Over the Coals

Over The Coals kicked things into second gear with their rapid fire delivery and strong stage presence. Metal/thrash/rock Vancouver style with lead singer James McMurtrie sounding like a mix between Phil Anselmo and Chris Cornell (back when Chris was metal). Matt, Mark and Max (on guitar, bass and drums respectively), were tighter than a nun’s bible cover and proved Vancouver is producing some great fucking talent these days. Over The Coals is yet another local band to keep an eye on. - ABORT Magazine

Live Review – Scrape Records 11th Anniversary with Iced Earth and Guests
Wednesday, November 19, 2007
The Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC.

Scrape Records sure knows how to throw a party, and it only took them eleven years to put this “End of the World” spectacle together!

You can rest assured that when our planet decides to call it quits, sputtering and coughing up its dead on the last day of our parasitic existence; the soundtrack to our annihilation is going to sound something like the night of November 19th at the Commodore Ballroom. For Scrape Records 11th Anniversary they could have done a hell of a lot worse than inviting Over the Coals, Magnus Rising, Early Man and Indiana’s own Iced Earth to celebrate. Just as this night’s Metal diversity showed, when the inevitable apocalypse comes it’s going to be fucking loud!

It starts with Over the Coals, when the Earth heats up to temperatures beyond reason and the sea becomes the sky, raining down with merciless force and fury… just like the band! Local boys make good on their promise to kick some supreme ass with a set of Metal/Thrash that left those in attendance screaming “HELL YEAH” at louder volumes than usual. Definitely a force to be reckoning with on the local scene, Over the Coals set forth to entertain and that’s exactly what they did.

Magnus Rising was the next step in this evening’s pursuit of annihilation. It was good to see these guys “rising” to a stage they truly deserve, pumping out the Metal like so much molten lava spewing from the innards of the Earth. Hellbent and determined, they put their hearts and souls into every song, which reverberated through the crowd and left no one untouched. High energy and catchy songs sure don’t hurt either!

At this point in the apocalypse, where we’re beating on each other with sticks and rocks, the appropriate music to play will echo exactly what we’ve reverted to… Early Man. These “both coast” Thrash Rockers set forth to conquer the lesser of us with a bombast (or is that bomb blast?), of thick, sonic brutality. Knuckle draggers they aren’t, as their musicianship proved through their hair swinging, stick flailing, all too short set.

Finally, as the dust settles, the smoldering crust cools and those of us sturdy enough to last this long seek refuge, the night and everything around us became Iced Earth. Formed from the ashes of Purgatory in 1984, Iced Earth are five men who set out to pave the planet with Heavy Power/Thrash Metal and, for all intents and purposes, they have done just that. Stoically standing before the crowd before bursting forth “In Sacred Flames,” the power and might of Iced Earth came across brilliantly as they kept the crowd enthralled, letting up only long enough to allow the audience to cheer their brains out between songs!

This may have been Scrape Records 11th Anniversary bash, but the people in attendance acted like it was “their” birthday party and they weren’t leaving until all the cake was eaten… or at least mashed into a pulp. Great show!

- Iced Earth Set List –
In Sacred Flames (Intro)
Behold the Wicked Child
Invasion (Intro)
The Motivation of Man
Setian Massacre
Burning Times
Declaration day
Vengeance is Mine
Te Thousand Strong
Stormrider
Pure Evil
Watching Over Me
Coming Curse
I Walk Alone
Dracula
High Water Mark

- Encore –
Melancholy
My Own Savior
Iced Earth

Tune in for Grimm Culhane’s ABORTcast interview with Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth - Coming Soon!

myspace.com/OverTheCoals

MagnusRising.com

EarlyManArmy.com

IcedEarth.com

ScrapeRecords.com

By Grimm “Horror Show” Culhane - Abort Magazine

Interview with Matt Starkes of Over The Coals
posted Monday, February 26, 2007 at 12:45:58 AM by rocket.

British Columbia's OVER THE COALS formed initially back in the spring of 2004 in their hometown of Prince George, B.C., under the name of Burn Out West. Comprised of vocalist James McMurtrie, guitarist Matt Starkes, bassist Mark Moser and drummer Max Matthews, all having solid backgrounds in other local projects such as Disdain, Feedback and Fistfiller, they soon morphed into a much larger musical beast under the newly christened moniker: Over The Coals, thus starting to immediately cultivate their defining sound, a cross between Pantera and Corrosion of Conformity, with other old school metal influences that helped them create a genuinely distinct, ferocius and simply undeniable crushing style that would soon garner them much attention throughout their home scene within just their first set of gigs. The band is now arming itself with new material in ultimate preparation for its debut album and also plan on making it out to the west coast of the United States later this year to begin carving their name out on the rock world in this most legitimate of manners. I recently conducted some Q&A in with their guitarist, Matt Starkes to learn more.


