Music
Press
Steven macDougall gets interviewed by Uncle Rob at the Fox - 105.3 The Fox
Article about Slowcoaster charting with single "War on War" - Cape Breton Post
Album Review - The Coast
Slowcoaster show promo article - whatsgoingon.com
SpinCount Announces Slowcoaster charts nationally with single "The Darkest of Discos" - SpinCount
Tour Review of Slowcoaster trip to Tokyo Japan - November 2010 - whatsgoingon.com
Album Review - The Coast - Halifax
Album Review - ChartAttack
Promo article for a show in Moncton - Times & Transcript and Music Nerd Chronicles
SpinCount announces debut chart position for Slowcoaster single "The Darkest of Discos" - SpinCount
Steven MacDougall gets interviewed by James C - Big Dog 100.9
Slowcoster interviewed by Live 105 in Halifax. Includes acoustic performance of "The Darkest of Discos" - Live 105
Cape Breton Entertainment Blog announces the release of Slowcoaster's video for "The Darkest of Discos" - Whatsgoingon.com
Steven MacDougall of Slowcoaster is interviewd at The Fox in Fredericton.
Included is an acoustic performance of "The Darkest of Discos" - 103.5 The Fox
Slowcoaster sits down for an interview with ExploreMusic in Toronto.
Acoustic performance of "The Darkest of Discos" included - ExploreMusic
Review of Slowcoaster award win at ECMA 2011 - The Charlottetown Guardian
Review of Slowcoaster at ECMA 2011 - The Charlottetown Guardian
Review of Slowcoaster ECMA win 2011 - Cape Breton Post
Slowcoaster interviewed by Stephanie Beaumont backstage at the 2011 ECMA Awards Gala, where Slowcoaster performed their hit song "The Darkest of Discos" - Sea and be Scene
Interview at 105 Halifax
Includes acoustic on air performance of B.Y.O.Life - Live 105
Published on September 29th, 2010
Laura Jean Grant
SYDNEY — The timing couldn’t be better. After steadily climbing the East Coast Countdown charts recently, Cape Breton’s Slowcoaster hit the number one spot on the list this week with War on War, the first single from their brand new album, released Tuesday across Canada.
Topics : Lakewind Sound Studios , The Paragon Theatre , Nova Scotia Music Week , Sydney , Halifax , Cape Breton
The 13-track CD, The Darkest of Discos, is the fifth studio album for the rock trio comprised of singer/guitarist Steven MacDougall, bassist Mike LeLievre, and drummer Brian Talbot.
“It’s kind of a more poetic musical adventure than the last couple of records,” said MacDougall, of the new CD, which was recorded at Lakewind Sound Studios in Point Aconi.
The first single, War on War, which is proving popular at radio stations across the country, is indicative of the entire project, according to MacDougall, who writes much of the band’s material.
“I’d originally written that on the piano as a slow song, as a very slow, haunting love lost kinda thing and one of the plans for the record was to make really happy, nice sounding music with really dark bizarre lyrics behind them,” he explained. “So (War on War) ... was part of the original experiment with that kind of writing, where the song is very, very cool and very normal, and where the lyrics are very not normal. I wanted to make people kinda cock their heads and listen to what’s going on, almost like forcing rock fans to start dissecting lyrics.”
MacDougall, who is playing a solo show tonight at 10 p.m. at Governor’s Pub in Sydney, said the official release party for Slowcoaster’s The Darkest of Discos is set for Oct. 8 at The Paragon Theatre in Halifax. Details of a Cape Breton release event are still being finalized, but it’s expected to take place near the end of October. Slowcoaster has several Maritime dates this month, and will appear at Nova Scotia Music Week in Yarmouth in November, before heading out on a cross-country tour in support of the new album.
“We actually love to perform. We never, ever take performing for granted, and we never, ever take audiences for granted. We play shows that are sold out all the time and I still, to this day, a half-hour before the show starts or opens, I’m still completely nervous if anybody is going to show up at all,” said MacDougall. “I think keeping myself on edge like that always keeps me happy, because when you walk out and the place is packed, it’s always a good feeling.”
Slowcoaster have been together for close to a decade, gaining a loyal following across the country, and earning numerous music awards along the way. So what makes Slowcoaster tick?
“We’re all completely different people, that might have something to do with it,” said MacDougall. “We really don’t have a lot of common interests. Brian’s a race car, body-building DJ; Mikey’s a classical guitar-playing, golf pro; and I’m just me, so we’re very different people but that dynamic probably makes up for it never getting old.”
For more on Slowcoaster go to www.slowcoaster.ca.
ljgrant@cbpost.com - Cape Breton Post
Discography
Darkest of Discos CD 2010
Future Radio CD 2007
Where Are They Going? CD 2004
Accidents & Excuses EP 2003
Leaves CD 2002
Volume 2 CD 2001
Jody's Garden CD 2000
Photos
Bio
ECMA Winner for Alternative Rock Album of the Year - 2011
With infectious and captivating lyrics, reinforced by a commanding groove, Slowcoaster takes you on a ride to the heart of the party with no apologies. Throwing down their high-energy danceable tunes, the Cape Breton trio fuses ska, reggae, hip hop, and classic house influences with their unique brand of funky rock and roll. Having spent the past ten years infiltrating the Canadian live music scene, Slowcoaster has firmly established themselves as one of the country’s most popular jam rock bands.
Slowcoaster’s energetic live show is now infamous in Canada for causing crowd frenzies and instantaneous dance parties. From the moment they step on stage, their one and only goal is to entertain their ever-growing fanbase to the maximum – making ‘em sweat, dance, laugh, sing, scream, and pump their fists. Fan favourites like “Patio” and “F*ck Last Night” take the party to the next level, reaping full crowd participation and simultaneous body bouncing.
Inspired by life’s ironic twists of fate, singer/guitarist Steven MacDougall’s lyrics play hope against desperation and love against anguish while preserving an aura of tongue in cheek humour. Intertwining MacDougall’s stellar guitar skills with bassist Mike LeLievre’s feisty grooves, the two feed off each other, creating a solid dynamic and initiating brilliant improvisations and transitions. Drummer Brian Talbot keeps the pulse pounding, rounding out a secure foundation to the full spectrum Slowcoaster sound.
The Darkest of Discos marks Slowcoaster’s fifth studio album, and was released on January 11, 2011 (Fontana North Records). Highly anticipated by fans and industry alike, Slowcoaster took Discos on the road this spring, hitting Canadian cities coast to coast, and will be playing several major festivals this summer. Their polished, addictive recorded sound and their highly potent live performance have secured Slowcoaster as one of Canada’s most paramount independent bands on the scene today.
The Darkest of Discos
Nominated for 4 East Coast Music Awards (2011)
FACTOR Recording of the Year, Group Recording of the Year, Single of the Year (War on War), Alternative Recording of the Year
Single: “B.Y.O.Life” (track 3) currently just released to radio
#10 on the East Coast Countdown
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