SONS OF YORK

The stars, or maybe the weather fairies, must have aligned to provide local three-siblings-plus-one pop act Sons of York the necessary juice to create an extended-play album that's a perfect tonic for the elongated winter we've had this year.
Forever Potential is only six tracks long, but for that running time, if you set your heart and ears just right, the songs will take your mind off your daily struggle with the frozen hell that awaits outside those thin barriers we call doors. The opening title track sets the table with a quasi-instrumental charge that gets your attention in a good way. This leads us into the pure pop riff of Young Blood Unite and the drummy thump of Smoke/Drink -- this pair is as convincing a duo of memorable sing-along songs that's ever been put to plastic inside the confines of the Perimeter.
Answer lays off the speedy antics and allows lead singer/guitarist Luke Kennard an opportunity to display his first-rate, antic-free voice. This guy can sing -- when most of the local competition is meowing or mewling, Kennard sounds positively like a superhero in comparison. The final two tracks (Contraption, Sweet Sarah) prove these guys are the genuine pop-smart articles.
Speaking of comparisons, Sons of York have more in common with classic Can-popster Michel Pagliaro than anything in the last 20 years -- and that's a grand thing. Potential? Most certainly. ****

--Jeff Monk - Winnipeg Free Press - Jeff Monk

"...straight forward rock/pop, but there's a charm and substance to it that's desperately lacking from mainstream rock/pop artists. the high point of the album comes just after the midway point. the lyrics and arrangement of "twice the fool" are melodramatic and slightly bombastic, but damn is it good!..." - The Pop Sucker

What a difference a year makes.

In March 2008, local power pop trio Sons of York released a debut EP called Chicks, Dudes, Bad Attitudes - a batch of hooky, earworm tunes that had all the fresh-faced charm (not to mention kitsch) of a '50s high-school dance.

The EP wasn't bad, but the brothers Kennerd - Luke (guitar/vocals), Jake (bass/vocals) and new-to-the-band Cody (drums) - knew they could do better. So when it came time to work on their debut full-length, Black and White Summer, they had one goal in mind:

"We wanted to do something different," says Jake, 22, over nachos at Carlos and Murphy's. His brothers nod in agreement.

"When you release an EP, you're able to reflect on where you're at as a band," Luke, 25, says. "It's a good way to check in. The EP was all right, but it didn't sound like any of the cool bands we liked. It didn't have any cool factor at all. It lacks personality."

"It definitely lacks personality," Jake adds.

"There were a lot of things yet to be settled on with the EP," Luke says. "We didn't really know what we wanted to sound like. It made for a less than unified vision."

After playing a few dates out West in support of the EP, Sons of York did some soul searching and got to work on what would become Black and White Summer. In the late summer of 2008, the band emerged from the basement with a skeleton demo of the record - and they knew just the person to help flesh it out.

"When we heard of (local producer/engineer) John Paul Peters and all the work he'd done with The Waking Eyes, we knew we wanted to work with him," Jake says. "We met with him over beers and he said, 'Let's make a weird-sounding record.'"

That said, Peters, who has also worked with Comeback Kid, Tele and a whole host of other local bands, didn't mean 'weird-sounding' in the arty, noise-project sense. Rather, he was looking to help the trio move away from the straight-ahead bubblegum rock that informed the EP and experiment more with its arrangements.

"We've always been into '60s pop rock," Jake says. "We've always liked The Hollies and The Beach Boys. We didn't outright plagiarize anything, but we studied a lot of their guitar parts and harmonies. And John Paul was great. He understood the vision and direction. That's what we appreciated about working with him; he wasn't a clock puncher. He wanted to create something and be a part of it."

The resulting Black and White Summer certainly makes up for the personality its predecessor lacked. Bursting with youthful energy and aggression, the album is chock full of vintage rock 'n' roll swagger, tempered with plenty of feel-good, pure-pop sensibility (the boyish harmonies, in particular, hint at All Summer Long-era Beach Boys). But as much as the aptly titled Black and White Summer winks at the past, there's enough modern garage-rock influence to keep things from sliding into cheesy throwback territory. And it's all lots of fun.

In addition to being the band's first long player, Black and White Summer is also the first record on which baby bro Cody, 17, is behind the kit.

