No Island's Better Days CD release show: April 25 at the Media Club. Tickets are $12 before tax. More info: betterdays.brownpapertickets.com.
No Island's latest EP offers a subtle comfort reminiscent of a simpler time - so much so that playing the album on a computer seems almost criminal.
That velvety smooth 1970s easy rock sound that No Island uniquely emulates is unmistakable. - The Eagles, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, to name but three influences for No Island.
"I think we are more shameless about that than most bands. We call it the No Island blender. You put all those influences in a blender and it forms this new thing," explains Andy Rice, one of No Island's five frontmen, when reached by the Nortj Shore News last week.
While each No Islander brings a music experience from their upbringing to the table - that vintage '70s flavour is a common thread woven into the album's esthetic.
No Island's formative years were spent figuring out its own identity while on stage. Better Days, the band's aptly titled new album, is a testament to the growing pains that the guys, all in their mid-20s, have experienced.
Founding members Rice (keyboards), Keith Sinclair (guitars) and James Wilfred Martin (saxophone/clarinet) met five years ago while pursuing their jazz studies degrees at Capilano University. A few years later, when two other members moved on from the band, No Island found itself in rebuilding mode.
Rice recalls recruiting the drummer from Mind of a Child, another North Shore-bred band, and a favourite of No Island. "We would go see them play, and we loved their stuff," says Rice. "And Max (Ley) was the guy and we sort of headhunted him."
On No Island's title track "Better Days," Ley seemingly channels Police drummer Stewart Copeland's classic percussive riff work on "Message In a Bottle."
Meanwhile, No Island also lucked out when they found fellow Cap U jazz studies grad and keyboard prodigy Jay Esplana. By age six, Esplana had already tickled the ivories on TV, appearing on The Jenny Jones Show and the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon.
"You hold up an instrument and he can play it," reveals Rice. "He's one of those guys who can play, drums, bass."
With their new incarnation and newfound confidence, No Island is poised for a breakout year on the local music scene.
"Every band goes through the awkward teenager stage - we got through it and came out on the other side," says Rice.
The new album drops on April 21, but the band has already received accolades for another project. Earlier this month, No Island won second place for their entry - The Eagles' "One of These Nights" - in LG 104.3 FM's VanCOVER contest.
"We picked one that was in our wheelhouse," explains Rice of the song choice for the contest. "Whenever we tour and play in bars we sprinkle a few covers in there. ("One of These Nights") is in our blood as a band. It was kind of a no-brainer. We're lucky that we have a guy that can channel Don Henley."
The cover entry was actually recorded halfway through a rehearsal session one night. One of the guys just instinctively pressed record, and then the song was mixed in a coffee shop a couple days later.
As for what No Island fans can expect from Better Days, according to Rice, the lyrics are very relatable. Familiar narratives of love, loss and every experience in between are reflected in the music.
"It's called Better Days for a reason," says Rice, of the album's central theme. "There's that nostalgia and optimism rolled into one."
