Canadian exploratory rock combo, SIERRA, will release a very special new concept EP in March. Titled 72, SIERRA found inspiration for the new record when they happened upon this brutal murder tale from the 1970s.
SIERRA has dug deep into their prog rock roots and their local history with their upcoming 72 EP. This marks the first release since 2012’s Pslip (Retro Futurist Records) which took the three piece across the globe on tours with Kylesa and Karma To Burn across North America and Europe. The band traveled south once again to the Jam Room in South Carolina to work with producer Phillip Cope (Kylesa), this time to record one track; a twenty-three-minute epic, telling the story of a murder that took place in their hometown of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario back in the 1970s.
The concept is based on a true story, which was told to vocalist/guitarist Jason Taylor. A man, now in his sixties, told Jason about how his girlfriend was taken and murdered by a group of men on her sixteenth birthday. Unfortunately, he was the last person seen with her alive, and he was accused and harassed by the town and police for a solid year. It wasn’t until one of the men killed himself and in a suicide note admitted what he had done that he was cleared of all charges.
72 takes the listener on a journey of love, loss, grief, injustice, and revenge. The record and artwork is presented as a musical theatre piece, and comes with the script with the cast and acts. Musically, SIERRA has expanded the limitations of a three piece with added percussion, keyboards and other psychedelic noise. The EP gave the band a chance to flex a bit of creative muscle in-between albums, and to immerse themselves in their love of classic progressive rock. The package is completed with standout cover artwork by Felideus.
72 pays tribute not only to the bands love of all things progressive but also to a great friend of the band, and what he lost.
The EP was written by Jason Taylor and Robbie Carvalho. Ex-drummer Sam Hill came back to help the writing duo with drums for the recording. Since the recording of 72, SIERRA has found a new drummer and will be announcing live dates throughout the coming months with the revamped lineup. The band also plans on recording their next LP by the end of the year.
The 72 EP will see self-release by the band on March 4th, on both CD and digital formats. Preorder info, audio samples and more will be released in the coming days.
SIERRA:
Jason Taylor – vocals, guitars
Robbie Carvalho – bass, guitars, piano
Sam Hill – drums, djembe, bells
http://www.sierrariff.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/sierrariff
http://www.retrofuturistrecords.com