November truly is a month to remember for Petric with their many accomplishments and dreams coming true.
Petric and I go way back. I’ve known and supported these guys before they were Petric so to be able to interview them is always a special treat for me. They have worked so hard to come as far as they have in the past few years and within a one-week period in November, I don’t think life could get any better for these brothers and their long-time friend.
I want to start this interview by congratulating Petric on their stellar performance at the November 6 MCMA Awards Show (virtual live stream), the record-breaking 12 Manitoba Country Music award nominations and for taking home the hardware for another recording-breaking six wins that include:
Album of the Year (Flashbacks)
Single of the Year (”Kids”)
Music Video of the Year (“All Who Wander”)
Group of the Year
Bass Player of the Year (Ben Mak-Wiebe)
Drummer of the Year (Jon Plett)
You can watch Petric perform “All Who Wander” at the MCMA 2021 Awards Show (at the 1:07 mark) here.
First on the list of the ultimate week is the release of their new single, “When I Asked You To Dance” on November 15. Then, on the very next day, November 16, they are performing the national anthem at the Winnipeg Jets game – an event that will be seen nation-wide.
On November 20, one of their biggest dreams will come true. Petric will be back at the Canada Life Centre (formerly MTS Centre and Bell MTS Place), for the second time in less than a week, performing on the big stage in front of their hometown crowd. They’ll be sharing the stage with Dean Brody and High Valley.
So, that’s the intro as to what these guys have to keep them on Cloud Nine. Now, on to the interview I had with Petric, via email. This was a great opportunity for me, through Canadian Beats, to chat with the guys about their single and their return to live music. Check out my questions and their answers. It’s a great read.
Huge congrats Jason, Tom and Jordan. Wow, what a month for you. Again, I want to congratulate you on all you noms and wins at the MCMA Awards. You certainly did break records. PERIOD! Second, third and fourth … a new single, performing a national anthem and a dream come true all in a five-day period. And, two new babies…
I’m just so thrilled with all you have accomplished.
Let’s chat about your single … “When I Asked You To Dance.” What a great tune. It’s so much fun to listen to it.
This is what the band says about it,
“From the first moment we took this song into the studio, it has been a complete expression of fun and joy for our band. “When I Asked You To Dance” is a song about asking someone you just met to hit the dance floor. It’s about those first moments in a new relationship, where you have the desire to know what it’s like to hold that person close, look into their eyes, touch them, kiss them. Those moments in life are very exhilarating and exciting. We feel this song is just that. We are excited to finally get the opportunity to share this track with everyone, and even more excited to start working it into our live show.”
Can you tell us how this song came about and what it means to you?
“When I Asked You To Dance” was one of the songs we took into the studio when recording Flashbacks. For no reason in particular, we set this song aside to be a single. We’ve actually been performing the song live since summer 2019. It’s always been a major hit for us in our live shows. We are excited to perform it again on November 20.
Who wrote “When I Asked You To Dance” and who produced it?
This song was written by Hannah Ellis, Jacob Durette, Nick Wayne, and Jason Duke. Chris Baseford produced it.
Did you record this single in a studio together or did any part of it have to be done remotely?
We recorded this song at Bedside Studios in Winnipeg, MB, back in 2019.
Do you have any fun stories to tell us about in the making “When I Asked You To Dance” and what was the most special highlight for you all?
This song fell together very naturally for Petric. We were all on the same page very quick. As a band, when you can connect like that on a song, that’s an enjoyable experience in itself.
Tell us what do you hope listeners will take away from this single?
It might seem very cliché to say this, but we hope it makes people dance. We create and perform music with the intent to make people sing, dance and experience joy. That’s what this song does for us, and we hope we can share that with people.
“When I Asked You To Dance” is available November 15, so listen to it, download it, save it or stream it HERE.
Let’s chat about your return to live music …
You be performing in front of two very large crowds, but different crowds, for two nights in five days. I can’t even comprehend what must be going through your minds right now.
First up, let’s chat about performing the national anthem at the November 16 Winnipeg Jets game. Hockey means so much to you. Jason, you actually coached your high school hockey team and took them to, at the time, the MTS Centre to help them win the city championship. You are all huge Winnipeg Jets fans and we can tell that just by your social media posts. So, to say that you’ve been given the opportunity to perform the national anthem once again is an understatement. Tom has performed the national anthem once solo and this is the second time for Petric. (Winnipeg has had some fun with Tom after the last time he performed.)
What did you feel when you were asked once again to perform the national anthem to a live, exuberant Winnipeg Jets crowd?
It’s always very exciting to have any opportunity to work with the Jets and True North Sports & Entertainment. The team is looking really great this year. It is going to be a really good game.
I know how much it means to you to be singing the national anthem and also know how much it means to the crowd to see their hometown boys doing this.
How are you going to feel when you step out onto that ice and look up to the packed arena and hear their cheers. Also, when it comes to the part “True North” … that’s gotta bring a smile to your face to be a part of that moment right?
I think the “True North” chant will always give us goosebumps, whether we are singing the anthem or not. Winnipeg fans are a whole new level of passion. We are very proud to be part of it, and we are very lucky to have seen these same fans supporting Petric and our music over the years.
