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A Whale of a task

Life has been a tad Twilight Zone-ish for the West Coast indie band Said The Whale.
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Said the Whale’s tour of the U.S. included being ripped off in California.

Life has been a tad Twilight Zone-ish for the West Coast indie band Said The Whale.

Within the same month, the Vancouver pop/rock group went from wrapping up a difficult U.S. tour, during which Said The Whale was largely unknown and ignored, to being feted by the Canadian music industry as a Juno Award winning band.

“That was very strange. . . . It would have to be one of the most surreal moments of my life,” said the group’s drummer Spencer Schoening, who headlines with the rest of his band at the Shake the Lake Festival in Sylvan Lake on Saturday, Aug. 13.

While Schoening considers it an honour to be recognized with a 2011 Juno for best new group, he couldn’t help contrasting the gala award celebration to the mostly indifferent reception the band encountered during a first extensive tour of the States.

Said The Whale played to American audiences that could best be described as “modest” during most stops. To add insult to injury, the musicians were also ripped off in Sacramento, Calif., when someone broke into their trailer and stole clothing and instruments, including cymbals, a keyboard and an electric guitar.

“It was like they got interrupted because we found one keyboard lying in the street,” recalled Schoening, who added none of the stolen items were ever recovered.

But there were also many “cool” moments, such as playing at a well-attended Canadian band showcase in Austin, Texas.

After treating each gig as if only two people would show up to avoid disappointment, Schoening said playing for a large, appreciative audience was “unreal.”

All of the ups and downs of Said The Whale’s U.S. tour were filmed by a CBC documentary crew. Depending on ratings, the film that was shown on television in B.C. last month might eventually be aired for a national audience. Schoening hopes it will be. But in any case, he believes it will soon be available for online viewing.

Since returning to Canada, the band that formed in 2007 as a collaboration between songwriter/guitarists Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft, has been busy recording a new CD for release early in 2012. As usual, the Vancouver plays a big role in inspiring the group’s tunes.

A song with the working title of 2010 touches on the city’s changing face — from all the construction that preceded the 2010 Winter Olympics, to the infamous hockey riot after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup final.

While some of the changes can be considered positive, such as added bike lanes along some streets, Schoening said many have been harder to deal with.

“I was remembering how this park that’s near my house once was. Now, right in the middle of it, there’s this big Olympic structure — a giant curling rink . . . I was just thinking, I sure miss my park. . . . ”

The 23-year-old, who also performs with bassist Nathan Shaw and keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown, grew up playing various instruments, including piano and trumpet. But he settled on the drums in middle school and later completed jazz studies at Capilano College.

There are so many influences in his group’s music, including folk and roots, that Schoening finds it hard to describe Said The Whale’s sound. But he believes it’s this elusive, eclectic quality that’s attracted both old and young fans.

“Someone who’s a grandfather will say, ‘Oh, that song sounds a little like Stan Rogers. . . .’ ”

Admission to the Aug. 12-14 Shake the Lake sports and music festival in Sylvan Lake, which features 30 bands over three days, is free. Said the Whale headlines on Saturday evening. A schedule is available on the website 2011.shakethelake.ca.

lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com