain. I want people to leave and at least be like, ‘well, that was a fun band!’ It’s not boring, we don’t stand still, and I’m there to have fun,” Midzain said.
Woodhawk lived up to this at The Monarch Tavern on Clinton Street in Toronto.
Supported by city-based Familiars and Mountain Dust from Montreal, Quebec, the band played several songs off the new album as well as past releases. All in all, it was a tight and dynamic stage presence that was put on display.
Inspired by bands in the 1970s Birmingham scene, like Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath, and incorporating ’90s and 2000s influences like Alice in Chains and Ontario’s Alexisonfire, Woodhawk has developed its sound over three albums into a blend of melodic and heavy songwriting. Many tracks are like a ballad of inner life, dealing with topics of trust, vulnerability, love, and hate.
“Don’t be afraid to love”
Love Finds A Way is the band’s third full-length studio album and a labour of love.
It is an exploration of darkness and emotional vulnerability, a “time stamp of what had happened and where we were [over] these last few years,” as Midzain said.
The band has grown closer since they started a decade ago and wanted that reflected in this album. Midzain said it has been one of their hardest to write. It is a “dark” record, according to Midzain, but carries a message of positivity.
“I feel like, you know, it is a very dark record, but it has a lot of positive messages [too], and it’s very much kind of one of those, you know, like tell your loved ones you love them, hug your friends. Find your support system and all that kind of stuff. Don’t be afraid to love,” said Midzain.
Supporting live music in the streaming era
Midzain said that it is important to keep supporting venues that have consistently been hosting accessible live music, because if not for places like The Atria, the live music scene would take a hit, leaving only big arena and music hall shows “that a lot of the little guys can never fill.”
With more venues requiring upfront payments and taking less risks post-pandemic, “there’s just less [fewer] places to play,” Midzain said.
Midzain also brought up the issue of dwindling grants to musicians, which is something that has been an ongoing concern in the Canadian music industry.
“I think touring will slow down [in the future]. I think it already has. Since the pandemic, there’s a lot less grants for bands of our size now. When we would apply for grants back in 2017 and 2018, we had a lot higher chance of getting some of them. Even if there’s $1000 dollars, $500 like it was a lot easier to access. Those grants have since dried up”
Music streaming is another topic that often divides fans and musicians, with claims of minuscule payments and exploitation competing with the increased exposure that artists stand to gain.
Midzain calls streaming a “necessary evil,” noting that he sold more Woodhawk records than he did with the punk bands he played with before it existed.
“No Place for Hate”
Love Finds A Way is the work of “goofballs that are just being best friends.” Enjoying the outdoors and experiencing family life are some things that its members bring into their music.
The title track, ‘Love Finds A Way,’ and ‘Killing Time’ are Midzain’s favourite songs on the album. But it is ‘No Place For Hate’ that speaks to the one thing that Midzain wants to change most in the world.
“I think there’s a lot going on. There was the pandemic in the last like five to six years, (it) really divided people more than I ever thought we could see, from people arguing about vaccines to race to homophobia,” Midzain said.
Like many before them, Woodhawk is dealing with this through its music.
“We’re very inclusive and we want everyone to have a good time and feel safe,” Midzain said.
Catch Woodhawk live at The Atria, Oshawa, on Tuesday, September 9.