Canadian band Across the Board are releasing their new album Sonic Boom this Friday (May 4th) and to celebrate we asked leader singer Jacqueline Auguste to tell us about the title song. Here is the story:
"SONIC BOOM" is the... first release of our second full length album and third major record, on the heels of our 2017 EP "AMENDS", "SONIC BOOM" chronicles the breaking of a rock band and the highs and lows on the road to success through a Rock Opera journey.
I conceptualized the album on during the band's cross-Canada train tour from Toronto to Vancouver and back last summer. I imagined what it would really take to make it in this music industry--not only the sheer strength and unrelenting work we need to make a mark amidst all the noise, but the importance of writing great music that resonates with our fans.
The title track "SONIC BOOM" was in fact the first song I wrote for the album-it describes the indie musician's dream of a successful music career and sets the stage for the journey-- "No one's gonna stand in my way, take the sun from my day, try to rain on my parade-can you hear my sonic boom?!". As a kind of innocent determination, the single sets the stage for rest of the rock opera which takes reader along for the musical ride, Act by Act.
I pictured the listener's journey through the album like a piece of musical theatre-with a story, a heroine, and the trials and tribulations of a musical climax and anticlimax. The story is set in the small farming community outside of Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) where Auguste grew up. As a young musician, Auguste dreamed of taking her music to the 'big city' and the album echoes her journey by rail to Toronto where she eventually meets the characters who will either try to steal her dream, or help her succeed.
I see the title track as that moment in a young person's life when they throw caution to the wind, and set out on their pie in the sky musical journey-no holds barred, full speed ahead, with all the dedication, determination and drive of a wide-eyed kid. The song pulls on influences from bands like U2 and the Cranberries, Broken Social Scene and Oasis. The remaining tracks on the album follow a story line that takes our heroine across country on a train to Toronto where she meets her love interest- life partner and band mate, Andy Ramjattan, to empty bars with scamming bookers and then finally to the realization that what's important is writing music from one's heart and not losing sight of your true self.
With SONIC BOOM, we wanted to show the evolution of our writing from an Americana and country rock genre on first record JANE ON FIRE (2016) and through our second major release AMENDS (2017) which was more pop-rock-- to where we find ourselves now-- alt pop rock with a rootsy vibe. We realize these genres are often hard to define, but we feel our music always pushes the rock and roll envelope to the edge of pop, country and blues--and lands squarely in "alt" land as a result.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself here and learn more about the album right here!
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