Sandon

A former Penetanguishene Secondary School student is going to rubbing elbows with some of Canada’s most well known musicians.
Sandon Weber, who first started writing music at the age of 15 while a student at PSS, has been nominated for Outstanding Christian Recording at the Western Canadian Music Awards scheduled to take place in Brandon, Manitoba Sept. 17-20. (His album is also up for best Album Design.)
His love for music started at an early age, he noted.
After joining the school band, the future award nominee began fiddling around on the piano and writing lyrics in his spare time, a past-time that saw his love for music grow into a desire to share his music with the country.
Weber, who plays piano, drums, and vocals and is in the process of learning to play the guitar, describes his first album – released this past January and titled ‘Freedom’s Last Lost Mile’ – as “all over the place” musically.
“I didn’t really know what direction I wanted to take it, so I put on a bunch of different styles. Overall, guess it’s kind of pop-rock, but threw on some ballads, a hip hop song, and a blues song as a way to try a little bit of everything.”
Weber credits his father as the biggest musical inspiration growing up.
“He’s been writing music since he was a teenager as well, and was one that taught me how to play a few chords on the piano. I guess that’s where it started.”
As for bands that have influenced his style, Weber said he said he has been most inspired lyrically by indie-rock band Death Cab for Cutie.
“They’re probably one of my bigger influences when it comes to my lyrics. I am quite a different style from them musically, but I like to write similar to what they do.”
Weber spent about three years writing for the album, and said the songs tend to focus on his own life experiences, girls and what he was going through day to day, and said the experience of working on his first album was one he will never forget.
“It was pretty cool. I’d never been in a recording studio before… It was a pretty amazing experience to look forward to every morning.”
All that hard work has obviously paid off, with Weber starting to gain recognition in the industry thanks to the nomination.
“I am pretty stoked, that’s for sure,” he said, adding getting this kind of recognition on his first album is a pretty big deal for him. “The recording of the year was definitely unexpected, but kind of awesome as well”
As for the future, Weber is hoping to one day be able to give up his “day job” and begin focusing full time on his music.
“Right now I am working on my second album (to be released in Spring 2010), and my goal is to eventually survive off of it and make a living off my music… and hopefully pan out a six-week tour next year.” - Author: Nicole Million, The Mirror