Sled Island: The Festival That Changed Calgary Music

Sled Island: The Festival That Changed Calgary Music | The Sonic Collective

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective introduces a solo Sled Island 2026 segment. He frames Sled Island in Calgary as an affordable, volunteer-driven, multi-venue “festival of discovery” that prioritizes community, diversity, and intimate live experiences over headliners, algorithms, and phone-first “Instagram moments.” The episode traces Sled’s origins in 2007 under Zak Pashak, its evolution beyond indie rock (including a 2017 Flying Lotus curation), and its resilience after the 2013 Calgary floods, while spotlighting local voices: Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques, Cartel Madras (discovered at Sled and signed to Sub Pop), K-Riz, Brock Geiger, and Sun Glaciers. Darren highlights venues, local sponsors, CJSW, and argues Sled’s impact is cultural—building connections, collaborations, and changing perceptions of Calgary. If you want to understand what Sled is all about and hear the story from local Calgary artists, then you came to the right place.

00:00 Welcome to Sonic Collective
00:41 Darren Goes Solo
01:08 Why Music Matters
02:33 Sled Island Vibes
04:31 Calgary Music Community
07:23 What Is Sled Island
09:08 Calgary Before Sled
12:13 Conrad Montana Memories
18:12 Festival of Discovery
21:03 Cartel Madras Breakthrough
31:29 Calgary Grows Up
34:38 K-Riz and the Family
40:59 Artists Watching Artists
41:32 K-Riz New Album Plans
42:54 Human Scale Festival
44:39 Venues And Local Sponsors
47:23 Serendipity And Safety
50:16 Volunteers And Traditions
52:18 Brock Geiger Interview
01:00:28 Creativity Without Boundaries
01:02:54 Sun Glaciers On Scene
01:08:22 2013 Flood Turning Point
01:10:54 Why Sled Matters Now
01:15:39 Final Takeaways And Thanks

Photo Credit: Kelly Shaw - Clipping performing at The Palace with Cartel Madras

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

Transcript

0:02

Welcome to The Sonic Collective, where music's past meets its future. Join hosts Alan Scott Scott and Darren Scott as we explore the albums, artists, and movements that shape the music we love today. From legendary records and influential musicians to rising artists creating tomorrow's soundtrack, we're passionate about helping music fans discover what matters. While streaming algorithms push what they're paid to promote, we dig deeper, connecting you with the classics you need to revisit and the new artists you need to hear. Rediscover the music that shaped the past. Discover the artists shaping the future. This is The Sonic Collective Hi, and welcome back to The Sona Collective. I'm Darren Scott. Now, I'm usually joined with my co-hosts, Alan, Scott, and Scott. A lot of Scotts in The Sona Collective apparently, but, for this Sled Island segment, I just flew solo. I would like to give a special shout-out to Kelly Shaw, my good friend who attended Sled with me and helped me with some audio and video and some photos. great sled, Kelly. Thanks so much for helping me out. First of all, I'd like to just tell you a little bit about myself. I am not a professional podcaster, even though I've had one for 12 years. I do it for the love of music. Our podcast is about going back and finding the influences that created the new artist and what affected them, and then also now introducing the new artist that learned from their predecessors. We'll be doing this new segment all about the Alberta music scene. Stay tuned for that in the coming months. But with that, I just wanna tell you, music to me, it's my church, and I think that will resonate with a lot of people. Music is my happy place. It just is so important to me. I've learned to appreciate a lot of different music over the years. We all struggle with, uh, certain genres or certain sounds, and that's, that's normal. But I've really opened myself up to it, and I can really start to identify a good song as a good song, maybe even if it's in a genre that I don't understand. But I hope that you will join me, open your hearts and open your minds and open up your music taste a little bit, and join me on this wonderful journey about Sled Island. I once interviewed Alan Cross, A very famous music historian, author. we interviewed him, and h-he left us with this little nugget. He says, "Respect all music. Listen to what you love." And I always thought that was great. I'm in my mid-50s now, but I still love to get out and see live music. I do not mind being the old guy in the club. I attended the opening night of Sled Island here 2026 last night on the Wednesday and realized I think I fit in more with this crowd than a lot of other situations in my life. So these are my people. music fans, people out to really discover new music. I'm doing a post episode that will be all about my experience, so I won't get into it too much. But, just the pure love and appreciation for music and the bands and the artist and the art is just overwhelming. And do you know what I didn't see a lot of? And yeah, it's there, but it's people just with their phones out. People are actually into the music. They're all up close to the stage, grooving out Being in each other's company, just having a good time, and that's what Sled Island's all about. it's accessible to all. It's not overpriced here at Sled Island. It's in small, intimate clubs. I'll get into that even more in that post episode, but wow. Come with me, discover this festival. If you don't know it already, you're gonna learn all about this amazing music festival here in Calgary, Alberta. If you do know it and you're in Calgary, maybe you know it just a little bit and maybe have attended a bit, but I hope that this motivates you to experience it more. if you're already a fan, I think you're gonna appreciate my input and my take on it, and it is just my take. It is just my impression of the shows, of the whole festival itself. So take it for what it is, but I'm coming from a place of love, appreciation, vibes, and just having a good time and enjoying the festival. And I'm gonna continue this. I wanna promote our live music, especially in the, western Canadian region here in Calgary. I have access to so much, so you're gonna see a lot more episodes based around local artists, local music, than just our traditional reviews. So with that, I wanna hop into this episode. we usually spend a lot of time exploring influential albums from the past. We look at records that shape music, change genres, influence generations of artists. We ask whether those albums hold up, whether they still matter, and whether they're still worth discovering today. But every now and then, we like to take a step back and look at a bigger picture 'cause music just isn't about albums. It's, it's about communities, and I love that word. In this case, my community here in Calgary, and it's so exciting. A lot of people don't know how much we have here in Calgary. Even the National Music Center, which is a full, uh, massive museum dedicated to music here in Canada. There's four Hall of Fames in it. they have the best artifacts you can imagine. There are so many great live music clubs and bars and, pubs and breweries and distilleries. It's really starting to build up more. there's such a arts community here, and people looking from the outside that, you know, I know Alberta's in the, in the news about separation. I know we're in the divisive world of Donald Trump. Screw that asshole. I'm not gonna put, make this political, but I know that that's a lot of people's opinions of Alberta, or they just think all Albertans are like that. But it's not the case. There is a festival here that is spreading love and connection and diversity and safe spaces and community, and that's what this is all about. it's about small venues, not stadiums. It's even about places that hold maybe 50 people. You can see a show and you're just, with 10, 20, 30, 40 people. That's a good thing. It's about the fans. It's about you That's not a good word. It's more about, it's not fans, it's people who love and appreciate the music experience. If you just listen to music on the radio, that's great. I'm glad you take whatever. But if you're a real music fan and music appreciator, this is for you. I always say put down the damn screen and get in front of a band or a live art, a live artist doing anything. You will enrich your life for it. It's such a community. there's so much screen time happening now, and it's stealing our will to live and our souls. So, let's support more like we do have here in Sled Island. It's also, in Sled Island, it's about the artists finding each other and their audiences discovering sounds they didn't know they needed in their lives. It's up close and personal. I can't stress that enough. You, you will be in a crowd standing next to the artist you're gonna see at the next bar. They're out seeing it too. You can talk to them. I've talked to many amazing musicians and acts, and it's just right there. Like, when can you go to a South by Southwest and then hang out with the artist after? It's not happening, or very rarely, And sometimes it's all about festivals and these small, intimate ones. Today, we're talking about one of the most important music festivals in Canada that many people outside Western Canada have never heard of. We're talking about Sled Island. Now, if you're from Calgary, there's a good chance you already know what I'm talking about. Maybe you've attended, like I just said. Maybe you're a volunteer, and it's run by volunteers. Maybe you've played the festival yourself as an act, a local act, or you're listening and you've played this. But if you're listening from somewhere else, Sled Island might be completely new to you, and that's actually part of its charm. unlike many major festivals, Sled Island was never built around celebrity headliners, giant sponsorship deals, or Instagram moments. It wasn't designed to attract tourists from around the world initially. Instead, it was just built around something much more powerful: discovery That's a word that's gonna come up a lot of times in this, but it's so true. If you want to discover new music, this is it. For nearly 20 years, it's in its 19th year now, Sled Island has been introducing artists and audiences to each other they didn't know existed. It's helped launch careers, build communities, strengthen Calgary's music scene, and transform the way many people think about this city. In this very special episode, we're gonna explore how a relatively small independent music festival became one of the most influential cultural events in Western Canada. We'll hear from artists performing at Sled Island '26, all Calgary artists, by the way. We'll hear from musicians who have watched Calgary's scene evolve over decades. We'll hear from fans who return year after year, and we'll try to answer the simple question: Has Sled Island actually changed Calgary music? The answer is yes. spoiler alert. but by the end of the episode, I think you'll understand why Chapter one Calgary before Sled Island To understand why Sled Island matters, we first need to understand Calgary back in 2007 when it started. Today, Calgary is a thriving music community. We have incredible local artists, great venues, music festivals throughout the year, and a growing reputation as one of Canada's most interesting creative cities. But 20 years ago, that reputation wasn't nearly as strong. When most people outside Alberta thought about Calgary, they thought about oil and gas. They thought about the Calgary Stampede. Hey, it's great and all, but it's not everything. They thought about cowboy hats and rodeos. Who's kidding who with all the Alberta separatism, as I mentioned in the news, and Stampede coming in a few weeks from now, right after Sled. Most still have a narrow view of Alberta and probably don't understand how vibrant the music scene actually is in this Western Canadian province. Music wasn't usually part of the conversation. Of course, there were great artists here. There's always have been. The Stampeders go way back. no, there's a lot of famous musicians that have come out of Calgary. But Calgary often felt overlooked compared to larger music centers like Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or even Edmonton for that matter. In two thousand and seven, local entrepreneur and music lover Zach Peshek launched a new festival called Sled Island. Based loosely on what he saw at the Montreal Pop Festival, Zach had an idea. The concept was simple: bring together local artists, national artists, and international artists, spread them across multiple venues throughout the city, keep things affordable, keep things interesting, encourage people to take chances. The first festival featured artists like Spoon, Cat Power, The Walkman, Les Savvy Fa- Fave, and the Japanese experimental group, The Boredoms. Looking back now, it's remarkable how ambitious that first lineup was. There was a lot of big names in there. But more importantly, it established a philosophy that still defines the festival today. Sled Island wasn't built around giving people exactly what they wanted. It was built around helping people discover things they didn't know they wanted, and that's, that's a very different approach. Most music fans often gravitate toward what's familiar. They buy tickets for bands we already know. They stream songs we've already heard. Sled Island encourages the exact opposite of that. It encourages curiosity. It encourages risk. It encourages diversity. It encourages new voices and genres. It encourages bringing people together, now even more important in a world dividing more every day. It also encourages wandering into a venue because someone told you a band was interesting, even though you've never heard a single song. Everyone is welcome. It, it's not a joke at Sled when you say, "I saw a businessman, a punk, a sixty-year-old man, and a beautiful trans woman walk into a bar." That's not start of a joke. That's community gathering around a wonderful musical experience. Everyone is welcome, and that's where the magic often happens. One longtime attendee describes Sled Island as the best place in Canada to find your next favorite band. I think that's exactly right. I talked to my good friend, Conrad Sawatsky, better known in music circles here as Conrad Montana, about Sled Island and what the scene was before. I'll let Conrad tell you himself about this

