Short of Able

For a musician, playing in front of hometown crowds can be deceiving. There's plenty of support, but you're not likely to get an impartial critique of your playing, songwriting or stage presence. Your girlfriend’s brother brings his buddies out, everyone has a few drinks, and at the end of the night it’s high fives all around.
That’s one reason Edmonton band Short of Able likes playing in Calgary.
“Outside your hometown, it gets real,” says lead guitarist Devin Phillips. “We love Calgary audiences.”
Short of Able has a sound that strikes a fine balance between melodic Liverpool-infused acoustic folk and all-out rock ’n’ roll. “We've been described as ‘Blue Rodeo meets the Foo Fighters,’” Phillips says.
The band's sophomore album, "The Last One's Gone," has echoes of those two influences along with hints of a few other acts that have successfully fused country-folk lyrical sensibilities with pop melodies and rock crunch — think Grapes of Wrath, Northern Pikes or the Odds, for example.
Playing for impartial audiences, especially in Calgary and Saskatoon, where Short of Able has gained a sizeable following, has helped the band perfect its craft, Phillips says.
"With every show, we're trying to get better as a band. Our goal is trying to create a great experience for the audience. At the end of the day, our music does the talking."
The band's origins go back to 2007, but the current lineup of Phillips, vocalist Justin Wisser, bassist James Rutherford and drummer Colin Ouellette has been together for two years.
Sunday night at Wine-Ohs, Short of Able will roll out its “unplugged” setup, with acoustic guitars backed up by drums and electric bass.
“When you’re playing acoustically, the truth really comes out,” Phillips says. “That’s what’s most important to us. We have lot of fun with these acoustic sets.”
On "The Last One's Gone," Short of Able’s recorded sound is impressively polished and dynamic. Each instrument has a defined space in the mix, and all work together to support Wisser’s clear, powerful vocals. The self-produced final product is the result of eight months’ hard work in the band’s home studio.
“It took us about 500 man-hours, but it only cost us $800. We wanted to take our time and do it right and not be looking at the clock.
“It’s cool for us to see all our hard work paying off. We don’t really care about making money, we just want people to hear our music.” - Avenue Magazine Calgary

For a musician, playing in front of hometown crowds can be deceiving. There's plenty of support, but you're not likely to get an impartial critique of your playing, songwriting or stage presence. Your girlfriend’s brother brings his buddies out, everyone has a few drinks, and at the end of the night it’s high fives all around.
That’s one reason Edmonton band Short of Able likes playing in Calgary.
“Outside your hometown, it gets real,” says lead guitarist Devin Phillips. “We love Calgary audiences.”
Short of Able has a sound that strikes a fine balance between melodic Liverpool-infused acoustic folk and all-out rock ’n’ roll. “We've been described as ‘Blue Rodeo meets the Foo Fighters,’” Phillips says.
The band's sophomore album, "The Last One's Gone," has echoes of those two influences along with hints of a few other acts that have successfully fused country-folk lyrical sensibilities with pop melodies and rock crunch — think Grapes of Wrath, Northern Pikes or the Odds, for example.
Playing for impartial audiences, especially in Calgary and Saskatoon, where Short of Able has gained a sizeable following, has helped the band perfect its craft, Phillips says.
"With every show, we're trying to get better as a band. Our goal is trying to create a great experience for the audience. At the end of the day, our music does the talking."
The band's origins go back to 2007, but the current lineup of Phillips, vocalist Justin Wisser, bassist James Rutherford and drummer Colin Ouellette has been together for two years.
Sunday night at Wine-Ohs, Short of Able will roll out its “unplugged” setup, with acoustic guitars backed up by drums and electric bass.
“When you’re playing acoustically, the truth really comes out,” Phillips says. “That’s what’s most important to us. We have lot of fun with these acoustic sets.”
On "The Last One's Gone," Short of Able’s recorded sound is impressively polished and dynamic. Each instrument has a defined space in the mix, and all work together to support Wisser’s clear, powerful vocals. The self-produced final product is the result of eight months’ hard work in the band’s home studio.
“It took us about 500 man-hours, but it only cost us $800. We wanted to take our time and do it right and not be looking at the clock.
“It’s cool for us to see all our hard work paying off. We don’t really care about making money, we just want people to hear our music.” - Avenue Magazine Calgary

