The Rural Alberta Advantage Tickets

Coining a New Genre: Folk-Alt-Country Rock From The Rural Alberta Advantage

Existing somewhere between indie rock and alt country, The Rural Alberta Advantage blends the sounds and lyrics of country music with a hearty helping of down-home Alberta charm, breakneck drumming and casual leading vocals. What you get is a truly unique melody deserving of its own genre. Behold: Folk-Alt-Country Rock is born.

Schedule

The Rural Alberta Advantage tours extensively throughout Europe and North America, playing dates in major cities, such as Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Berlin and Frankfurt.

Trivia

In an interview with Wavelength, founding member and drummer Paul Banwatt revealed that The Rural Alberta Advantage, nicknamed The RAA was the result of a scheduled open mic that no one attended. Banwatt also jokingly implied that the band might have been responsible for the venue's demise just a year later.

Band

Nils Edenloff (lead vocalist/guitarist) and Paul Banwatt (drummer) created the kernel of The RRA in 2005, playing with a rotating cast of other musicians. By the end of the year, the group had settled into its current trio configuration, with Amy Cole joining Edenloff and Banwatt to provide backing vocals and keyboard accompaniment.

Edenloff writes the lyrics for the band's songs in which his home province of Alberta usually takes a prominent role. Along the way, The RAA was named eMusic's feature artist of the month in November 2008 and was long-listed for a 2011 Polaris Music Prize. The RAA often takes months to create a repertoire of songs, but has recently begun work shopping new tunes on the road, combining touring with writing for the first time.

Breakthrough

The RAA is riding a consistent wave of fame, fanned by their rigid tour schedule and high-quality records. The band's initial releases included an independent demo tape in late 2005 and a self-titled EP in 2006, followed by the band's first professionally produced album, Hometowns, released in 2008 through BoomBox Sound in Toronto. That album was later re-released by Saddle Creek Records in 2009.

The band's extensive Canadian tour, done in support of the album, may have been more of a breakthrough than the record itself. Presenting unique opportunities for several more Canadian performances, the tour helped RAA establish themselves before announcing a month-long international tour in 2014.

Hit Albums

The RAA released two more albums: Departing in 2011 with Saddle Creek Records, and Mended With Gold with Paper Bag Records in 2014. "Departing debuted at No. 9 on the Canadian iTunes chart and peaked at No. 4. In 2012, The RAA was nominated for two JUNO awards: New Group of the Year and Music Video of the Year for the track "Stamp" from Departing. In keeping with the band's groundswell of fame, their 2014 record Mended With Gold debuted at No. 7 in the Canadian iTunes chart, and hit No. 2 on the iTunes Canadian Alternative chart. Bringing their live sound engineer into the studio helped them to capture the vibrant, versatile dynamic they have become known for on tours.

Show Experience

The RAA's shows are best known for their dynamic ability to go from bittersweet crooning to driven country rock in seamless transitions. Edenloff and Cole deliver casual vocals and harmonies in tune with Banwatt's virtuoso drumming, to create a minimalist, refined sound. The only thing that matches The RAA's versatility is their touring chops. Fans with The Rural Alberta Advantage tickets will be treated to lively, high-energy show that has audience members singing along. Edenloff oftentimes starts off smaller shows with a quick that makes the show a bit more personal.