In the opening moments of the five-minute one-take music video Sing to the Night, Shred Kelly lead singer Tim Newton appears on camera clad in '80s-style ski gear, mustachioed and pink-cheeked, and begins to sing as he heads down the slope.
YouTube viewers can watch as Newtown passes through tunnels and under chairlifts at a Fernie ski hill, dancing and serenading while he’s joined onscreen by a neon mob of wacky ski bum characters who go off jumps, cartwheel and make a spectacle of themselves in the background.
To accomplish this feat, videographer Dylan Siggers had to make it to the bottom of the hill whilst navigating backwards.
But according to Sage McBride, that’s no big deal when you live in the Kootenays.
“Logistically we were trying to figure out how we can get down the hill backwards. We were thinking about using a snowmobile but Dylan said ‘no, I can ski backwards holding a 50-pound set up’. So he had to hold this giant camera, with this thing called a turtle strapped to his chest playing music so we could sing along,” she said.
The track is the title track from their album Sing to the Night, released on January 27, and the band is already touring country-wide to promote it. When the Star reached the band, they were just pulling into Halifax for an east coast gig.
“There’s definitely a different sound on this one. You’ve still got the high-energy folk rock element, but we explored a bit. We took inspiration from the '70s, '80s, threw in some synthesizers. We were listening to Rush at the time, and we’re big fans of Fleetwood Mac. Sometimes we’d find a synthesizer bit, and that sound was guiding us in a certain direction, so there’s a hook to build around.”
She said the band is especially fond of the title track.
“That encapsulates all the best representation of Shred Kelly, the softer side plus the really danceable music, all wrapped into one song.”
Shred Kelly participated in the Peak Performance Project last year, and though they didn’t win the competition McBride said they gleaned lots from the experience. They’re now ready to hit the festival circuit before traveling to Europe.
Ty West, who used to live in Nelson and work at the Royal, is the guitarist for the band. The other members are Ian Page Shiner and Jordan Vlasschaert. McBride said they’re looking forward to connecting with their fervent local fans.
McBride recommended that fans who enjoy the Sing to the Night video should also check out Family Oh Family, which is inspired by awkward family photos.
Shred Kelly will be playing Spiritbar on March 21. Doors open at 9 p.m. Show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door, and are available from the Hume Hotel.