Emotive rock, with catchy hooks and solid, driving bass lines. Lead singer Justin Wisser has a raw, refreshing voice with the odd country twang that presents a nice change-up. - GigCity.ca

Emotive rock, with catchy hooks and solid, driving bass lines. Lead singer Justin Wisser has a raw, refreshing voice with the odd country twang that presents a nice change-up. - GigCity.ca

These days, a lot of importance is put on “the instant.” For inst…example, Twitter gives you instant access to Charlie Sheen. Facebook gives you up-to-date status updates from that kid you went to junior high school with…Even though you didn’t really like him and haven’t talked to him in about ten years. And of course, you’ve also got the instant music celebrities – and all that really takes is singing a song about the order the days of the week come in.

It’s getting rather rare to see musicians take their time, but that’s exactly what the gang from Short of Able have done. Their new album, Far Away and Out of Sight, was written and recorded over a ten month period. Coincidentally, it has ten songs. Just by using basic math, it is evident this LP wasn’t done in a hurry; the band was taking their time to do things right, and to learn.


Short of Able

One of the chief lessons the band took from recording was the benefit of doing it themselves. Three of the songs, “Home,” “Time Before,” and “Come on Up” were produced in a professional studio, but they found it a race against time to finish the songs instead of letting things come together organically. As they moved toward new material to fill out the album’s other seven spots, Short of Able worked in their friend Terry Bradstock’s studio for two of them, and lead guitarist Devin Phillips’ studio for the final five. Phillips relates that they walked into recording with “loose ideas of what we wanted. However during our time in the studio we really gutted the songs and built them back up from scratch.”

This meant they had the songs they wanted when they finished. The main difference, Phillips explains, between the professional studio and doing things independently was with the latter, they could take the time to “be creative instead of looking at the clock every take.” The band clearly found this essential, as when asked how important the DIY ethic was to Far Away and Out of Sight, Phillips replied by saying,

“DIY recording is something that probably led to us releasing our album. If we didn’t take the chance, Short of Able would not have a debut LP. Every song we record from now on will be done on our own or in an environment where we have no time constraint.”

Not rushing through the recording process at the speed of Will Smith’s daughter had other positive results as well. Namely, it allowed the band to find a sound of their own. With each band member rooted in a different style, this was no easy task. Phillips draws off hard, melodic guitar riffs. Singer and guitarist Justin Wisser balances that with an acoustic folk approach. The bass player, Narish Maharaj, leans towards funk and blues, while Colin Ouellette rounds the group out by drumming with the mighty power of grunge behind him. This diverse melange of styles comes packed with the potential danger of not being able to mesh, but that wasn’t the case at all. Eventually. As Phillips weighs in on the subject,

“Finding our sounds was quite tough, we went a long time struggling to find what we wanted. I honestly believe the recording process brought us face to face with our songs and showed us dynamics to a song we have never heard before. In most cases it was good, but on a few songs that were our favorite, they havent been touched since then.”

The songs that remained have good rhythm, are catchy, melodic, and still somehow manage to rock at the same time. People have called Short of Able a meeting between Sam Roberts, Coldplay and Oasis, but there’s also a bit of the prairies in them too – the second track, “Home” brings back warm memories of the Watchmen. And by combining this musical style with feelings of nostalgia on the song “Sunshine,” the listener is left yearning for the long summer days of childhood. They also delve into musical territory mostly left alone in the mainstream these days. This is apparent in the first single off the album, “Some Said,” which leans quite heavily on the harmonica, and contains not even a speck of auto-tuned vocals.


Fresh off a sold out album release show for Far Away and Out of Sight at the Haven Social Club, Short of Able is gearing up to play shows outside the vibrant Edmonton music scene. Look for them all over Western Canada, and perhaps as far away as Toronto this summer.

