THE OLYMPIC SYMPHONIUM – “CHORAL VOICES”
A Spill Exclusive Video Premiere
Beauty in the Tension, the fifth studio album from New Brunswick songwriting quartet The Olympic Symphonium, is the result of rural isolation, small comforts, and the discovery of two pairs of βDark Side of the Moonβ pajama pants.
For six days last winter, Nick Cobham, Kyle Cunjak, Dennis Goodwin and Graeme Walker holed up in the legendary Old Confidence Lodge studio in Riverport, Nova Scotia to focus on capturing 13 new compositions. Working long days with the help and stamina of engineer Diego Medina, the band laid down a batch of songs that were road-tested and ready to be captured in this magical Oddfellows Hall cum studio.
Delicious home-cooked meals and harmony vocals were provided by Jennah Barry, a fellow resident of Nova Scotia’s south shore, and additional instrumentation was provided by Michael Belyea (Jenn Grant), Tim Crabtree (Paper Beat Scissors) and composer/arranger Drew Jurecka. Sonic inspiration came from Pink Floyd, guitarmonies, and Chicago’s power-ballad ‘Glory of Love’ which the band riffs on in their song of the same name.
The Olympic Symphonium has been trudging through the murkier depths of the Canadian music stream since 2005. Consisting of four distinct and diverse songwriters, the band has crafted a full, lush sound that is entirely their own. A sound that features emotional musical flourishes, soaring harmonies that float in and out, and dramatic lyrical content. It is the sound of a strange and beautiful tension.
Whether it’s the complexity of family life, the inevitability of death, the mundanity of life on the road, or struggles with mental illness, each band member writes with their own life experiences in mind and combines those with that of the other members in a Voltron like fashion to form one strong and varied body of work. Four become one to create a singular vision and sound. It’s the sound of a band not afraid to go deep into the darkness, go against the current and swim upstream.
Photo Credit: Kyle Cunjak
Artist Quote
“An effort to make sense of being made to feel like there is an air of failure or underachieving, when really there isn’t.
Exploring the idea of getting caught in the trap of how we measure success, the speed of the world today, how we miss opportunities to connect, and how the results can be damaging.Β Β
The importance of effort and communication, and not taking people and relationships for granted.Β Β
All of these are themes explored with an undercurrent of optimism and hope.
What a pleasure it was to play this song at Shivering Songs in the Wilmot Church. That room was built for choral music and all though we aren’t a choir, we sure felt like it in such a grand, hollow space.” ~Graeme Walker
The Olympic Symphonium
Beauty In The Tension
(Forward Music Group)
Release Date: February 9, 2018
Tour Dates
April 19 – Fredericton, NB: Flourish Festival
April 20 – Halifax, NS: Bus Stop Theatre
April 26 – Saint-Casimir, QC: House Show
April 27 – Chelsea, QC: Mill Road Community Space
April 28 – Ottawa, ON: The Record Centre
April 29 – Montreal, QC: Casa Del Popolo
ArtistΒ Links
(Background Photo Credit: Michael Belyea)
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: PETE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – “SEA OF EYES (GLOK REMIX)”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: KIT MAJOR – “POTION SELLER”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: SUNNSETTER – “I FEEL EVERYTHING”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: KYLIE V – “YEAR OF THE RABBIT”