Conrad 12:26

So Zach who was one of the first drivers behind Sled Island was looking at Pop Montreal for a template for Sled Island and I didn't know what the name of festival was gonna going to be at the time so I didn't know it was called Sled Island But we flew out to Montreal and played an Alberta showcase I was playing with Cripple Creek Fairies at the time and Forbidden Dimension and Sudden Infa Infant Dance Syndrome we played a Alberta showcase at Pop Montreal and Zach was the one that kinda got us out there from what I remember anyways we talked about how Pop Montreal was laid out and that he wanted to do a festival exactly like that in Calgary And next thing there it was And so it was kinda about it before it was happening know a little bit involved in talking to Zach about how he wanted to do things

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 13:27

What's,

Conrad 13:27

but I

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 13:28

to interrupt, what's, Zach's last name? Peshack what were some of your first actual Sled Island memories?

Conrad 13:34

I got some great memories I don't even know which ones are the first ones but I saw Guided by Voices played one of the earlier ones they're one of my favorite bands so that was like one of the big big ones for me seeing Television Sled Island was ridiculously good too just legends And Yo La Tengo and yeah just s I remember Yo La Tengo played one where they did a a They talked to the crowd afterwards They did took questions from the crowd after the show and my son Jacob was one of the guys that they ac they allowed to He was like I don't know 10 or 11 years old at the time asking how to make it as a young musician and said Don't do it so that was

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 14:26

You gotta love it. You do it for love and not the money. what do you think Sled Island has that maybe other music festivals don't have?

Conrad 14:36

I think it's just the sheer amount of bands that are playing it is like the variety of band that are playing it the fact that it goes on for five days just recently this past year actually I went to Bobsled in February so like the winter version of it and saw this band called Sour Widows that I'm totally obsessed with now So those are my one highlights Barty Strange a few years ago when he was the curator fell in love with him too Etobicoke Beaver last

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 15:12

Oh yeah, I saw that show. I saw you there.

Conrad 15:14

In Calgary Yeah Yeah that was a fantastic show yeah there's there's tons and tons of highlights of Sled Island shows but Yeah just the exposure And the other cool thing about them is the playlist that they put out of

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 15:26

Mm-hmm.

Conrad 15:28

cover these bands. so you don't even have to go to see them all 'cause still get the chance to hear them, 'cause they put that, that cool discovery playlist together. Is that Spotify?

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 15:39

Y-yeah

Conrad 15:40

they do that. Yeah, like that's really... I think they just, the, the diversity of it is just incredible, so big and supportive of all different types of artists as well, like supporting the Indigenous and, and all the, the minority artists that are out there. they get a platform through SLED that they wouldn't normally get, I think, and that is awesome, and that's one of the big reasons I'm a big supporter of

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 16:09

your band, Les Gigantiques, has just released an album. So tell me about the band, the history of the band, who's in it, and, you know, tell me about this new album.

Conrad 16:19

Oh, hey. So it's, the new album is an old album, funny enough. it is The recording itself is actually 20 years old. we recorded it and then didn't do anything with it. And so I gave it to my friend Darren, who is one of the main guys at Trap 1 Records. I had no idea about that at the time. said, "Hey, yeah, I've got this album. You should check it out." just gave him a copy on CD, it was a couple years ago now. And, the next day he came back, he said, involved with this? I need to know more about it, and can I release it on my label?" and I was like, yeah, sure. let's do it." over the past couple of years, we've been toying with different ideas and stuff, and finally just went, "Let's, let's just release it." And, so the vinyl is coming in August.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 17:15

Yeah. Awesome. And, thanks for talking to me, my friend. I definitely wanted your perspective as somebody that's, been around and, listening to the local music a long time. But, yeah, I will see you around Sled. I will see you at your show. I'm excited for that. check out the new album by Les Gi- Gi- Gigantiques.

