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Window on creativity

The band with no name has finally come up with one after an Internet campaign.But musicians Jesse Dee of Red Deer, Jacquie B of Fort McMurray and their new official third band member, Matt Blackie of Toronto, are sitting on their new moniker until they can release it along with a new single.
C07-Entertainment-Jesse
Jesse Dee of Red Deer

The band with no name has finally come up with one after an Internet campaign.

But musicians Jesse Dee of Red Deer, Jacquie B of Fort McMurray and their new official third band member, Matt Blackie of Toronto, are sitting on their new moniker until they can release it along with a new single.

This means that local fans will have to wait a few months to see what name made the cut — although the trio of musicians will be entertaining them at The Velvet Olive on Saturday.

Guitarist Jesse, who’s professionally known as Dee, but actually grew up as Jesse Dyminiw — he went to Hunting Hills High School — says it was a long, tough journey because “50 per cent or more of all the good (names) were taken.”

The musicians ended up taking a suggestion from a fan and scoured their own lyrics for a handle all three could live with.

Dee said the name change was in order with the official inclusion of Blackie last year. The drummer, who had added so much to the band’s sound as a fill-in musician, deserved acknowledgement after joining the group.

Continuing to be known only as Jesse Dee and Jacquie B “wouldn’t be fair to Matt. He’s a fabulous player,” said Dee, who believes Blackie was instrumental to the evolution of the group’s music away from folk and towards indie rock.

“We’re making emotive music, but it’s not Emo. It’s kind of pop-y,” Dee added.

The band has started to record a new album, which should be out in May.

The guitarist said it will delve further into the new sound, which is underpinned by Jackie B’s (for Boisvert) organ and keyboards.

The groove was actually pioneered on a couple of songs off the last CD, Our Ghosts Will Fill These Walls.

One of the tunes, For the Moon, started as a poem that Boisvert wrote while travelling in the back of a van through Eastern Canada and observing the silvery orb.

“I wrote it on a little piece of paper and gave it to Jesse,” she recalled, and Dee turned it into a song after a friend dared him to “write a waltz for the moon.”

Dee wrote the other organ-heavy tune, A Year in that Sky, as a love song for Boisvert. “She was out of town,” he recalled, on a musical West Coast tour with a few other female musicians, when he got the urge to jot his feelings down.

The two singer/songwriters are now travelling together, along with Blackie, through Alberta and B.C.

They are headed into the Yukon and Alaska in March.

In the meantime, Dee looks forward to playing for hometown fans this week.

“I still have a few friends there that come out to see me. I like playing in Red Deer.”

For more information, call 403-340-8288.

lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com