I left the Island for Vancouver in the early 2000’s. Fortunately, I had a couple of older friends that did the same a few years prior. I landed in a ‘nest’ of sorts; musically.

I was young, I was dumb and I knew nothing of the process of making records.

Mike Rogerson (under the mentor-ship of the great Paul Baker) took me under his wing. We tracked fan EP called “Lights Out,” and then we went headlong into full-length-land in the form of “Better Days Gone By”.

We had no clear direction in mind. Listening back now it seems a bit dis-jointed. However, the record has moments of loud brilliance, mostly in the form of the fine musicians involved.

Mike was instrumental in surrounding me with some of the best writers and session musicians this country has to offer. Our sounds were created by Craig Northey, Doug Elliott, Pat Steward (all from Odds) and many more.

Dustin Young came in, and without directly showing me, taught me how to sing harmony vocals right there.

I remember it as an exciting, boozy time in which my early 20’s ego absorbed as much as an early 20’s ego can.

Key Tracks:

– “Liar” – watch for the train-wreck ending which was intentional.  Pat Steward at his unhinged skin-hitting best.

-“Lights Out New Orleans” – some monster slide solo’ing from Mike Rogerson

-“Number 5 Orange” – a song about a girl leaving her job at a notorious Vancouver stripclub, because why not?

Ryan McMahon