Band: Vanstones
Album: Cascadia
Release Date: August 25, 2023
Genre: Folk, Pop
Amanda Fata, Sarah Murphy, and Nathan Schultz are Vanstones: a Yukon-based folk-pop trio
recognizable for their soaring bluegrass-inspired harmonies, catchy, heartfelt songwriting and
spirited live performances.
Reminiscent of the multi-lead vocalist band Fleetwood Mac, Vanstones signature sound
highlights the interplay between three distinct voices. Instrumentally, they each bring
something unique: Nathan’s expressive, acoustic fingerpicking, Amanda’s steady, vibrant world
percussion, and Sarah’s sky-scraping, soulful guitar playing. The result is a classic-Celtic-folk-
rock-world rhythm-inspired sound that is like no other. Individually they are impressive –
together, they are a force.
The band’s new album, Cascadia was released on August 25, and features eight tracks, including the singles, “Sleepy Northern Town” and “Home.”
Kicking off the album, “Of Course I Can” sets the tone with a warm and comforting ambiance, conveying a strong sense of love, support, and nostalgia. The repetitive refrain of “Well of course I can” adds a comforting and reassuring quality to the lyrics, emphasizing the singer’s unwavering commitment to being there for their loved one. The track continuously weaves the thread of unconditional love and complete acceptance, as exemplified in lines such as, “You’ve seen my light, And my darkness, But you loved me regardless.” This recurring theme strikes a universal chord, echoing the deep-rooted human longing for unwavering companionship and empathy within a relationship.
“Better Days” brings in an upbeat, optimistic beat that refuses to let go. The opening verse immediately establishes a hopeful tone with the words, “Better days are coming for you, Pain is unsustainable.” This track radiates an undeniably feel-good atmosphere from start to finish, making it an ideal choice for a diverse audience. Its uplifting nature and positive message can resonate with anyone in need of a pick-me-up or a reminder that better days are ahead.
As the final curtain falls on this musical journey, “With You (California)” paints a vivid picture of someone yearning to escape to California and find a sense of freedom and love. Throughout the song, the listener is treated to beautiful harmonies which play a pivotal role in enhancing the emotional impact and overall listening experience. This is a track that invites you to wander into the dreamscape of anyone who has yearned for a fresh beginning or an exhilarating adventure.
Overall, Cascadia features a compelling and emotionally charged assortment of tracks exploring a range of themes, from enduring relationships to hope and dreams of escape. The album’s profound lyrical content, harmonious arrangements, and relatable themes make it an enticing addition to any music collection.
Learn more about Vanstones via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We are Vanstones, a folk-pop trio from Whitehorse, Yukon. We write music that centralizes vocal arrangements. We’re really inspired by bands with multiple vocalists, each of us sings lead and all of our songs spotlight our love of vocal harmonies. Our sound is a blend of traditional folk elements mixed in with big electric guitar sounds, world-music-inspired rhythms, and catchy pop vocal melodies. It’s a sound that is both comfortingly familiar and intriguingly fresh at the same time.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Sarah: Cascadia is a collection of songs we wrote together over the past few years. We formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, so a lot of the songs are from that period of our lives.
Nathan: It’s 8-tracks in length, a robust .69 oz, and it vocalizes a lot. It’s our happy healthy little baby.
Amanda: What Nathan is saying is we are very excited to share our music with everyone really soon!
Sarah: We recorded the album with Jim Holland at Green Needle Studios in Whitehorse. We all feel it showcases our range as a group. We’ve got some tunes on there that are more straight folk-pop/Americana songs that’ll have you in your feelings, then suddenly you’ll be hit by a great world music beat that’s got you grooving.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
Sarah: Oh gosh, everywhere. I think one of the things that makes us unique is how different our musical influences are and how differently we all approach songwriting. Influences for me range from great Canadian indie acts like Hey! Rosetta and Said The Whale, to classic rock bands like my favourite of all time Fleetwood Mac. I’m also really influenced by Newfoundland folk music, having grown up there. When writing, I tend to be focused on “what is the story here.” The lyrics I contributed to Cascadia range from being about my own life to something that will never happen to me or impact me directly, like “Rainbow Valley” which is about mountaineering.
Nathan: When I write, I don’t try to tell a story or get too personal about things. I just draw on the emotions that are floating around me and try to evoke them. I do it lyrically, melodically, often through instrumental expression. I see myself as more of a conduit in that way, rather than a songwriter. I’m like a lightning rod for feelings. I soak them all up and then spit them back out in a sonically coherent way.
Amanda: Like Sarah mentioned, we each pull inspiration from different places. For me, the rhythms come from playing with Samba Squad for many years and my interest in world music. You will hear Brazilian samba and Caribbean influences in our music.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
Sarah: We’ve got our album release party coming up on August 26th at Lefty’s Well in Whitehorse. We’ll be playing with a full band, including a drummer and bass player for the first time live. We’ll also be joined by our wonderful local musicians Denim and Bria Rose ‘N’ Thorns. After that, we’re really excited to be one of the showcasing acts representing Yukon at Breakout West this year!
What’s your goal for 2023?
Amanda: We have two! First and foremost, to get our music in as many ears as we can. After that, writing. We’ve been so busy that we haven’t gotten the chance to flesh out all of the ideas that have been floating around us this summer. We’re overflowing with inspiration and looking forward to working on new tunes together.