For one last time, talent from across western Canada will soon be gathering outside of Ardmore for a unique blend of outdoor music, comedy and art.
The Golden West Music Fest is coming back for a third and final year. Like always, it comes bringing with it a wide spectrum of musical talent and surprising art instillations. Initially planned to bring Edmonton's indie music scene north for a weekend, the three-day festival has expanded to include bands from Regina to Vancouver.
For the last three years, a group of 12 volunteers have been working to pull the festival together.
“On a whim, a number of us got the same tattoo which reads “We are the Golden West” as a sort of art stunt, but we needed a collaborative project,” explained Fish Griwkowsky, organizer and founder. “So Kevin Bowman, who lives on an acreage just north of Ardmore, suggested we throw a music festival in his realm.”
The festival attracts all kinds of acts from the psychedelic rock n' roll band The Archaics and the electric-funk of Bebop Cortez to experimental folk artist Jom Comyn and the group Faith Healer, who Griwkowsky said “sound like dreamy French pop from the '60s”.
“We kind of oscillate between chill and heavy, but the whole thing is ultimately really relaxed, like an outdoor wedding with a few hundred of your best friends,” said Griwkowsky.
Headlining the 2015 Golden West Music Fest will be Vancouver's metal princes Bison b.c., Saskatoon-based Shooting Guns and back for their second year, The Wet Secrets.
The six-piece band out of Edmonton, The Wet Secrets is made up of lead vocalist and bass player Lyle Bell, Trevor Andersen on drums. Kim Rackel brings the brass on trumpet and tuba, joining her is Emma Frazier with the trombone and Christian Maslyk on saxophone and timbales. The band is rounded out by Paul Arnusch on the keyboard and congas.
Formed in 2006, the creation of the band was a surprise to even the band members themselves.
“Most people do this sort of thing where you say you're going to be a band, but you never actually do. We actually booked a show that night when we were drunk and forgot about it. There were posters up a little while later and we were on the hook to make this band a reality,” said Bell.
He added, “We weren't really thinking it would last 10 years, but maybe it was going to be a week and that would be it. But here we are, 10 years later still talking about it.”
For the first few years after becoming The Wet Secrets, it was more of a hobby for the group then a career. With all of the members pursuing other avenues in life, Bell said they played for fun mostly at small shows and house parties. It wasn't until two years ago that the six agreed it was time to make a decision, either quit the band or take it more seriously. Bell said since that moment, they have seen a sudden rise in The Wet Secrets.
“We are really quite tickled how in the last year it has taken off quite a bit, we can't really complain.”
In early 2014, the group released the independent album Free Candy. Free Candy has been nominated for both Best Rock Recording and Independent Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. It also won Album of the Year at the Edmonton Music Awards, where The Wet Secrets won Music Video of the Year for Nightlife.
The band also won first place in the inaugural Peak Performance Project Alberta
Bell noted that their goal is to see how far they can take the band when they're putting their all into it. While they enjoy playing in larger events, Bell said it's festivals like the Great West Music Fest that really speaks to them.
“It's sort of a small, intimate, extremely fun little festival. I am totally looking forward to that,” expressed Bell. “It was a lot of fun (last year). A lot of the appeal is that it was tons of our friends that go out to this (festival). The Golden West crew is kind of an art collective, I know a lot of them really well.”
Now taking on their second year at the Ardmore-based festival, The Wet Secrets will be sticking to their name and keeping some secrets up their sleeves. While he wouldn't give it all away, Bell said fans can expect to see spiced-up lighting and a special creation of his own.
“One of the themes of this festival is sort of that they have a giant bonfire in the middle...some of the other guys have built things as well to get burnt, there was a giant grasshopper last year. We are also building something that is like a Wet Secrets sort of monument that we will be burning.”
It's not all about the music. The Golden West Music Fest will also be featuring unique, interactive art. Tandie McLeod, who lives in Belgium, will be giving advice as an oracle up in a giant nest in the trees. AJA Louden, who works with the Edmonton Arts Council will be set up in the forest doing street art.
“Edmonton artist Blair Brennan, who's shown internationally, will be listening to your stories. Afterwards, together you pick a cattle brand he's created and you get to walk away with a piece of branded wood,” Griwkowsky said.
Since the festival's start, each year has been bigger and better than the last. But finally, Griwkowsky said it's time to bring it to a close.
“This was always kind of an experiment. So like Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, we wanted to do a trilogy. Our plan is for this to be the dazzling finale – a bunch of us need to get on with our lives,” he joked.
The Golden West Music Fest will be taking over a farm north of Ardmore, on Range Road 435, from July 31 to August 2. For more information on tickets, the bands playing, camping and festival rules, visit www.goldenwestmusicfest.com.
Griwkowsky said it's relaxing and exciting bundled up into a weekend you won't want to miss.
“If you want to see something unexpected, hear music we think is just brilliant and just have a great time at a strange little fair with some amazing art, this one's for you.”
