There are bands out there that bristle with an infectious originality - and landing on the top of that creative 'pile' would have to be The Confusionaires.
With their rollicking, flat-out fun tunes tapping into everything from bold rock and rockabilly to funk and classic country, the guys perform Feb. 8 at the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre.
Tickets for 'The Confusionaries take on Buddy Holly' are available at the Mary C. Moore Public Library, or by heading to lacombeperformingartscentre.com. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
After years of belonging to several other bands in the Edmonton area, guitarist Davey Johnston, drummer Adam Stark, and bassist/vocalist Jayson Aschenmeierl joined forces in 2017 and the striking blend of talents has frankly known no limits ever since.
It's not small feat to find like-minded musicians with a similar vision.
"Putting a band together is difficult, because it's not just about getting good musicians, it's also about timing," explained Johnston.
"People's lives are so busy, and if you play music, it's even more so. To have a few guys get together, who all want to take something as seriously as we do, is the kind of thing where lightning strikes once. But it really worked out timing-wise for all of us."
The guys have been creatively making their clever, sleek sonic mark ever since.
According to their bio, the trio first cut their teeth in the Edmonton and Calgary music scenes in early 2017 by taking any opportunity they could get on the reputation of their previous bands alone.
This took them through to early 2018 when they recorded their debut disc It’s time to make a little mess with… Confusionaires live 'off the floor'.
From there, doors opened for more shows and opportunities to grow their fan base as well.
"We are all pretty open to new sounds. I played in a bunch of punk bands. Also, my dad was a big blues guy, and I, by extension, because a blues guy, too. But we have all come together on this foundation of rock and roll, which starts in the 1950s, and just branches out in so many directions from there," he explained.
"We kind of work backwards from a lot of our other interests.
"The sound of the band has also evolved. I don't think we are the same band as when we started. Foundationally, yes - but I think we kind of dig in a bit harder these days, and we are more free with what we can do," he said.
"We can run with anything, and we know what to do with it to make it distinctly ours."
Other releases include 2020's From The Headache To The Heartache which, as Johnston noted, hit harder and pushed faster than their debut project.
For Johnston, music was indeed a central part of his growing up years. For starters, his mom played both guitar and piano, plus she sang, too.
For his part, Johnston started playing guitar in his early teens. And as to the singing, he said it was essentially born out of necessity.
"I was a guitar player first, and I didn't really start singing until I was in my early 20s. I would play in a band with singers, and sometimes I didn't love the way the songs that I had put together were coming across. So I found myself singing and playing," he added with a laugh.
Meanwhile, looking into 2025, the guys have begun pre-production on what will be their fourth full-length studio album, with the biggest and most well-planned campaign to date.
For Johnston, there is absolutely nothing quite like making music, not to mention the gift of sharing it with folks far and wide.
"It's like a glorious drug," he said with a laugh.
"Getting up on stage - there is nothing like it. We have a lot of fun." Plus, with the guys being in their 40s, those zany years of jumping in a van and driving hours on end in cramped conditions aren't really a 'thing' anymore. That's a big plus.
"With the stability that comes with being at this stage of our lives, we travel pretty comfortably."
Of course, hitting the stage offers some of the most joyful moments. And with these three creative giants pooling their talents, there is always new vistas to explore.
"By and large, we tend to play the same songs week to week, and it's kind of like drawing a different sunset. The sun still sets, but it's a little different every time.
"I also often think before I go onstage that my entire life has led me up to this moment, and it's been a good life," he added with a clear sense of gratitude.
"We count our lucky stars that people still want to see us do it."