Default's reunion is officially official with the release of Re-Cuts. The six-song EP features re-recorded and freshly produced tracks from the Default rock and roll library of hits, and fans of the band are in for a treat.
Does this mean there's new music coming? Is this just a primer for the 23 tour dates coming up? Are we being too hopeful and nostalgic?
We don't know.
What we do know is that Dallas Smith, Jeremy Hora, Dave Benedict, and Danny Craig have reunited to breathe new life into some of their most popular songs from 2001 - 2005.
The six songs are a split between the band's debut album, The Fallout (2001) and their 2005 release, One Thing Remains. Collectively, the original versions of the songs have more than 30 million spins on Spotify, and you can add another 10+ million plays on YouTube as well.
To put that into perspective, Dallas Smith's most played song on Spotify ( Wastin' Gas) has roughly 6.8 million spins, which would make it a very distant third behind Wasting My Time (15 million) and It Only Hurts (10 million). And we're talking about one of the most successful artists in Canadian country music over the last 8 years. He's a multi-platinum, award-winning star, who headlines cross-country tours. That's how popular these songs from Default are.
The re-recorded versions of Sick And Tired, It Only Hurts, Let You Down, Deny, Count On Me, and Wasting My Time are all top notch. Smith's vocals are crisper and benefit from the work he's put in finding his sweet spot over the last decade. The backing vocals and the musicianship of Hora, Benedict, and Craig are the perfect compliments and make for an EP that we've been happy to play on repeat.
We also can't wait to see these songs (and hopefully more) when Default hits the road...
2018 DEFAULT Tour Dates - Canada
Oct. 20 - Victoria, BC° // Oct. 21 - Vancouver, BC° // Oct. 23 - Penticton, BC^ // Oct. 25 - Dawson Creek, BC^ // Oct. 26 - Edmonton, AB^ // Oct. 27 - Calgary, AB^ // Oct. 28 - Lethbridge, AB° // Oct. 30 - Saskatoon, SK^ // Oct. 31 - Regina, SK^ // Nov. 1 - Winnipeg, MB^ // Nov. 2 - Brandon, MB° // Nov. 3 - Thunder Bay, ON° // Nov. 6 - Sudbury, ON* // Nov. 7 - London, ON* // Nov. 8 - Peterborough, ON* // Nov. 10 - Oshawa, ON* // Nov. 11 - St Catherines, ON* // Nov. 12 - Ottawa, ON° // Nov. 13 - Kitchener, ON* // Nov. 15 - Laval, QC* // Nov. 16 - Moncton, NB* // Nov. 17 - Fredericton, NB° // Nov. 19 - Halifax, NS°
°Default headlining shows // ^with Stone Temple Pilots, Seether & Age of Days // *with Stone Temple Pilots & Seether
Dallas Smith and co. have managed to capture the same edge and energy on the Re-Cuts versions as they did the originals. And five years after their official disbanding, they have proven that together they've still got the rock and roll in them!
We don't know what the future holds for Default, but we know this: Re-Cuts is a nostalgia-packed listen that will have fans singing along to their old favourites while appreciating the updated sound. Turn it on, turn it up, and let the music hit you.
Default, Re-Cuts Tracklist
