Following the recent release of their new single Raging Bull (604 Records / Sony Music Canada), the band will be in Toronto for a show at the Horseshoe Tavern on April 22, 2017.
Formed in Saskatoon in 2004, One Bad Son consists of Shane Volk (lead vocals), Adam Hicks (guitar), Adam Grant (bass guitar) and Kurt Dahl (drums). The band’s 2014 studio album Black Buffalo, featuring the track “Satellite Hotel”, reached Top 5 on the Active Rock (Mediabase) chart and their break out, 2012 self-titled album spawned the band’s hit single “Scarecrows”. The single reached the Top 5 and the follow up single “Retribution Blues” reached #6 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart. One Bad Son have shared the stage with top talent including Three Days Grace, Monster Truck, Theory of a Deadman, Default, Buckcherry and Crash Karma. The band were also crowned the victors of SiriusXM’s Rock The Grey Cup, where they represented the Saskatchewan Roughriders and played during the festivities at the 101st Grey Cup.
Interview
Q: How is it going in the world of One Bad Son these days?
A: Hello! Things in the world of OBS are going great! We’ve got a single out that is doing amazing right now, which obviously makes us very happy! And, we’re preparing for a tour out to Ontario at the end of April. So we definitely can’t complain.
Q: The new single "Raging Bull" sounds awesome. Will there be a music video coming along with it?
A: Thank you! Yes, there will be a music video coming out for it in early April. We recently spent a week in Vancouver with our label 604 Records putting together a bunch of recordings and videos, and one of the things we did was film the “Raging Bull” video. It was directed by the super talented Daniel Keen and its looking amazing! We’re very excited to get it out!
Q: How much time did you invest to the artwork for the Single?
A: We’ve always been a very DIY, in-house band. But, for this run of artwork, our manager suggested we try hiring it out to get some outside perspective on the project. So, we sent some ideas to a design company and after a couple of exchanges we had this badass looking cover.
Touring
Q: Any tours coming out in the near future also any dates for the East Coast of Canada?
A: Definitely. We’re headed out to Ontario at the end of April for a run of shows, including a showcase at CMW. Summer festival dates have started to come in as well. As far as the East Coast goes, we’re hoping to get out that way at some point this year, maybe a summer festival offer will come in. We love the East Coast, we were in Fredericton last summer for a festival and it was amazing!
Q: How important are music videos in the industry today? How do they compare to videos from 20 years ago?
A: That’s a good question. I think that videos are still really important to the success of a song/artist, but the role they play is different from the role they played 20 years ago. For artists, content is king. Its important to consistently have new, high-quality content. Gone are the days of people sitting in front of the television everyday watching MuchMusic, hoping that the video they want to see comes on. Now, you just hit up YouTube and you can watch the same video 10 times in a row if you want. That’s great! But, it also means that people cut through content way faster.
Memorable Experiences in music
Q: Can you name one of your most memorable experiences with a band you have played with in the past?
A: I feel fortunate to have had lots of really cool opportunities playing in this band, but the tour we did with Def Leppard always stands out. Getting to play in stadiums every night was really amazing, and watching a band like Def Leppard play every night was humbling and a great learning experience! They have so many unbelievably good songs! And, their level of professionalism and performance quality was top notch. They’re a great band.
Streaming Music
Q: Are you a fan of Spotify and similar streaming services? What are your thoughts on this?
A: I am a fan. I know it’s a divisive point of conversation for a lot of people, but I have to say I’m a fan. As a consumer of music, its amazing. The flexibility and the options are endless! As a musician and an artist, services like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal have made it so that its all about the music. Yes, I know there are issues with royalties, etc. (which I believe will be dealt with eventually), but the listener is now in charge and gets to decide what they want to listen to. That freedom is really exciting to me.
Q: Do you see a biography being written someday about the experiences you acquired or will acquire in your life?
A: Hah! I’m not sure how well that would sell! I’ve had lots of really fun and exciting experiences, but I’m not sure my life warrants a book quite yet.
Q: Any words of wisdom to share with aspiring artists?
A: Yeah, my biggest piece of advice would be to focus on becoming the best artist you can possibly become. Focus on your instrument, learn how to write songs, learn how to write better songs, and surround yourself with people that support you and are conducive to you becoming the best artist/musician/songwriter that you can be.
One Bad Son Interviews