Published by Hurricane Cletis, 2006 Contact Hurricane Cletis
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Year a whirlwind for Hurricane Cletis
By Cassandra Kyle of The StarPhoenix
One year ago, Hurricane Cletis took first place at the Ultimate Band Warz at the Roxy on Broadway and,
according to the band, life after the win has been a whirlwind.
The Saskatoon rockers, brothers Greg, Darren and Rob Dyck and JK and Chris Smith (no relation),
released their first album in October. In January , Greg Dyck was picked as the regional winner in the
Canadian Radio Star Song Writing competition for his song Stained. That same month the band travelled to
Toronto to showcase the song and thier sound at Canadian Music Week, a major event in the world of
Canadian music.
A schedule full of short, compact showcase performances followed Hurricane Cletis through the spring. This
weekend the band will have the chance to stretch their legs on stage at the Roxy on Broadway where they
will play regular sets, something drummer Rob Dyck and guitar player and singer Chris Smith said the band
is looking forward to.
"In the shorter showcases, even at the Juno weekend where we were so excited to play, everything is
compacted into one high-energy set. When you're playing a longer set it has got a different feel," said
Smith. "It's about people who want to come out and dance and have a few drinks and have fun."
In addition to their original songs the band plays music by artists like the Ramones and Ozzy Osborne as
well as more modern groups like Three Days Grace and Hinder to give the crowd something familiar to
groove to, explained Smith. The covers don't take away from Hurricane Cletis' sound, he said, a prairie-rock
vibe created by influences ranging from Motley Crue to Nickelback.
"I think our album hits on a bunch of different sounds. Some people will say 'that sounds like Nickelback,'
but someone else will say 'that one sounds like Godsmack,' " Chris said with a laugh. "I'm not sure if we
sound like them, maybe Godsmack-light."
The band's self-titled album was produced by Ryan Andersen, a well-known music maker who has worked
with bands like Nickelback, Thornley and Theory of a Deadman. Dyck said the producer guided Hurricane
Cletis through the album but let them experiment with their own sound.
"(Working with) hum opened up a lot of doors. He's a creative genius , he knows what he's doing and he
still lets the band focus on what they wand to do," Dyck said. Even with all the big steps the band has taken
int he last few months, Dyck said the band's focus on playing good music and showing the audience a good
time hasn't changed.
"For us not much has changed. Maybe we're getting some more attention from some people, but nothing is
really any different. Some people might be taking us more seriously, and thats not a bad thing."
In addition to their Saskatchewan gigs, the band plans to use the summer to tour in Manitoba and Alberta
and work on new songs. Smith and Dyck say the band would like to record again in the winter, if they
survive their upcoming tour. So far, there haven't been any problems.
Besides the odd night you forget a cord or something or forget some lyrics, nothing too embarassing has
happened so far," said Smith. "We'll have to report back with some stories when the summer is over."
Article taken from The StarPhoenix.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. CA
Printed Thursday, May 17, 2007
By Cassandra Kyle
ckyle@sp.canwest.com
By Cassandra Kyle of The StarPhoenix
One year ago, Hurricane Cletis took first place at the Ultimate Band Warz at the Roxy on Broadway and,
according to the band, life after the win has been a whirlwind.
The Saskatoon rockers, brothers Greg, Darren and Rob Dyck and JK and Chris Smith (no relation),
released their first album in October. In January , Greg Dyck was picked as the regional winner in the
Canadian Radio Star Song Writing competition for his song Stained. That same month the band travelled to
Toronto to showcase the song and thier sound at Canadian Music Week, a major event in the world of
Canadian music.
A schedule full of short, compact showcase performances followed Hurricane Cletis through the spring. This
weekend the band will have the chance to stretch their legs on stage at the Roxy on Broadway where they
will play regular sets, something drummer Rob Dyck and guitar player and singer Chris Smith said the band
is looking forward to.
"In the shorter showcases, even at the Juno weekend where we were so excited to play, everything is
compacted into one high-energy set. When you're playing a longer set it has got a different feel," said
Smith. "It's about people who want to come out and dance and have a few drinks and have fun."
In addition to their original songs the band plays music by artists like the Ramones and Ozzy Osborne as
well as more modern groups like Three Days Grace and Hinder to give the crowd something familiar to
groove to, explained Smith. The covers don't take away from Hurricane Cletis' sound, he said, a prairie-rock
vibe created by influences ranging from Motley Crue to Nickelback.
"I think our album hits on a bunch of different sounds. Some people will say 'that sounds like Nickelback,'
but someone else will say 'that one sounds like Godsmack,' " Chris said with a laugh. "I'm not sure if we
sound like them, maybe Godsmack-light."
The band's self-titled album was produced by Ryan Andersen, a well-known music maker who has worked
with bands like Nickelback, Thornley and Theory of a Deadman. Dyck said the producer guided Hurricane
Cletis through the album but let them experiment with their own sound.
"(Working with) hum opened up a lot of doors. He's a creative genius , he knows what he's doing and he
still lets the band focus on what they wand to do," Dyck said. Even with all the big steps the band has taken
int he last few months, Dyck said the band's focus on playing good music and showing the audience a good
time hasn't changed.
"For us not much has changed. Maybe we're getting some more attention from some people, but nothing is
really any different. Some people might be taking us more seriously, and thats not a bad thing."
In addition to their Saskatchewan gigs, the band plans to use the summer to tour in Manitoba and Alberta
and work on new songs. Smith and Dyck say the band would like to record again in the winter, if they
survive their upcoming tour. So far, there haven't been any problems.
Besides the odd night you forget a cord or something or forget some lyrics, nothing too embarassing has
happened so far," said Smith. "We'll have to report back with some stories when the summer is over."
Article taken from The StarPhoenix.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. CA
Printed Thursday, May 17, 2007
By Cassandra Kyle
ckyle@sp.canwest.com
Photo by Katrina K