Band uses recyclables to finance new recording
May0702:59 PM
Filed in: Music News
It's often been said that people look for hope in the bottom of a bottle.
But if you're assuming that Fredericton's own Ross Neilsen and The Sufferin' Bastards hit the bottle looking for inspiration behind their smokin' new record, Redemption, you ought to think again.
To cover the costs of producing their new record, Neilsen and the Bastards relied upon the generosity of fellow New Brunswickers, who donated their returnable beverage containers so that the band could claim the deposit money to put towards their recording fees.
According to Neilsen, it started with a joke made by a friend.
"One of my girlfriend's friends joked that she was going to conduct a bottle drive so that she could go back to school; I thought there was no reason why we couldn't do something similar," Neilsen says. "We figured it was an old-school grassroots project that completely fit with the band."
According to Neilsen, the public's support of the band's initiative was beyond his wildest dreams.
"I have been trying for six or seven months now to find the words to express the gratitude we feel towards the community," he says.
Neilsen and company will find themselves on the long, lonely road for a few months; they return to New Brunswick for a seven-concert series in July, including a gig with Fredericton's Lighthouse Concert series on July 18. Neilsen acknowledges that the 'road warrior' band life can take its toll on a musician's personal relationships, yet insists he wouldn't want it any other way.
"There is nothing we like better than playing live for people, but it does take a toll. You have to count on the people who are really close to you understanding why you do what you do," Neilsen says.
ROSS NEILSEN and the SUFFERIN' BASTARDS
REDEMPTION
Digital Release: Tuesday, April 27
CD in Stores: Tuesday, May 25
This article appears as originally posted by CanadaEast here:
http://herenb.canadaeast.com/music/article/1032638
