A concert is coming up in Fernie that’s set to feature a song about the Ghostrider legend, and more.
The Slocan Ramblers will be playing at The Arts Station on March 21 as part of a month-long Western Canada tour they began on Feb. 27.
The Toronto-originated band is releasing a new album in June called “Up the Hill and Through the Fog.”
Darryl Poulsen, guitarist and vocalist for the band, said they will be playing a lot of brand new material from the new album, along with “a couple of classics and some new ones we’ve been working up on the road.”
The award-winning bluegrass band features banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass, with lots of vocals. Though the new album is officially releasing in June, they will be releasing singles in mid-March, and will have CD copies available at the show.
“There’s some kind of slower, groovier tunes. There’s some fast, sort of bluegrass stuff. There’s a Tom Petty cover on there. There’s a nice waltz. There’s some more boogie-woogie kind of grove,” Poulsen said, adding that it’s “a bit of an eclectic album.”
Included on their new album is a song Poulsen wrote called ‘Bill Fernie’, which based on the local Ghostrider legend.
Poulsen said the band has played about four shows in town before, and the first time they came through, he was regaled with the story of the coal necklace, the princess, and the shadow on Mount Hosmer. The song is named after Fernie’s namesake, William Fernie.
“I just thought it was such a great Canadian folklore story, and there doesn’t seem to be a song about it. So we wrote it into a song, and it will be really cool to play it in Fernie, of all places.”
“I remember hearing that story and just thinking, man this is so cool. And actually seeing the side of the mountain, like when the sun sets, like you can see the man on the horse riding towards the town, and I thought it was amazing.”
The band is also named after a hiking spot in the Kootenays, Poulsen said.
“We always have such a great time in Fernie.”
“I’m excited to see everybody, and I hope everybody’s excited to come out and see some live music, and we’ll have copies of the new CD at the show.”
The concert begins at 8 p.m., with adult tickets going for $22 and station supporter tickets going for $17.
READ MORE: Slocan Ramblers performing at the Arts Station
@fishynewswatch
josh.fischlin@thefreepress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.