BACKROADS: Press

While some indie bands will seek independent labels to produce their music, not many will go the route of recording, mixing, engineering and producing their own album the way hard rock band, Backroads, does.

"We're probably one of the hardest working independent bands in Ontario and will continue pushing new boundaries," Backroads guitarist Matt Doherty said.

"We wear our hearts on our sleeves and we blow the living daylights out of any venue we touch, and we have a ton of fun doing it."

Since 2002, Backroads has been performing at various venues throughout Ontario, with a number of Canadian bands such as The Trews, Thornley and the North Bay band High Holy Days.

They've produced, recorded and mixed their debut CD Precious Things (released in 2005) with a second slated for release sometime during the fall of 2007.

"I think this is our year where we're going to step it up a notch," Doherty said. "Our new album is heavier, it's well written, and it's a reflection of the progression we've gone through.

"There's a lot of stuff going on in the world and I think we've tackled some issues. It's not like we're bringing out this huge political album.

"With stuff going on overseas, fighting going on, what we're doing to our world - we've got one song called Wake Up – it's pretty much a wake-up call, if we don't stand together we fall.

"Wake up, it's almost like an anthem, and once people learn the lyrics, I hope to get them (the audience) chanting it."

Beginning as a cover band playing the local bar scenes at venues like the Towne House in Sudbury, Backroads eventually broke out of the cover band persona, taking aim at writing and playing their own original material.

"Covering music is all fine and dandy if you want to make a little bit of money," Doherty said. "But you're playing someone else's songs and you're playing their feelings, you're not playing what it is you want to talk about and music is supposed to be this release, this escape for you."

Since then, the four-piece band consisting of Doherty on lead guitar, his brother Chris Doherty on Drums, Andrew Boyd on Bass and Troy Richardson have taken their assemble to a new level.

"This year, we decided to do a lot of gigging in the Toronto area and of course in Sudbury," Doherty said. "We're working hard with our music and people seem to be attracted to our music."

The bands debut album Precious Things will be followed up with by the album The Long Story Short, with a new selection of songs the band is eager to play.

However, the music Backroads plays has its own sound, though Doherty said he hates to say their music is original, he does say it has it's own distinct sound that the band members and audiences can't compare to anything else.

"We're influenced by bands like Van Halen, Guns N' Roses and Megadeth – do we sound like any of those bands… No – but if you listen closely you might every once in awhile find something that reminds you of that (band)," Doherty said.

For the time being, the band has been recording and mixing their latest album at Boomchank Productions, a home studio, Doherty and his father Neil use for recording CDs.

"Whenever we're writing anything, even going into this new album, we have about 25 songs to choose from, we're just trying to find the right ones to pick," Doherty said.

Backroads is hoping to continue pushing their talents to the limits while they look for the right label to produce their music.

"I really feel like there's going to be a snowball affect with us this year," Doherty said.

"With the new album and new songs – people are going to be surprised at what they hear."

Backroads will be playing at Shaughnessy's on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 pm after having preformed in Toronto at The Rivoli. There will be a $5 cover charge.