Elliott Brood to make long awaited return to Lethbridge with new Juno nominated CD

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It has been three years and album and another Juno nomination since Hamilton based Toronto transplanted folk/ rock trio Elliott Brood played Lethbridge.

Elliott Brood return to Lethbrdge, Feb. 12. Photo submitted
“We’re already thinking about the next album. It’s been at least two or three years since we’ve been to Lethbridge. We’ve toured everywhere except Lethbridge,” said frontman Mark Sasso, who is excited to return to Lethbridge to play Studio 54, Feb. 12 with local musicians the Dearly Departed and Ryland Moranz.


 The band ended up  relocating one  at a time with Sasso moving to Hamilton first followed by band mates Casey Laforet and Stephen Pitken.
“ I wanted to be in a place where I could afford a house and to be closer to family. I wanted  get out of the city and settle down that way.  Steven followed and Casey followed him like six month ago,” he said.


“There is a lot going on in Toronto, so it is difficult to move, but  that becomes less important when you have kids and start spending more time at home,” Sasso said.
“Plus I used to have to drive 45 minutes to get to the country, now it is only 10 or 15,” he said.
The move has helped the band musically.


“ Now we meet a couple of time a week to meet and play. Before we were all living in different areas of Toronto,” he said.
They left even the new location behind for two weeks in 2014 to isolate themselves in the Tragically Hip’s Bathhouse Studio and write their fifth new CD with producer Ian Blurton (C’mon, Public Animal)
“ He’s best known for a heavier sound, but he also has a really great melodic sense, which we really liked,” he said adding working with Blurton lead to a better, if not more rock influenced album.

“I probably butted heads with him more than the other two guys did. But we’d definitely do it again.” he observed, adding the end result was worth it.
“ We spent two weeks hunkered down writing. We’d record from 11 a.m. and 3 a.m., but all the magic would happen between 12 and 3 a.m.. We did a song a day,” he enthused.

The CD earned the trio their umpteenth Juno nomination last year which is always a pleasure.
“It’s been great, everything we’ve released has got a Juno nomination, though it isn’t something we ever expect. it is appreciation though and it is validation for us that tells us we’re on the right track,” he enthused.
he said the next CD likely  won’t  be in a rock vein.


“The next one will probably be more Tintype like.  We’ll probably go back to the basics, with lots of layered guitars but you never know,” he said.
“He is looking forward to returning to Lethbridge, which has a special place in his heart as Lethbridge was the first place they played outside of Toronto when they were first starting.
“Lethbridge is always a great time. I remember  the first time we were there, I was eating lunch at Fort Whoop Up under the train bridge. I’d never been in the middle of hoo doos before,“ he recalled.


“We’ll be playing the new album and we’ll probably be trying out some new songs as well. Lethbridge is always a good place to do that. We always feel comfortable being able to do that there,” he said.
The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25 from Bad Apple, Studio, Gas King and Blueprint.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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