Local band is enjoying creative freedom
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
More than a decade ago, four young men from Kindersley began playing music together, and they haven’t stopped. Guitarists Paul Hillacre and Justin Thompson, along with bassist Evan Knouse and Calen Miller on the drums, have created a unique sound since their earliest instrumental pursuits. These talented musicians now live in Saskatoon, where their band, known as Basement Paintings, has achieved some well-deserved notoriety.
Miller said their album Mystic was a turning point for the band and was nominated for SaskMusic’s Best Album of the Year in 2016 and made several best-of lists across North America. However, their album Antipodes is their crowning achievement to date. “We started to get more global recognition from Antipodes, plus the award for Best Metal/Loud Artist of 2020,” Miller said.
Knouse said the band hired a publicist to promote their latest album, which helped garner positive reviews from higher-profile outlets. “The fact that we nurtured and articulated some of our best music to date made Antipodes our best release so far,” he added.
Winning the award was “quite a surprise since we are a bit outside the box,” Hilacre added.
Miller described their music as more aligned with the post-metal genre, but their sound is constantly evolving. “Our first albums were more progressive and technical,” he said but described their latest two albums as having a sound with more breathing room, allowing the listener to sink into a mood.
That sound is void of any lyrics. “I would describe it as instrumental landscapes inspired by a psychedelic rock,” Hilacre said.
Despite the pandemic and restrictions, the band is making good use of this time, finding inspiration and creating new music when live music venues are open again.
“When we’re in writing mode, we play together quite regularly and record all of our jams. We listen to the recording individually; often, there are only a few 15-30 second pieces that are worth keeping,” Miller said, explaining the process.
Knouse added that they are constantly experimenting with new sounds and techniques, “trying to gather inspiration and find the next new flavour.”
Their talents reach beyond music as each band member pursues their careers, but being part of the band is important to each one of them. “‘The creative freedom that comes with this band is unmatched in my opinion,” Miller said.
Knouse agreed, saying, “Being able to experiment and uncover new ideas like we do takes a level of trust and understanding that is pretty unique to this group of guys.”
As for the future, these guys want to “take it as far as possible so that we can keeping doing it,” Hilacre said.
“Our long-term goal is to tour Europe. I think they are a bit more receptive to our music than in Canada,” Miller added.
Submitted Photo
Basement Paintings, now based out of Saskatoon, is comprised of 4 young men originally from Kindersley.