"I never really was all that good of a drummer," Cody says. (He's kind of the strong, silent type.) "Two years ago, my brothers wanted me to give the drums a try and I slowly got better."

"Rock Band played an instrumental role in him becoming a drummer," Luke says. "Seeing him play Iron Maiden's Run For The Hills on Expert was mind-blowing. We got him on the real drum kit, and then it was just about strength and endurance."

Cody eventually became a good enough skinsman to join the band permanently.

"It put us in a funny place because we liked the drummer we had," Luke says. "But what can you do? He's our brother."

The brotherly loyalty doesn't come as a surprise; the Kennerds have always been close. Raised in River Heights, all three played football growing up - and incidentally, all three wore No. 7 for the Kelvin Clippers. Still, playing the six string was of as much interest to Luke and Jake as hucking the pigskin. They both took guitar lessons in grade school, and Luke played in a high-school cover band ("We played a lot of Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and Weezer," he says with a laugh).

It wasn't until the early 2000s, when garage-rock revivalists such as The Strokes, The Vines, The Hives and The White Stripes exploded onto the scene, that the Kennerds' interest in playing music and forming a band was renewed.

"That (movement) really captured us," Luke says. "And it wasn't long before we discovered Quinzy. Musically, (our interest) started with the rock revival, but the icing on the cake was seeing local bands like Quinzy and Inward Eye. We actually saw them at the same show, and I remember seeing Inward Eye for the first time. I was like a school girl. I felt totally inspired and totally amazed."

Now, Sons of York is letting go of its early influences and beginning to find its own voice - and Black and White Summer is a - Jen Zoratti - Uptown Magazine

If two heads really are better than one, than three should be even better. At any rate, that seems to work for local popsters Sons of York. The band of brothers put their noggins together to answer our dumb questions about their new album Black and White Summer, their release party tomorrow at Park Theatre, and using borrowed ID to drink with Franz Ferdinand.

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- Who's in the band, what do they play, and what do they do for real money?

Luke, Jake and Cody Kennerd. Luke sings and plays guitar, Jake sings and plays bass, Cody sings and plays drums. For real money we do sold-out arena tours under our stage name, The Jonas Brothers.

- Give us the history of the band.

We grew up with 1960s pop/rock music playing in our house and were inspired by bands like The Strokes and White Stripes. In early 2008 we bought Rock Band for PS3 -- Cody proved to be a natural on the drums and the lineup was solidified.

- Describe your music and/or sound in 20 words or less.

A Canadian band that sounds like a British pop group, under heavy influence of American rock music.

- Describe your look and/or image in 20 words or less.

Pony Boy, Soda Pop, Darry, Dallas, Johnny, Two Bit, etc.

- Tell us about your latest CD and/or upcoming gig.

Our first full-length Black and White Summer comes out this month. The CD release party is on Friday at The Park Theatre with our friends Jicah. Tickets are $5 in advance at Music Trader, CD Plus Madison, Into The Music and Park Theatre, or $10 at the door.

- Why should we buy your CD?

If you like The Beach Boys, The Strokes, The Doors, Kings of Leon, CCR or The Who, then you'll probably dig our album.

- What's your most original quality?

Our genetic makeup.

- Complete this sentence: This band runs on ...

Brotherly love and sibling rivalry.

- Name a song you wish you had written and tell us why:

YMCA by Village People, because it's the highest-grossing song in history.

- What are your favourite movies?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Donnie Darko, 300, A River Runs Through It, The Sandlot, That Thing You Do!, Five Easy Pieces.

- Your favourite TV shows?

Luke: Wonder Years

Jake: Thundercats

Cody: Dexter

- Your favourite book?

The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck, we took our name from a passage in the book. Only later did we learn it's from Shakespeare's Richard III.

- Your favourite foods and beverages.

Luke: Casa Grande pizza and Coca-Cola.

Jake: Cheeseburger and a chocolate shake.

Cody: Mom's lasagne.

- Any other favourite things?

Cody: I like to skateboard. I like it a lot.

- Tell us about your coolest tattoos / piercings or other body modifications.

We're pretty good at combing our hair.

- Got any guilty pleasures?

Luke: Comic books -- Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman.

Jake: Milkshakes, Super Nibs, regular Nibs.

Cody: Call of Duty on PS3

- Name your favourite local musical acts.

