Forests are the inspiration for the sonic soundscapes of Gold & Shadow.
The lush greenery of Vancouver Island’s rainforests are paired with the anxiety and turmoil of life in the band’s EP Birdhaus.
“Songwriting is often reflective of the more tenuous or strenuous parts of people’s lives,” said Dane Letourneau, lead singer for the band, adding expressing those feelings through songs can be cathartic.
Turmoil and the peaceful atmosphere of a forest are polar opposites, but joined because of Letourneau’s creative process.
“The two are permanently paired because that is the space I get inspired and that is where I write music in, in the forest,” said Letourneau. “The difference between the lyrical side of things and the melodic things is we are making beautiful and atmospheric music, but stuff is reflective of what is going on in a person’s head.”
Gold & Shadow released Birdhaus in June. It follows on the heels of the band’s full-length album Torch, released last year. Letourneau said the band wanted to release the EP instead of creating another album because the members wanted to release an album quickly. Torch took two years to create.
“It’s easy to feel disconnected,” he said about the time it takes to create and release an album, adding that this one feels fresh.
The EP features six songs, with two, Birdhaus I and Birdhaus II, sharing the same moniker as the album.
The name was taken from a dwelling called Birdhaus and the EP includes illustrations.
“It’s the classic university house and at times it’s funny and at times it’s gross,” said Letourneau. “We kind of thought it was funny so we immortalized it in illustrations.”
The EP is only available as a digital download.
Gold & Shadow has been a band for eight years in Nanaimo and over the years some of the members have changed. Current members include Letourneau, Jordan Lineker, Wes Holmes and Jesse Janzen.
Gold & Shadow performs at White Sail Brewing Saturday (July 16) at 8 p.m. Admission is by donation at the door.
Band members are bringing lots of energy.
“The music is often reflective and beautiful, but we like to take it up a notch,” said Letourneau, about the band’s stage performance. “It’s a privilege to be up there. It’s a privilege to have people come out and see you.”
The performance is Gold & Shadow’s final Nanaimo show before the members take a break for an unknown length of time.
Letourneau plans to travel, Janzen is performing in the post-metal rock band The Monarch and Lineker and Holmes can be seen performing with their rock ’n’ roll band The Stacks, which released the EP Open Till Midnite in April.
For more information about the Gold & Shadow please go to http://goldandshadow.tumblr.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com