Also, knowing that the game and your performance will be watched all across Canada, what does that mean for you personally as well as the exposure you’ll receive professionally?
I think it just means we can’t screw up without EVERYONE seeing.
Watch Petric perform the national anthem when the Winnipeg Jets face off against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, November 16.
I’m saving THE BEST for last. You’ll be living one of your biggest dreams on November 20 when you hit the big stage at the Canada Life Centre. You’ll be on stage with High Valley (who you shared the stage with previously at Club Regent Event Centre in August of 2017) and one of Canada’s biggest names in country music today, Dean Brody. I know you are going own that stage and WOW the audience. This is your time to shine!
Let’s start off with this. Performing live is one of the most fulfilling things for an artist or band to do. You get to showcase who you are and the talent you possess. You have the chance to connect with your existing fans and find a way to make fans of the people who may not know much about you. Who has influenced you the most with the way you present your live music?
There are so many artists and bands who continue to influence our live show. At this point in our career, we know what we want to give our fans. We know who we are, and we are comfortable enough to be who we are on stage. When we first started our band, we were still figuring some of that out. We’ve all grown up, and come a long way in life. It will be great to get to continue our evolution on stage.
When you were asked to be a part of this show (Road to Countryfest), what was the first thing that went through your minds?
Excitement, shock, and maybe a bit of relief. As a band we have worked hard. We’ve succeeded, we’ve struggled. This has been an incredible journey for Petric. Having this opportunity is truly a dream come true. A dream that we’ve all shared since we were teenagers. That feeling of relief is because this is the moment we’ve worked for and struggled for the last 20 years. We are very grateful to have this chance and plan to make the most of it.
What thoughts are going through your heads as you prepare for this special moment in your lives? You know that the Winnipeg (especially those from Transcona) audience cares about you and wants you to be a huge success.
Right now, I think we are just focused on preparing for this show. We haven’t performed since February 2020, so we all understand that there is a lot of work that is needed to be put in.
Do you have a pre-show ritual to keep your peace so that you can stay focused on giving an excellent performance that is entertaining as well?
We really don’t. Usually, before a show, we all just hang out in our dressing room before and make sure we are all ready to go. I think this show may be a little different for everyone involved. It’s a special moment that we need to savor.
Because performing live is such a great experience for any artist of musician, just how much fun will it be for you to perform live again? To be able to have that deep connection with an audience once again? To see them clapping to the beat, to singing the lyrics to your songs as loud as they can and to be dancing right along to the music – you know … to have them perform with you and be a part of the magic that is happening to both you and on your first time on the Canada Life Centre stage?
Our last show, we left the stage experiencing of our greatest “high.” If we only knew that was going to be the last time for a long time, we might have done everything a lot different. Since that show, we’ve released a new record and now a new single. We’ve had some amazing success in both Canada and Australia. As a band, we explored a new creative side with producing many music videos, and on top of all that, a few of us have had kids. We’ve grown a lot since our last show. I think we will be walking on stage as new men, and we are excited to share that with fans.
People don’t go to concerts just for the live music. They are also going for the experience of creating memories and the sense of belonging to that special moment in time, whether it be crying their eyes out to one of your ballads or you filling the arena with your own unique energy. The uniqueness you bring to the stage is a way to engage the crowd like no other artist and this stage is your playground for the time you are up there. So, other than the fact that you are the hometown band and it’s your time to create an impact like never before, what “uniqueness” do you think you’ll bring to the stage that night?
We plan on giving Winnipeg our best performance. We are approaching this show like it’s our last time on stage. I hope everyone is there early and ready to go!
To hear the crowd cheer for you when walk on the stage (and we know how thunderous a Winnipeg crowd can be in the Canada Life Centre), how deeply do you think all that energy will affect you personally?
It’s something that I imagine all of us will cherish for the rest of our lives.
How long is your entire performance and how many songs will you perform? Creating a setlist can be both fun and hard to do. You have so many hit songs and tunes that have a special meaning to so it must be hard for you to select ones that will appropriate for this venue.
We’re still working on everything. I think fans will just have to show up early to find out what we have in store.
Will there be a dedication to anyone in the crowd, or maybe to someone at home is a crib?
Our kids are coming. We’re going to be very proud to say our boys’ first concert was a Petric show at the arena.
When it’s the last beat of the drum, the last chord to be strung on the guitar of the last song, the last opportunity to engage with the crowd before you walk off the stage, what memory do you think you will hold most dear?
Every beat of that drum. Every note. Like we said early, we performed our last show not knowing what lied ahead of us. We are going to savor every memory and every moment that night.
Are you able to do a Meet and Greet with the Covid restrictions in place?
We honestly haven’t thought too far ahead. Hopefully we get the opportunity to meet some fans that night. We miss everybody, and are all really excited to share a night of music.
Tickets for Road to Countryfest concert can be purchased HERE.
It has been such an honour for me to see how Petric has grown over the years and so I want to thank you Jason, Tom and Jordan for this interview and for giving us all a peek into your thoughts and what the next while holds for Petric. We at Canadian Beats wish you all the best in all your future endeavours, personally and professionally.