On the verge of summer touring season, Calgary artists Constant Season are primed and anxiously ready to drop a different kind of sound onto music fans. Constant Season’s upcoming debut EP Midnight Lines was borne out of the extensive and emotive process of being kicked out of clubs, pushed off the line-up of scheduled gigs, members moving to different countries, not to mention a major beef with the prince of piano himself, Sir Elton John.
Officially formed in 2006, Constant Season has a deep rooted history and has created what lead guitarist Cory Klapper describes as a thick network. Their bass player, Kristian “Kit” Shepetys and Klapper met in grade four, bonding over their love of music and soon after started jamming together. While other kids were glued to their TV or playing Nintendo, the twosome was working out plans for their future musical careers.
That band has lasted over the years, even through time and distance.
“Even when I moved away to L.A. for a while, I would phone Kit with ideas,” Klapper says. “We just always sort of knew this album would happen.”
Despite some set backs, Constant Season are preparing to release their self-described “catchy but complex” sound on the Calgary scene.
“We are really excited,” Shepetys says.
“I feel like the album is a really bold statement. It’s been a long time coming and it is really good,” Klapper elaborates.
“It’s not a concept album, but the songs play off of each other . . . every song is really different,” he adds.
The complexity and variance of musical influences within the band are apparent on the EP, as their musical taste ranges from the soft piano of Coldplay to the ferocity of bands such as Lamb of God.
Though there are a lot of stylistic elements coming into play, the group put in the time to make it all work together.
“We sat down and really talked about how we wanted the album to sound,” Klapper explains. “We rearranged the songs a bunch of times, because they’re all so different, but this is what worked.”
Of all of the harrowing tales told of the bands journey up until this point, the one that stands out is that of the matter of Elton– Sir Elton that is. The last person Constant Season believed would hold up the production of their album was one of their musical influences. During the recording of Midnight Lines, their engineer received a call that Elton John would require their recording space, holding up the final touches to the project.
“He might have touched my piano,” Klapper laughs. “He didn’t even sign it or anything though.”
Constant Season’s release party is a long time coming, and not just because of the Sir Elton incident. As the boys reminisce about working the Calgary night club circuit, many bands are starting out in town.
“Our first show was at a battle of the bands at Cowboys, which we won,” Shepetys says. “The night club circuit is really all you can do as a band starting out.”
Though the group worked through playing clubs and often receiving less than warm reactions, it hasn’t dampened the boys’ spirits about the musical landscape of Calgary.
“Corey falls in love with every opening band he sees,” Shepetys laughs. “We love getting to know all of them.”