Members of Silver Atlas think they can make a long-distance relationship work, but that is not required yet. Right now, they are only looking ahead to their first bar show, having only played all-ages shows to date.
After that the local alt-rock group plans to drop a release of original songs. First, one member has to finish high school, another is in the carpentry program at Powell River’s Vancouver Island University (VIU) campus and a summer of festivals is ahead. At the end of summer, members of the band might be going their separate ways.
Jasper Sassaman, vocals/guitar, has his 18-year-old eyes set on Vancouver after he graduates from Brooks Secondary School. Vocalist, guitarist and carpentry student Ben Wayne Kyle is uncertain about his future, but is also considering a move to Vancouver. In the fall, drummer Adam Robertson will attend VIU in Nanaimo to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in jazz studies.
“It’s kind of a grey area,” said Robertson of the band’s future, “but I think we‘re still close enough and technology is in such a great place that we can still collaborate and get together on the holidays. Obviously, we can still write music on our own and find time together. We really want to keep this going forward even though the distance is going to be a thing.”
The members admitted to not having really thought it through, but are quick to point to another Powell River band that has managed to stay together while being apart.
“Potential Union are in the same boat,” said Kyle. “They’re still a band. They actually just released a great album. Only [one member] lives here and they’re all spread out around the lower BC area. We’re kind of following in their footsteps.”
Silver Atlas plays alternative rock, a genre that has become an almost undefinable catch-all, referring to the punk/new-wave-rooted style that emerged in the 1980s and swept to popularity in the early to mid 1990s.
“Some people call us progressive rock, some call us alt-rock, but we’re not classical rock, whatever that means in today’s music,” said Robertson. “We’re not AC/DC.”
In addition to playing cover songs, the band writes its own material. Sassaman writes most of the lyrics; Robertson and Kyle write the music.
“Somebody will come in with an idea,” said Sassaman.
Saturday night will be a different kind of gig than what the band has played as a trio to this point. Lukah Bouchard, a local musician who has gained considerable attention since starting to play publicly in the last year, is being brought onboard to play bass.
The relationship between Silver Atlas and Bouchard is one of give and take. Members of Silver Atlas play in Bouchard’s band as well. All four want to pursue music full time, playing original music not heard anywhere else.
Leaving Powell River and going their separate ways might be a good thing in the long run. They all take music seriously on a solo level, and if they do stay, they might regret it.
“There’s an epidemic of old-man bands in Powell River,” said Robertson, and Silver Atlas doesn’t want to be one of them.
Silver Atlas plays at 8 pm Saturday, March 19, at Red Lion Pub in Wildwood.
