Towers and Trees have been touring their latest album West Coast through Chilliwack, Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Courtenay. Led by singer-songwriter Adrian Chalifour, this five-piece band has started to make a real name for themselves throughout Canada with their first full-length album release.
Following the success of their EP Broken Record, featuring their most well-known track “Montreal,” West Coast promises to be an evolution in the band’s classic indie sound. With narrative lyrics, and moments of experimentation — such the track “Tide I” — the album brings much to the table. True to it’s name, it captures the essence of the West Coast: melodic, free-spirited, and slightly sad.
Unlike some more well-known indie bands, each song in West Coast is refreshingly unique, while still maintaining a cohesive album. Easy to listen to and versatile, West Coast should quickly become a staple in any self-respecting hipster’s playlist.
Featuring the talents of Dave Arter (bass), Jesse Boland (drums), Adrian Chalifour (vocals/guitar), James Liira (keys), and Dave Zellinsky (lead guitar), the touring band found their sound “mainly though playing live,” as Chalifour says. “When we started playing live, our sound really grew, and became known as this band that has this big sound,” he continues.
It was this “big sound” that Towers and Trees wanted to pursue in their latest album. “We wanted to be a little bit ambitious and a little bit audacious about the sonic landscape we were trying to create,” stated Chalifour.
“[We] became know as this band that has this big sound.”
Adrian Chalifour vocalist and guitarist.
The story of the album West Coast came from a very personal place, says Chalifour. “The songs were coming out of a pretty turbulent time in my life. . . closing the book on some pretty big things,” he says. In writing the songs for the album, Adrian underwent “a discovery process about [his] identity as a man, as an artist.” Chalifour continues, “it was important to me that we tried to capture that trajectory on one work, and try to give it this fluid sort of journey.”
On their stop in Vancouver, Towers and Trees performed at The Media Club on January 9. The band had an amazing energy the entire performance, with the individual band members displaying a great cohesiveness as they sang gorgeous harmonies. The sound was big as promised, very much deceiving of a larger venue.
At all times there was a connection to the crowd, Towers and Trees somehow cracked the code to engage even the most disengaged audience members. From more gentle soulful folky tunes, to dark, energetic rock pieces, the set was diverse and attention-grabbing.
The genuine passion behind the music was clear, as was the level of talent that Towers and Trees possesses. Before the interview finished, Adrian said that “art is made to be shared.” And in the case of Towers and Trees it most definitely should be shared.