Quinzy, Inward Eye, The Waking Eyes, JP Hoe, Jicah, Tele, The Nods, The Paps.

- Now, name your favourite musical acts of all time.

The Hollies and The Strokes.

- Who would you be insulted to be compared to?

Luke: Captain Geech & The Shrimp Shack Shooters.

Jake: Luke Kennerd.

Cody: The Jonas Brothers.

- Tell us about your best gig.

We opened for State of Shock at the Red River Ex in 2008. The crowd was pumped, we signed autographs and sold out of T-shirts and CDs. As if that weren't enough, Luke won the Donkey from Shrek at the water pistol race game. It was a perfect night.

- What's the best part of performing and/or touring?

Freedom baby, yeah! It's great to be out on the highway with a van full of gear and nothing to worry about except playing shows for a couple of weeks.

- What's the worst part of performing and/or touring?

Van trouble! We toured in February and the heater in our van died on the first day, just outside Headingley. It was a miserable 13-hour drive to Calgary. A word to the wise -- those heaters you can buy that plug into a cigarette lighter don't work!

- What are your pre-show rituals, superstitions and good luck charms?

This summer we played the Sled Island Festival in Calgary. We showed up at 5:30 p.m. but the festival staff didn't show up until close to 9 p.m. There was nothing to do and we had a football in the van. We ended up throwing the ball around for two hours in the parking lot. We were warmed up and loose for our set. We've been playing catch before shows ever since.

- If you have a backstage rider, what's on it? If you don't, what would you want?

See guilty pleasures.

- What is your current mode of transportation?

Our trusty "bend but don't break" 1993 Dodge Caravan.

- Tell us a joke.

Our EP only got 3 stars in Darryl Sterdan's review HAHAHA! Good one, Darryl!

- What's the smartest thing you've ever done?

After the Franz Ferdinand show at The Burt on Sept. 2, we hung around until they came out to sign a - Darryl Sterdan - Winnipeg Sun

SONS OF YORK
Black and White Summer
(Independent)

The debut album by power pop trio Sons of York is a raucous collection of songs about first loves and fist fights, sprinkled with gang vocals, handclaps and catchy choruses. (It's clear that the brothers Kennerd - Luke, Jake and Cody - like The Beach Boys and The Strokes.) Boisterous numbers such as the title track and I Ain't Been The Same Since They Cut My Brother Down crackle with youthful rock 'n' roll energy, while Twice the Fool hints at a more mature sound. Sure, the lyrics stay squeaky clean (see: Running Home to River Heights), but the wide-eyed innocence works here - at its core, this is a record about growing up.
— Jen Zoratti - Uptown Magazine, Nov 2009

3.5 Stars

From The Bee Gees and Beach Boys to Hanson and Kings of Leon, there’s no shortage of great pop and rock bands led by a trio of brothers. And while it would be premature to add Sons of York to that list just yet, these siblings — guitarist Luke, bassist Jake and drummer Cody Kennerd — are certainly headed in the right direction. This full-length debut (and followup to an EP released last year) finds the trio drawing on a host of classic ’60s influences — including The Who, The Beach Boys and their beloved Hollies — while updating them with contemporary sonics and infusing them with their own sharp-witted lyrical sensibility. They’re still searching for a sound all their own, but once they find it, brother, look out.

- Darryl Sterdan

http://www.winnipegsun.com/entertainment/music/2009/12/02/12011771.html - The Winnipeg Sun, December 2009

Sons of York
Black and White Summer (Independent)

Winnipeg's Sons of York have issued a challenge for themselves on their debut album. Opening power-pop blast Promise Land describes the group's ambition to play New York City, vowing never to watch David Letterman until they are invited to play on the show and vowing to make the hipsters "shake their hips and clap their hands."
Big dreams for sure, but after a few listens to Black and White Summer, a gig in the Big Apple doesn't seem so far-fetched (a Letterman date, on the other hand, could be a few more years down the road).
The Kennard brothers -- vocalist-guitarist Luke, bassist Jake and drummer Cody--- specialize in energetic, jangly pop-rock filled with plenty of harmonies, handclaps and gang vocals, while mixing things up along the way with some dance-rock on the title track and some classic country on the ballad Twice the Fool. Paul Shaffer would dig it for sure. 'Ö'Ö'Ö1/2

- Rob Williams - The Winnipeg Free Press, January 2010