17:58

Great segment by Conrad. One thing that became very clear quickly is that Sled Island wasn't just attracting audiences, it was creating opportunities. And for local artists, these opportunities could be life-changing. You'll hear what I mean soon. Chapter two: The Festival of Discovery If there's one word that comes up over and over again when people talk about Sled Island, guess. It's discovery. It's not nostalgia, it's not celebrity, it's not headliners, it's discovery. For nearly 20 years, people have been buying passes to Sled Island without necessarily knowing who they're going to see. Imagine, buying a South by Southwest or all these big festivals, but having no idea who's on the bill or not recognizing the names. even that is an act, a leap of faith in itself. Think about that for a second. Most festivals sell tickets based on a handful of massive names at the top of the poster. Hey, I mean, we all like those bands. I'm going to see Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age in Edmonton later this year. I get it. I get it. They're great bands too. Nothing wrong with that. But Sled Island has always worked a little differently than those kind of festivals and acts. The idea isn't to spend your entire weekend waiting for one band. The idea is to wander, to take chances, to walk into a venue because someone mentioned a band you've never even heard of, to leave that venue, and you might have a new favorite artist, or you'll definitely be looking them up on your favorite streaming platform, And that's what it's all about. You gotta support these bands, these acts, these artists Longtime Sled alumni and local music guru Arif Ansari described it perfectly when he said that every year he discovers bands he never heard of before and ends up falling in love with them. That isn't an accident. It's literally the entire point of the festival. And in a world increasingly driven by algorithms, that's become even more important. Today, most music discovery happens through Spotify playlists, YouTube recommendations, TikTok clips, or whatever platform is currently trying to predict what we wanna hear next. But algorithms have limitations. They're also paid for. F you, corporate. Yeah, it's brutal. You're not even getting a choice. They're just cramming it down your throat. Sled Island does the opposite again. It throws open the doors and says, "Hey, try something completely different." Maybe it's a punk band. Maybe it's experimental jazz. Maybe it's hip-hop. Maybe it's electronic music from a country you've never visited. Maybe it's a local Calgary band playing at their third show ever. The point isn't certainty. The point is curiosity. And that's where Sled Island's influence becomes bigger than music, because curiosity creates community. People who are willing to explore new sounds are often willing to explore new ideas, new perspectives, and new people as well. That's one of the reasons the festival has remained relevant, why so many others have become increasingly commercialized. Sled Island isn't trying to tell you what to like. It's inviting you to find out for yourself. And nowhere is that philosophy more visible in the artists whose careers have been impacted by the festival itself

Intro 21:03

Cartel Madras is the genre-defying duo of sisters Eboshi and Contra. Born in Chennai, India, and raised in Calgary, they've built an international reputation by blending hip hop, electronic music, punk energy, industrial textures, and fearless experimentation into a sound that is entirely their own. Their explosive live performances and striking artistic vision have earned them opportunities to share stages with artists like M.I.A., Wu-Tang Clan, Clipping, Mac DeMarco, and Sudan Archives. But what's especially fitting for this series is that Cartel Madras, their relationship with Sled Island goes far beyond simply playing the festival. They were discovered by A&R representatives during an early Sled Island performance, a moment that ultimately helped launch them toward a recording contract with the legendary Sub Pop Records and an international audience. Now, after several years of refining and reinventing their sound, the duo have returned with Evident to Me, The first glimpse into a bold new artistic chapter that will lead toward their debut full-length album in 2027 In this conversation, we talk about their Calgary roots, their connection to Sled Island, the evolution of their music, and how independent festivals can create opportunities that change an artist's trajectory forever. I'm Darren Scott, and this is the Sonic Collective. Here's my conversation with Cartel Madras

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 22:33

I guess when did you first step out? what was your first show in Calgary,

Eboshi 22:37

so in 2018, leading up to January 2018, the summer of 2017, we were going to a lot of shows, seeing our favorite rappers, our favorite artists. We were immersing ourselves in the art scene in the city as well. We got to know a lot of, fellow musicians and people that were really involved in the community. And a big turning point for us was we had been writing secretly for so long, and recording and uploading onto SoundCloud with different names, and it was something that we always wanted to to the finish line, but we weren't entirely sure how because we didn't really have the infrastructure to be official artists at that time, and we didn't really see that as an opportunity or an option for us. And after seeing enough shows, we were like, "We just have to do this." we're watching people that we love the music of, and if the music is good, that's all that matters, and we love to perform. We know how to do these things, so let's just try. So from a couple of demos on SoundCloud to performing at Big Winter Classic in January 2018, that was our sort of debut as Cartel Madras. And it was funny because December of 2017, we were in Chennai, we were in India when we heard back from the festival saying that we got in and we can play, and we were like, "Oh, cool, so we're gonna spend the rest of our time in India working on our set on the

CONTRA 24:14

Yeah.

Eboshi 24:15

building."

CONTRA 24:16

Because we literally had nothing. We had, two janky songs on SoundCloud and we're like, "We have to build a set now."

Eboshi 24:23

So we, we basically built like a 40-minute set from scratch, and involved, we had a lot of stuff already written, but we had to rework a lot of things and create sort of the structure of the set. And it's interesting because leading up to that show, we were really, hustling every day, practicing, getting to a place where we felt comfortable. And the biggest thing there for us has always been, like, if you can put on a good show, you can do anything. And the basis of a lot of our practice is performance and being able to entertain people. And I think the testament to that is after we did that first show at Big Winter Classic, we basically got booked to play every weekend leading up to Sled Island 2018, and that's where we got discovered by Sub Pop

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 25:09

So I heard that story, you are playing your first Sled Island show, you, were discovered by, Ishmael Butler. he came from Digable Planets. I love that band.

CONTRA 25:21

So his other music project is Shabazz Palaces, was one of the headliners at Sled that year. And we didn't know that he also had a, w- was secretly A&R-ing in his own way, right? so i- it's funny, like I think even when we were playing before them, but not on the same stage as them. Like we were upstairs at the Legion. He was downstairs at the Legion after us. In fact, I think we thought his set cuts into ours. So we were like, "Oh my God, it would be so cool if he could see us." But I do remember us always having this kind of feeling with that Sled Island show I remember us being like, anything could happen. Anyone could watch us. anything could happen." And it was a we- it was a weird thing to even say and think of as a mantra because that isn't even really how music works like that anymore. But that is something we grew up with that idea, like you never know who's watching you. And so we were like, "So we have to put on the craziest show." And it was a really crazy show. Like for being upstairs at the Legion in like a midnight slot or something, it was like, it was full, the room was packed, people were standing on the tables watching us. I think we had a lot of, noise around what we were doing, and we were very different. So I guess he was watching us, and then he like came down to do his set. But like we honestly didn't know. We didn't know who was watching us. We couldn't see anything

Eboshi (2) 26:48

We had no idea that he even saw us till after his set was done, 'cause we were, like, waiting after the show. Everyone was just standing there, and he was, like, walking through the crowd, and we were like, "Oh my God, your set was amazing." then he was like, "You guys are dope." And we were like, "Excuse me?" And he's

CONTRA 27:10

Yeah.

Eboshi (2) 27:10

saw your set."

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 27:11

what, do you two have planned for the next year for us?

CONTRA 27:15

Yeah. We're, the timing of Slut is awesome because we play our show two days after our single comes out, and the single kind of kicks off, in a way, our return. our lar- last full-length project was in 2021, The Serpent and the Tiger, and we've taken a little bit of a breather from music for, three-ish years, where we've still been playing live, but we haven't put new music out, and we've been exercising a few different muscles in the creative space, and really working on this album for, three years, and working on a new sound. So this kicks off Cartel Madras chapter two, and, we go into kind of a year-long return with new music and a lot of new things coming leading up to 2027, which, is when our album will probably come out. But it's exciting. This feels like the right place for us to be like, "Hey, we're back."

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 28:19

Yeah, exactly. And that's evident to me, correct?

CONTRA 28:22

Yes

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 28:23

nice. yeah. Excited for that. and happening right when SLED happens,

Eboshi (2) 28:26

Yeah

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 28:27

yeah, what a great time. so you have SLED coming up. do you have any other shows booked in the near future?

Eboshi (2) 28:32

Yes, we're playing Second Summer Festival in Toronto in September. and that'll be our first time playing at Mod Club, which is a venue I absolutely love here. So that's a really great and exciting way to reintroduce ourselves back into the Toronto scene, and it's a really cool discovery festival that I think has a lot of potential. Very awesome international headliners, great local acts. It takes place on, the west end of Toronto with a lot of big and medium-sized venues, and it's a really... It feels like the... a parallel in a way. we do this Calgary show in June, and then we do this Toronto show in September, and they're both really cool independent festivals that have a lot of exciting new acts that they're supporting. So that's a big one we're excited for. We have potentially little mini

CONTRA 29:23

can announce this. Yeah. Yeah. We, yeah, we can say this, 'cause I think

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 29:28

Yeah.

CONTRA 29:29

it'll,

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 29:29

share.

