Friendship is first
Canadian dubstep musicians click together ... and with the Grammys
Leighton James and TORONTO Christian Srigley had just landed back home in Montreal when the Grammy nominations were announced. As they coasted down the runway, their phones lit up. The two friends, who make up electronic act Adventure Club, were just learning they’d been nominated in the best remix category for their rework of Kehlani’s Undercover.
While they took a few minutes to savour the recognition, Srigley said his mind almost instantly shifted to his next big track, despite being sleep deprived after an overnight flight.
“The first thing I did when we got back was (get) in the studio,” Srigley said. “There was no chance I was going to sleep.”
A superior work ethic is something the 29-year-old high school buddies developed over the years as they rose through the ranks of the electronic dance music scene.
Fans of melodic dubstep know Adventure Club’s tracks like Wonder and Gold, which are popular on dance floors and streaming services.
But their version of R&B singer Kehlani’s gentle vibe Undercover, reshaped into a quivering and spastic energy booster, caught the ears of Grammy voters. James and Srigley hope to capitalize on that attention as they put finishing touches on a new album ahead of a spring release.
All of this productivity comes after Adventure Club ran into a lifestyle hurdle a couple years ago that could have knocked both of them out of the game. Like many electronic DJs, James and Srigley were living the lavish party lifestyle.
“We were getting sloppy,” Srigley said. “There was a lot of concern coming from management and our tour manager.”
After an intervention of sorts, the guys pledged to start playing shows without alcohol. They say it’s been two years of clean living on the stage and they haven’t looked back.
“We’re not taking a stance against alcohol or drugs, that’s not our place,” Srigley said. “It was just a personal choice.”
Other musical pairings might have fallen apart in those trying times, but James and Srigley say their bond has never wavered.
After meeting at a high school talent show, the two almost instantly became best friends.
They soon formed a pop-punk band that underwent many iterations and through a few members. Eventually their tastes shifted to dubstep music about the same time it was gaining popularity online.
Adventure Club first caught listeners’ attention with an unconventional remix of Daisy, a song originally recorded by rockers Brand New. It climbed the charts on Hype Machine, a website that culls together popular songs from music blogs. The popularity convinced them to permanently shift gears to EDM and pursue the club bangers that listeners craved.
Even if dubstep goes out of style, Srigley and James say they don’t see an end to their successful collaborative partnership, which has received three Juno Award nominations so far.
The Grammy Awards are set for Jan. 28.