Our Time is Now is the first single to be released from Greg Drummond’s new album, Drive.
But, truth be told, the title rings true for the Port Moody secondary graduate’s life as well.
The Anmore resident took four years to craft his second LP — which drops today (Tuesday) — following the release of his debut CD Walking Man.
He admits he spent more time writing and recording than he wanted “but that’s what happens when you start writing for grants,” he during a phone interview last week. “I wanted to do it right.”
He got the funding behind his work. Last May, a $25,000 grant from Factor (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) Canada came through, which allowed him to record at Monarch Studios and work with producer Ryan Worsley of Echoplant Studios.
He also hosted a fundraising concert at the Inlet Theatre and launched a $10,000 campaign through Indiegogo.com to help pay for the costs of album printing, marketing, touring, a radio tracker and music video.
And when it came time to hire a music managing company, Drummond got a job.
Right now, on the brink of his western Canadian tour to promote Drive, Drummond said money is flowing in and out of his bank account at an alarming pace.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “We’ve got vinyls coming and that costs more than my van. It’s so crazy. But you really do need money to get the word out there.”
Drive is a compilation of 11 original tracks by Drummond, who in 2012 won the Best of BC Song Contest — and a tidy $10,000 cheque — from the Shore 104.3 FM and, a year later, made it to the Top 20 of the Peak Performance Project radio contest.
Compared with Walking Man, Drive is more eclectic and has different tones. There’s an upbeat, folk-rock “southern” feel with a horn section.
Besides Monarch, Drummond worked on it in his and Worsley’s studios as well as in more intimate places such as his family cabin on Gambier Island, his parents’ garage and in a closet.
“As much as we do have money behind this project, at the end of the day, you still have to record in your bedroom closet to make things happen,” he laughed, “but it gives it cooler and unique sounds.”
Playing with him on Drive are his “Swiss Army knife” of a musician Michael Lothian (piano, according, trumpet) plus Alanna Pearce (drums) — a Terry Fox secondary graduate who was part of Steve Sainas’ Rock School program — and Mike Meroniuk (electric guitar) and Marcus Abramzik (bass), graduates of the Capilano University jazz music program.
Starting Thursday, they’ll begin their Drive tour in Victoria and stop in Port Moody on June 26 for an all-ages CD release show before winding up in Calgary on July 17 (they’ll play Salmon Arm on Canada Day).
Their summer will be filled with B.C. festivals and, in the fall, the band will push the album across Canada.
The nationwide tour will give them a good indication of what’s next, Drummond said.
He also hopes to spread Our Time is Now mainly via college radio and social media.
With the album now out, Drummond reflected on his biggest challenge.
“Just staying motivated when you’re in a band and travelling with no A/C and so cramped in one space can be difficult,” he said. “That’s touring life but it is what it is. The most important thing is staying confident with yourself because you are your own worst critic. If you’re not confident on stage, you’re going to lose it pretty quickly. You’re going to lose that momentum.”
He added, “You need to have fun and don’t take yourself so seriously. Some people will like it, some people won’t but hopefully we can turn some heads. Even if I can take one person out of a crowd who says, ‘Wow, that was the best concert ever’ then my time is done.”
• Tickets for the Drive CD release party on June 26 at Inlet Theatre (100 Newport Dr., Port Moody) are $25 via gregdrummond.com or the theatre box office. Bowen & The Uproar will open and craft beer will be served by Moody Ales.