CONTRA 29:30

Yeah, I think it'll come out soon after our Sludge show, but I think in the fall, I think, no, we know, I don't know, we will be supporting Begonia on her, the Eastern,

Eboshi (2) 29:47

Yeah

CONTRA 29:47

yeah, of her tour

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 29:50

that's a big announcement. thanks for sharing with me. thanks again, and I'm glad to get to talk to you, and like I said, trying to really help as much local as we can, and you two have done amazing. that, Serpent with Tiger album, dynamite. Loved it. Loved every second, and really looking forward to your new stuff. join us at SLED, this year and every year, but, a big thanks to you both. Yeah,

CONTRA 30:08

Thank you

30:13

Your mouth and keep your sight set clean. Keep that old trick out of your clout and keep your fight on mean. Take that tight shit scene and make that bite cut lean. You know what it is that I mean. You know I'm the bitch for the screen. Keep it in check for the team. Keep it in check for the team. Get that wack shit out of my sight and keep your mind on track. Get your old lick back, but don't be settling scores unless you wanted it more. Don't be trivial, mindset critical, just stay clinical. Keep your criminals close and just keep opening doors. Hunger for glory, never That story of Cartel Madras perfectly captures what makes Sled Island special. Two amazing people who immigrated to Canada from India, who love music and followed their hearts in Calgary, created something completely unique, something difficult to categorize, something that didn't fit neatly into traditional expectations, something that only those two from Chennai could deliver in a hip hop style. And through Sled Island, they found exposure, opportunity, and eventually an international audience. They're literally the walking evidence and case about why Sled Island's so great. It's exactly the kind of success story the festival was designed to create. But Cartel Madras isn't an exception. It's part of a much larger story, a story about how Calgary's music scene has evolved over the past two decades, and how Sled Island helped make that evolution possible. Chapter three: Calgary grows up. When Sled Island began in 2007, it was often viewed as an indie rock festival, and that's fair. Many of the early lineups were rooted in independent rock music. The festival attracted adventurous guitar bands, underground acts, and artists operating outside the mainstream. But if Sled Island had remained just an indie rock festival, I don't think we'd be talking about it nearly 20 years later. What makes Sled Island remarkable is its willingness to evolve. As Calgary changed, the festival changed. As music changed, the festival changed. And perhaps most importantly, as audiences became more adventurous, Sled Island continued pushing them even further. One of the moments often cited as a turning point came in 2017 when Flying Lotus served as the festival's guest curator. Up until that point, many people still viewed Sled primarily through the lens of indie rock, but Flying Lotus represented something entirely different. Electronic music, hip-hop, experimental sounds, genre-defying creativity. Suddenly, people realized that Sled really wasn't just about genre at all. It was about pure discovery. And once you remove genre boundaries, the possibilities become endless. Since then, Sled has continued to expand its vision. Hip-hop artists, electronic producers, metal bands, experimental composers, international artists, Indigenous artists, drag performers, comedians, visual arts, filmmakers, drone, atmospheric. Laraji was here this year. Wow, like so amazing. The festival became less about any particular style of music and more about creative expression itself. In many ways, that mirrors Calgary's own journey. For decades, Calgary was viewed through a very narrow lens. People outside Alberta often reduce the city to oil and gas and the stampede. But to anyone who's spent time in Calgary's arts community knows that there's another side to this city, a creative side, a diverse side, a side filled with musicians, artists, writers, filmmakers, and creators building something unique. Sled Island became one of the places where that side of Calgary could be seen most clearly. Every June, artists from around the world would arrive expecting one thing and leave talking about something entirely different. They came expecting a prairie city. They leave talking about the music community, the venues, the audiences, the volunteers, the energy. Over and over again, artists say the same thing, "We had no idea Calgary was like this." And honestly, that's one of my favorite things about Sled Island. It changes perceptions, not just for visitors, but for Calgarians too. 'Cause sometimes it takes y- y- Because sometimes it it takes seeing your own city through someone else's eyes to appreciate what you've built. Today, Calgary's music scene is one of the most diverse and interesting in the country. And if you look closely, you'll find Sled Island woven through many of those stories. Not because the festival created every artist, not because it deserves all the credit, but because it provided a place for those artists to connect, collaborate, experiment, grow. A place where scenes could overlap, where audiences could expand, and where we could discover possibilities they didn't know existed. One artist who represents that evolution perfectly is K-Rizz of K-Rizz and the Family. Like Calgary itself, his music refuses to fit neatly into a single category. His work blends hip-hop, R&B, soul, jazz, reggae influences, and deeply personal storytelling into something entirely his own. And like so many artists who have come through SLED, his story reflects a music community that has become far more diverse, confident, and adventurous than many outsiders realize. Here's a little something from K-Rizz

Darren Scott 35:08

tell me a little bit about yourself and your musical journey.

K-Riz 35:11

Oh, man. My name is K-Rizz. I am, I was born and, and raised in slash Edmonton, with my mom living in Toronto, my dad living in Edmonton, so I've been back and forth my whole life. yeah, I... a rapper. I've picked up singing or incorporated singing along the way. I think I've been singing since I was a baby also in church and like that. yeah, got a, I got a band. We, we go across the country, sometimes different continents. we went to South Korea. We've been, we've been all over the place and been able to, you know, spread the gospel that is music and good music and bringing people together. to me, that, that is the ultimate goal

Darren Scott 35:57

So when did you first hear about the Sled Island Festival?

K-Riz 36:01

I first heard about it think around 2017, around the same time, our first time at Sled we opened for Thundercat at the Palace Theatre. crazy show. Crazy venue, crazy show. we were a pretty big band. I think we had 13 members of our band at that point in time. but yeah, that was the first time, and it was an amazing experience

Darren Scott 36:24

what artist or bands or acts have you discovered at the festival while you were experiencing it?

K-Riz 36:31

Ooh. I got to see Princess Nokia, which was dope. She actually came out and talked to us after,

Darren Scott 36:38

Oh, cool

K-Riz 36:39

And I mean, I was somewhat, I was somewhat, like, a fan of hers, but I've never really got to see her, like, live and do her thing, so I got to see that. even just watching, like, peers from the community, you know, do their thing. It, it's just like an all-star... It's like a, it feels like a music all-star week, here in the city, so there's just so many people to, to check out. H- Hawa B w- was another one that I was pleasantly surprised

Darren Scott 37:06

yeah. We were just talking about that, how it would be, definitely open some eyes and, very, sensual, sexy, soulful. Wow. yeah, amazing

K-Riz 37:14

it was, was, an experience. and yeah, I just didn't really know... I wasn't really walking in there any expectations. I've, I've met a, an artist, Mackie, he's from Montreal also, same with HOWABEE. and I met him out here also, and we've just been, we've just been friends and, you know, peers in music community for a while now. we met through Sled Island, so just meeting a lot of friends and making a lot of friends

Darren Scott 37:42

Yeah, fantastic. So hip hop historically has received a bit less festival representation, but that's growing than I guess, let's call it alternative or punk or other acts like that. I guess how has Sled Island helped grow, Calgary and I guess local Alberta audiences to hip hop?

K-Riz 37:59

I think it's also forced a lot of hip hop artists to expand. it's f- forced hip hop artists to, you know, get a band together on stage and, you know, and bring that musicality plus the lyricism to the people. I think it's, it's easier to digest, when there is music, when there's live musicians and instrumentation behind it. I mean, outside of a hip hop community that's used to a DJ and a microphone, it just invites more people into the music 'cause you'll have... 'Cause I mean, people don't really know that, you know, hip hop has elements of jazz in it. know, that's, that's kind of what birthed the culture. And, you know, bringing that to people just entices them and invites them, and it makes it comfortable for a new listener to embrace hip hop. So I think you're seeing in Calgary, you're seeing in Calgary right now, I was talking about it the other day, you're seeing a lot of hip hop artists with bands, and I think that kinda elevates the craft

Darren Scott 39:04

Yeah, totally agree. y- the old classic two turntables and a microphone is great, but, to add those elements, and I think you yourself, are known for that, not just a strict rapper, but again, you mentioned, you've been singing for a while, and you do a great job at that. going back, d- digging a little deeper, what is the hip hop community in Calgary Alberta like, and, what opportunities does it have to grow here?

