Photo Credit: Lane Dorsey
Juno Award-winning, powerhouse rock duo Crown Lands – Cody Bowles (vocals and drums) and Kevin Comeau (guitar, bass, and keys) – have released two new tracks, ‘White Buffalo’ and ‘The Oracle’ via Spinefarm Records/Universal Music Canada. Both songs were recorded with three-time Grammy Award-winning Toronto producer David Bottrill (Tool, Mastodon, Rush, Peter Gabriel).
‘White Buffalo’ is released today with an accompanying official music video, directed by Alim Sabir. The spirited visual sees Crown Lands immersed in the elements, performing in a new age forest with dancers that fortify the theme of movement.
Check out the video for ‘White Buffalo’ here: https://crownlands.lnk.tt/WBvideo
Listen to ‘White Buffalo’ and ‘The Oracle’ here: https://crownlands.lnk.tt/WBTO
‘White Buffalo’ arrives as a symbol of aspiration, in recognition of the resilience and strength of Indigenous communities to overcome injustice, while manifesting a prosperous future. The big guitars, stomping baseline and pummelling drums barrel forward as if to conjure the movement of a giant buffalo.
“’White Buffalo’ is the third instalment in our trilogy of songs about Indigenous rights,” say Crown Lands. “’Mountain‘ is what happened. ‘End of the Road‘ is what is happening. ‘White Buffalo’ is manifesting what will happen: overcoming oppression and rising up to reclaim one’s land. The ‘White Buffalo’ is a symbol of manifestation. When Colonizers came to North America they tried to wipe out the Buffalo to starve Indigenous people to death. The buffalo are still here. We are too, and together we’ll overcome. Also, never has 7/8 ever been more danceable.”
Over the course of a thirteen-minute, multi-part composition, ‘The Oracle’ continues another story that Crown Lands is creating, revealing the origins of the Queen character featured in the ‘Context: Fearless Pt. 1‘ music video. “We wanted to take the listener somewhere and evoke a sense of adventure,” says Bowles. “Taking solace from the realities Crown Lands confront in a fictional world they continue to create.”
Crown Lands were introduced to Grammy Award-winning producer David Bottrill after he produced the vocals for the band’s last two singles, ‘Context: Fearless Pt. 1’ and ‘Right Way Back’. Comeau recalls, “The riff for ‘White Buffalo’ came to me during the ‘Context / Right Way Back’ session with Nick Raskulinecz back in February 2020. It felt addicting and special then. It was originally written in 13/8 and the chorus was in 7. It kept popping its head up in jam sessions, but we weren’t sure how to make the chorus work. Enter David Bottrill.” On working with the esteemed producer, Comeau continues, “Dave is one of the most meticulous and detail-oriented people we’ve worked with. His precision helped make these songs exactly what they needed to be.”
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About Crown Lands:
Hailing from Southwestern Ontario, powerhouse Canadian rock duo Crown Lands are a startling fresh jolt of energy, making music that brings together a range of influences from folk and blues to psychedelic prog rock. The group’s name is indicative of their musical ambitions: ‘Crown Land’ is territorial area belonging to the monarch – or, as Bowles (whose own heritage is half Mi’kmaw, an Indigenous tribe from Nova Scotia) puts it: “Crown Land is stolen land and we are reclaiming it.”
Crown Lands’ self-titled debut album, produced by Grammy-nominated Dave Cobb, was released in the summer of 2020, to widespread acclaim from the likes of Guitar World, Kerrang!, and American Songwriter, alongside coverage from the BBC and the CBC. Crown Lands then stormed into 2021 with two songs, ‘Context: Fearless Pt. 1’ and ‘Right Way Back’, that saw them return to their prog-rock roots and pointed the way to a limitless future, while also connecting the group to their legendary countrymen Rush after working with three prolific Rush producers – Terry Brown, Nick Raskulinecz and David Bottrill – on the tracks. ‘Context: Fearless Pt. 1’ and ‘Right Way Back’ premiered with Rolling Stone and were named ‘Rockest Record’ on BBC Radio 1. More recently, Crown Lands received their first Juno Awards nominations, for Rock Album of the Year and taking home the award for Breakthrough Group of the Year. The band also signed a deal with Spinefarm Records, which will be working with Universal Music Canada to support their upcoming releases in the US and UK.