Walking off the ferry, Squamish鈥檚 Danielle Sweeney had to make sure she was hearing correctly.
Inside someone else鈥檚 car radio, she and Lovecoast bandmate Jesse McNeill heard their song 鈥淗elp You鈥� being blasted. It was a moment she鈥檒l treasure for a long time.
鈥淚t was a very cool feeling,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e ran back into our car and put on CBC and we managed to hear the end of it. I thought it was just so cool for us.鈥�
Lovecoast has been all over CBC recently, after the band advanced to the regional top 10 for the second straight year in the CBC Searchlight contest. Sweeney, the lead singer for the band, said the group has built on the momentum they created in 2014.鈥淚 think this year we got so much more out of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淐BC played us a ton and we had so many friends tell us they heard our music or that CBC had mentioned us.鈥�
The band underwent a change from last year, with guitarist and Squamish native Scott Verbeek moving on and being replaced by Mike Clement. Sweeney said it鈥檚 been a smooth transition. 鈥淲e all went to Vancouver Island University together so we鈥檝e been friends for years,鈥� she said.
Another new wrinkle to the group is representation from the Jeff Turner Entertainment Group. Sweeney said signing on with them has opened up several new opportunities for the band.
Lovecoast appeared at Surrey鈥檚 Party for the Planet Earth Day event in April and will have a big summer of appearances, including half-time at a Vancouver Whitecaps 2 game and at the FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup. They鈥檙e also performing at the Wapiti Music Festival in Fernie in August. But Squamish has always been home for Sweeney and Lovecoast has three local stops on its tour, which runs from May 8 to June 5.
The band plays Match Public Eatery at Chances Casino on Friday (May 8) and Saturday (May 9) and then returns to Squamish to perform at the Howe Sound Brew Pub on May 30.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our first time at Match and I think it鈥檚 going to be so much fun,鈥� she said, noting they鈥檙e playing outside on the patio. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be a little more laid back and intimate, and it鈥檒l be so nice to have family and friends in the audience.鈥�
It鈥檚 the second time Lovecoast has played at the Brew Pub, and Sweeney said it鈥檚 going to be a special show. 鈥淲e really love it there and we鈥檙e bringing in some really special guests to play with us,鈥� she said. Paperboy and the Messengers, which she calls 鈥渁 dirty blues band,鈥� will also perform.
The tour sees Lovecoast make its debut in Saskatoon, Lethbridge and Lloydminster and return to several others during the 14-date tour throughout Western Canada.