Rocket: Are you a native of British Columbia?


Matt: No, actually. I was born in Newfoundland and grew up there in this small town called Paradise – I shit you not. I was there until I was 10, then my whole family up and moved out west to BC, to this town called Prince George. I had a fucking blast growing up there and that was really my introduction to metal and guitar. 10 years later again after moving there it was time to up and move down here to Vancouver with the rest of the guys in the band.
Rocket: Awesome. So when did you first start playing electric guitar?


Matt: I have a Funny story there, Rocket. Max (drummer for Over the Coals) and I both started playing guitar and the drums when we were about 12 and it ended up turning out just like the stories you hear about the Van Halen’s and the Abbott’s – not to compare us to them, and no, we aren’t brothers, but anyways, Max started just killing me on the skins and I started getting more and more into the guitar, and it just ended up sticking that way. We formed our first band when we were 13 and never looked back.
Rocket: That's incredible. It speaks volumes to the depth of both your musical relationship now all these years later. You don't find that sort of situation very often. Tell me, who are some of your biggest playing influences?


Matt: The two main guys for me were, and still are, Eddie Van Halen and Dimebag Darrell. The first songs I really got into playing when I’d gotten some practice under my belt were Van Halen songs – not the solo’s at the point, obviously, but just those riffs man, the stuff off those first few albums… that stuff is so killer to play on guitar. I still to this day go back and re-learn that shit on a regular basis. Once I hit high school though, it was all about Pantera. I mean, there were tons of other bands I was really into, the obvious ones like Sabbath, Slayer and Metallica and what not, but in terms of influence on the guitar, Dime’s playing was what really captivated me.
Rocket: He had such a finesse to his raw and seemingly explosive 'coming from out of nowhere' style, though most don't know it, Darrrell was all about practicing and being dedicated to the technical aspect of it all. Many don't know that about him. It's really cool to hear that he did captivate you, brother.


Matt: And he still does to this day. I’m still blown away every time I hear him shred on a song. The other huge guitar influences for me are definitely the Ozzy guys. He’s been surrounded by some of the most incredible players throughout his career, it’s crazy. Zakk Wylde is a monster, Randy Rhoads wrote some of the best metal riffs and solos out there, and Tony Iommi really is the grandfather of metal guitar.
Rocket: What kind of guitars are you playing live and in the studio?


Matt: I’ve stuck with the same two axes for about 7 or 8 years now, mainly for monetary reasons (laughs). They’re two original Scott Ian JJ1 Jackson’s – one wood grain, the other a transparent blood red. I’ve played those for everything I’ve done, live and in the studio. They’re great guitars, super durable and they have a rad sound. I am looking to get something new in the near future though…I think it’s time to change things up a little…but those two Jackson’s will always be around.
Rocket: What kind of amp rig?


Matt: Same story with the Jackson’s. I’ve used my Marshall JCM 900 50 watt head and 1969A 4 x 12 cab ritualistically for years and years without fail. I loved the sound I got out of that rig for ‘Declaration’. There was nothing in front of it either, what you see me playing through live is what I used in the studio.
Rocket: I really hear a lot of that Pantera influence going on here with your demo tracks that can be heard on MySpace and one of my all-time favorites, Corrosion of Conformity. I just love the song entitled '1600', one of the best metal songs I've heard in the past 2 years. Hands down. When you've got me headbanging to a tune over and over again while working in my office, that tells you something special is going on with the music. That leads me to ask about the debut full-length album coming from this band? Do you have a title yet and when can we expect it?


Matt: Well ‘Declaration’ started out as more of a demo project, but it turned out so well that we’re treating it as our debut LP, and it’s now available online through our website, www.overthecoals.net as well as through iTunes and a cool new music site called Libertunes.com. We’re working on the retail distribution end of it now, and at the moment don’t have anything concrete in terms of when you’ll see it on the store shelves, but we’ll make sure you all know when it happens! In terms of a new disc, we’re already making plans to record in the fall, and we’re psyched about it, man. The energy in these new songs is unreal.
Rocket: Any idea where you'll be recording it and who will produce?


