Although Sylvan Lake’s Boom Chucka Boys didn’t win the award they were up for at Sunday’s Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Edmonton, the ceremony was a clear indication that the band is moving up.
And in more ways than just one, explains guitarist Joel Rathjen.
“In the last three years, we’ve gone from sitting in the very back row, to last year sitting closer on the side wall, and then last night (Sunday), we were ten rows from the stage,” he said. “We keep moving our way up, so hopefully next year we’ll be playing on the stage.”
Sunday’s awards ceremony at Rexall Place marked the end of a busy week for the Boys, who were nominated for Group of the Year — won by their friends Small Town Pistols.
Performances at record label-hosted parties and events featuring the some of the most recognizable names in Canadian country music kept the band busy in the days leading up to Sunday.
It also gave them the chance to preview their upcoming single, Turn this Car Around — set to be released around Thanksgiving.
While he admitted he was happy to arrive home and spend time with his family on Monday, Rathjen felt the week was “definitely successful” for the band.
“(Even though) we didn’t win an award, there were a lot of people that caught us playing, and were very complimentary,” he said. “We’ve had a summer of playing festivals, and another year of moving forward.”
And things don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon for the band.
Following the release of their single, a full album will be released in January. Rathjen said there will also be a “pretty major concert tour announcement” in the near future. Although he couldn’t elaborate, he said, “In 2015, we will be part of a pretty big tour, so we’re excited about that.”
And though they’re finding their schedules fuller than they’ve ever been, the band’s members are enjoying every minute of their musical careers, assures Rathjen.
“I feel very grateful for this opportunity, so I bask in every minute of it,” he said. “Just to meet people and hang out and be able to play music — it’s pretty awesome.”