Edmonton Alberta’s The Wheat Pool Announce Farewell Show on March 23rd.

After 7 years, 3 critically acclaimed releases and countless tours and shows, one of Alberta’s best exports decides to move on, leaving us with music as timeless as it is memorable.

“No one knows how to begin to say something they don’t want to say.  And we are men, it is especially difficult.  This March 23, 2012, it will be the seven year anniversary of the first show the four of us played as The Wheat Pool.  It will also be the last show we play together as The Wheat Pool.

It is hard to name the exact reason why, although we know we are going to be asked a fair bit.  From the beginning The Wheat Pool was a relationship; it was the convergence of two brothers, and the uniting of four guys who cared as much about each other as they did the music. It was a really really good thing. So who can explain how a relationship changes?  When it began it was compelling and sweet; it was four guys coming together to find something special.  In seven years we have had the best times and the worst times of our lives, on and off the road.  That particular “something special” which bound us together and moved us forward appears to be gone, and we aren’t the types to try and force it, manufacture it, or fake it.  We would rather burn bright and burn out.  We have admitted that we aren’t four guys in the same place anymore, and that makes it really hard to be a great band.  So we are moving on.

We of course have an impossible amount of people we could thank, because of the incredible gratitude we feel for the opportunities we have had over these years.  We worked our ass off for those opportunities, very little was handed to us, but we shared all of them with as much grace and love as we could for the people we shared them with, the people who opened their doors, venues, stations and homes to us.  If you have known us, hosted us, played with us, watched us or bought our music, please know how deeply grateful we are for the opportunity.  The memories are so rich.”

much love,
Mike, Robb, Stephane, and Glen

The shows were built around an invitation to play a terribly unique, likely once-in-a-lifetime show.  The tiny rural community of Inglis, Manitoba is home to five grain elevators, all restored and preserved and deemed an historical site by the government. An annex to one of these elevators hosts a fascinating collection of photos and art telling the history of the grain elevator as a centre piece to the agricultural life on the Canadian prairies. This is where we would play.  Beyond our name, which already made this event drip with irony, if you know our songs you will sense the even deeper relevance for this event.  We had to do it.

So we booked a couple gigs along the way, as we hadn’t played Regina or Winnipeg for almost two years.  Regina boasted a show in a renovated church, now a concert hall with basement lounge. It was lovely, and Glen recalled his teen years growing up in the city, chasing a girl and following her to a bible study in that same church’s balcony. Surreal. Great people and show. Follow that up with a stay at the Angus’ sister’s home in Winnipeg and rowdy show at Times Change(d).  There is a spark for this band anytime we play these venues – The Dakota Tavern in Toronto, The Railway Club in Vancouver – places that remind of us of our own Sidetrack Cafe; landmarks on the Canadian music scene, adding our ghosts to those walls. Beautiful.

Yet it was the time spent in little Inglis, Manitoba that will leave its mark the most. Doing our best not to blast the small but warm crowd with our typical bombastic volume, and sensing their grace as we worked it out. They don’t get many live performances in Inglis. It was an honor to be one of them. A dessert social at intermission, the kindness of strangers, the hospitality in the town tavern after; small town folk isn’t a cliche, its a fact. And they get into your soul with sincerity.

“Burn the elevator down, close the schools for now, cause I’m not here…”

The moment was as cathartic as we imagined. It was like walking through a house for the first time yet recognizing the pictures on the wall, the cracks in the ceiling, the creak of the floor.  Its like our songs were written for this place.  How many bands get this kind of chance? Yeah, not many.

So thank you to the great people of Inglis – for the invitation, for the hospitality, and for becoming the ghosts in our songs. We’ll think of you as we sing them from now on.

The 45’s happened to share something in common with us, as we both recently appeared on a July 1 Canada Day podcast by our great friends at Herohill.com; a tribute to the incomparable Gordon Lightfoot, which ballooned to an incredible 32 artists.  Titled “Turning Back The Pages of My Sweet Shattered Dreams“, we contributed an energized version of “Circle is Small“.  We are including the unmastered track here to listen, but highly suggest you head on over and download the entire 32 track podcast.

The Circle Is Small

AND JULY … July has some real treats. Finally a return to the prairies, as we take the long drive back to Regina, Winnipeg, and Inglis.  Yes, we said Inglis – a very very small rural community just across the border from Saskatchewan to Manitoba.  We received an interesting invitation to come be part of this small community’s summer series called Concert in the Annex, to be held in a completely restored annex of a grain elevator.  Perhaps you already see the motivation to say yes. Some rural hospitality and delicious irony was enough.  On the way we’ll make some stops in Regina to play The Artesian – a renovated church-turned-concert-hall.  We should have called this the renovation tour. Maybe Rona might have sponsored us. We are playing with the incredible Andy Shauf, and its all-ages, so we expect a lot of Andy fans to take over.  We follow that up with a stop in Winnipeg. Stay with some family, see some friends, play some music. Love that city. Go Jets.