Luckily, however, you can still see them around town. They are going to be at the Edmonton Beerfest this weekend – they’ll be performing there on Saturday 30 April at 6:00PM. And on the 24th of May, they’ll be playing at the greatest pub in the world, The Black Dog Freehouse on Whyte Avenue.

So break yourself away from the all the emphasis on “the instant” – forget about Charlie Sheen, forget that kid from Junior high you don’t actually know, forget why Friday is just so darn great, and check out Short of Able. - The Past is Unwritten

With their own special blend of folk, pop and rock, Short of Able create emotionally charged tunes that positively merit the attention of music lovers.

The Edmonton band, who originally started off as a three piece in 2007, played their first official gig as Short of Able in March of 2008. As the band wanted to extend their reach and out of town commitments became more frequent, one of its members had made the difficult decision to leave the group.

With a few additions along the way, the band’s current lineup (since 2011), consists of Justin Wisser on lead vocals/guitar, Devin Phillips on guitar, James Rutherford on bass and Colin Ouellette on percussion. Together, they sound amazing.

I was curious about the meaning of their band’s name and was lucky enough to have a few e-mail correspondences with Justin Wisser, who was kind enough to explain it to me.

He started by mentioning that “Short of Able” started out as an acoustic song he had written prior to the band’s formation. “The meaning behind it came from two conflicting comments that had been made towards me regarding my potential in music” Wisser noted.

In summary, he said ”It’s about telling the nay-sayers they’re wrong and proving it.” This is very relevant in today’s music industry. When it came to choosing a name for the band, “Short of Able” was mentioned and everyone liked it. The rest is history!

When I first heard the tune “Two Steps Back”, from their album The Last One’s Gone (2012), I felt an immediate connection with it. It evoked emotions in me and left me wanting to listen to it over and over again.

Wisser explained that : “Every verse in this song has a different theme. Each is a memory or an event that can’t be changed, or something that I wish I could have changed. Each verse ends with “sit still, lay back, let’s laugh”. That’s the moment when you find that peace by accepting there’s no going back, or it can’t be helped.” In addition, he mentioned that ”The song is meant to capture a relaxing and content feeling.” When listening to the song, I really do feel at peace. The band has really conveyed this comfortable, breezy feeling through the song’s melody.

Lesson of the day: It’s never too late to make great music. Not only do they make beautiful tunes but they seem like they’re genuinely nice guys who are passionate about their craft.

Check out their album The Last One’s Gone which contains 15 hot tracks.

Hopefully they’ll come back to Toronto in the near future as I’d like to see them perform live. - Pawd's Playlist

Short of Able will keep you on your toes. While you might arrive at the Edmonton band’s October 2012 release, The Last One’s Gone with expectations of pure rock, the quartet surprises you around every corner. The group has certainly grown since
its 2011 release Far Away and Out of Sight without betraying its origin and the latest release marks a more innovative and creative sound.

The first surprise comes early on in the opening track, “Crutch To a Crane.” This track introduces the album with a special blend of an alternative to country and alternative to rock. There’s a twangy guitar that enters mid-song and while it might at first seem jarring, it quickly becomes a welcomed characteristic for the group and for the album.

The diversification of the band’s sound never gets old, which is what makes The Last One’s Gone so impressive. It never delves into the realm of predictability or repetition and each song adds a unique personality to the album. Simultaneously, the songs all just sound good together, rather than a hodge-podge of sounds thrown together such that the distinctiveness of each song doesn’t detract from the comprehension of the album.

There’s an obvious musical talent in each member of Short of Able. Each member is able to succinctly represent the potential of each instrument, while never overshadowing one another. The band plays wholly together throughout. Simply put, they play like a band – like a group. Unlike so many bands out there today, it’s unclear where the drive of the songwriting comes from.

