A folk-rock Canadian band, Hearing Trees, is set to take the stage at the Northern Bar and Stage on Feb. 22.
The band is just over two years old and was started because of a desire to write music.
“I wanted to start a band a few years ago and I was inspired by a lot of writers and lyricists,” said Graham Hnatiuk, a front man for the band. “I wanted to write lyrics. I went and formed a band and we started playing shows and now we are touring.”
Hnatiuk had some difficulty getting the band together for the first while, but it has since found its stride.
“It took me a long time to put a band together and when it got together, the line up never stuck. Someone would want to leave, or someone wouldn’t think it was going anywhere, so you would have to find someone else,” said Hnatiuk. “Eventually my drummer joined and that is when everything became stable. We became really good friends. He’s a phenomenal drummer and he knows what I am thinking. It was the right fit. It’s really turning into a bunch of friends.”
Now the band is comprised of five members, including Hnatiuk, who is the main songwriter and lyricist for the group.
The band hails from Winnipeg, which is a city that fosters a healthy music scene, according to Hnatiuk.
“There is a large and robust music scene here - lots of folk bands, lots of rock bands, a bunch of punk bands. It runs the whole gamut and there is a lot of music and a lot of art here and we have a lot of venues so there is a lot going on any given night,” he said. “It’s supportive too, everyone helps each other out and you become friends with other bands and it makes you feel like you’re a part of something.”
The band cites their influences as Matthew Good, R.E.M, and the Tragically Hip, among others and classifies their music as “modern contemporary rock”. This is their first stop in Fernie and they have heard good things about the town.
“I’m fortunate enough to be friends with some of the people in Shred Kelly and they talk very, very highly about Fernie. You want to go to places that other people can get you excited about,” said Hnatiuk.