K-Riz 39:30

I think it's a very hungry, community. I think it, m- like everybody works hard. there's venues here that allow the music in there. I, there was a time where Alberta was losing their venues. but I mean, we still got some venues that really support, the music community here. like I said, you're starting to see, a boom of hip hop artists with bands, and I think that, you know, changes the way people outside of here view hip hop. I mean, it showcases the musicians that we have, it showcases the artists that we have, and it showcases the vocalists that we have. So I think with that, it's just a matter of time before the rest of the world catches on. I think there is a w- a bunch of world-class artists here, and younger ones coming up also, that, you know, are waiting for the world to discover them. we do... We have artists like Cartel Madras, Arlo Maverick, myself, Bijan is, is exploding this year, T-Fanny. and I mean, to me, those are all, those are all world-class artists, Micah Sage, all world-class artists. and it's just a matter of time. I think if we all stay focused and we all stay pushing, I think, I think this year and next year are gonna be very good years for Alberta music in general

Darren Scott 40:53

how does performing at a Sled Island stage different than playing one of your regular club shows?

K-Riz 40:59

Well, it, it's 'cause the artists come out and watch. You know? Some of the artists that you're sharing the bills with, and sometimes that lineup can be very diverse. is not like you can be a rapper on a bill with a rock band or, like, a punk band or a math rock band. and you guys get to, you know, get to see each other do your, do your thing, and I think that is very cool, and it is, it's very special, 'cause you can learn from each other. You can form bonds that last forever. I think that is, is such a cool thing about Sled Island

Darren Scott 41:32

what are you working on, right now?

K-Riz 41:34

currently working on a new album that is hopefully, fingers crossed, going to be released in October. it's a follow-up to my last album, One Way Ticket. This one is called Heaven, so One Way Ticket to Heaven. kind of the idea.

Darren Scott 41:48

Ha, I like it.

K-Riz 41:50

So our one, One Way Ticket to Heaven or one way to get to heaven, so it depends how you say it. it was recorded at the National Music Center here in the city, with a lot of community, I think, which is a key word here. a lot of community that came through. We had a choir in there. We had a lot of musicians in there. a lot of, like, heavy hitter producers from all over the country here working on this album. So, besides that, just getting ready for Sled, getting ready for Stampede, getting ready for a crazy summer. it's artist mode. It's the gre- best place to be.

Darren Scott 42:24

K-Riz, once again, thanks for, today and everything, and, best of luck.

K-Riz 42:27

Thank you very much

42:31

It's amazing, the way you look at me. It drives me crazy, the way that dress hugs your body. Can I push up on your love? Can I kiss up on your love? Move your hips up on my love. Your lips are all I want. Your skin's so soft. It's craving. Listening to K-RiZ talk about the music, the community, and the creativity, it's impossible not to recognize how much Calgary's scene has evolved. But diversity alone doesn't explain why people keep returning to Sled Island. There's another ingredient, something that fans, artists, volunteers, and organizers all seem to mention: community. Because while the music may bring people through the door, it's often the people that keep them coming back year after year. Chapter four: The Human Scale Festival. Because despite its growth, despite attracting international artists, despite drawing tens of thousands of attendees, they estimate about 30,000 per year and growing, Sled Island still feels remarkably personal. Executive Director Maud Salvey described it perfectly when she said, "We're big enough that there are a lot of different options for people to enjoy, but we're also still at human scale." It's a simple phrase, but I really liked it, and I think it might explain Sled Island better than anything else, and that's a very difficult balance to maintain. Most festivals eventually become victims of their own success. They get bigger, more sponsors, more stages, more corporate influence, yay, more distance between artists and audiences. They start putting it all over the city and not centralized. Eventually, those experiences start feeling less personal and more transactional. Sled Island has largely avoided that trap. Now admittedly, Sled has had its struggles and changes. Zach is no longer involved, and there is a struggle to balance investment and growth while still trying to maintain the intimacy Sled offers. I'm not here to really talk about that, though. Positive vibes in this episode, my friends. Positive vibes. Part of that successful balance comes from the venues. Think about the places that define Sled Island. The Palomino. You have to experience The Palomino. Dickens, you have to experience Dickens. These are all such character places and oh my gosh, the Ship Anchor. If you live in Calgary, y- you know the Ship Anchor. But the Legion, most people probably have never stepped foot in the Legion, but up and down stairs, acts both nights. we've got the Commonwealth. We've got the Palace, Theatre. But there's some very cool smaller and art places now. many people mentioned, Loophole, PinBar, the Blox Art Centre, the Gull Bar, Sloth Records. Hey, I want to give a special shout-out I own a small distillery called New Craft Spirits here in Calgary. I've been around the scene for a while, and a special shout-out to the sponsors that sponsor and make the great drinks of Sled Island, but that is Dandy Brewing. Shout out Dandy. Love you guys. Confluence Distilling, Ross Fee, love you. 88 Brewing, love 88 Brewing, and new this year, Annex Brewing. They're doing some of their non-alc stuff, but I saw every single one of the owners, and some of the staff of these, distilleries and breweries out at Sled Island this year. So amazing. Support your local breweries, distilleries. Please buy local when you can. This is my only moment in this podcast that I'll do that. Like, it makes a big difference. The big brands are great, don't get me wrong, but, support local when you can. We know we're a little bit more expensive because we can't match their prices. We just can't. But think about it. Support local, keep it in the city, support Sled, buy the Dandy beer, buy the Confluence Mate, buy the 88 Brewing beer. Like, do it. Buy Annex. Like, buy New Craft Spirits. We're gonna make a great gin. Anyway, just special shout-out to all the new breweries and distilleries and other alcohol manufacturers that are putting out spaces for these bands. With that, one more, I wanna do a special shout-out to CGSW. I also ran into lots of CGSW staff out there. CGSW has been a staple in Calgary supporting the arts it is honestly probably one of the best radio stations you'll ever listen to. If you are not from this area and are not aware, you can tune into them online. Their shows are available to download. It offers such a variety. They interview a lot of these acts before Sled Island. Please listen to CJSW. Support CJSW and their funding drive. They deserve it. They support local arts and culture. Thank you These aren't anonymous festival grounds in the middle of nowhere. They're places that Calgarians already know, places with history, places with stories, places with character, places where local musicians play year-round. During Sled Island, those venues become connected by shared energy. You might start your evening at one venue, walk 10 minutes or bike or e-scooter. Bike racks are installed everywhere, and it's fun. everybody's in it together. You'll see people just walking and scootering and biking all all over downtown. and then you go catch another band somewhere else, run into friends, meet somebody new, hear a recommendation, change your plans completely, switch where you were gonna go and go to a different bar. Who knows what you'll discover? And suddenly your entire night goes in one direction you never expected. I, I think that's probably more common than what you think you planned. I think you usually don't end up where you thought you would, and that's great. That's why it's so awesome. I compare it to traveling when you're backpacking. You just hear something from another backpacker in a country, in Peru or something, and you end up doing that experience, and that's how you usually find the best things. So it's just that same strategy applied to local music discovery in a safe, awesome, small, condensed environment. That's the Sled Island experience. In fact, many longtime attendees will tell you their favorite memories weren't even planned. Again, I think that happens more often than not. They happen by accident. A random set, an unexpected discovery. You were there for one band, but you caught the end of the other one, and that ended up being your favorite band. A conversation outside the venue, maybe, you know, smoking some cannabis. Hey, it's legal here in Canada. Enjoy it. Enjoy the vibe. It could have been a band they almost skipped. The festival rewards curiosity and because Calgary's downtown core is so walkable during the festival, the city itself becomes part of the experience. You aren't isolated in a giant festival compound. You're moving through Calgary, experiencing the neighborhoods, experiencing the venues, experiencing the people. By the second or third day of the festival, something interesting starts happening. You begin seeing the same faces, same volunteers, same artists, the same fans. Maybe you don't know their names, but you recognize them. You know they were at the last show you were at, and there's just a smile, a wink, and a nod, and that camaraderie, that community again. It just-- the entire city just becomes this community in support for the love of music. it's something difficult to explain un-until you've experienced it. You just gotta, you gotta do it. Gotta do it. I don't think I've ever seen an incident or a fight at a Sled show. And I'm not saying it has-- doesn't happen, but it is just a very safe, open, supportive community, and everybody's just there to enjoy the music. I can't think of one example, and I've been to a lot of Sled nights. And again, I know damn well it's happened, but let's blame that one on the alcohol. Stick to the weed. And it's one of the reasons people keep coming back. Another reason is the volunteers. Talk to anyone involved with Sled Island, and eventually the conversation turns toward volunteers. People speak about them almost reverently. These are people checking wristbands, they're helping artists, they're providing you directions, they're setting up the venues, they're solving problems, they're making the festival function. For many volunteers, Sled Island becomes a yearly tradition. These are music lovers that just wanna be involved, and what a great way to be involved and You'll get a band for free, and then you can experience it yourself when you're not volunteering. For some, it's becoming a defining moment of their relationship with Calgary's music community. And then there are other traditions. There's an annual pig roast, the wrap-up parties, the late-night conversations, the spontaneous collaborations with artists. Over and over, I keep hearing stories about how artists met each other and then collaborated after Sled Island, there's so many great stories. Brock Geiger, who I interviewed, ended up meeting somebody at Sled, from Japan, and then he went and played Japan. And now that Japanese, artist comes back, every year again. Tengen Gugen is his name. I may be mispronouncing that, but please, if you look on the schedule, I know he plays Dandy on the Saturday this year. But that's what it's all about, the stories people tell for years afterward. When people talk about their favorite Sled memories, they're often not talking about the biggest artist. They're talking about the moments, moments that could only happen at Sled Island, moments that became part of Calgary's collective music history. There's a story of a volunteer talking about becoming an impromptu tour guide for a member of the Buzzcocks. How cool is that? Others remembered seeing bands in tiny venues that would eventually go on to international success. Japanese Breakfast was here a few years ago, and then they were on Saturday Night Live the next year. These stories aren't really about music. They're about connection, and that's why Sled Island feels different. Because beneath all the bands, all the schedules, all the programming, Sled Island is really a community event. The music simply gives that community a reason to gather. One person who understands that better than most is Brock Geiger. As a songwriter, producer, engineer, collaborator, and performer, Brock has spent years helping shape Calgary's music community from multiple angles. his perspective offers a unique window into how artists, venues, and audiences all work together to create something larger than any individual performance. I'll let Brock tell you for himself. Here's what Brock said in the interview I had with him. Be sure to check out that episode