Matt: We’re not 100% on where it will be done yet, although there’s a really good chance we’ll go back to the Factory here in Vancouver, where we did ‘Declaration’. It will be produced once again by our longtime friend Chris “Hollywood” Holmes.
Rocket: Now, getting deeper into the songs. What can we expect? Is it going to be along the same lines of what you did with your past demo recordings? And by the way, whoever engineered your sound on those tracks is super talented and needs to be more exposed to the metal business as a whole. I'm dead serious about this one.


Matt: Chris actually did everything on those tracks – engineered it, mixed it and mastered it – and you’re right on that one, man, he kicks some serious ass in the studio. He knows and shares the vision of the band and can really get the best performances out of each us. When he sent us the finished product we were all just completely blown away by it. The sounds he got and they way he put everything together was just amazing. In terms of what to expect with the next batch of songs, I think people are going to really dig the direction we’re taking. Fundamentally, it’s the same style, but we’ve really stepped it up in terms of the individual performances. Mark (bass) and I are really playing off of each other a lot more and are coming up with some insane shit, but without losing the energy and feel we’ve always gone for. Max always kills on the drums, and as we’ve upped the ante on the riffs, he’s just pushing it even further; and James has been topping it all off with killer vocal hooks and screams. We’re really excited about how it’s all been coming together, and I can guarantee there won’t be any disappointments.
Rocket: Briefly, how did Over The Coals form together as a band?


Matt: It was pretty fuckin’ crazy man. Max and I were playing up in Prince George in a band called Disdain for years. We went to high school with Mark, and when the bass player for Disdain left, Mark came in to assume the role. Meanwhile, James was singing and playing guitar in a band called Feedback. When our singer in Disdain told us he wanted out of the singing gig, and only to play guitar with the band, we decided to give James a call to see if he was interested in fronting the band, having seen him kicking ass with Feedback all over town. Turns out that at the exact same time, the drummer for Feedback left, and James was also looking for a second guitar player in the band. So Max and I filled in the Feedback spots, and James took over vocals for Disdain (laughs). This went on for quite a while, so we were all playing all the fuckin’ time in these two bands, and it was just nuts. Eventually, and I’ll omit the grizzly details, we formed into one group with just the four of us: Max, Mark, James and myself. The next step was the move to Vancouver, and then after a couple of name changes we ended up as Over the Coals. Little long-winded eh?
Rocket: Hey, man... it's all good. This shit is important to understand when following a band you dig. I like to have fun with this next one. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you while performing on the stage?


Matt: You picked the right guy to ask, cause I’ve definitely had my share. The funniest was probably this time we were playing a gig here in downtown Vancouver, one of our first gigs here actually, and they didn’t have the monitors secured to the stage. So, a few songs in I go to put my foot right up on the monitor, and the thing goes flying right off the damn stage - right into the front row. I drop right on my ass, and the monitor lands on some cabling they had hooked up to the front of the stage. It turned out to be the power, and everything on the right hand side of the stage completely died. Max and Mark kept on ripping cause all of their gear was running off power to the left hand side of the stage, and I just remember being crumpled on the stage, looking out at all these shocked faces. I guess the damage was pretty severe and we ended up having to cut the rest of the set. I felt like a total dickhead…but the club owner and promoter were actually apologizing to us afterwards for not having strapped the monitors down. Someone actually caught the whole thing on a cell phone video too, and we’ve still got the footage kicking around. Everyone always gets a good laugh out of that one.
Rocket: Haha. You can either let something like that destroy you or make you stronger. Period. Last year was a great one for metal, brother. So much that went down. What one album was your personal favorite?


Matt: Last year was a crazy one for metal albums.
Rocket: I dare to say I think it was perhaps the most overall productive and important year in metal ever, a simply defining moment in the genres great history. Of course the NWOBHM that happened back in the mid to late 1970's in the United Kingdom, as a reaction in part to the decline of Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, is one very crucial time that needed to happen for us to even be sitting here doing this interview, comprised of course of names like Iron Maiden, Diamond Head and Saxon. But yeah, definitely since glam rock and nu metal began to disintegrate the foundation of all that metal was built on and almost in one fell swoop destroyed its popularity and interest for it since the 90's, that is until a great band like Pantera came along and brought us back to the original theme and roots of it all, you know? But yeah, last year was so immense, for me as a fan at least, cause you had so many different acts from all the different sub-genre categories dropping sonic equivalents to a nuclear payload: Cannibal Corpse, Lamb Of God, Maiden and Priest even... on an on and on.