I usually take more not of the musical attributes to an album above the poetic or lyric ones (although I do understand the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive). It’s hard, however, to not take note of The Last One’s Gone lyrically. Vocalist and lyricist Justin Wisser is able to procure serious reactions not only from his emotive voice, but from his crafted words as well. When the album slows down a bit in “Brother,” (although energetically still remaining strong) Wisser croons “Tell me my brother why aren’t you like others / they tell me you’re kind of a stray.” While these lyrics might not seem necessarily poetic or telling simply on the page, the words coupled with the musically of the vocals excel. - KIT21

Live performance on Breakfast Television Edmonton - City TV Edmonton

Musical Recommendation from the official Alan Cross website. - Alan Cross

Musical Recommendation from the official Alan Cross website. - Alan Cross

Listening to Short of Able is like an instant flash back. Back to times when bands ruled the radio instead of computerized voices and when music had heart. This Edmonton band’s rock/folk-pop sound is like chicken soup for the soul. The Last One’s Gone brings you home with its soothing vocals and captivating guitar riffs. The melodies will haunt you for days upon your first listen.


“Take me back somewhere, Where I can write a wrong”“Silverware For Soul” is easily one of the gems off of this album. It does exactly what the above paragraph describes. This song takes you away into a land of musical bliss. While it’s a slower song, it’s absolutely mesmerizing. Its vivid lyrics easily provide the necessary content for losing your thoughts as you find yourself in the world that is Short of Able. These moments are found all throughout The Last One’s Gone. You find it in the gratifying musicianship in “Lessons Learned” as the guitar work is absolutely stellar.

What’s truly great about this album is its diversity. Each song has the distinct Short of Able sound while having its own identity and essence. There’s a balance between the fast paced rockers and the laid back slower jams. “Level Out” is among my favorites because of its ability to rile up the listener. The song builds you up and as the intensity heightens, so does the musical output. The chorus of “Last Call” is forever ingrained in my memory as it’s one of my favorites along with “1905?. This song has a bit of country twang, adding to Short of Able’s distinct sound, an addition that is much welcomed. All throughout Short of Able’s sophomore album lies smart and vivid lyrics. Each line, each note played, every captivating rhythm this band is able to produce simply takes the listener away. Heart is what Short of Able has and it’s seen all throughout The Last One’s Gone.

Picking a single song to highlight in this album review was excruciatingly hard. Instead of depriving yourself with one meager song, listen to some personal favorites: Brother, Two Steps Back, Level Out, See for Miles, Silverware For Soul, 1905, Last Call, My Old Friend

Short of Able is Devin Phillips (Guitar), Justin Wisser (Guitar and Vocals), James Rutherford (Bass and Vocals), Colin Ouellette (Drums).
- Hopeless Thunder

Listening to Short of Able is like an instant flash back. Back to times when bands ruled the radio instead of computerized voices and when music had heart. This Edmonton band’s rock/folk-pop sound is like chicken soup for the soul. The Last One’s Gone brings you home with its soothing vocals and captivating guitar riffs. The melodies will haunt you for days upon your first listen.


“Take me back somewhere, Where I can write a wrong”“Silverware For Soul” is easily one of the gems off of this album. It does exactly what the above paragraph describes. This song takes you away into a land of musical bliss. While it’s a slower song, it’s absolutely mesmerizing. Its vivid lyrics easily provide the necessary content for losing your thoughts as you find yourself in the world that is Short of Able. These moments are found all throughout The Last One’s Gone. You find it in the gratifying musicianship in “Lessons Learned” as the guitar work is absolutely stellar.

What’s truly great about this album is its diversity. Each song has the distinct Short of Able sound while having its own identity and essence. There’s a balance between the fast paced rockers and the laid back slower jams. “Level Out” is among my favorites because of its ability to rile up the listener. The song builds you up and as the intensity heightens, so does the musical output. The chorus of “Last Call” is forever ingrained in my memory as it’s one of my favorites along with “1905?. This song has a bit of country twang, adding to Short of Able’s distinct sound, an addition that is much welcomed. All throughout Short of Able’s sophomore album lies smart and vivid lyrics. Each line, each note played, every captivating rhythm this band is able to produce simply takes the listener away. Heart is what Short of Able has and it’s seen all throughout The Last One’s Gone.

