By Andrea Simms-Karp
They’ve got routes that they take / They move differently in the evening than they do in the morning
— Lyrics from Routes, written by Richard Jeffrey, describing the movement of small Centretown animals
If the name is any indication, new band Casey Comeau and the Centretown Wilderness Club will be one of the fresher additions to the Ottawa music scene in recent memory.
The six-piece all-star group includes members from a handful of local bands, including Kepler, Golden Famile, Mono Hum, The Halfmilers, Folkin’ Eh, Casadore, and The Hussies .
The band shies away from convention, mixing accordion, bluegrass fiddle, acoustic and electric guitars, with the standard bass and drums.
With plans to record a full-length album this winter, and maybe even do a bit of touring, the band’s future looks as wild as, well, the wilderness.
Comeau, a local singer/songwriter and a regular fixture in the city’s music clubs, says the unique name suits the personality of the group.
“We play, rehearse and live in Centretown for the most part,” she says. “And there is a wilderness theme running through a lot of our stuff. I mean, here we are in the city playing country music.”
Comeau muses about the band’s humble beginnings, playing outdoor festivals or backyard parties for fun. Many of the members had already played in bands together, or knew each other by musical reputation. After doing some test-run rehearsals, the group played a handful of shows that took place in the wild outdoors.
Before long, they had found a name, a rehearsal time, and a distinct sound that brings a feeling of open space into the city.
“The way that we write songs isn’t to try to maintain a certain genre,” Comeau says. “You’re always going to find different sorts of influences going on.”
Nothing could be truer, says Aalya Ahmad, who plays fiddle in the band.
“We are a motley crew of styles,” she says, adding she has recently bought a “manjo,” – a banjo-mandolin hybrid – to try out in rehearsal.
She points out that the band’s songwriting, done by Comeau and the band’s guitarist and vocalist Richard Jeffrey, helps to mesh everything together.
“Each song has its own take on life,” she explains. “I really admire their songwriting. It’s mournful in that good way.”
The group’s accordion player, Marie-Josée Houle, echoes the same sentiments.
After moving to Ottawa from Edmonton two years ago, Houle says that the band gives her a chance to use the accordion the way nature intended: without lederhosen.
“I hate most accordion music,” she admits, quickly condemning all things polka. “I see my role in the band as being the texture … accordion can be very overwhelming.”
She is not alone in her love for pushing the musical envelope: Comeau’s second instrument, after learning guitar at the age of eight, was the bagpipes.
Comeau says she is glad she has Mike Sheridan on drums and Dietrich Sider on bass to balance out the group’s quirky musical mix.
Plans for a full-length album are moving ahead, says Comeau, so fans will soon be able to take the group’s music home with them.
And until the recording is slipped into tight cellophane wrappers, a quick tour might just keep the music flowing.
“It’s time to take the Centretown out of Centretown,” Comeau laughs. “We are really just having fun.”