Summer with Random Task Collective

The fact of the matter is that summer started early for Random Task Collective (RTC).

On June 4th, RTC learned that they were one of five fannnn-tastic local bands to win the X92.9’s Xposure Contest in Calgary. That day, our single Barricade started air play on the radio. It is now not uncommon for band members Jake Simard (guitar), Ryan Keddy (drums), Shawn Savard (keyboards) to choke on a cheeseburger when they realize that’s our song on the radio. Crazy! The Random Task Global Community on Facebook grew by about 100 folks overnight and we get to meet great new folks everyday. Also cool, the other bands that won are all twice our age! So, play your music people... and believe! CBC Radio3 featured the band soon after.

Because RTC is about the love and keeping the karma moving, we spent the rest of June giving away recording time to other musicians, all under 18, who we think are an important part of the all-ages scene in Calgary. This September Lucas Chaisson, Susie Forsyth, Mat Wilkins, Sarah Clark and others will get some new material recorded. These are friends we made through the Collective on Sundays, a monthly show in town. (If you’re a local band or singer-songwriter get in touch. There are shows available starting in January.) These folks also helped us wrap up a spectacular month of music with the Young Buds Stage at the Sled Island Festival! Sled Island Central is music goodness for all-ages music. All hail Sled Island! We also played the Cancer Relay for Life at the Calgary Rugby union, a really beautiful and joy-filled event.

July rolls around. We head out on tour with Kids Cancer Care – so fun, a new super group, the Mystery Team emerges! We also get this rad e-mail when we're back asking if Barricade can be used in the closing credits of an award winning feature film from Los Angeles, Wasting Away! By mid-month, the song was cut into the film, and the following week it opened in Spain! The tune fades in slowly after, “I’m not a soldier, I’m a zombie”, and the credits roll! Zombie enthusiasts of the world unite!

This September, RTC will shoot its first music video for inclusion on the Wasting Away DVD in North America. Zombie mosh pit anyone? We need 200 extras!

This August, RTC hunkered down to finish off their next release, Classified Matter due in November. Work in the studio is fun and ridiculous and hard, but well worth it.

This month, listen for Men with the Fighting Souls, our next radio ready tune. Also, we’d love to see everyone on September 12 for our biggest show yet. Part of the Xposure win, is a big all-ages show at MacEwan Hall at the Univeristy of Calgary. It's part of the Xposure Wrap Up party where we’ll be opening for the Arkells! Proceeds go to the Doorway – a great youth serving organization in Calgary. See you and your peeps there!