The Bystanders are an indie-folk and roots band from Regina, Saskatchewan, whose music is best described as “prairie fresh”. The band was formed after brothers Davin and Judd Stachoski locked themselves in an abandoned warehouse in a frosty February in 2009, and emerged with a 10-song demo disc. The disc garnered a lot of excitement among friends and family and frequent airplay on community radio, so The Bystanders decided to take the songs to the stage, with Corey Rhiendel on bass and Nathan Streifel filling out the foursome on drums.
Davin and Judd share the songwriting and lead singing duties, all while incorporating the sounds of diverse instrumentation (guitars, bass, drums, accordion, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, etc). The topics of their songs are as varied as the number of instruments they bring to a show: songs about love, heartache, guilt, and the search for self are often followed by lively tunes about the ridiculousness of lovers’ demands, nights out on the town, and a tune about the ludicrous social life of a teenage pizza cook. The topics are bridged artistically together, making a night at a Bystanders show as assorted as life itself. The influences are a blended mixture of legends like Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle with modern Canadian indie artists like The Weakerthans, NQ Arbuckle and Elliott Brood. The sincerity in the lyrics, the melody of the songs, the variety of instruments, and the energy and enthusiasm o …
The Bystanders are an indie-folk and roots band from Regina, Saskatchewan, whose music is best described as “prairie fresh”. The band was formed after brothers Davin and Judd Stachoski locked themselves in an abandoned warehouse in a frosty February in 2009, and emerged with a 10-song demo disc. The disc garnered a lot of excitement among friends and family and frequent airplay on community radio, so The Bystanders decided to take the songs to the stage, with Corey Rhiendel on bass and Nathan Streifel filling out the foursome on drums.
Davin and Judd share the songwriting and lead singing duties, all while incorporating the sounds of diverse instrumentation (guitars, bass, drums, accordion, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, etc). The topics of their songs are as varied as the number of instruments they bring to a show: songs about love, heartache, guilt, and the search for self are often followed by lively tunes about the ridiculousness of lovers’ demands, nights out on the town, and a tune about the ludicrous social life of a teenage pizza cook. The topics are bridged artistically together, making a night at a Bystanders show as assorted as life itself. The influences are a blended mixture of legends like Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle with modern Canadian indie artists like The Weakerthans, NQ Arbuckle and Elliott Brood. The sincerity in the lyrics, the melody of the songs, the variety of instruments, and the energy and enthusiasm onstage makes certain that a Bystanders' concert is a great time.
The Bystanders recorded their first official self-titled 3-track EP in 2010, following a busy year of writing songs and playing shows in Regina. The 3 songs chosen for the disc are a great example of the diverse sound of the band. They exemplify both the energy and fun of a live show and the insightfulness and honesty of the songwriting. The initial success of The Bystanders EP has ensured that band will begin work on a full-length album in 2011.
The Weakerthans, NQ Arbuckle, Constantines, Tom Waits, Wintersleep, Deep Dark Woods, Bruce Springsteen