Picking a single song to highlight in this album review was excruciatingly hard. Instead of depriving yourself with one meager song, listen to some personal favorites: Brother, Two Steps Back, Level Out, See for Miles, Silverware For Soul, 1905, Last Call, My Old Friend

Short of Able is Devin Phillips (Guitar), Justin Wisser (Guitar and Vocals), James Rutherford (Bass and Vocals), Colin Ouellette (Drums).
- Hopeless Thunder

Music aficionados everywhere love discovering new albums. We have our favourites, but we’re always looking for different bands to love and new albums to excite us. Once in a while, we get a band that does exactly that: exceeds expectations, knocks us down and completely takes over our music playlists. This year, one of the very best bands to do that is Short of Able.

With their second full-length album, Short of Able seems to have come out of nowhere as a musical powerhouse. The Edmonton-based band has used bucketloads of talent and a fresh and well-developed sound to create a fantastic new album that is already considered one of the highlights of 2012. Named The Last One’s Gone, the album is completely and entirely magnificent, a 15-song collection of awesomeness set to music. It’s good. It’s really good. And whether you’re looking for something soft and sad (“You Know”), upbeat and rocky (“Fraggle”) or twangy and kind of country (“Last Call”), you’ll find something to love.

Short of Able is one of those great bands that can’t be clearly defined. They sound like everyone and like no one, and it really takes a whole list of comparable acts to even try to describe them. Think a combination of Hinder, Three Doors Down, Everclear, Arkells, Default, Thrice, Tom Petty and the universal appeal of the Foo Fighters, all rolled into a unique package that sounds like none of them. Generally they’re an acoustic alternative folk-rock pop, with songs you can sing to but aren’t quite able to copy. They carefully walk the line between familiar and ordinary, offering a sound everyone will like without being bored by, and in doing so have created an album that will go down as a lasting favourite.

The band’s skills are shown in different ways throughout the album, from the solid guitars and percussion to the gorgeous voice on lead singer Justin Wisser. Really, though, it’s the combination of these things that make the music so powerful. They blend together and complement each other well, and the harmonies and tones created are what resonate so strongly in the guts and soul of the album. It’s a well-developed, well-executed album, and Short of Album pulls it all together with clear perfection, balance and natural chemistry.

Short of Able really needs to be heard. The Last One’s Gone will be officially released October 20 at Edmonton’s Avenue Theatre, but for a taste of the band’s sound check out the album’s lead single, “Bring It On Home”. Short of Able is also getting attention for their newly released video, “Songs from the Streetcar”, and the band’s website has a ton of other music samples. Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and love them in real life: they’re exciting and new, and they’re going to be huge. - Indie 403

Short interview and live performance from the 2012 Arts and Works Festival in Edmonton. - Coop Communication

While I was researching stories for the entertainment segment this week for our show, I completely forgot how ripe our city is with great local bands. When I sent out a Facebook status to my friends asking if they know of any events happening around Edmonton (the yeg events app for my phone was useless in my search), a friend messaged me about a show they were doing. While I couldn't go to the show because it was on Valentine's Day and I was set out to be spoiled, I asked to interview them since they're recording a new album. If you've never heard of Short of Able I suggest you go out and listen to them right now. Go on.... go ahead, I'll wait........... Amazing right? Their music is so catchy and easy to listen to. Most of the band members are from right here in our city, others are from other towns, but, you know, not Edmonton, so pfft to them.

I interviewed one half of the band, the "more talented half" as they self-titled themselves. One of which is Mr. Devin Phillips, son of the awesome Rod Phillips. If you're reading this and are not from Edmonton, or just moved here recently, you probably haven't heard of him. Let's just say that for many years he was our voice of the Oilers games. Many people don't know they're related, which is nice for the band, because you want to make it on your own, without the help of a name. But I suppose I might've just spoiled that for them. They'll forgive me easily when I sit guard at their merch table again at their next show.

But anyways! Back to my post. The other fine gentleman was Justin Wisser, who I've known for some time, since he happens to be my brothers doppleganger. Going out to open mic nights at O'Byrnes on Whyte, I heard one of their songs "Sunshine" for the first time. I instantly loved the tune and the lyrics, and caught myself humming it on the way home. When they finally brought out an album, it immediately went onto my iPod. I've introduced friends to their songs and even used one for an assignment we had last semester where we had to make a music video.

