Nice Guys Finish First: Winnipeg Pop Rock outfit The Treble is Poised to Bring Its Sound Across Canada and Beyond

Manitoba Music has teamed up with Fresh Radio for a new monthly spotlight on local music, dubbed Manitoba Fresh to introduce audiences to a stellar slate of buzzworthy local artists emerging on the Canadian music scene. Featuring on-air segments and online performances via Fresh Radio, and in-depth band profiles right here on manitobamusic.com, Manitoba Fresh continues this month with pop/rock outfit The Treble. Tune in to 99.1 Fresh Radio and stay tuned for so much more...    

By Jillian Groening

It’s a known fact that Winnipeg produces some tip top home grown talent. Whether it’s due to our isolating geography, supportive arts communities or the cheap rent, bands have a tendency to grow and thrive in our little city. The Treble is no exception.

Watch The Treble perform live in the 99.1 Fresh Radio studios

Writing tunes together since high school, the hard-working five-piece has gone through thick and thin with no intention of slowing down. This fact was cemented earlier this year when the band was signed to the renowned Cadence Music Group, formerly MapleMusic. The road to get there wasn’t all glitz and glory, however.

Originally envisioned as an acoustic, folk group, lead singer Mark Brusegard, along with Colin McTavish on the keys and Graeme Woods on guitar, crafted a whole album, through to perfecting the demos, and getting the grants, before being told they needed drums to go any further.

“We were basically laughed out the door when we said that we wanted to have professionally produced acoustic EP,” Brusegard recalls, chuckling at what now seems so far away. “At the time we were terrified. We had never heard our music with drums before. That shaped the beginning of our sound.”

After going back to the drawing board to rework, bassist Pat Hansen and drummer Dana Jerlo were added to the mix and the rest is loud, electric history.

The group’s first two albums were released independently and garnered them astounding radio play, scores of fans and tours across Canada. Sharing stages with the likes of Hedley, The Trews, and Down With Webster, the dapper gentlemen also forged an identity through their charity work. Performing 24 Shows in 24 Hours, The Treble has gained funds and awareness for causes such as CancerCare Manitoba, The Canadian Red Cross, and Winnipeg Harvest. Although hard on the body and the voice, the shows are fulfilling in ways performance doesn’t always satisfy.

“It’s not a bad way to spend your time, just playing music all day,” Brusegard states. “And if you can play a small part in helping someone, then you can’t go wrong.”

With their indie cred backbone, the pop-rockers are set to release their third and most polished record in the fall of 2016.

While the first two albums were creating with the mindset of immediacy, active creation, and performance, The Treble are crossing goals off the old bucket list by putting out a record that has sat and stewed a little more. It was a tough hurdle at first, having to wait on finished tracks until their label said go, but their patience paid off.

“We had the time to write the album that I think we always really wanted to write,” Brusegard explains of this latest endeavour. Taking things a little slower also meant they were able to have more control in the ways of branding and marketing, as well as with the creative side of things. As soon as the tracks were solidified, there was interest from Fraser Hill at Universal Music Group, which eventually led to the hook up with Cadence. “We are pumped. It all feels so organized and we’re all very optimistic.”

Recorded both at Private Ear and Exchange District Studios, the much-hyped album promises to be filled with the usual charm of previous Treble tunes, if the recently released single “Wherever You Go” is any indication. The track is already racking up hits and YouTube views after its Exclaim debut.

With a grand tour on the horizon and a slick record just itching to be released, The Treble are a band to be on the lookout for.

“We just feel like we’re doing this project justice,” Brusegard says. “We’ve worked on it for so long and are quite in love with it. I think it would have been a shame to try and just haphazardly see what happens, so it’s nice to have put the time and effort in to make it something we are proud of.”