Interview: Committing 'Curious Crimes'

This is the third and final interview I conducted for the Victoria-based music website What's Up Victoria!  

2009 was a big year for the Sunday Buckets – the Victoria-based funk rock band released their debut album, In Case You Hear This, were subsequently chosen by local radio station The Zone 91.3 FM as October’s “Band of the Month” and played a number of gigs around the city to promote the new release.  Now the band - brothers Kale & Jarrett Penny, Eric Frazer, Nick McRae, Chris Taylor & Adam Sutherland - are readying their second album, Curious Crimes, for its debut at Sugar Nightclub on Sunday, May 22. 

Curious Crimes, produced by former Armchair Cynics guitarist Adam Sutherland, was recorded in early 2010 but had its release postponed.  One reason for the delay, Jarrett explains, was that the group needed more time to promote their first album – no easy task in a market dominated by major labels.  Kale jokes, “We called the first album In Case You Hear This for a reason.”  Another reason came when the group parted ways with drummer Spencer Moyes: “We lost [Spencer] shortly after recording [Curious Crimes],” says Kale.  “He...decided to go in a different direction.”  Sutherland took Moyes’ spot behind the kit and though the group is actively seeking a drummer they’re in no hurry to see him go.

Of their sophomore release, Jarrett says “[Curious Crimes] is about being in your early 20s and...having a little too much fun every now and again.”  The brothers estimate that about half of the new material was written at the same time as In Case You Hear This, but say that as the band’s identity emerged the album began to evolve.  “The themes became more concrete,” says Kale.  “We had an idea of what we wanted to sound like and what kind of music we wanted to play.” 

When asked about their musical influences, Kale laughs and says, “I’m addicted to Kanye West right now, which is a bit embarrassing.”  “When we were writing [Curious Crimes] it was all Kings of Leon,” Jarrett says, “but lately we’ve been influenced by...local bands like Said the Whale and Aiden Knight.”

Curious Crimes comes out on Sunday, May 22 with a CD release party at Sugar Nightclub.  “We’re really excited,” says Jarrett.  “Opening for us is a band called Carmanah.  We saw them at Song & Surf up in Port Renfrew...they’re awesome.”  DJs Nigel, Tedder & Primitive will also be on hand, with Gordon Blunt, of Bluntfaktory, handling visuals: “When you walk into Sugar it’s not going to look like Sugar,” says Jarrett.  “It’ll look like our place for the night.”

The group is hoping that the new album will provoke a response from the music community and open doors into larger markets.  In the meantime they are looking forward to playing the Tall Trees Music Festival in Port Renfrew, where island favourites Jets Overhead and Vince Vaccaro will be headlining. 

As far as a follow-up to Crimes the band is in no rush.  “We’ll take our time writing this next one,” says Kale.  “Not to say it will be about being in your early 30s.”


Official website for the Sunday Buckets