No, I'm not plugging them, and trying to make them famous by putting them on our show. They've been in countless papers, radio shows, and on BT Edmonton. But I do hope that more people will listen to their music and come to love it like many others do. And if you find them by me, well that's just dandy.

If you are interested in hearing some of their songs you can easily search them on Google and find their music, and find their album on iTunes. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Until next time internet people. - www.nait.ca

While I was researching stories for the entertainment segment this week for our show, I completely forgot how ripe our city is with great local bands. When I sent out a Facebook status to my friends asking if they know of any events happening around Edmonton (the yeg events app for my phone was useless in my search), a friend messaged me about a show they were doing. While I couldn't go to the show because it was on Valentine's Day and I was set out to be spoiled, I asked to interview them since they're recording a new album. If you've never heard of Short of Able I suggest you go out and listen to them right now. Go on.... go ahead, I'll wait........... Amazing right? Their music is so catchy and easy to listen to. Most of the band members are from right here in our city, others are from other towns, but, you know, not Edmonton, so pfft to them.

I interviewed one half of the band, the "more talented half" as they self-titled themselves. One of which is Mr. Devin Phillips, son of the awesome Rod Phillips. If you're reading this and are not from Edmonton, or just moved here recently, you probably haven't heard of him. Let's just say that for many years he was our voice of the Oilers games. Many people don't know they're related, which is nice for the band, because you want to make it on your own, without the help of a name. But I suppose I might've just spoiled that for them. They'll forgive me easily when I sit guard at their merch table again at their next show.

But anyways! Back to my post. The other fine gentleman was Justin Wisser, who I've known for some time, since he happens to be my brothers doppleganger. Going out to open mic nights at O'Byrnes on Whyte, I heard one of their songs "Sunshine" for the first time. I instantly loved the tune and the lyrics, and caught myself humming it on the way home. When they finally brought out an album, it immediately went onto my iPod. I've introduced friends to their songs and even used one for an assignment we had last semester where we had to make a music video.

No, I'm not plugging them, and trying to make them famous by putting them on our show. They've been in countless papers, radio shows, and on BT Edmonton. But I do hope that more people will listen to their music and come to love it like many others do. And if you find them by me, well that's just dandy.

If you are interested in hearing some of their songs you can easily search them on Google and find their music, and find their album on iTunes. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Until next time internet people. - www.nait.ca

Saturday 28

Lydia’s



Edmonton-based band Short of Able balances mellow acoustic-based folk moments with soaring indie rock anthems. On the band’s full-length album, Far Away and Out of Sight, the guitar tones are divided between two distinct voices — and fortunately, both work well.

“The first album is a good mixture of acoustic and rock music, meeting somewhere in the middle,” says vocalist Justin Wisser. “Our new album will be louder, featuring quicker, more upbeat songs. Beats and grooves will stand out on this one — but at the same time, it will also feature some broken-down acoustic songs.”

Formed in Edmonton in 2007, Short of Able has been touring and making festival appearances ever since. Wisser says the aforementioned “split personality” in the band’s music, combined with the amount of hard work they’ve put into developing their live show, allows Short of Able to cross numerous boundaries when it comes to the makeup of their audience.

“We pride ourselves on having a very tight live set, which seems to appeal to fans of most genres. We have a lot of fun up there and think that rubs off on the audience.

“Three of our four members are from Saskatchewan so it’s always pretty cool for us to play in Saskatoon,” says Wisser. “This will be our first show at Lydia’s, so we’re especially looking forward to that one. Other than two shows on the west coast in February, this coming weekend will be our last live shows for a while so we’re pumped to play them.” - Planet S Magazine

Saturday 28

Lydia’s



Edmonton-based band Short of Able balances mellow acoustic-based folk moments with soaring indie rock anthems. On the band’s full-length album, Far Away and Out of Sight, the guitar tones are divided between two distinct voices — and fortunately, both work well.

