THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A band grown from casual Friday night jams with friends that quickly evolved into something more substantial, Calgary’s Dust Collectors are proof that sometimes what you’re looking for is right in front of you all along. After years of playing separately in different bands, the alt-folk four-piece evolved organically, quickly moving from jamming to songwriting in a matter of weeks.
Each a strong musician in their own right, Matt Easton (lead vocals, lead guitar), Luke Giblin (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin), Steve Rozitis (bass, backing vocals), and Scott Stolee (drums, backing vocals) take their cues from collectives like The Band and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young — exploring country, rock, and folk genres across the six tracks of their noteworthy new EP Filtered Gems.
The outstanding release makes an energetic start with EP’s boot-stomping sea shanty-inspired lead single Take A Dive. The band takes a darker turn on the outlaw country ballad Murder, I Wrote — a straightforward story of “boy meets girl, girl leaves boy, boy buries girl in the back forty.” Dandelion shows a more sentimental side, with the heartache of wasted love, fit with a soulful violin solo. Better Times brings a hopeful hue to the EP, with a robust build of expansive drums and soaring four-part harmonies singing, “All around you it shines, leading me and you to better times.”
The group approach songwriting as a collaborative effort. With each member coming from different places of influence, the result is a blend of country, folk and rock that is both bitter and sweet to the listener’s ears. What truly sets this band apart is that each member contributes vocally; sharing lead-singer responsibilities and seamless four-part harmonies have become the signature of their ever-increasing setlist of original songs.
The Dust Collectors are currently working on their first album, recording with Pat Palardy at Public Lunch Studios in Calgary.”
