Swift Current classic rock band celebrating new EP with a party

A classic rock band from Swift Current will be hitting the stage to celebrate the release of their debut EP.

Tombstone Whiskey is performing at Lucky Charlie’s Pub & Pool in downtown Swift Current, Nov. 11.

The band’s frontman Darrin Schwartz said they are excited to share their music with people at the CD release party.

“It’s going to be fantastic,” he mentioned. “We’ll be playing two or three sets of originals and then to end off the night, we're going to do a whole set of covers to keep the people dancing and get it revved up. It should be really good. I hope it's a good turnout and we're really looking forward to it.”

Their debut EP is titled Devil all the Time. It contains four original songs, of which two were written in the past year and the other two a few years back.

“We wanted to get some good solid tracks out,” he said. “We started recording and we had three or four really good tracks that we thought were good for our debut album.”

The four-member band’s music is firmly set in the classic rock style. Schwartz mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top and even a bit of Led Zeppelin as his musical influences.

“I call it blue collar rock, but our sound is basically derived from classic rock,” he said.

“Basically, we're like the new wave of classic rock. We sound a lot like the bands that are coming out of the UK right now. You do hear similarities to some of the Canadian bands, like the Headstones. We have that kind of sound too, but most of our sound comes from classic rock. We're all huge fans of classic rock bands from the 70s.”

Schwartz is the lead vocalist and also plays guitar. He is a founding member of the band with drummer Mike Zacharias.

They have been playing together since 2013 and actually recorded a few songs in the early years. Bass player Brad Podolski joined the band a few years ago and lead guitarist Kevin Steinley joined last year.

Schwartz has been writing most of the lyrics for Tombstone

TOMBSTONE WHISKEY

Whiskey, but their songwriting process is evolving.

“We've got a few new songs and works that are more with the whole band involved, because Kevin is also a songwriter,” Schwartz explained. “Previously the majority of our stuff was written by me. I always like to say the band helped me write the music, because if it weren't for the band, the music wouldn't sound the way it sounds now.”

He previously played in bands in Calgary and Saskatoon. Two of the songs on the new EP includes credits for former band mates from those cities who contributed to the songwriting. Music has always been an important part of his life and he actually released a solo album in 2007.

“I would go crazy if I didn't have my music,” he said. “I've worked on it for so many years that it's gotten to the point now where quitting is not even an option. Even if I never get any airplay or anything, quitting is just not an option, because it's my getaway. We jam twice a week and if I’ve had a stressful day, it just changes your mood. It makes you feel better.”

Some of his songwriting is influenced by personal experiences, including being homeless and couch surfing in other cities where he lived.

“I didn't really have a very stable life when I was younger,” he said. “Now, I'm definitely more grounded and life is good.”

Some of their songs are also fictional and fun, for example the EP title song Devil all the Time about getting into a relationship that becomes too hot to handle.

“Some of the songs are just fun ones,” he said. “I just like to write party rock anthems.”

There has been a great response to the songs on their debut EP, which has already been released on different platforms. Their music has been added to various online playlists and it has received air play on radio stations in the United Kingdom and the United States. Their music has also been played by the local Swift Current radio station.

“It's actually been a pretty wild ride,” he said. “We've been gaining some pretty good attention to the record. Our first single, Devil All the Time, was played in Scotland. That was the first airplay it got. … We've been getting crazy amounts of airplay, like so much that we can't even catch it all. So, it's pretty surreal. We're pretty happy with how things have gone so far.”

Their CD release party on Nov. 11 in Swift Current will be an opportunity to share both the songs from their debut EP and other original material with audience members. The show starts at 9 p.m. and the cover charge is $10.

“We've got lots of material to work on,” he said. “You'll get to hear a lot of originals from us. We've got plenty to go around.”

Schwartz said the band’s intention is to do more live performances next summer in different locations around southwest Saskatchewan and perhaps even some other cities. In addition, the members of Tombstone Whiskey have been talking about doing a fulllength album.

“We really appreciate all the support we've got locally and just in general,” he said. “It's just amazing for us, a small city band, to be at over 1,500 followers on Facebook just within this year. It’s unreal and I hope it continues and that everybody keeps spreading the word about us.”