“The first album is a good mixture of acoustic and rock music, meeting somewhere in the middle,” says vocalist Justin Wisser. “Our new album will be louder, featuring quicker, more upbeat songs. Beats and grooves will stand out on this one — but at the same time, it will also feature some broken-down acoustic songs.”

Formed in Edmonton in 2007, Short of Able has been touring and making festival appearances ever since. Wisser says the aforementioned “split personality” in the band’s music, combined with the amount of hard work they’ve put into developing their live show, allows Short of Able to cross numerous boundaries when it comes to the makeup of their audience.

“We pride ourselves on having a very tight live set, which seems to appeal to fans of most genres. We have a lot of fun up there and think that rubs off on the audience.

“Three of our four members are from Saskatchewan so it’s always pretty cool for us to play in Saskatoon,” says Wisser. “This will be our first show at Lydia’s, so we’re especially looking forward to that one. Other than two shows on the west coast in February, this coming weekend will be our last live shows for a while so we’re pumped to play them.” - Planet S Magazine

I’ll say it time and time again that nothing makes me happier than finding another local band that has a surplus of talent. Even though a harder post grunge alternative rock is my forte, I do often listen to a lighter almost folk rock sound. I also listen to variety of other genres.



Short of Able has strong vocals, guitar, and lyrics that adds a fresh sound to the scene and is a perfect addition of the road trip across the prairies. This Edmonton band is a four piece that is fronted by Justin Wisser on vocals and guitar, Devin Phillips on lead guitar, Narish Maharaj on bass and Colin Oullette on drums. The group has been together since 2007, and on April 2nd of this year released their first full length album.


Short of Able had released their first EP Home in July of last year. Their latest release Far Away and Out of Sight hits the ground running from where their EP left off. They kept the three songs that were originally featured on Home and have added 7 new songs to make for a solid album.


A unique song on the album is their instrumental track, I love that Short of Able let their music stand for itself. This track, along with Come on Up and Short of Able, are an excellent representation of the group’s chemistry.


The guitar tracks on the entire album showcase the strengths of their lead guitarist Devin. Be sure to take the time to just listen to the intricate riffs that at times are both playful and catchy. The instrumental is a great chance to listen for these riffs. Short of Able is an acoustic song that features Justin alone on his guitar. It’s the rawness of the song that draws me in and Justin’s strong vocals are smooth and fluid.


Overall the album has a solid sound and it gives a refreshing breath of life into the Edmonton scene. Songs play well on into the next, with nothing feeling out of place or leaving you wondering why they had chosen that song. One concern, though that may arise for some is that the songs become too alike; it’s finding the balance that is crucial for any band.

If you’d like to get your hands on their latest album you can find it either on iTunes, or you can pick it up when they play live May 21 at the Black Dog. Keep in mind it’s an early show, be there for 4 pm. To put it simply Short of Able doesn’t disappoint at live shows, as they put their heart into anything they play. - music addict

So - today is one of those days I love.

Well, I didn’t really love getting up at 5 a.m., but I loved most everything else about the day. Here’s why…

I kick started the day with good music. Not just good music; GREAT music.

Edmonton’s own, Short of Able, invited me to join them as they performed two songs from their debut album at City TV’s Breakfast Television.

My job? Take pictures, hang out, listen and laugh with the guys and host, Ryan Jespersen. It was a great way to get to know the band and experience them live. And they were awesome.

We’ve been trying to figure out who Short of Able can be compared to. They definitely have some nuances of Sam Roberts, Coldplay and The Watchmen. However, they still carve their own sound and nicely differentiate themselves enough to try and figure out what genre they fit.

So, have a listen to their two live tunes from today’s BT performance HERE and let me know who you think Short of Able sounds like. And if you want to know more about these guys and become a fan while they’re still considered up-and-comers, hit up their website - Nat Inc.

Colin Ouelette first picked up his sticks in grade school, when his parents insisted he learn an instrument.

“As a 10-year-old, I thought that drumming would be a lot more fun than, say, playing the violin,” said Ouelette.

