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Edmonton ambient rock ’n’ rollers Team Building debuted their introductory EP Upon St. Lawrence this past February at a sold-out CD release party. A long time coming, the impressive 35-minute EP solidified the band’s status as a major player in the Edmonton scene. Having undergone serious lineup changes that saw their ranks swell from three to five over the two-and-a-half year period during which their EP was being recorded, it was inevitable that Team Building would need to re-evaluate their relationship to their music and, more importantly, each other. As it turned out, the key to unlocking their common interests was just a pull of the tap away.
“Getting drunk together is absolutely the best way for people who are new on a job to [get to] know each other,” says guitarist-vocalist Brad Amundson. “We’ve always had a pretty relaxed approach to being a band. In fact, we hardly spoke for the first six months we were together. We’d just show up twice a week and jam for three hours; it was like going on a blind date. Eventually our bassist, Shaun Hammermeister, who’s also a teacher, suggested that we all go for beers in the interest of team building. He’d do it all the time with his co-workers. [Now] we’re like a team with no coach — although, we may need to consider hiring a boss, just so he can pick up the tab.”
Since recording the EP, Amundson has been sharing his songwriting duties with fellow guitarist Jack Jaggard (Choke), keyboardist Scott Davidchuck (The Whitsundays, The Get Down), bassist Hammermeister and percussionist Jamie Robertson (Field & Stream). Having opened for the likes of Sleepercar, Besnard Lakes and Wintersleep, Team Building is eager to bring their now fully realized melancholic indie rock to new venues and audiences across the country.
“It’s almost like we’re a new band — the way we write and do things seems to be more collaborative than ever,” says an enthusiastic Amundson. “We’re pretty proud of the EP, but everyone’s also getting excited about our new stuff. It’s still ambient rock, but it’s gotten a little heavier with bigger dynamics. You may even find yourself rolling down your car window to it.
“My favourite thing is that our material doesn’t repeat itself,” he continues. “Moving forward all the time is a hard thing to do. As a five-piece we have to be conscious of pulling back to allow each other into the fray and not overwhelming people with our volume. I love the idea of a warm enveloping wall of sound, but we don’t want to be obnoxious about it and blow the listener away with our power — we want them to be able to hear the multiple textures and layers of each song.”
