Our first show at the Biltmore turned out to be a dance party with The Good News and Junior Major. Very fun.
About The Buffalo Jump
The Buffalo Jump story begins a few months back when high school friends Wes Regan and Keith Greene convince Rob Chursinoff to emerge from semi-retirement- which for musicians doesn't actually mean anything close to retirement, and in Rob's case it referred to his obsession for studying the mating habits of Bonobo monkeys in the dank jungles of the Congo. The level of arm twisting Wes and Keith employ on their drummer friend is mild mind you as Rob seems eager to return to North America to jump back into a new project with relatively hairless, upright apes.
Back in 2003 Wes and Rob begin forging their friendship when Wes' band The Way Out opens a small Canadian tour for Tegan and Sara, who Rob is touring and recording with at the time. After leaving the Tegan and Sara camp in late 2005, near the end of touring for the "So Jealous" album, Rob joins the tail end of touring for Australian pop star Ben Lee's "Awake Is The New Sleep" album. Here Wes and Rob would meet again, continuing to grow their musical relationship as Wes is recruited to be Ben's touring keyboardist.Meanwhile back in Vancouver, Keith is creating an indie buzz in Canada with his band The Feminists. But as is the case when one of the members in the band is in a polyamorous relationship with two of the other members, one of whom they're married to, things can get...difficult. The much loved band decide to call it quits following their 2008 release, "Can't Scream Loud Enough".
Sensing a need for a fresh start with a new band and tired of selling rare coins for a living, Keith begs Wes to beg Rob to be all that he can be.
The Buffalo Jump is thus born in the Fall of 2007. (As excellent a name The Buffalo Jump is, please refer to the Blog Section for a list of runners up.)
Wes, Keith and Rob begin jamming. But because jamming is what Hippies do, we'll call it rehearsing. The songs are sounding good so they decide they'll record them. Rob's friend Brian Minato comes down to the rehearsal space one day and records drums. Sounding pretty good so they decide to retreat to Rob's house (affectionately known as Whoops, Oh Shit Studios) with a couple bottles of wine and some fine Irish whiskey to record vocals (Rob's bathroom and livingroom), guitars (hallway, bedroom, livingroom), keyboards (livingroom) and percussion (kitchen, bathroom). Then one day, near the end of the recording sessions and sensing that too much rock awesomeness may be tipping the world into a dangerous and frighteningly unknown musical paradigm shift, the Gods of Song and Dance attempt to stop The Buffalo Jump from attaining excellence... Rob's house catches fire and burns to the ground. Fortunately Rob, a few of his most cherished books, his lap-top and Keith's guitar escape the blaze unscathed. Lost in the fire are an old television, Rob's futon mattress, which used to be Tegans', movie posters, an Ikea couch, a tambourine, Wes' wig, the house's walls, flooring and its roof.
Saddened by the demise of their studio but more determined than ever to finish the recording, Rob enlists the help of his former Ben Lee band-mate Nic Johns to contribute his musical wizardry to the project. Between studios in Portland and Los Angeles Nic employs his sweet skills on bass, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals and percussion. Nic is a gem. The Buffalo Jump are pleased.
Finding that recording with friends is fun, the boys ask a girl to join them. In comes pixie-voiced Pole, Marta Jaciubek-McKeever to add some sparkle to the mix.
How about some trumpet? Rob Calder of The Salteens and Boompa Records to the rescue.
And last but not least, Rob calls on old friends John Collins and David Carswell to help in the mixing and production of The Buffalo Jump's EP. Having worked with JCDC in the recording of Tegan and Sara's "If It Was You" and So Jealous" albums as well as a Target commercial and a former Canadian Idol's second album, Rob has full confidence that they will bring out the magic of Keith and Wes' songs of longing for days gone by.
Cheers,
Management.