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 52:45

How did you get into becoming, a studio musician or a musician for hire? How did that happen?

BG 52:50

Yeah. I think right out of the gate, like when I-- O- the, one of the first bands I joined when I, I guess when I was 19, I, I started playing bass in a local band called The Dudes here, and that was, They were, well-established at the point that I joined the group. They'd been a band since like the late '90s.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 53:09

Mm-hmm.

BG 53:09

so all of them are, you know, a decade older than me or so. But, I, They needed a, a new player, so I kinda jumped in, and they were still on, kinda riding the waves of like a push from, a new record and stuff. So I kinda got introduced to like the touring life and studio world, kinda right out of the gate. and that kinda just allowed me to transition some of those skills and connections and ideas to like the projects I was working on, on my own on the side. and I mean, Calgary's just like a small scene as you're kind of, you're probably familiar with, you know, as you... I mean, it's big and growing and diverse, but at least like, you know, if you're, if you're in it, there's so many like like-minded people in those worlds that it's just like, okay, we're... My experience at least was like people helping each other out, like building a community, kind of being introduced to this, that, and the other thing to kinda just continue growing and kinda, you know, tr- treading your own path along that way. But, it was, always community-minded in that way, where it was like I'm just l- learning from my peers or like tapping in on a session and like grabbing a skill set here and there. and then the recording and producing thing kind of evolved from necessity, as it does for a lot of people with like, you know, the accessibility to recording technology and that these days being, it's no replacement for like your world-class studios, but it's, you know, you can crack out some pretty good quality demos and recordings with, mm, you know, nothing more than a phone or a laptop these days. And like, I kinda got into that, like making my own demos and recordings, with some of my buddies at the time, kinda right out of the gate. So it became kind of the part of the process, with playing music was like, oh, we can also record this even if it's not to be released, but it's, you know, if it was two microphones off of a cassette machine or whatever and we're just recording our jams. You know, I have tons of cassettes of just, us like, you know, playing and figuring things out. So I kinda really liked the, capturing part of things, even if it was just like archival. And, figuring out how you could make things sound, became kind of an obsession early on too. So that became pretty integrated with my process as like a writer, artist, was, kinda using the recording studio and those tools as kind of parts of my inspiration.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 55:19

Yeah, amazing. And so, I mean, you contributed to a lot of different musical artists. I guess, is there... Like, are the ones that, you remember the most that you played on?

BG 55:29

Yeah. I mean, I spent a lot of, a good portion of my time, like, I was in that band, The Dudes, and another band, Reuben and the Dark, for, like, over a decade. so those were like, you know, we were, we were a band and, like, co- group effort in that capacity. So that I'd consider less as, like, a session player. But, those, you know, we made a lot of fun things with that, those groups. it's... There's no favorites, honestly. There's like, I've, over the years, I... It's just, like, been a diverse list, and there's, like, always stuff to pull from, and, grow into the next thing. So that's kinda what keeps it fresh and, moving forward and exciting for me, is, like, the fact that nothing is ever the same. It's always, like, a new kinda problem to solve or, like, way to present, an idea. and that's, yeah, that's kinda what keeps it fresh and exciting.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 56:13

you also played with, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald.

BG 56:16

Yeah, I continue to play in his band. Yeah,

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 56:18

Yeah,

BG 56:18

totally, totally. I've been on a bunch of his records over the years and, I'm kind of one of the core groups of his touring act for the last, four or five years as well. So we've, we've been good buddies for a long time

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 56:29

Yeah, very cool. So, so you play with a lot of people, you've been in a lot of great bands, and those are big names.

BG 56:35

Yeah

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 56:35

you're doing that for 15 years, so out from behind all that and you just released your first album last year, 2025, I believe, And Some Nights. so tell me about that and why now? Why did you step out from behind to the forefront?

BG 56:52

Yeah, you know, it's again, just kind of, it's a lot of just, like, things falling into place. It's not too much, you know, I'm, I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of, guy. definitely, like, ideas plotted and things I wanna chase down, but this, that was kinda just, like, came naturally with a lot of timing. I've always, you know, been writing and have, had a band called Rally for years. that was kind of... That's where my personal writing would get filtered. but basically COVID hit, and all of our, touring schedules with the, you know, previously mentioned acts really slowed down. and I had just a ton of time to kind of refocus where the energy was going. So having the tools and the access to the studio, I kind of just dove into my own tunes and, basically made a version of that record, alone at my studio, in the early COVID, years there. And then, took that, shared it with my good buddy Will, who is, working down in Los Angeles, as a very skilled engineer-producer himself. And he was like, "Hey, these are great, but, like, do you wanna come blow these up with me down here? We have access to an amazing room." He works at Sound City, which is, you know, iconic, insane room to get access to.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 58:05

Yeah,

BG 58:05

we,

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 58:05

Sound City, man.

BG 58:07

Yeah, it was really epic and so fun, and just, like, the community he's, associated with down there allowed, some access to some incredible players and stuff too. So we took the record that I had made at my studio and kinda went down and were just kind of, like, cutthroat about what could stay and what needed to be replaced and, like, brought in some amazing players, like people I've looked up to for years. And, were able to just, yeah, kind of like make the, the record, the plus version of it. And, that was kind of how that kind of all came to be, and, and it just made sense to put it all out since the, you know, it's, it was all happened, so.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 58:39

what's the difference between playing a Sled audience versus just one of your regular show audiences?

