After a summer 2017 Top 15 hit with Hometown Kids, The Reklaws are back with three new tracks on their first EP of 2018, Long Live The Night.
We've been keeping track of Jenna and Stuart's journey since we first saw them on the Boots & Hearts stage in 2013. In that time the sibling duo have grown as artists, travelled a winding road, and have now found themselves with an opportunity make their mark on country music in Canada.
We caught up with Jenna Walker of The Reklaws to talk about the new EP, more new music on the horizon, and more. As the duo prepared for the release of their first packaged presentation of music things were busy but certainly exciting. In fact, they only made their way back from Nashville mid-week to be home for Friday's drop.
And while the prospect of releasing new music is always exciting itself, The Reklaws had an extra exciting moment when their new single, Love Live The Night was released to radio on Wednesday. Jenna caught the track while she was in the car at the Starbucks drive-thru, snapping a quick video, and (as she told me) screaming at the girl in the window. Every time an artist hears one of their new songs on the radio for the first time they tell us how great it feels, and this one was no exception.
The single is a fun listen, packed with nostalgia-inducing lyrics that offer listeners a chance to close their eyes and remember their favourite nights. Jenna told us that the video will follow that same vibe, and when it's released shortly, we'll all see for ourselves. She told us to expect a more laid back clip than we saw for Hometown Kids. Long Live The Night will be less rowdy house party, and more intimate friend group enjoying their time together.
With Long Live The Night and the three songs included, The Reklaws hope to introduce themselves a little more to country music fans. Over the last few years, there have been single releases, but never an opportunity for listeners to dig in for more than one new track at a time. Now, they're aiming for a deeper connection. Jenna also told us that these new songs will add immediately to their live shows, and they're looking forward to the audience having heard them before.
We asked Jenna specifically about Wish You Were Beer, which we've been hearing live for about a year, and includes James Barker Band as featured guests on the track. As label mates, it makes perfect sense that JBB would hop on a song with The Reklaws, but Jenna told us that it was still very cool to have the boys say yes. She also said that the success the Barker boys have experienced over the last couple of years has set a bar and that they want to live up to it. The combo of the two young, energetic, fun loving acts makes for 3:46 of country music entertainment and should end up on a lot of playlists.
Note: While we were talking about Wish You Were Beer, we asked Jenna which James Barker Band song she would choose to have The Reklaws jump on for a collaboration. She gave us two choices, Good Together (the brand new single), and It's Working. We'd be totally into either one of those choices but would also like to add Living The Dream to the mix, just for kicks.
And speaking of playlists, we couldn't help but look back to last summer when Hometown Kids landed on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's summertime playlist for Spotify. We asked, to follow that up, who Jenna would most love to see add The Reklaws on a list of their own... and her answer of Ellen Degeneres was both unexpected and wonderful. We agreed that Ellen is one of the most amazing people on the planet and that it would be a whole lot of fun to be included on a playlist of songs she loved.
Last Call, the Jenna-driven, Girls Night Out worthy jam is a pop-infused track that includes slick production, a cute story, and strong vocals. Fans may recognize a comparison to Kelsea Ballerini in Jenna's voice as she takes the lead and tells that boy in the bar to make his move. We didn't tell her this on the phone, but we've already got a video treatment in mind that includes a night at the bar just before last call, some girlfriends singing into hairbrushes while they pre-drink at home, and maybe a happy ending for a new couple.
Before we wrapped our conversation with Jenna, we asked what goals The Reklaws have set for themselves. There's a bunch the duo wants to accomplish, but it can essentially be broken down into three things...
1) Follow up Hometown Kids making the Top 15 by pushing forward into the Top 5 and finding themselves at #1. They feel it's attainable with the work they're putting in and the songs they have. And it would be cool to see.
2) Build a foundation of family and fans across Canada and into the United States as they continue to release new music and connect with audiences through live shows and radio.
3) Make this the Year of The Reklaws. With the release of the Long Live The Night EP, and more new music coming in 2018 as well, Jenna and Stuart Walker are ready to make a big move in their career. Keep your eyes on them, it's going to be an exciting ride!
The Reklaws, Long Live The Night Tracklist
1. Long Live The Night
2. Last Call
3. Wish You Were Beer ft. James Barker Band
Bonus: Check out the videos of Hometown Kids and 5 Quick Questions we recorded with The Reklaws last fall at Rock N Horse Saloon in Toronto!
