Sylvan Lake country rockers The Boom Chucka Boys are gearing up for a busy spring, beginning when their debut single, Find My Peace of Mind, hits radio airwaves across Canada Monday (Mar. 25).
The four-piece outfit travelled to Nashville last year to record its self-titled debut album, and will celebrate the album’s release Apr. 30.
The band recorded the album after being signed to Canadian country music star Gord Bamford’s Cache Entertainment, and will see the album distributed nationally by Sony Music Canada.
“It’s a big thing for us,” said Ryan Langlois, who handles the band’s lead vocal and rhythm guitar playing duties.
“We actually did the whole album in seven days, but we were down there on three separate occasions writing and preparing for it.”
The album’s release comes three years after Langlois arrived in Central Alberta from Cold Lake — a move that allowed him to further his musical talents and become acquainted with the local music scene.
“I was doing the singer-songwriter thing up there, and there wasn’t much opportunity,” he said. “My wife and I had always wanted to be here, so we moved down here and I just started nosing around the music scene, and I ended up meeting our guitar player (Joel Rathjen) at work.”
Further meetings with local musicians Teddy Roy Michaylow (bass) and Dave Grobe (percussion) meant The Boom Chucka Boys’ lineup was complete, and allowed the band to start playing shows in the central Alberta area.
It was around this time that the band caught the eye of Bamford, who subsequently signed it as an opening act.
Not long after, the band found itself in Nashville working on its debut album, with the help of legendary songwriter and producer Byron Hill.
“That was a bit of a surprise — just the speed at which everything’s happened for us,” admitted Langlois. “We were just kind of plying our trade doing what we do and hoping for opportunity and getting shows where we could.
“Then one night in Red Deer, Gord Bamford and his team came over and introduced themselves, and they approached us and so we started the conversation.
“We’ve done a bunch of shows with Gord, and it’s just been a really cool experience.”
Having the backing of a label, Langlois said, has been hugely beneficial to the band, and allowed it to focus on its music without having to worry about certain business-related aspects of the industry.
“It just provides us with opportunity that’s really hard to get as just an independent guy making a phone call.”
Those unacquainted with the band’s music, according to Langlois, can expect upon their first listen to hear “upbeat, high-energy country music with just a hint of old-time rock and roll.”
Following the forthcoming album’s release, the band will be busy promoting by playing shows and festivals around the province.
Last Wednesday, students of École Steffie Woima Elementary School were treated to an exclusive performance by the band, during which Langlois encouraged them to follow their dreams.
“Since we’ve set this out, I’ve dreamed big,” he said. “I want to be as big as any country music act in Canada, and we have our eyes set on the States at some point.
“We’re dreaming as big as our brains will allow.”