Good Company: The Dead South Lands in Toronto

Fresh off a flight over the Atlantic Ocean, from Germany to Toronto, The Dead South barely had time to catch their breath before playing back-to-back nights in Hogtown.

We sat down with Nate, Scott, and Colton before their set at The Horseshoe to talk about Europe, Road Gold, their music, Bluegrass, and hanging out in basements. Big thanks to them for sharing a drink and hanging out.

Rewind 24 hours from our sit down and The Dead South were hanging out at Southern Accent on Markham Street, playing songs and shaking hands and celebrating their Good Company album. The band got off a plane, grabbed their suitcases, and within hours were on stage. It was tight quarters, but they made it work. And while they were elbow to elbow most of the night, the boys told us that they don’t mind – it’s fun once in a while.

Note: There was a Canadian legend in the room on Monday night as Tom Cochrane hung out and listened to some music. It’s always cool to see a dude with that track record checking out new acts.

We asked the boys in the band about their time in Europe, specifically Germany, where they’re enjoying some awesome success, and they told us that it’s awesome to see the fans showing up and loving what they do. They also told us that the crowds are a little different, with the fans standing silently, watching attentively, and then, when the songs ends, they applaud. It isn’t like N.A. crowds with milling about and chats, during the set. And while it took some getting used to, The Dead South loves those crowds just like the ones at home in Saskachewan.

One of our favorite things to do is hang out and talk music with musicians, and when we asked Nate, Scott, and Colton about music, we learned some interesting things…

1) We asked what music made the boys want to start playing music themselves.
Nate: The Doors
Scott: Led Zepplin
Colton: Red Hot Chili Peppers

2) We asked about the music the band is listening to right now.
And we found out that there’s a lot of metal on the playlists, which isn’t exactly what we expected.

3) We asked about how the band got into bluegrass.
Their answer, awesome… Colton and Nate told us that they started to jam together with Colton on banjo and Nate on guitar with the intention of playing bluegrass, but they weren’t good enough. So what they’ve adopted and adapted is their own brand. It’s gritty and hits hard, but lets up when it needs to and speeds up and slows down when the time is right.

We like it. And if it isn’t bluegrass the way they thought it would be, who cares.

The Dead South has some more tour to finish up in the western half of the country before they head home for the holidays, which includes a night on stage in Regina at the 4th Annual McMorris & McMorris Gala. That show also happens to include our pal Jess Moskaluke, which means we’re doubly jealous of everyone who will be at the Conexas Art Centre on December 22.

Also when they get home they’ll be able to get reviews of their Honey You video which has hit the internet and CMT. Check it out at the bottom of the post.

The Dead South have spent a lot of time on stage this year in Canada, the US, and Europe. On Monday night they received CIMA Road Gold certification for selling 25,000 tickets on tour in Canada in 2015.

And on Tuesday night they tore up the stage again. The Dead South brought energy and tight musicianship and even a little dancing to the crowd who stood and sat and tapped their feet and do-si-do’d in front of the stage while the music beat out of the cello, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. It’s all added up to a well deserved break.

If you’re west of Manitoba, check the tour dates and see for yourself how good these guys are before the year ends… and if you’re not out west, keep an eye on 2016 dates, because these boys will be on the road again for sure.

Here’s hoping they all take some time to relax, and then hang out in a basement with their instruments and some drinks and jam until they either have new songs or are tired from having a good time simply enjoying the music.

The Dead South: Honey You