BG 58:46

For some reason, people, the excitement is just up. You know, it's like I think people, it's established enough now and people kind of know what to expect for like an action-packed five days that it's like, it's like people are on and ready to go to shows. So that's like kind of the coolest part is just like there's an excitement in the air. You know, you're on the street, you're running into buddies on bikes who are like, "I'm heading to this venue. I'll see you at this show. I'll see..." You know, it's like, it's just like kind of fun. There's like an elevated sense of, of like wanting to be involved and like, you know, not wanting to have the FOMO. You wanna see like that buzz act or you, you know, you heard they had a great set on the Tuesday, getting down to the show on the Friday night, whatever. Like, I think it's just like really cool in that way that it just like injects this like, Yeah, it's just energized. Like there's a, the appreciation for what a festival and what a live show is, I think, is super magnified that, for this week and it's, I think you just feel that playing, you know? It's like it's feels good to be a part of that wave of like getting, doing something positive for the city and like culturally, it's just like, the shows are, you know, isolated shows, but it's like you're a part of, this greater movement that just feels very positive for a, a place like Calgary.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 59:59

super great to, talk to you today and, thanks for this

BG 1:00:01

Really appreciate it

1:00:29

if community is the heart of Sled Island, creativity is its fuel. And over the years, one of the festival's greatest strengths has been its willingness to embrace artists who refuse to fit neatly into a box, artists who experiment, artists who challenge expectations, artists who push audiences outside their comfort zones. Because if Sled Island has taught Calgary anything, it's that some of the most rewarding musical experiences happen when you're willing to take a chance on something unfamiliar Chapter five creativity without boundaries One of the most remarkable things about Sled Island is that it has never been particularly interested in playing it safe. In fact, if anything, the festival seems to thrive on uncertainty. For many festivals, success creates pressure to repeat what's worked before, pressure to book safer acts, pressure to become more predictable, pressure to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Sled Island has generally moved in the opposite direction. The festival's leadership has consistently embraced artists who challenge audiences rather than simply entertain them, artists who blur genres, artists who experiment, artists who take risks. And that's one of the reasons the festival continues to attract such a devoted audience. Because attendees learn very quickly that Sled Island trusts them. They trust them to be curious, trust them to be adventurous, trust them to engage. Art that might not immediately reveal itself, that's not always easy. Sometimes you walk into a venue and immediately fall in love with the band. Other times, I'll be honest, you can be confused for the first ten minutes, or you're listening to something you've never really listened to before. But even in those moments, they become valuable because discovery isn't always comfortable. It can't be. Sometimes discovering something new means being challenged. It means hearing sounds you've never heard before. It means questioning your assumptions about what music can be. Over the years, Sled Island has welcomed experimental noise artists, avant-garde performers, electronic innovators, post-punk explorers, underground hip-hop artists, metal bands, ambient composers, and everything in between. It's literally every style of music you can imagine. That's not because the festival is trying to be eclectic for the sake of being eclectic. It's because creativity itself doesn't fit neatly into categories, and the best festivals understand that. One of the strongest examples of that philosophy in Calgary's c-current music scene is Sun Glaciers. Trying to describe Sun Glaciers' music can be difficult sometimes. Depending on the song, you might hear elements of post-punk, psych rock, new wave, garage rock, experimental, or something just different. Their music feels familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I think that's a good way to say it. It's accessible but challenging. It's, it's awesome. Carefully constructed but constantly surprising. In many ways, they're exactly the kind of band that thrives in an environment like Sled Island. Not because they fit into a particular genre, but because they're committed to exploring beyond those boundaries. And that's really what Sled Island celebrates. Not conformity, exploration. I sat down with Evan Resnick from Sun Glaciers. Let's hear what he had to say

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:03:47

how would you describe the, the local music scene here in Calgary?

Evan Resnik 1:03:50

Yeah, it's kind of a- it's a big mishmash. There, there is really, some really interesting music across all genres. there's a, you know, quite a lot of that kinda outlaw country, that sort of, alcohol-soaked, laid back kind of, dirtier vibe for country. like you said, some really, really impressive hip-hop acts are coming around and, I don't know, just every, every time you go out to a show around here, you're gonna... There's a lot of sort of, mixed bills where you get, three or four different bands that all kinda sound different. There's a lot of great sort of like, newer hardcore bands, you know, among some of the younger scenes here as well. it's just really cool. It's kind of like a- just a, it's a big, melting pot of different sounds. And of course you have the, like the, the post Women sort of Calgary sound as well, which, we actually try to kind of distance ourselves from a little bit, but, you know, it still obviously comes through

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:04:41

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, focusing a little more on Sled Island right now, you mentioned you played there early on in 2016. How did you, how did you get connected with Sled?

Evan Resnik 1:04:52

it was actually a couple years before that. It was my first year working at a bar in Calgary, and, I was like, I think I was running food and, or, or bussing tables. And, there was an afternoon Sled Show, and the, the first act I saw was an artist named, Gianna Lauren from East Coast of Canada. And I just found her, her stuff really, really cool, and then that kind of opened my eyes to what was going on, you know, in Calgary that week. And I either bought a pass or maybe I, maybe I snuck into some venues or something. But, and I just realized how, how, how broad and how interesting, you know, the, the curation of this festival really was

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:05:28

what other acts, have you discovered or become friends with or connected with during the Sled Festivals?

Evan Resnik 1:05:34

Yeah, I mean, there's a whole bunch. one that really, influenced, us creatively at the time was, was seeing Mount Kimbie, who played at, I think it was Commonwealth in like 20- I think it was 2017. So that was like, that was Matt's, you know, first year, you know, as part of this project, and we were really, you know, just, just making music a lot and hanging out every day and biking around and going to all these Sled shows, and just seeing, seeing Mount Kimbie on the stage and how they had these different stations set up around the stage, and they'd kind of- they would rotate, you know, in this sort of circular pattern, kind of in between songs or sometimes in the middle of a song. We just thought that was really cool and, and, and brought a whole new dynamic of like a, like a more of a visual component to the audio that we were hearing. So I think since then, we really had a-- we've really prioritized, you know, what our, what our stages look like and what we look like on stage and, and just, just, you know, our efforts to captivate audiences a bit more. So that was really cool. and yeah, you know, the, the Canadian music scene is so small, the Nor- the North American scene, honestly, that like we've seen a lot of bands come through here and, and play at Sled, and then we've gone on tour and ended up playing, you know, with these bands, supporting us in their home cities, and just really making fast friends with, with really cool artists all around, North America.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:06:52

So you just released a new album in March, correct?

Evan Resnik 1:06:56

Yeah, end of March. I think it was the 27th, if I'm not mistaken. We have spiritual content, our fourth one. Super excited. It's been, really well received and, some people saying really nice things about it, so

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:07:07

Yeah, obviously

Evan Resnik 1:07:08

super happy

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:07:08

a lot of that in the upcoming shows?

Evan Resnik 1:07:11

Yeah, we've actually started playing the en- the entire record kinda cover to cover, the last few shows. We do it- we don't do it in the same order that it is on the record, but, that's a new thing for us as well, to have, to have, a release of, of nine songs that, we're excited to play all of them live. not saying that past albums have had throwaways necessarily, but, I think sometimes our compositions are a little ambitious, especially on the older records, and there's just sort of no way to recreate that live. so this one, we really kinda stripped down our approach, and we tried to keep it, really consistent from song to song. And I think the result is we're just, we're super pumped on all of these songs and, and have really enjoyed playing them

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 1:07:51

I really appreciate your time, and thanks for, talking to me today.

Evan Resnik 1:07:54

Thank you very much, Darren.