So we can’t wait to see some of you.  Let us know what you think of the Lightfoot song. Talk again soon.

Thurs July 21 – Regina – The Artesian on 13th – $10 all ages licensed 8pm w/ Andy Shauf
Fri July 22 – Winnipeg – Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club – 10pm w/ Fire and Smoke
Sat July 23 – Inglis MB – Concert in The Annex – public event
check the SHOWS page for all details

We recorded two tracks.  One is a Gordon Lightfoot cover of “Circle Is Small”, that will be on a tribute/compilation we’ll tell you about soon enough.  The second is a track by Mike that will likely appear on the new record, when we make it.  The song is “Swallow It Whole” and it actually is going to be released first on Mike’s new solo record – YES – solo record, which should be released before summer on Shameless Records.  All very exciting.

These songs are experiments in where we are going as a band.  Forgive the crappy iphone recording, but its the internets. it works.

The Wheat Pool studio youtube link

We wanted to say thanks to those who worked hard to get this event off the ground, and to those who put our name down for this and for the other nomination in the Best Group category.

Also wanted to say congrats to many of our friends, winners and not-winners alike, those who performed so well (looking at you Colleen Brown), and especially to those also nominated alongside of us.  The term “country” has some strict definitions and some loose ones, and we feel that we are most definitely the latter, and so we feel kind of pulled that award out from some peers who could easily have taken it for their hard work and success in the stricter sense of the term “country” (Corb Lund, Hey Romeo).  Those are incredibly talented people and we think they are as good as it gets for Edmonton artists.

Thanks again everyone. Our moms are proud.

03/09/11 The Wheat Pool in Toronto at Hard Luck Buy tickets
(FACTOR Breakthrough Showcase for Canadian Music Week)

03/12/11 The Wheat Pool in Guelph, ON at Jimmy Jazz

03/13/11 The Wheat Pool in Windsor, ON at PHOG Lounge
(Guelph/Windsor shows with Les Jupes from Winnipeg)

Glen recently chatted with the people over at Sonicbids when they asked him about the band’s recent NXNE experience.  We thought it went pretty well.  You can read the article, and see if you can find where they edited out the phrase “don’t be a douche”; you might even win a prize. (note: no prize)

In other band news, we are a week or two from announcing our March dates in Ontario.  We are confirmed for March 9 @ Hard Luck for Canadian Music Week, the rest is coming shortly.  Also, Mike is in the studio making some sweet solo magic as we speak.  We’re looking forward to hearing what he does with his more sensitive material. Look for it to be released later this spring on Shameless Records.

The Sound of Edmonton

We are part of a new event by one of the new stations in our hometown. Every other friday will be a featured show for 95.7 The Sound.  You should come and support this show and let the station know you are behind their local support.

The Wheat Pool w/ The Details (Winnipeg), and Trent Buhler & The Lucky Pennies

The Haven Social Club, 9pm

Canadian Music Fest

TWP will be part of the fest this year, details tba. lots of great Canadian bands to check out that weekend. this will be part of another Ontario tour in mid March.  Stay tuned. Check it.

The past few months have been quiet, by our standards. After 5+ years of continued evolution, we took a spontaneous “break” -  worked at shoring up the bank accounts, travel to Italy, the usual. Of course, we could never take a total break. The fall was spotted with great performances for the Untapped Alberta series, Alberta Arts Days, Grey Cup parties, and recently opening for the great Mike Plume.

We are really excited about the new year coming, as we are busy discussing new music, new record, new tours. We can’t wait to get some new songs in the set, and to get out and continue to meet many of you and make new friends from town to town.  In the meantime here are some links to some interesting stuff.  Thanks for reading and hanging around.

“Nervous Bird” performed live @ Dakota Tavern, Toronto ON during NXNE

“This Is It” performed live @ TransCanada Alberta Series, March 2010

http://breakoutwest.ca/awards/

Congratulations to Greg for a very deserving nomination. His work for this video, as well as “Lefty” from the Hauntario record, were nothing short of brilliance (considering our budget :).

So to all our friends in the industry out west – GO VOTE please! And maybe we will see you all in Kelowna for the Breakout West festval and awards in October.

This Is It : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaQpQvpvkeo

Here is a brand new video Greg just produced for The Lonely Heart Show (friends of ours), featuring the stunning Leala from This Is It : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlbUjCcWDCo