It’s full steam ahead for The Wilderness, a Kingston-based rock sextet with deep Queen’s roots. The group, which celebrated the release of its second studio album, Strangers I Used to Love, on April 12 with a launch show at BluMartini in Kingston, is embarking on the second half of its North America tour. The band will visit 22 cities across Canada and the United States this spring.
In addition to their touring schedule, the independent act is the owner and operator of Evergreen Recording Co., a recording studio in South Frontenac, Ontario, and has taken on mentorship opportunities with young musicians in the Kingston area.
It’s a full program for Queen’s alumni Hank Lawrence, Artsci'20, Nick Lennox, ConEd’20, Liam Neale, Artsci’17, and Karl Tombak, Artsci’19, but it’s also a career path they can trace back to their time at Queen’s.
Several band members met at Queen’s and Lawrence, Neale, and Tombak lived together during their time as students, forging the friendships that led to the formation of the band.
Tombak, the band’s bass player, credits the ample musical opportunities at Queen’s and in Kingston as essential in his development as a musician, performing his first gigs at the Tea Room and Clark Hall Pub.
Lawrence, the band’s drummer, fondly remembers his time playing marching snare with the Queen’s Pipe Band but also emphasizes the role his formal education played in his development as a musician.
“I took a number of music classes while at Queen’s that really informed my taste and helped me build my drumming and arranging chops,” says Lawrence, reflecting on his university education. “In particular, I had a few classes with Greg Runions (Artsci’80, Ed’84), in improvisation and arrangement, and a couple with Dr. Matt Rogalsky in the realm of electroacoustic music that were both formative and eye-opening for me.”
Lennox, whose roles with the group include vocals, guitar, saxophone, keys, and percussion, echoes his bandmate’s appreciation for the musical instruction he received while a student at Queen’s. However, he believes both the university and the broader Kingston community provide a wide range of opportunities for aspiring musicians to hone their skills.
“Studying music at Queen’s gave me a lot of technical skills but performing in the greater Kingston community is where I really cut my teeth and learned to apply those skills,” Lennox shares.
Live performance has been an essential part of the band’s journey and a crucial point of connection with the community. Since forming in 2015, The Wilderness have played more than 600 shows and during their time as students, they played numerous campus venues like the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, Grant Hall, Harrison-LeCaine Hall, John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC), and the Grad Club.
But as Lennox indicates, they also have a list full of legendary local venues on their resumé like the Mansion, the Toucan, the Merchant, Musiikki, BluMartini, Confederation Basin, Trinity, and the Brooklyn.
That relationship with the broader community is still important to the group. Now seasoned industry professionals, the band understands the importance of mentoring the next generation of musicians and acknowledges they can play a key role in helping aspiring musicians achieve their dreams.
Lennox works with Harmony Lounge & Music Club, a not-for-profit organization based in Napanee, Ontario, that provides music lessons, coaching, and mentorship opportunities to students aged 12 to16 as part of its Rock Skool program. Harmony’s goal is to provide students with the skills and encouragement to pursue advancement in music education and the music industry.
“I feel that the work Harmony does, and that we’re doing together, has great importance. When I was younger, I was lucky to have many opportunities to hone my musical craft; shows were always all ages, seasoned touring bands would host young up-and-coming acts, and everyone I knew was excited to help my friends and I grow as a band. Now, being a decade into a robust musical career (and a certified teacher no less) I feel great privilege to be providing practical support to young rock musicians following their dreams just like I have,” says Lennox.
The Wilderness launched the Strangers I Used to Love tour on March 1 with a show in Napanee and turned to the Harmony program when sourcing an opening act, local youth band Third Time’s a Charm.
Having Third Times a Charm, one of Harmony’s bands, open for an established group is a big win for the program, according to Michelle Hauser, Communications and Program Co-ordinator for Rock Skool. Hauser notes that connecting the program’s aspiring musicians with established industry professionals like The Wilderness has been difficult.
“It’s nice to see an established band pay it forward,” says Hauser.
The connection has resulted in a fruitful collaboration between The Wilderness and Third Time’s a Charm, with plans for a five song EP recorded at Evergreen Recording Co., and members of The Wilderness serving as producers.
“Working with young musicians really reminds me of what we were like as fledgling musicians,” Tombak says. “We received and continue to receive a large amount of mentorship, so now the transition into becoming mentors has been a bit of an existential moment. We’re officially old! Our gratitude is a big motivator for passing that support and mentorship along.”
As members of The Wilderness grow into these new roles, they're embracing the opportunity to show youth the ins and outs of the indie music scene.
“Being an independent musician feels like having two full-time jobs, one of which often pays for the other,” Neale jokes. “There’s also a significant amount of non-music work that goes into being an independent musician. None of us were taught how to make graphics, book shows, or act as social media managers. Honestly sometimes the biggest challenge is just finding time to play music!”
With such deep ties to the area, it’s not surprising The Wilderness continues to call Kingston home. The band have found Kingston offers plenty of professional musical opportunities and has a dedicated group of musicians in the area for support. It’s also conveniently located near three of Canada’s largest markets and home base for many of their fans who have followed the band for years.
For these reasons, it made sense to celebrate the launch of their latest album in Kingston before setting off on tour for the better part of two months.
As the band members reflect on their careers to this point, they’re grateful for all the support they’ve received over the years. Their success can be attributed to the opportunities they were afforded as young musicians and their hard work to master their crafts.
Lawrence puts it more succinctly: “Never turn down an opportunity to play. Also, never forget your sticks.”
