Seven years after playing their instruments together for the first time, a group of local ladies has released their debut album.
Shelby Knudsen, Jessica Niedermayer and Laura Cain are the three musicians who make up the group Wild Honey. They will be celebrating the release of their new album, ‘Distant Skies’ with a concert at The Arts Station on October 26 from 8-10 p.m.
For Cain, who lives in Cranbrook, Niedermayer, in the Bull River area, and Knudsen, a Fernie local, starting a band was the result of pursuing a dream together.
For years before they started Wild Honey, the group of ladies were friends. With eight daughters between them, and husbands who hunt, the ladies decided that music would be their go-to hobby.
“After some funny discussions we were like, well let’s start a band. If we have a band, we have to go practice, so the guys have to look after the kids,” laughed Knudsen.
Now, after years on stage together, Knudsen says her relationship with her bandmates has grown tremendously.
“We were always best friends, but this has really brought us somewhere different,” she said.
For Knudsen, this was an opportunity to revisit her relationship with her guitar. For Cain, it was a means to learn violin. With music star Barney Bentall as her father, Niedermayer was raised on country music, and developed a love for it over the years. Niedermayer’s father has been instrumental in the growth of the band.
“It’s been a process, and that’s where Jess’s dad has been so helpful in everything. He’s supported us so much,” said Knudsen.
Leeroy Stagger, a popular Canadian country singer-songwriter, alongside his band, have also helped Wild Honey along their musical journey. Several of Wild Honey’s songs on their debut album were recorded at Stagger’s studio.
Stagger’s band will be accompanying Wild Honey in their concert at The Arts Station this Saturday.
“It’s such an honour because they are just absolutely incredible musicians,” said Kundsen.
The release of their first album, after seven years of work, Knudsen says is super exciting. Each song on their new album tells a story, and during their concert Saturday the group of ladies will be explaining the meaning behind each as they go.
Just seven tracks made it onto their first album, and Knudsen says this was a hard decision. The songs that made it onto the album were the ones they loved the most, and had time to record. With full-time careers and motherhood outside of music, their time in the studio was limited.
From start to finish, the album took several years to put together.
The release of their first album serves as a milestone for Knudsen; something that years ago she didn’t think was possible.
“It’s just that idea that… you can really reach out and do whatever (you want),” she said.
“You can be in a band if you want to be in a band, or write a book, or do whatever you want to do. You don’t have to just wear that one hat.”
Join Wild Honey in the release of their new album this Saturday night at The Arts Station. Tickets can be found online at Wildhoneyband3.com.