Shotgun Dolls

Shotgun Dolls Enjoying The Ride

by Anonymous | July 13, 2012 - 6:55am
If you’re dismayed about the state of the music business, with its perfect looking pop stars, auto-tune and overproduced garbage, Calgary’s Shotgun Dolls just might be the solution you’re looking for. And frankly, unless you’ve been living in a cave these past couple of years, you would have already noticed the general public’s appetite for organic rock n’ roll has been returning with the success of the Sheepdogs, Monster Truck and the continued success of Foo Fighters.
Formed in 2010, Shotgun Dolls have been making a name for themselves in Western Canada. The group released their debut record Where The Wind Blows a scant year later, touring Canada for six weeks hitting most points between British Columbia and Quebec.
In what will be their Metro Moncton debut show, Shotgun Dolls perform at Plan B Lounge on St. George Street Friday night.
From his Prairie home early last week, Shotgun Dolls member Turner Midzain shares that the group is in the midst of making the follow-up effort to their 2011 debut although no release date has been scheduled as of yet. A new drummer hasn’t proven to be a significant challenge for the group, it is simply more a matter of getting the band to stop writing new songs.
“We are hoping to release the record in November, provided all goes well,” Midzain says. “We recorded five songs with Jeff, our previous drummer, in February but we just have so much more material that we have written with our current drummer Ty Gogal that we are just really intent on getting as many of those songs recorded as we can.”
Embarking on a national tour while in the midst of trying to finish a record might not be every band’s cup of tea however Midzain says that it was all a part of the Shotgun Dolls master plan.
“Everything is playing out as we had intended it to happen. Being on tour really does something for a band and since we sometimes write new material on the road, we really wanted to capture where we are at in the present day.”
Asked what he feels the biggest changes that the band has endured in terms of songwriting, Midzain says that he feels the group has grown immensely in the time since Where The Wind Blows was recorded.
“Aside from having grown in terms of professionalism, Where The Wind Blows has a bit more of a punk edge to it compared to where we are at musically these days. At the time we made our debut, I was admittedly still getting a grasp on singing and playing but with this new record, we approached it with the intent of making a record that really shows where our souls are at while also paying tribute to the bands that have influenced us.
“We always hoped that people would come back around to embracing ‘organic rock’ bands again but never really knew what to expect,” Midzain says. “We are just so grateful that people enjoy our music and even if people didn’t, we would still be making music. Life is not about money it is about being happy. And I have never been happier than I am right now.” - Moncton Free Press

Indie403 is thrilled to present Shotgun Dolls as our Featured Artist of the Month!

Overview

It takes a lot of hard work to be a successful band. It helps to be talented, have a great name, and be really good-looking, but the best bands aren’t afraid to work hard. You can tell when a band is the real thing, and anyone who has the pleasure of knowing Calgary’s Shotgun Dolls can see they’ve got it all. Constantly touring, writing, and fighting their way to the top, Shotgun Dolls show what they’re made of and why they deserve to be Indie403’s Featured Artist of the Month!

The Band, Influences, And Attitude

Combine young, fun, and energetic and you’ve got Shotgun Dolls, and adding big grins and a lot of energy to their focus and maturity, the band brings something special to the table. In only two short years they’ve already managed to release a full-length album and sail across the country, with even more planned for 2012.

Shotgun Dolls formed officially in 2009 when high school friends Turner Midzain (lead vocals/guitar), Mike Badmington (bass/vocals) and then-drummer Jeff Orman came together with a mutual love for music to form the young band. The following year and 2011 were a whirlwind of adventure: playing shows across Calgary and Southern Alberta, the band quickly created a loyal fan base that paved the way to the their first full-length album, Where the Wind Blows, which was accompanied by a six-week cross-Canada tour. This was the start of something big. Songwriting never stopped and by February 2012 they were already back at Taylor Sound to record their second album. After a line-up change that included a new drummer, Ty Gogal, Shotgun Dolls had solidified their chemistry and forged a new path into the future, and the rest, says Midzain, “is still to be written.”

Ask Shotgun Dolls to describe their sound and they have a great answer: “modernized classic rock.” Midzain adds: “Just big riff rock that makes you want to pound your fist in the air, but airy ‘60s jams that take you back to a place where you could get high and not have a care in the world.” This statement could not have been said any better and with influences ranging from classics like Led Zeppelin and The Doors to Iron Maiden, Tool, and Queens of the Stone Age, it’s a perfect description. It’s real rock ‘n’ roll: music with soul and feeling.

For Shotgun Dolls, music seems to flow through their veins. They’ve been blessed with unmatchable chemistry and other songwriters hate to hear how quickly they’re able to write music; every band member contributes equally and shares ideas, and by some rare miracle they’re almost always on the same page. They might be soulmates: they can share an idea without anything being said, the sign of a perfect relationship and a band that will go far.

The New Album And Tour

Shotgun Dolls entered the studio in February 2012 to record their second full-length album. Produced by Brad Taylor of Taylor Sound, the album is due out in the fall of 2012 and will create some very happy fans, both old and new. Meanwhile, the band is gearing up for a five-week tour across Canada, taking on the country from Edmonton to Halifax. This is a huge trip, but the band has high hopes for its payoff. “We got really lucky on our last tour,” says Midzain, “and made a lot of contacts and a lot of new fans. We also gained a lot of nationwide radio play with our new single, ‘From the Roots’…. That is actually the main reason we are touring this summer.” Spreading their wings to the East Coast will definitely be a good move for Shotgun Dolls: fans in the East can’t wait to see them, and if all goes well we hope to see a lot of them in the future.

On Touring, Being Busy, And Looking Forward

For Shotgun Dolls, the music is everything. They work hard to pay the bills, but when it comes right down to it, music is their life. This attitude is what keeps the band so positive and optimistic while touring and running themselves into the ground. Other bands might hesitate or step back from the challenge, but Shotgun Dolls loves the hard work and everything that comes with it. “We play music for the love of it. If we all end up in a shitty apartment with a bunch of roommates but we are paying our bills by playing our music, showing our souls, then we have a great life. Life is not about money, it’s about doing what you love and being happy.”

With a huge year ahead of them and a future brighter than the sun, Shotgun Dolls is set to take on the world. They’re awesome, and that is why they’re Indie403’s Featured Artist of the Month! - Indie 403

Before the pint of no return! - X929 Calgary's New Rock Alternative Radio

The kids choose rock n' roll over football - Beatroute Magazaine

Rock N' Roll is Alive and Well - Indie Machine