Livening up the blues
photo courtesy Bluessmyth
Bluessmyth talks about the spirit behind their sound
ALTHOUGH IT’S THEIR namesake, Calgary band Bluessmyth is about a lot more than just the blues. In their music, writing, and even performing, the band is continuously trying to blend elements and blur distinctions to create a mélange of what they love best.
“We want to [move] beyond the confines of a single genre,” explains drummer Celine Yohemas, who joined the band last year. “We know the value of all different kinds of music. If something is good, [then] it’s good. We don’t question whether it’s blues or rock.”
Created by lead guitarist Chris Yaholkoski and bassist Jason Yaholkoski five years ago, Bluessmyth found themselves at a loss for a drummer in 2008. When the pair met Yohemas through a mutual friend, the three hit it off both musically and professionally.
“All of us are goal-oriented and looking toward the future of the band,” says Yohemas. “We’re not the big rock-and-rollers that are getting hammered and throwing instruments. All of us are about perfecting the art and putting together a band that makes quality music.”
In addition to developing their skills as a group, the band also makes a point of composing their songs as collaboratively as possible. Even though Yohemas acknowledges that Chris is the primary songwriter, she explains that the rest of the band provides input in all areas of the process of composition. Yohemas feels that this approach allows the song to progress and evolve naturally. She adds that the band’s latest release—a combination of blues, rock, and Latin influences called Sola Gratia—displays how this evolutionary process affects the music even after it has been released.
“We recorded the album in January. Since then, the arrangements of the songs have changed and evolved,” explains Yohemas. “This makes the live performance very strong because the songs keep changing and evolving and getting better.”
Apart from their continuously developing sound, another trademark of the band is their socially conscious lyricism. Their last album focused on the story of Emmett Till, a young boy whose murder in 1955 had a major effect on the African-American civil rights movement. In the same vein, Sola Gratia explores the effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. The songs focus specifically on the plight of those who felt left behind by their government and God, had no insurance, and therefore stayed in their homes even in the worst of the hurricane.
“I think what ends up happening is that we’re all so self-focused and egocentric, so we try to stir the humanity that we all have,” Yohemas says. “A lot of what music is about is not only to reflect the world that’s around us, but to show the world as it would like it to be.”
Though their focus is still to continue touring and playing festivals, Yohemas confirms that the band has already started writing with a new album in mind.
“We’re exploring the question of if you could have lived [life] differently. Every step in life is a choice and no matter how far gone or great life is you can always change it. That’s the greatest joy and pain of being human.“
Bluessmyth will be performing at the Rainbow Bistro (76 Murray St.) on Nov. 30 at 9 p.m.
