CROWN LANDS set to launch CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK into its next 40 years

TORONTO, April 11, 2022 – Four decades of musical discovery led to this exciting moment – Canadian Music Week’s 40th Anniversary Kick Off Party, featuring the Indigenous-inspired sensation Crown Lands.

Described as “One of Canada’s hottest and most relevant rock bands” following their sold out show at The Axis Club last fall, Crown Lands will perform at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. This is CMW’s chance to celebrate its own past and the lift-off of a band that represents the future. Tickets on sale Tuesday, April 12 at 10am ET on Ticket Web.

Crown Lands, a power duo, based in Oshawa and originally forming in London, Ontario features guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Kevin Comeau and Two-Spirit Mik’maq vocalist/drummer Cody Bowles. They were named the Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2021 Junos, and they’ve spent the past year confirming that status.

In their bio, the band says they were, “Raised in Southwestern Ontario” and that Comeau and Bowles met nine years ago, when Comeau came home for Christmas from Los Angeles, where he had been playing in a reggae band. Discovering a shared obsession with Rush, they became “instant best friends” and started jamming together in a local barn, switching up instruments, but never straying from a two-piece set-up. The group’s name is indicative of its identification with marginalized people and interest in the troublesome history of Canada; “Crown Land,” also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch—or, as Bowles puts it, “Crown Land is stolen land and we are reclaiming it.”

Crown Lands feature a heavy Rush influence – they worked with Rush producer Terry Brown on their first demo, and in the studio, when they decided to re-record the song, they worked with Nick Raskulinecz, Rush’s producer in their later years. Dring the session, the producer brought out a drum kit that Neil Peart had recorded on for Bowles to play, which he called “the most spiritual experience in my life.” And if that wasn’t enough Rush influence, to produce the vocals, the Crown Lands hooked up with David Bottrill—who remixed Vapor Trails, Rush’s 2002 comeback record.

As you can see in the video below for Context Fearless Pt. 1, Comeau even turns to a double-neck Geddy Lee-inspired Rickenbacker in order to effortlessly alternate between punchy bass and Lifeson-esque guitar passages.

Their powerful, progressive sound, wrapped around lyrics of Indigenous resistance, has attracted worldwide attention. On the heels of their acclaimed White Buffalo EP and single, Crown Lands will join Grammy winners Greta Van Fleet on their Dreams in Gold arena tour.

Crown Lands will be joined at the CMW Kick-Off party by special guests BRKN LOVE & Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs.

“At CMW, over the course of 40 years, we’ve been in a privileged position to witness the evolution of Canadian talent and of the continuous growth of social awareness in our music,” says Canadian Music Week President Neill Dixon.

“Crown Lands music is both powerful and necessary, even as it entertains fans. It sets a standard for a generation that demands the truth about our hidden history.

“On June 7, we will celebrate the longtime role we’ve played in showcasing Canada’s best, while being mindful of our continued responsibility to a better tomorrow, musically and socially,” said Dixon.

by Terry Lankstead

with extensive notes from Canadian Music Week

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