Matt: Yeah, there was so little for so long, then all of a sudden it was like everyone was putting a new album out, and everything I heard kicked I thought kicked ass…Tool, BLS, Lamb of God and Unearth were some of my favorite ones for sure, but my number one would have to be Mastodon’s ‘Blood Mountain’….it’s just really fresh, doesn’t sound like anything that’s come out in a long ass time and is solid from start to finish. I started getting into them around the time ‘Leviathan’ came out and I couldn’t believe when we threw ‘Blood Mountain’ on…they’d just taken that unique style to a whole other level.
Rocket: Well, hopefully we'll see all of it continue to thrive in that general direction and not fall back at some point to rap metal! Haha. God, I remember so fuckin vividly, bro, seeing Faith No more open once... shit, we're talkin almost 20 years ago now. I forget who the headliner was. I been goin to metal shows since Maiden's Number of The Beast tour in 1982 when I was 12, for crying out loud. But Mike Patton and that band were taking an incredible razzing and booing for their set of rap crossed with heavy music. People were throwing shit at the stage. And then, in one of the most kick ass moments I've ever witnessed, those dudes - in sheer desperation - broke out the proverbial can of whoop ass with Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' and I tell you, it still gives me goosebumps right now to relate this story... purely bad ass. Their cover of that one is the best. It turned the arena and everyone inside into the musical equivalent of 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest'...haha.. utter madness I tell you, and all just like at the drop of a hat, man.... within the very first strains of that legendary and most recognizable song. Mind staggering. Alright, man, moving onward and upward, please tell me what are some of the upcoming shows for this band?


Matt: We’re trying to get a mini-tour of Southern California booked right now for the end of March/beginning of April, playing in San Diego, Anaheim and LA, with another kick ass band from Vancouver called Cradle to Grave – but that’s still not 100%…we’re sitting here with our fingers crossed! We’re also working on a tour of Western Canada for late May, and continuing to book shows from April on throughout the summer here in Southern BC. Ultimately we also want to get something going on a grander scale for late summer before we go back into the studio, but that’s all still up in the air.
Rocket: Well, I can't wait to see what comes from ths band. You guys have a lot on the ball already that most could only dream for. Thanks very much for taking the time out to do this. Best of luck here in 2007. Go ahead and give a shoutout to your biggest supporters.


Matt: For sure, man, I had a lot of fun.
Rocket: RIght on, dude. By demons be driven. Hails to you and the rest of the band, most sincerely.


Matt: Thanks to all the family, friends and fans we have throughout Canada and the rest of the world – we’ll be seeing you soon! - metalunderground.com

ROCKET's Interview With Mark Moser Of OVER THE COALS

By Rocket

Published: May 27, 2007

Rocket: What's up, brother? Glad to get this cranked out with you, man. I absolutely love this band. Are you a native of Canada, bro?

Mark: You betcha, Rocket. I was born in Victoria and grew up in Prince George BC. Moved to Vancouver about 3 years ago and been playing shows and writing tunes since.

Rocket: Awesome. So when did you first start playing bass guitar?

Mark: I think I was about 15... I got my first bass from a guy I knew at school who got in some trouble with cops on his dirt bike. He needed the money so he sold me his bass, for dirt cheap.

Rocket: Who are some of your biggest playing influences?

Mark: Well you'd have to start with Geddy Lee from Rush, Les Claypool from Primus and Flea from the Chili Peppers. Blood Sugar Sex Magik was the album that made me want to start playing. So much groove.


Rocket: That was the Red Hot's last real album in my opinion. Totally rockin shit. Now what kind of basses are you playing live and in the studio?

Mark: Well right now, I'm shopping around for a new bass... I need one for sure, right now I'm just playing my old Ibanez SR-400, but I love the tone of it. Its got a good crunch through the rig I play.


Rocket: Right on. What kind of amp rig?

Mark: Well I've got a cab of 4X10 and a 15 that I hook up to my 1000 watt Phonic head. I connect that head to my Groove Tubes DI and the tone is awesome. Groove Tubes are the greatest.

Rocket: Do you play with a finger, a pick or both?

Mark: Just fingers.

