Take five talented Squamish musicians, let them simmer in a local studio for six to seven months, and you鈥檝e got Dentville 鈥� Squamish鈥檚 newest band.
Although they just formed in October, the band has developed a strong local following and recently made it to the regional top 10 in the CBC Searchlight project.
Comprised of locals Darcy Cavanah (rhythm guitar and vocals), Nadine McNeil (vocals), Darrell Booth (lead guitar), Chris Robertson (bass) and Mike Hewitt (keyboard), Dentville originally came together out of a friendly rivalry between Cavanah and McNeil during their singing competition days.
鈥淣adine and I have known each for 10 years,鈥� Cavanah said. 鈥淲e competed against each other in singing contests in the Lower Mainland and would often finish in the top five of whatever contest we鈥檇 do. It was a bit of a friendly rivalry.鈥�
Cavanah moved to Squamish a few years later and after another band he was in broke up, he decided to give McNeil a call.
鈥淢y wife actually suggested we work together,鈥� he said. 鈥淐hris, who used to be in my old band, called me up, and we began jamming together.鈥�
Hewitt, a multi-talented performer and musician, hopped aboard, and McNeil recruited Booth after getting to know each other on the Squamish Connector bus.
Cavanah said the name of the band was simple 鈥� Dentville is the location where the band performs inside the Shaw Studios.
鈥淧eople who don鈥檛 know about Dentville think it sounds like a really rough part of town,鈥� he said, laughing.
He described the band鈥檚 sound as progressive country rock fusion and said while he writes the majority of the songs, it鈥檚 a truly collaborative process.
鈥淓veryone gets to put their paint into the easel,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e want to make sure everyone is included and invested in every song we do. Darrell is so good at producing, Chris contributes with his licks, Nadine is helping with the writing and Mike puts in his touch too. We wouldn鈥檛 be the same without all the aspects from all the members 鈥� they breathe life into my songs.鈥�
Cavanah said the band was overwhelmed with the positive response from the CBC Searchlight project.
鈥淚t gave us a really good marker that we鈥檙e headed in the right direction,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e never thought we would make it that far, we didn鈥檛 think we鈥檇 get out of the first round. The other bands were way more established and so many of them do it full-time 鈥� we all have day jobs.鈥�
Dentville鈥檚 new Facebook page blew up during the contest, rising to close to 500 likes, and the Searchlight page had over 500 plays of its three songs.
The band performed live for the first time on Friday at the Brackendale Art Gallery, and Cavanah said new drummer Ross Willard fit in well.
He said it鈥檚 going to be a summer full of putting together a full library of songs for the band.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had to turn down a ton of gigs because we didn鈥檛 know we鈥檇 get all this publicity after Searchlight,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e all have lots of commitments over the summer, but we鈥檙e going to write over the summer and want to put together a nine or 10-song album.鈥�
He said the group is aiming to release the album this fall and then will begin taking bookings for shows.
For more information on the band, visit www.facebook.com/DentvilleMusic.
