'Further Than Rust'  
CD Released August 4th, 2016

1998 Was A Weird Time for Rock N' Roll...

But when isn't it? The Grunge era was pretty much dead. There were still some neo-Grunge leftovers but it certainly wasn't like the early 90's. Rockers dabbled in ska, rap, and country (amongst other styles), but there was certainly no true direction. One thing was apparent however, rock n’ roll was once again losing some of its foothold on the “music” as big business and the idea of “manufacturing the music” squeezed in. 

We of course decided to start a band that year. It wasn’t the first time. In high school, James, Kevin, and Colin were 3/5’s of the powerhouse pop infused quintet “North of the Border.” Never heard of them? You weren’t listening or looking hard enough. Anyway, in ’98 we formed the shell of an 18 year (and still going) relationship of what was to be Nickeltree. We released two albums in the late 90’s and then took the 2000’s by storm with three more. The 2010’s have been just as productive with a sixth being made as well as a seventh, our latest, “Further Than Rust.” 

We’ve had the chance to play all across Canada in that time, from big venues and festivals to small clubs and art houses. There’s very few shows we don’t remember. We always had a great time and we’ve met so many genuinely good people in this business it’s almost indescribable. It hasn’t always been roses though. We have played at 4 am at a festival as the sun came up (note to all bands: stick to your allotted set length!!!). We’ve had breast milk squirted directly from “the source” at us while on stage (that wasn’t all that bad). There were always abundant transportation adventures (a small plane overloaded with band gear does not take off well from a grass runway and diesel vehicles don’t run well on gasoline!) and, yes, our name sounds a lot like another rich and famous band with money to burn. Big deal! A few short examples from a long list. 

Through it all, we can’t say enough about the great musicians we’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage and studio with. Canada is truly rich with musical talent. And the supporters of Canadian rock n’ roll (the people who come to the gigs and buy the music) are as courageous as ever. Keep up the good fight and don’t give up on the “live” show.

We need you more than ever!  

We are not young anymore in the literal sense but we are by no means old. We still have alot of work to do and the sun is still high and warm on our shoulders. This road is a hard one but we have no desire to leave it any time soon. On it, there will always be the thrill of the edges and the comfort of the ruts. Enjoy the new album and we will see you at the very next stop or just around the corner...

Yours as always,
Nickeltree