Rocket: See, man. Me too. And this band brings it too. So there goes that lame ass myth about needing a pick to play fast. I think tone with the fingers is the only true way to play heavy metal. And either you got the skills to do it or you play with a pick. Period. Have you ever taken any formal bass guitar lessons or are you all self-taught?

Mark: I took a few beginners lessons during the first couple months I played, then from then on just taught myself.

Rocket: Do you have a hand in the songwriting process with this band at all?

Mark: You bet, Rocket... me and Matt come to practice with a couple of riffs and we jam them out. We basically iron them out and bounce ideas off each other till we have it just the way we want it.

Rocket: Everyone knows I like to have fun with this next one. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you while performing?

Mark: Well it didn't happen to me... nothing to crazy has happened to me so far... but our singer's girlfriend slapped some really wasted chick that got onstage and started grinding on him. She slapped the chick right in the face and pulled her off the stage. It was friggin' priceless.

Rocket: Gotta love the chick fights! Haha. All of us devoted metalers know how last year was a great one for metal. What was one album was your personal favorite?

Mark: Blood Mountain... Mastodon. They are a sick band, both on the CD, which I still listen to all the time, and live on stage. They blew the roof off the place when I saw them with Slayer and Lamb of God.

Rocket: Tell me, what are some of the upcoming gigs for the band we need to watchout for?

Mark: Well right now, Rocket, we're just booking up our summer. Some shows in and around Vancouver, some in Alberta and on Vancouver Island and hopefully a couple in the States. the big one for us right now is the finals of a battle of bands at the Plaza Club in downtown Vancouver. If we win this one we get sent to Montreal for the finals, so that would be pretty killer.

Rocket: Listen, brother, this was kick ass to do this with you finally. Thanks very much for taking the time out to kick it with TMD. Best of luck in 07. Go ahead an give a shoutout to your biggest supporters.

Marl: Okay, never done this before but I guess I gotta do it sooner or later. Obviously my family, and obviously my friends. Chris "Hollywood" Holmes who did the record for us, and did it for cheap. You're the man.

Rocket: I like to think so, Mark. I ain't gonna lie about that! Haha. And fuck whoever feels differently really. The simply don't mean jackshit to me or the true metal revolution I wage from here at TMD.

Mark: Haha... and all the bands out there that we look up to and respect, Rocket, who've made kick ass music thats influenced us enough to get us to start playing. Cheers man! - Rocket - themetalden.com

Vancouver, British Columbia's Over The Coals have issued a literal 'Call to arms' for every other single underground metal band to heed with their caustic and sonically rampaging 2007 debut 'Declaration', a simply murderous and unrelenting collection of rapacious ass-kickers produced by current Korn engineer Chris "Hollywood" Holmes, demonstrating without a doubt that he possesses hands down the greatest living 'ear for metal' going in the industry today; ten times more vital in his ability to 'draw out the heavy sound' than any of the bigger names with ten times his asking price.

And with that, Hollywood, "Have A Drink On Me!"

"Hollywood" Holmes 'for the allotted low budget' he had to work with here even makes the overpaid and over-hyped Bob Rock look like a hack bass player that luckily found his way behind the production for all-time greats like Motley Crue and Metallica, when what he should've been doing is mixing their drinks! And yes, while Rock produced the Crue's Dr. Feelgood album that saved Sixx and company from the proverbial early grave, he still has never fully delivered a defining 'metal' achievement for the true loyalists as myself that merits all the extreme praise he continues to receive year after year for his glossy pop/rock on steroids resume. Let us please keep in mind that Rock's 2003 therapy-addled St. Anger with ME-tallica is still easily the biggest embarrassment in heavy music over the past five years.

Comprised of the seething Phil Anselmo-fueled vocal talent from James McMurtrie, tied to the steel cross with back-breaking riff after riff churned out by guitarist Matt Starkes, along with seriously 'down deep in the corner pocket' bass work added thanks to Mark Moser and a perfectly hell-handled drumming performance out of Max Matthews, Over The Coals are now the 'upcoming' band to beat across all sub-genres of heavy metal. Period. And to make matters even 'badder ass' at mid-point on one of the songs on this groundbreaker there is a gritty sound byte ala Clint Eastwood's "Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?" speech from his classic 1970 Dirty Harry film... and you are now at task to listen to all of this album to discover it on your own.

I tell you what, these kinds of tone-shaking, highly enjoyable life moments -- albeit from mostly brain shock induced whiplash-type minutes of musical mayhem -- are what makes me listen to heavy metal in the first damn place!

