BACKROADS: Press

Local rock band, Backroads is no stranger to Sudbury - or Ontario, or the United States. The band released its debut album, "Precious Things," in 2006.

They received the "Sudbury's Best Band" award two years in a row; they headlined at the Opera House and the Rivoli in Toronto; and they have opened for bands such as Trooper and The Trews.

Guitarist, Matt Doherty said a lot of Backroads' music is being purchased online by people in the U.S. The group is currently recording its new album at its own studio, Boomchank Studios.

To listen to "Alive" by Backroads, visit www.thesudburystar.com.

The Sudbury Star interviewed Doherty this week.

How is the recording going?

Doherty: Good. It's been a long process, but it's been great. We just finished the bass the other night. We're onto the vocals next and we're almost done the album. It was worth it. I think last year, we were going to try to release the album in October, but we re-recorded it because we knew we could record better and have better sound quality.

Where are you recording this album?

Doherty: Our own studio. It's called Boomchank Studios. My father and I started it.

What can your fans expect from this album?

Doherty: It's going to blow away the first album. It shows our growth as a band. It's a lot more dynamic and not only accentuates our abilities as a whole, but individually as well. The songwriting was better. It shows we've gotten a lot better at our craft. The sound quality is also better than the first album. It's just going to rip.

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When did the band form and how did the project come together?

Doherty: Originally, around 2002. We've been through many variations. At one point, I was the lead singer. We were doing mostly cover songs in the bars. It was a good gig, but we knew we wanted to take a more original direction. Right now, we're a four-piece band. We've got a lineup we feel strongly about. We're moving forward with the sound we've been striving for.

What is it like opening for names like Trooper and The Trews?

Doherty: It's cool. It's always great when we get to meet them ... and these bands are fantastic, like The Trews. They're super nice. Helix was awesome, too. A buddy of mine plays drums for them. It's good to meet your idols.

How would you define your sound?

Doherty: We could probably be compared to Breaking Benjamin or Alter Bridge. We're hard rock with a lot of melody. We're always trying to have melody or a hook. We like catchy tunes.

What kind of themes do you explore in your songs?

Doherty: The new album is interesting. I'm trying to explain to people that we're not like a political band, but there are some songs that touch on what's going on around the world (such as war).

Who are some of your influences?

Doherty: The two bands I mentioned, for one. The cool thing about us is everyone in the band has a different influence, like Mudvayne, Van Halen, Megadeath, Tool, The Beatles, Queen ... you name it, we cover it. We like pretty much anything rock-oriented.

Will you be going on tour after the album is released?

Doherty: We're hoping to. It's something we haven't touched on yet. We'll be trying to shop around for a distribution deal or a record deal. We're all working full-time, so we've got to be careful ... But the biggest part will be shopping around and spreading the album around. Right now, we're selling a lot of songs online, like in the States. We didn't realize we were doing much in the States ... But our goal is just to spread our music out more and hopefully secure a deal that would provide us enough money to be safe to tour.