While attending high school at John Paul II Collegiate, Ouelette played in a band, but thought he put his drumming days behind him when he left to attend post-secondary in Saskatoon.

“Honestly, I thought I had quit playing music because after high school, I hadn’t been in a band for years,” said Ouelette.

Life, however, had different plans, and Ouelette has just made his first televised live performance with his band, Short of Able.

After completing his undergraduate degree in Saskatoon, Ouelette enrolled in law school at the University of Alberta in the fall of 2007.

“I wanted a change, basically,” he explains of the move.

Arriving in Edmonton, the only person Ouelette knew was Nicole Maharaj, a friend of Ouelette’s fiancée, Danielle Fontaine.

Maharaj introduced Ouelette to her husband, Narish, a bass player, and they began to play together.

“We somehow decided it would be fun idea to play some songs,” said Ouelette. “It was never going to be a serious thing.”

The two ended up getting together with guitar player Devin Phillips and singer and guitar player Justin Wisser and forming the band Short of Able.

“We all have jobs and careers, so it’s difficult to get together enough while having a life and families,” said Ouelette. “It’s like a second job.”

Even so, the band has experienced considerable success, being regularly booked at popular nightclubs and even scoring recording time at a studio in Edmonton after winning a Battle of the Bands contest.

“It’s been a hobby, but we’re doing our best to get out there,” said Ouelette, adding the time and effort the four members have put into their music has its rewards, both in the satisfaction of making music and the fan appreciation.

“There’s nothing better than after you play your set and you’re walking around the crowd,” he said.

Short of Able released their first album, “Far Away and Out of Sight,” a blend of rock, folk and indie music that will appeal to a broad spectrum of music fans, the beginning of this month and it is available on iTunes, or directly ordered from the band at www.shortofable.com or on their Facebook page.

“So far, a lot of people are buying it and it’s getting good reviews,” said Ouelette.

Short of Able was featured on Breakfast Television Edmonton this morning, and their performance can be seen at www.btedmonton.ca.

The band is also in the process of planning a summer tour, including a number of stops in Saskatchewan, since three of the band members are originally from Saskatchewan: Narish Maharaj hails from Rosetown and Justin Wisser is from Paradise Hill.

As for the future?

“Definitely our careers are number one right now,” said Ouelette. “Whatever happens with the band, happens, but right now we’re still the weekend warrior band.” - News Optimist

"Short of Able" perform songs off of their new album "Far Away and Out of Sight". - CityTV Edmonton

Short of Able performs "Some Said" off their debut album "Far Away and Out of Sight" - BalconyTV

Short of Able was ready and willing to take the stage last week at the Nest. Although only Justin Wisser (guitar/vocals) and Devin Phillips (lead guitar) were able to make it, they put their best foot forward to rock it hard.
Narish Maharaj (bass) and Colin Ouellette (drums) were not able to make an appearance due to a schedule conflict.
Short of Able are from Edmonton and had time on the road getting to know each other better as band mates and as people. With their first full length EP hopefully coming out in February 2011, Short of Able was caught rocking out to many of their own jams, but they also brought with them a Coldplay cover, and a Rise Against cover “Swing Life Away.”
Their main influence is the ’80s and ’90s Manchester scene with bands like Oasis, The Stone Roses and The Verve.
Very excited about playing at the Nest, Wisser and Phillips made it a show to be remembered.
Having a simple story of how they came together, Short of Able is one of those bands to keep your eyes out for.
“We just knew each other and decided to make music together,” Wisser said.
Being able to add to the indie scene in Edmonton is a major bonus in their books.
Wisser lost his voice days before playing at the Nest, but was still able to belt out tunes with sultry tones that could soothe even the angriest beast, thus making this a show not to be missed.
Short of Able will hopefully be playing around Edmonton in other venues. Wisser and Phillips rocked out hard at the Nest, proving that bands from Edmonton have what it takes to make a crowd get-a-bumpin’.
Being nothing short of able to jam the stage at NAIT, Short of Able is not a band to miss. - The Nugget

Short of Able came out and scored recording time through our Edmonton Stop in the Supernova Summer Warfare battle of the bands!
- Supernova