“It’s about time that local Western bands get some recognition,” says Rafe MaLach, lead producer and featured performer on Western Rocks.
“There are so many talented bands and songwriters who attend our school, and not enough of them get the exposure they deserve,” he explains.
Western Rocks is a 16-track compilation released in association with Western’s Bands and Songwriters Society, which is meant to showcase student talent.
With an eclectic mix of styles ranging from jam and punk to acoustic and experimental, this album sheds light on a music market that MaLach feels is largely untapped.
“When I came to this school three years ago, I was really disappointed to discover that there weren’t any clubs or groups to help promote students’ music,” MaLach explains.
“I founded the Band and Songwriters Society as an opportunity to help all of this school’s talented artists come together and get heard. I found that there were so many great artists, and this is what led to the release of this album.”
Artists featured on the compilation range from those who have found local success, to those on the brink and hoping for a push. Such bands include Mint, Elemeno Peas, Bordertown and the Shows.
“I think this album is a great opportunity for local bands of all genres to come together and celebrate Western’s music scene,” explains the Show’s drummer Adam Shanfield. “Our school has such a great mix of music that really deserves to be heard.”
MaLach assures his desire to release this album was not purely to generate Western hype.
“The idea behind this album is really two-fold,” MaLach explains. “Not only is it a great way to help give our Western bands this exposure, it is also an opportunity to help out a charity.
“We are giving a good portion of the sales to the Canadian Cancer Society, which [feels] gratifying as artists to know that the music we’ve created and donated to this is helping to raise money for a good cause.”
The album’s creation was driven by co-operation and group passion. “Through the Bands and Songwriters Society we were able to receive some donated funds by supporters of the project. A few of the artists on the album also took the time to help put the entire package together, like Amber Lee who is featured on the album, but also drew up the cover art design .”
MaLach hopes Western Rocks takes off with Western students, and acts as a stepping stone for future school-related music projects.
“If it turns out that a lot of people are into the idea and enjoy the album, I want to be able to create similar albums for different universities or colleges with the same Rocks theme.”
Western Rocks can be purchased at InfoSource in the UCC for $8. For more information on the album and its artists, check www.uwo.rocks.it.