1:08:22

Listening to Evan talk reminds me of something that appears again and again throughout Sled Island's history, The festival's willingness to embrace uncertainty, to take chances, to trust artists, to trust audiences. And perhaps nowhere was that spirit tested more dramatically than in 2013. Every great festival faces a defining moment. For Sled Island, that moment arrived in June of 2013. If you're from Alberta, you probably remember it, the floods. Entire communities here in Calgary were underwater. Roads disappeared. Downtown was a mess. The Saddledome was flooded. Businesses were devastated. Homes were destroyed. I literally had to drive to Edmonton and back to pick up my son's passport that he needed for a trip coming up because the office downtown was flooded. People were displaced. In the middle of all that, Sled Island was actually underway, or at least it was supposed to be. Festival had already began when organizers were forced to make an incredible, difficult decision: cancel, not because ticket sales were down, not because a headliner dropped out, not because of financial issues, but because the city itself was in crisis. For festival organizers, volunteers, artists, and attendees, it, like, was devastating. Months of planning just disappeared overnight down the toilet. One Sled organizer described it as the darkest moment in the festival's history, and yet something remarkable happened. People didn't stop gathering. People didn't stop creating. People didn't stop supporting one another. As a familiar, Christmastime saying, their hearts grew three sizes that day. okay, maybe not really. But in the years since, the flood has become one of the defining stories of Sled Island, not because the festival was canceled, but because of how the community responded. The festival would be okay, maybe not that week, maybe not immediately, but eventually. The community that built Sled Island wasn't disappearing. If anything, the flood revealed just how strong that community had become, and I think that's part of why the story still matters today. When you look back over nearly 20 years of Sled Island history, it's tempting to focus on the famous artists, the headliners, the guest curators, the memorable performances, but I don't think that's the real story here. The real story is that Sled Island helped build a culture, a culture of discovery, a culture of curiosity, a culture that values creativity for its own sake, and that's something more lasting than any single performance But even the strongest festivals face challenges. As Sled Island approaches its twentieth anniversary, the question is no longer whether it has been successful. The question is how it can continue to survive and evolve in a world that has become increasingly expensive, increasingly competitive, and increasingly difficult for independent arts organizations. and that's where the next chapter begins Chapter seven: Why Sled Island Matters More Than Ever. It's easy to celebrate a festival when everything is going well, when tickets are selling, when the weather cooperates, when the lineups are exciting, when the venues are full. But sustaining a festival for nearly 20 years is a completely different ballgame. And today, independent festivals face pressures that few attendees ever see. Artist fees are continually rising. Venue costs continually rising. Production costs rising. Travel costs rising. Insurance costs rising. Virtually every aspect of putting on a festival has become more expensive. And unlike major corporate festivals backed by massive sponsors, Sled Island continues to operate as something much closer to a community organization. It's a registered charity. It relies on volunteers. It relies on donations. It relies on people who believe that events like this are worth preserving. In many ways, that's both its greatest strength and its greatest challenge, because independent culture has never been easy to sustain. And yet, despite all those challenges, Sled Island continues to thrive. Why? I think the answer comes back to something we've discussed throughout the episode. Discovery, community, connection. DCC. You're down with DCC. Yeah, you know me. I-- did I mention I'm not musical myself? those things are becoming increasingly rare, discovery, community, connection, especially now. Today, more music is available than at any point in human history. We can access millions of songs instantly. We can stream almost anything. We can listen to artists from anywhere in the world, and yet many people feel less connected to music than ever before. Music has become convenient, but sometimes convenience comes at the expense of discovery. Algorithms recommend what they think we'll like or what's paid for. Playlists guide our listening habits. Social media rewards familiarity. And slowly, without realizing it, many of us stop exploring. That's one of the reasons festivals like Sled Island matter. They create opportunities for surprise, for serendipity, for discovery, for human connection. You don't just hear music, you experience it, you talk about it, you share it, you stumble across something unexpected. And often, those experiences stay with you far longer than anything an algorithm ever recommends. That's especially important for local artists. Every artist we featured in this episode has benefited from being part of a creative community. If you wanna hear the real stories about that, check out the full-length interviews that I had with the four artists that played the 2026 festival, plus my great friend Conrad Montana from Les Gigantiques, a local Calgary band who also do our theme song. You gotta check them out. Conrad's perspective was amazing because he added that from a band an individual that's been in the Calgary scene for decades but never actually has played the festival. Whether through collaboration, exposure, networking, audience development, or simply feeling supported, the reality is that the music scenes don't happen automatically. They require infrastructure, venues, festivals, promoters, volunteers, fans, us, and organizations willing to take risks on artists before anyone else knows why or who they are. That's what Sled Island has been doing since 2007. Not simply booking bands, building a culture. And when you look at Calgary's music scene today, it's difficult to imagine what it would be like without that influence. Would Cartel Madras have found the same opportunities? maybe. Would countless local bands have had the chance to share stages with international artists? Probably not. Would audiences have discovered as many new sounds as they have because of Sled? Definitely not. Would Calgary have developed the same reputation as a city willing to embrace creative risk? Maybe over time, but Sled has definitely escalated that. It's hard to ignore the role Sled Island has played. For nearly twenty years, it's provided a platform, a meeting place, a launching pad, a home. And in an era when so many independent arts organizations are struggling simply to survive, that's something we're celebrating and supporting, because the future of music doesn't just depend on artists. It depends on the communities that support them, and few communities have done that better than Sled Island As I prepared for this episode and spoke with the artists, fans, and members of Calgary's music community, I kept returning to a simple question: Has Sled Island really changed Calgary music? At this point, I don't think there's really much debate. The answer is a resounding yes, but perhaps not in the way most people think, and that's where I wanna leave you today. Over the course of this episode, we talked about the artists, the venues, the volunteers, the floods, the discoveries, the communities. We've heard from the musicians at different stages of their careers. We've explored how one festival grew from a small indie rock event into one of Canada's most respected independent music festivals. But perhaps the most important thing we've learned is that Sled Island's impact can't really be measured by ticket sales, attendance numbers, or even the artists who have played at stages. Its real impact is cultural. It's measured in bands that met because of the festival. It's measured in bands that started because of the festival, and artists who found audiences, and fans who discovered music that changed their lives, and friendships formed in crowded venues, and volunteers who return year after year, and the way Calgary sees itself, and in the way visitors see Calgary. For nearly twenty years, Sled Island has proven that great music cities aren't defined by population, geography, or industry influence. They're defined by people who care, people willing to support artists, people willing to take chances, people willing to build something together. In that sense, Sled Island isn't really a festival. It's a reflection of Calgary at its best: creative, curious, welcoming, independent. Not just folk and country, though we are very good at that, and it's constantly evolving. And if you've never attended Sled Island, I hope this episode encourages you to come here if you're not from Calgary to check it out, or if you're from Calgary, seriously, go check out even one band. you can buy a pass for the whole event, but you can buy individual show tickets. You can buy passes for just one day. in the past I've often just bought like a Saturday pass and then literally seen sixteen bands in a day, and you can do that. If you're already part of the Sled Island community, I hope this episode reminds you of just how special it really is. Because in a world increasingly driven by algorithms, trends, and predictability, Sled Island continues to celebrate something much more valuable: discovery, and that's something worth protecting. Thanks for listening to this episode. The Sonic Collective presents Sled Island, the festival that changed Calgary music. I hope you enjoyed my take on it. I know there's many others. I can't stress enough how amazing this festival is and just how cool, and you will definitely discover something you never have before. You will not find this in your phone. Put down the screen and get in front of a live artist. I'm Darren Scott at the Sonic Collective If you've enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out the five interviews I did in preparation for this episode, as well as the post-festival recap that will come out shortly after this episode. If you're listening in the future, it's already there. If you're listening as this comes out, it will be there very shortly. It was a great fun time. I am not a professional podcaster. I just have a love and a passion of music, a love and passion for the Alberta music scene, and I just wanted to share it with you. So come join me. If you see me at the festival, come say hi. I'd love to meet you and enjoy the music of Sled Island. Just before I sign out, I obviously wanna thank all the previous, media articles, videos, everything that's on the Sled Island website, all the work that the volunteers and all the staff have done. I read all the articles. I obviously quoted from them. I am not trying to take credit for everything in this. I gathered that information and tried to put it together in a, just a all-encompassing way. So if you heard a reference to something you did, nothing but love and respect. Please, Google other media. There's lots of great articles on the artists, the Sled Island Festival, and so much more. Mass respect and only mean to promote your art as well I'm Darren Scott signing out Thanks for listening to The Sonic Collective. If you enjoyed this episode, help us keep great music alive by subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the show with a fellow music fan. Be sure to explore our growing catalog of album reviews, artist interviews, festival coverage, and music discoveries from across Canada and beyond. The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Léger Gongtique from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. Until next time, keep listening, keep discovering, and keep the conversation going. This is The Sonic Collective signing off