Strong currents will pull River through August.
The trio of musicians, who hail from Central Saanich and the outlying areas of the Peninsula, is set to release its first full-length album this month. They’ll also perform during ArtistFest in Victoria.
“River has been a band since 2009 but has seen the come and go of many members,” said Sam Weber, a recent Stelly’s secondary graduate. Past members have included other musicians from various Stelly’s bands including the Archers and the Swags.
Last spring, the current incarnation came together: Marshall Wildman, Evan Hillier and singer Weber share the roles of bass, drums, guitar, piano and synthesizer.
They released the Conflict Lost EP in December of 2010 (free download at weareriver.bandcamp.com) and set to work on Light Up to Burn Out.
The album was recorded, produced and mixed independently and mastered by Adam Sutherland at Infinity Studios in Victoria.
They expect to release the album through a couple of venues, including an all-ages show.
“A River show is musically stimulating. We don’t use gimmicks — not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s not what this band is about,” Weber said.
He wrote 18 songs for the project specifically meant to “trigger feelings” from the audience.
“We don’t necessarily want you to cry — not that there’s anything wrong with that — but our main goal is to make our listeners feel something,” Weber said. “Each song we play is ambiguous enough to affect anyone.”
River will also perform a half-hour set starting at 5:30 p.m. in Victoria’s Centennial Square during the Vancouver Island ArtistFest on Aug. 27.
The day-long event featuring loads of Greater Victoria musicians starts at 11 a.m.