And the funniest part of all is that this band is still unsigned. This just speaks to the sheer moronic nature of the way record deals are being made right now by fat old bald people who drive fifty thousand dollar vehicles and think they still know what's fucking relevant for youthful metal in 2007. If you have big tits and can scream like you caught your boyfriend fucking your girlfriend in your own bed while you were serving beer for tips, hoots and hollars, sign on the dotted line, goddammit!
We want to make you a metal pin-up!

Opening with the neck snapper "Now I've Seen It All", this monumental track has got to have the most Dimebag-influenced, arpeggio-screeching, and totally well worth the 'Pink-bearded one's' reference guitar solos I have heard in years, OTC's Declaration is all about declaring war on every simple-minded primadonna musician that still puts on spandex and leather in the 21st century and stands out in front of The Rainbow looking for a blowjob! Followed with the equally demolishing "Legion" and "Drown Me", there is no time to rest when the aptly-titled "Call To Arms" is discharged into your ear drums like a bottle rocket alarmingly shot at the retarded kid living next door purely for shit's and giggles.

"Assault And Battery" doesn't miss the mark either, but it's the album's sixth song "1600" that now defines the band's greatness, picture in your listening mind if you will the potential of Pantera meeting up with old Metallica for a knife fight, yet everyone settles for breaking beer bottles over each other's heads instead... so they can laugh heartily and drink their own blood-mixed brew concoction as it runs down their very face until they are drunker than a yuppie watching Lover Boy at House Of Blues. And yes, Bob Rock is one of the guilty culprits responsible for bringing those ballerina-rockers to the masses! Gee, thanks, Bob!

OTC's Declaration heads to the glorious finish line here with 'No Way Out" and the final ominous-laden, face seering jack-hammer entitled "The Messenger". This song probably could have sounded one hundred times better than anything that's been produced in metal since A Vulgar Display Of Power had "Hollywood" Holmes been working with a real honest to shit-sicles label-attached budget. And as I sit back now and think about this experience, I can't help but grin like a once ravished man-eating Lion that's just ripped the leg off of an adventurer in Africa who was dumb enough to get within feeding distance. Oh, what a message that's been delivered to all the high-level blowhards pushing the emo likes of My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold down our throats! - themetalden.com

THE METAL RETURNS
Written by MYRISSA KRENZLER
Citizen staff
Tuesday, 08 July 2008
IN-STORY NEWS

THE METAL RETURNS - Over the Coals members Mark Moser, left, James McMurtrie, Matt Starkes and Max Matthews will be opening for Hedley Thursday at the CN Centre and playing at the Generator Saturday. (Over the coals.jpg - 1920162)
Over the Coals members Mark Moser, left, James McMurtrie, Matt Starkes and Max Matthews will be opening for Hedley Thursday at the CN Centre and playing at the Generator Saturday. (Submitted photo)
Over the Coals back in Prince George Metal band Over the Coals is coming back to Prince George this week to promote their new CD and open for Hedley Thursday at CN Centre.
The band, consisting of vocalist James McMurtrie, guitarist Matt Starkes, bassist Mark Moser and drummer Max Matthews released their second full-length album Closed Eyes at Sunrise July 1.
Along with opening for Hedley on Thursday, they will be playing at the Generator Saturday with special guest Adamant.
Based out of Vancouver, all four band members grew up in Prince George. "We've been playing together for about five years," Moser said. "(We) started in Prince George and then we all moved down here."
McMurtrie said it's been difficult at times, but the group's hard work has finally started to pay off. "It's definitely been a constant progression," he said. "It takes a while to get going. Moving from a city like Prince George where we all went to school there and we know everybody there to coming to a big market like Vancouver, having to start over ... it's very trying at times."
The band's received play on Vancouver radio station 99.3 The Fox, Sirius and XM satellite radio and various Internet radio stations. They've opened for bands like Powerman 5000 and Cradle to Grave. They also do all their own production. "It's all volunteer work." Matthews said.
The band is touring B.C. and Alberta for July and has dates scheduled in the United States in August. McMurtrie said they are hoping for a Canada-wide tour in the Fall and to play some festivals in Europe in the Spring.
Admission for Saturday's show is $10 at the door. Tickets for Hedley are available at Ticketmaster 250-614-9100. Information on Over the Coals tour dates and new CD is available at www.myspace.com/overthecoals
Both their CD's can be purchased on iTunes or CDbaby.com - Prince George Citizen