Last summer, Nanaimo guitarist and songwriter Malcolm Beaton was searching for a singer.
“It was at the point where I have all these songs, but I am not much of a singer,” Beaton said.
That’s when the Dover Bay Secondary School graduate turned to Facebook and reached out to Malaspina Choir member and Nanaimo District Secondary School student Jasmine Walters.
“He just messaged me on Facebook and was like, ‘hey, do you want to be in a band?’” Walters said. “So I went to his house and we started playing around and we actually turned out to be pretty good.”
It wasn’t long after that Beaton and Walters decided to form Idle Ocean, an “indie” sounding band.
“Malcolm had the same style and same ideas and the way the we played together we just kind of clicked,” Walters said.
On Thursday (June 4) Idle Ocean will be performing with Nick Begg and The River and The Road at the Queen’s.
Idle Ocean was officially formed last July and within four weeks it played its first show at the Globe Hotel. Their current sound is described as “indie” and “very mellow.”
“It has a coffee shop vibe to it,” Walters said.
Following the show at the Queen’s, Idle Ocean will become a foursome by adding a drummer and a bass guitarist.
Beaton explained that the band has always wanted to be a foursome, but had troubles finding the right bass guitarist.
“It wasn’t only finding a bass player, but finding a bass player that wanted to play our type of music,” Beaton said.
With the additions, Idle Ocean, which is hoping to play more shows this summer, will begin experimenting with different sounds and styles.
“Now it is starting to be more like a band with everyone in it,” Beaton said.
Idle Ocean perform at the Queen’s at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Tickets can be purchased at the Queen’s.
For more information on Idle Ocean, please visit www.on.fb.me/1HBbtJ4.
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