The Sheepdogs to Rock Every Canadian Nook and Cranny

Story by Michael Charlebois, Photo by Mat Dunlap

It’s been nearly 20 years since three friends from Saskatoon overcame the odds to become one of Canada’s most popular bands and a globally recognized rock outfit.

The Sheepdogs have played at iconic music festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury, met their idols like Crosby, Stills and Nash, and have even performed a set at the Grey Cup. Despite the accolades, the humble group just wants to give fans from every corner of Canada the chance to experience their feel-good brand of rock-n-roll. “There’s music fans everywhere,” says bassist Ryan Gullen. “Not just in major cities in Canada.”

Their latest tour will include stops like Parry Sound, Ontario and Cranbrook, B.C., and the band will touch down in Thunder Bay on January 21. Touring has long been a part of the band’s DNA, and Gullen says the group has a renewed energy after getting back on the road. “When you’re from Saskatchewan, that first step in making a band is getting out and being able to expose yourself to new people because you’re so geographically isolated,” he says. “So it does bring us back.”

“Even at [my] most optimistic, it’s hard to believe being in a band this long,” Gullen adds. Since 2004, lead vocalist Ewan Currie, drummer Sam Corbett, and Gullen have all stayed true to the shared goal of making their style of music for a living. “It started in a way that we did not have massive expectations,” he says. Nearly 20 years later, Gullen says the reach of their music continues to be a motivating force. “Those moments happen all the time. You go to a country where the people don’t speak English […] but they’re singing your lyrics,” he says. “That is, at its essence, one of the wildest things you can experience.”

The purpose of this tour is to provide that moment for fans who might not otherwise get to experience a show like the one The Sheepdogs put on. “We come from Saskatoon where shows would never come, so we’ve always made it a mission to play everywhere. We try to do that every chance we can.”

The Sheepdogs will play at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on January 21. Visit thesheepdogs.com for more info.