Canadian rock duo Crown Lands have released their new acoustic EP, Wayward Flyers Volume 1, as well as sharing a performance video for the EP track ‘The Witching Hour‘.
Drummer/vocalist Cody Bowles explains, “Wayward Flyers is an arrangement of acoustic aural vistas that meander from our usual high-octane rock display and into the dark forest. Within this body of work, we’ve taken some interesting decisions to explore parts of our own musicality that we haven’t yet fed under the umbrella of Crown Lands. I got the chance to apply some concepts of West African percussion I learned in University in this one, which was really fun. It’s all about getting to the root of our instruments in making a concise distillation of vulnerability in music form.”
Produced by Justin Meli, Wayward Flyers Volume 1 showcases Crown Lands’ artistic versatility with four stripped back original songs plus a cover of Neil Young’s ‘Birds’. “This was an important record for us,” says guitarist Kevin Comeau. “We took the chance to apply a lot of the things we had learned from a big year – getting signed, writing and recording new records, touring the US. We tracked most of the guitar and vocals live off the floor to capture how we really perform and bounce off each other.”
Wayward Flyers Volume 1 arrives alongside a stunning performance video for the EP track ‘The Witching Hour’. The video was shot at a chalet in Uxbridge, Ontario and is the first installment of a series of performance videos from this project, with videos for the band’s cover of Neil Young’s ‘Birds’ and ‘Roving On’ to be released later this month. These videos showcase Crown Lands’ musical artistry and technical aptitude in all of its majestic glory.
Speaking about the first video, the band comment, “The Witching Hour is our spookiest song. We drew inspiration from the Salem Witch Trials. It’s about how White Christian men used fear and misogyny under the veil of religion to prosecute and murder innocent intelligent women in the 17th century. It’s terrifying to see that a lot of those fears are still deeply rooted in society to this day. People in charge continue to suppress of feminine spirituality into the modern age.”
The record is available to stream and download on all streaming platforms. Fans can also pre-order the stunning 10-inch record featuring EP art designed by Quinn Henderson, which stays true to the Crown Lands aesthetic: “a celebration of nature – an ode to our home” describes Universal Music Canada’s Creative Director Andy Slater, who has worked closely with Crown Lands to develop their visuals. Wayward Flyers Volume 1 is sure to be a favourite of any record collection. Pre-order the vinyl here.
