A Long Road

…. It’s been a long road to a new album for RJ and the Boys….

  Guitarist/Vocalist RJ tells us, that it wasn’t a easy to take a break from his “passion”, but the band lost not only their Bass Player (Derek Webb) to cancer, but also RJ’s and Dave’s(Drums and Vocals) Father to the disease, as well.

“Dad was our go-to guy, he made sure all our gear was at the next show and ready to go”, he ads “we all had full time day jobs, so getting there and being ready to go was an issue at times”.

Between, 2004 - 2008 the group played an amazing amount of shows all over the prairies and as far away as the UK, they also released 2 albums, a solo album by RJ and the Video Single “Upside of Down”, filmed in the bands home stomping grounds in and around Saskatoon.

The new album almost never happened, as RJ admits it was hard to get the motivation to get started again. “So much had happened, I had also gotten married, moved to Manitoba, had settled into a job running a local music store and studio”, “It wasn’t until I started unpacking all the old posters, photos and our late bass players, Burns Marquee bass guitar, that I realized how much fun we really had, doing our retro 50’s and 60’s thing”.

This era always has been a passion of RJ’s. The Cars, Guitars and Music, Derek also was a huge fan of the British Invasion, as he grew up in London England in the late 50’s and early 60’s.

 “Hanging all those memories on the studio wall, was very much a ‘healing” for me, I was laughing as I cried, so many amazing memories and a lot of love and friendship there”, “we were really tight friends thought it all…., I remember well not only the shows, but just hanging out in the Scottish highlands on days off, shopping in a big UK city, Sipping on a Pint together after a Sunday night hanging posters for the following weeks gigs, it was pretty amazing time for us”.

The whole thing started only on a couple “dares”, 1st was Derek asking RJ if he was serious about “trying” out for Bass Player, then dared him too (something he didn’t start until he was 59 years old), the 2nd was the groups 1st live show, only 2 months after their 1st jam session.

On New Year’s Eve 2004-2005 they played their first live show, by the following August the Boys had released their self titled debut, received radio play in places such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland, England, Japan and a tour in the UK, once back home, many shows at the bands “home” the old downtown legion in Saskatoon, (was a standing room only affair), Taste Of Saskatchewan Festival, tons of other Festivals and Car shows.

“All in all a pretty good run, I think?” states RJ

RJ goes on the say, “This album is very much part of the “healing”, I guess? after I hung Derek’s Bass on my studio wall, I sat back and thought, is this it?, a wall full of memories?....
I thought of the many fun times and great adventures we had, Then I opened some of the old studio sessions and watched a few old shows… and thought about Derek’s very last words to me, in that awesome English accent of his… “Get on with it now, Mate”…. next thing I knew I opened up a new session file and started to work on “Smile”.

Some of the songs on the new album had been sitting on the “back burner” for a while, RJ points out both “Smile” and the surf-guitar-instrumental “Get on with it now”, have been since 2007.
The Disc (set to be released fall 2013) will feature all 50’s and 60’s retro sounds, which is what RJ and The Boys are all about.

Along with 10 new tracks, they have included a remix of the 2008 single “Upside of Down”.
Asked why he sticks to the retro sound?, he said “you know, after 30 years of playing, writing and recording I’ve found what I truly love to do, I’ve paid my dues in the weekend cover tune bands and I’ve been blessed with a lot encouragement from guys who actually played in those bands back in the 50’s and 60’s, I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t’ fix it.”

RJ goes onto say....

“I also think of those words from an old friend….. Get on with It now, Mate”

Check out more about RJ and The Boys at
www.reverbnation.com/rjandtheboys