The group Hillsburn will be at Kindersley’s Norman Ritchie Centre April 26. Hillsburn started as a roots-folk band in Halifax, but quickly evolved into an indie-rock band. They will be the final concert in the Kindersley Arts Council’s 2017-18 season.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
The final concert in the arts council’s 2017-18 series features an East Coast band known for its upbeat indie rock stylings and three-part harmonies.
Hillsburn started as a roots-folk band in Halifax, but the group has transformed into an indie rock band in just a short time. Hillsburn hits the stage at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre (NRCC) on April 26 at 8 p.m. The concert is presented by the Kindersley & District Arts Council.
The band has received regional and national acclaim for its music and live performances. The band’s performances feature what has been described as soaring three-part vocal harmonies, multi-instrument arrangements and an uproarious energy.
Hillsburn, a five-piece band, is touring on the strength of its newest album titled The Wilder Beyond and it is the band’s second album. Hillsburn performed for members of the local arts council at an Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) showcase.
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The show next Thursday is the eighth and final concert in the arts council’s annual Stars for Saskatchewan series. The arts council also presented two other concerts as fundraisers in addition to its 2017-18 series.
Tickets for arts council concerts are available at Lela’s Music Centre, LaBelle Boutique and Integra Tire. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketpro.ca and at the door if the concert has not sold out. People should be able to purchase season passes for the 2018-19 series at next week’s show, according to a spokesperson.
Jenn McLean, an arts council member and spokesperson for the series, said Hillsburn is going to provide a more upbeat atmosphere than several of the roots and folk-based musicians that performed during the 2017-18 season.
She noted that the band is “really good” and she would recommend the show to any music fan. McLean said the band’s harmonies are strong and the band’s female lead vocalist really belts out the lyrics. The concert will follow the usual format of two sets with an intermission.
The spokesperson said it has been a good season and although attendance has been down slightly from other recent seasons, the arts council still had an average crowd of about 75 people at the shows. There were often conflicting events, she recognized.
McLean said the arts council is planning to change up its program for next season. She noted that there will be exciting additions to the routine. Nothing is finalized, but shows could include craft beer tasting for the crowd.
Another change for next season is there will be 10 concerts instead of eight. None of the concerts are stand-alone fundraisers, so all 10 shows are all part of the series. McLean said people could get season passes for the early bird price of $200 at the Hillsburn show and they save $100 off the regular price of admission.
She said the early bird price ends on Aug. 31 and people could pay at the NRCC using cash, debit or credit. Concerts are going to start 30 minutes earlier next season, so all 10 shows will start at 7:30 p.m., the spokesperson added.
Clayton Burrill, who plays guitar and sings in Hillsburn, said the band is now working its way west towards Saskatchewan. He spoke en route from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg. He noted that the band has performed at showcases in Atlantic Canada and in Saskatchewan.
He said the band has enjoyed working with OSAC leading up to its tour. The band has performed once before in Winnipeg, a couple of times in Saskatoon and in Alberta, so playing on the prairies is nothing new. However, the band will be performing in new places, and members look forward to the new scenery.
Hillsburn used to have a more laid back vibe as a roots-folk band. When asked about the transition to indie rock, Burrill said it was a natural process for the band and the transition has worked out nicely for the band.
The band would shift one thing leading to another shift and after making a series of small changes had occurred, the band just ended up in a different place, he said. Hillsburn formed back in 2014 as a four-piece band, and the fifth member was added late in 2015, he said.
Burrill said the band’s music has several layers, so there is a lot going on in the music, itself. All five of the band’s members are playing instruments, three of them are singing and the keyboardist is playing three different keyboards.
“In the show, we’re kind of going for contour,” he said, recognizing that the live performance includes several ups and downs. “We try to build some dramatics and drama into the music. It’s a little bit intense and dramatic, and hopefully not too self indulgent.”
He noted that the band’s music has gone over well in prairie provinces. Members of Hillsburn are friends with Tomato/Tomato, a husband and wife folk duo that performed in Kindersley in March as part of the arts council series, and he added that he heard good things about the duo’s tour.
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