The Melville-based band Derwood is about to release its debut album.
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The writing process for this album consisted of Derwood鈥檚 song ideas mixed with the shredding lead guitar of Jeff Muller.
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鈥淎ll the songs on the album I wrote myself other than the main riff in 鈥楥ruel Angel鈥� which a buddy Butch Molnar from an earlier band wrote鈥� and 鈥楬ighway to Hell鈥�,鈥� explained Christian Dales (known musically as Derwood) the bands front man.
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Derwood said he writes based on the germ of an idea.
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鈥淭he process for me usually starts with a catchy guitar riff, then if I鈥檓 lucky I will find another that flows with the first one,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭hen I鈥檒l work on some lyrics and if I enjoy playing it enough then I will take it the rest of the way to a finished product.鈥�
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It is a process Derwood has repeated often, with the best gleaned for the inaugural recording.
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鈥淚鈥檝e written hundreds of songs over the last 15 years and all my favourites are on this album,鈥� said Derwood. 鈥淚n the future I look forward to writing with the new band, I just needed to get these songs out there and I鈥檓 glad I did.鈥�
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Derwood & The Renegades formed in April of 2017, with Derwood 鈥� taking on the lead vocals and guitar. He is joined by Melville鈥檚 Kyle Kosedy on lead guitar. Vern Nixon is on bass, having grown up on a farm between Rocanville and Wapella. Dylan Shipowick plays 听 听 听 听 听drums, having grown up on a farm just outside of Yorkton.
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鈥淥ur first show was at the 2017 104.9 The Wolf鈥檚 battle of the bands where we played about five songs off the album,鈥� said Derwood. 鈥淲e later learned the rest of the new album so we could also play them in a live setting.鈥�
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Derwood said the band draws from a range of musical backgrounds.
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鈥淭he bands influences are broad and honestly are not confined to a specific genre although for the most part we enjoy heavy hitting rock and roll from the 鈥�70s, 鈥�80s, and 鈥�90s, such as Judas Priest, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Ratt, the Foo Fighters and Big Wreck just to 听 听 听 听 听 听 听name a few,鈥� said Derwood. 鈥淭he style of music we play reflects what we listen to, our style would be described as heavy rock and roll mixed with classic metal.鈥�
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Derwood said the album is one he likes a lot.
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鈥淲hen I look back on this album I鈥檓 most proud of the fact that I finally finished a quality album that can be listened to over and over again,鈥� he said. 鈥淣owadays it seems that music is a very disposable thing but I wanted to create a rock album that would last and hold 听 听 听up through time, so check back with me in 20 years.鈥�
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As for a favoured song, Derwood picked 鈥榃alk Away鈥�.
鈥淚 put it there because I love it,鈥� he offered, adding it is 鈥渉igh energy rock and roll and it introduces the album quite nicely I thought. If you don鈥檛 like 鈥榃alk Away鈥� then chances are you won鈥檛 like the rest of the album.鈥�
