Vancouver-based rock band Econoline Crush will play the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre on Saturday evening, offering both an acoustic look at their music as well as a traditional rock-and-roll set.--IMAGE COURTESY ECONOLINECRUSHMUSIC.COM
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Econoline Crush is back in Medicine Hat this Saturday, with a new single and a new evolution for their music.
Part of a tour that kicked off on Oct. 4, frontman Trevor Hurst says the pace has been intense so far, but also rewarding. He says he isn’t sure what he would do if not creating music at this scale.
“Music is such a big part of our lives. It’s always been a part of our lives,” said Hurst. “It’s who we are, it’s what we do.”
He described touring as a lot of “hurry up and wait,” but the long periods of travel and preparation being made worth it by the shows themselves.
The band’s new single, “New Gold Magic,” has been something a long time in the making, says Hurst, as he has been following producer Kane Churko’s career for some time. Working with Churko, known for his work with In This Moment and Papa Roach, has been a goal of Hurst’s that he was thrilled to see come to fruition in February.
The song itself however, proved to be somewhat difficult to put together, at first.
“We were working on a lot of different things while I was down in Las Vegas with them. And we had a chorus for the song originally and I went back to the hotel, because I didn’t know if it was good enough,” said Hurst. “I walked through the casino and I don’t know what happened, but New Gold Magic came into my head, and then I kind of took it from there.”
The song touches on something close to his heart, says Hurst, in the ideas of reclaiming youthful enthusiasm and swagger in a world that can often fail to appreciate the arts.
“It really struck a chord with me. I felt like, for a chunk of my life, there were a lot of people not taking music or my being in a band that seriously. Telling me, ‘OK time to grow up now, enough of this rock and roll (stuff),” said Hurst. “But now, you’ve got this sort of new beginning, and it’s like this New Gold Magic. It just fits.”
Those attending the concert on Saturday, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Esplanade, will enjoy two sets. The first will be more acoustic, with Hurst speaking more about the process and emotions behind the music, while the second being the rock set.
“It’s been really something, breaking the songs down acoustically. You can tell there’s some subtleties there. You obviously can hear the lyrics a little bit better sometimes, or you can hear just the raw emotion,” said Hurst. “It also gives the audience some insight into what it’s been like and who we are as people and as a band that’s been around for three decades.”
This is far from the first time Econoline Crush has been in Medicine Hat, but it will be their first time playing the Esplanade, something he looks forward to, as he has heard positive reviews thus far.
Tickets are still available for the show, with roughly 150 seats available as of the time of writing. Those interested are encouraged to go to esplanade.ca for more information.
