As most sussed music fans know by now, the annual South By Southwest festival has become the the Ballinasloe horse fair of brand new music.
While no talent spotter has yet gone so far as to examine an act’s teeth (as far as we know), the analogy does hold water. Every March, hundreds of new and new-ish acts hotfoot it to Texas in the hope of catching a break.
Canadian trio The Rural Alberta Advantage have had two successful bites of the SXSW cherry. They first appeared on various radars in 2009 via a lovely gig with Grizzly Bear and Girls in an Austin church. It was a trip which, the band say, changed their lives. This year, as a result of the building buzz, they were one of the acts everyone seemed to be talking about.
Formed in Toronto in 2005 by Alberta native Nils Edenloff and Ontarians Amy Cole and Paul Banwatt, The RAA’s beautifully evocative and fiery indie rock has helped them build a smart fanclub. Those who dig nostalgia-tinged tunes, bittersweet emotional peaks and acoustic rock with a graceful lift will find much to applaud here.
After flogging their self-released Hometownsalbum at gigs for a while, The RAA hooked up with the Saddle Creek label, which gave the album a wider release and a further lease of life last year.
Next on the agenda: a European mini-tour (sadly, they’re blanking Ireland) and finishing a second album. Much more to come from this quarter.
theraa.com
