The Rural Alberta Advantage

Comprising frontman and guitarist Nils Edenloff, backing vocalist and keyboard player Amy Cole and drummer Paul Banwatt, The Rural Alberta Advantage are widely regarded as one of the best kept secrets in indie rock. They’ve been compared to the likes of Band of Horses and Bright Eyes, and have released three full-length albums to date, as well as having toured internationally. They formed in 2005, after hosting an unsuccessful open stage at a club in Cabbagetown, Toronto; the bar had been there in one form or another for 120 years, but just a year under the stewardship of The RAA saw it go out of business (it’s now a Tim Horton’s). After releasing an early, scratchy demo, and then an EP, the trio quickly forged their signature sound; amongst their distinguishing characteristics are Edenloff’s powerful vocals, the male-female back-and-forth between himself and Cole, and Banwatt’s impressive drumming; his style sounds jazz-influenced, and is key to the rousing, exhilarating style of indie rock that the band play.

In support of their third record, 2014’s ‘Mended with Gold’, they toured both North America and Europe, playing at a host of intimate venues; their sets ranged between the full-on rollicking rock of their records and low-key acoustic songs, often played within the audience.