The Summertime Trail of Tales Rolls On!

Thank you Vancouver and Hornby Festivals!  Look out Butchart Gardens, Alaska and Ontario/Quebec.  We’re having a great time seeing you all and laying down all the new tunes and past hits.

In other happy news, Trail of Tales has been hovering in the top ten of the Roots Music Report for the past few weeks, and the album is also now being released in the UK (August 29 is the official release date!) with the help of Borealis Records and fabulous UK publicist Pat Tynan.

Check out the “Shows” page over the coming weeks as the Fall, Winter and Spring seasons get filled in with North American dates. Then we’ll hope to swing over to the UK and Europe a little later in 2017.  Stay tuned!

California – Trail of Tales CD Release Tour!

Look out, Cali!  Four main dates and a couple of secret shows coming right up.  Hope to see some of you out there.  And listen in for radio appearances and support from the likes of KHUM, KSCO, KPIG and others.

Check out the “Shows” page for info on the dates, June 28 – July 3, with a special Canada Day rocker (July 1) in Santa Cruz and a triumphant return to the fabled Castoro Cellars the following day (photo below from last year’s Beaverstock show).  And of course, don’t forget the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley and a swing all the way to our funky brothers and sisters in Humboldt County – Arcata, baby!

Lotsa love,

The Bills

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Thank You Arts Northwest

Good times were had by all in Boise, Idaho this week.

We met a ton of great artists, played a pretty decent showcase, hung out along the river and at Boise State University in the welcome warmth of the October sun (highs of 25 C).  And we hope to work with some of the fine arts presenters we met to arrange tours throughout the gorgeous US Northwest (including the wayyy up Northwest – we made some great new friends in Alaska!).

See you all out there soon. Looking forward to touring on the new album in 2016!

 

The Boys are in Boise

anw_logo_sideWe’ve landed in Boise at the fabled Arts Northwest Booking Conference.  This is a fabulous industry event that brings together an incredibly diverse collection of  artists who blast out 12-minute showcase performances for arts presenters from across the western US. It’s been around a decade since The Bills were here, and we’re looking forward to meeting friends old and new, artists and presenters, and setting up some excellent tours through some beautiful parts of this country.

Presenters from the conference, please visit our Presenters & Media Page

West Coast Gigs Ahoy

Hey folks!

The new album is coming along swimmingly.  And while it won’t be out on the proverbial record store shelves for at least a couple of months, we’ll have some great chances to showcase some new material and classic hits over the next two months.

Two rare local shows in August – Butchart Gardens in Victoria and the Filberg Summer Concert Series in Comox, August 12 and 13.

Then watch for a blazing version of the Bills in the US in September.

See you out there in the sun!

The Bills

Good Times, New Tunes

On our handful of great western Canadian shows to close out 2014, The Bills have had the very fine fortune to play with two great bassists – one of them the foundation of the band through JUNO-nominated recordings and thousands of miles of touring: Glen Manders, the other a rising young dude in the Canadian music scene, Nick Mentenko.  Thanks Glen and Nick for so ably filling in for Scott, who’s off in Germany launching a new show.

But Scott will be back next Spring, when the band is set to dive into tracking for their next album.  Until then, watch for the individual Bills in their various incarnations and pursuits.  One of which is happily hunched over their home recording units, composing and arranging for the next beautiful batch of Bills tunes!

Watch for a chance to support the band’s upcoming recording by being among the first to pre-purchase the album.  More info to come!  Until then, happy days to all.

The Bills

California 2014 – Good Times, Bills Times

Good people of California, thank you again!

We’ve just finished 10 days of magic and music, singing and swimming.  From Arcata to Bishop to Pleasant Hill to Santa Cruz, all was wonderful.  Let’s do it again soon!

Next stop: home territory in BC in October, starting with glorious Osoyoos!

Yeehaw!

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From Ontario to BC to California – the endless summer continues

Yes yes yes!  Folks, BillFest 2014 was a ball in Ottawa.  Stewart Park and Home County Fair were Ontario peaks, too.  Then to get a whole week on Saltspring Island as a band with about a dozen of the most amazing instructor colleagues on the planet, a true dream team of musical magic, along with 200 keen fiddle campers of all ages, well, heaven did truly descend to earth over the past two weeks!  Thank you and happy baby birthing Zavellennahh!

And now what?  The party just keeps on rolling!  Come join us for a couple of Vancouver Island dates, back in the homeland, at the end of August, and then, why not track us down on what has become our annual September California jaunt.  See the Shows page for info.  We can’t wait to see you out there.  Good times!

Instructor concert, July 20, 2014 - you've never heard a sound so intergalactic and huge!

Fiddleworks instructor concert soundcheck, July 20, 2014 – you’ve never heard a sound so intergalactic and huge!

Look Out Ottawa – It’s BillFest 2014!

Come one come all, July 17th, to the fabulous Irving Greenberg Theatre (GCTC), Ottawa – 1233 Wellington West.  An amazing line up of four celebrated west coast Canadian bands!  Yes Please!  Scroll down for more info below.

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The Bills, two-time JUNO nominees and internationally-celebrated acoustic quintet, headline this one-night only festival of unparalleled global roots music from an all-star collection of West Coast Canadian artists. 
 
with
 
The Marc Atkinson Trio – melodic, energized, amazing acoustic guitar-driven gypsy jazz
Moody Amiri – enchanting classical, Indian and modern spiritual styles played on Persian santur (hammered dulcimer) and viola
Chris Frye and the Analog Ghosts – inspired and inspiring, superbly-crafted Canadian singer/songwriter folk/roots
 
The Bills latest album, Yes Please, has won accolades across North America and in Western Europe.  On this night, The Bills will play the headline, closing set, while three other bands that are led by members of The Bills will entrance and entertain the audience with shorter sets, each featuring fantastic, stylistically different, musical offerings.
 
What the media have said about the bands featured at BillFest 2014:
 
The Bills
 
Audiophile.com: “With an infectious energy level, clever tunes, fine musicianship, and tight three-part harmonies, the music on “Yes Please” epitomizes modern roots music.”
 
The Glasgow Herald, reviewing the band’s recent June 4, 2014 show near Edinburgh, Scotland:   “The Plant Song figured largely and lustily among these two typically entertaining and brilliantly skill-packed sets. The quintet’s essential appeal has always lain in their ability to fuse the bluegrass chops and North American folk song nous at their music’s heart with music and metres from sources ranging from Latin America to Eastern Europe. Twin fiddle hoedowns sat naturally next to accordion-led mazurkas.  A Django Reinhardt medley featured an orchestration so sweetly atmospheric we could have been on a black and white movie set, an impression the venue’s period grandeur only enhanced.”
The Marc Atkinson Trio
The Vancouver Province: “Jaw-dropping technique.  Atkinson’s music is exuberantly fresh and sparkling, a wonderful gem.”
Acoustic Guitar Magazine: ”Marc Atkinson Trio’s latest album is one of the top five of the year”
Moody Amiri
CBC radio: “Richard Moody and Amir Amiri have a wonderful chemistry. It’s a tantalizing blend of eastern and western sensibilities.”
Chris Frye
Monday Magazine: “Victoria, BC’s answer to Lyle Lovett”.
Sing Out Magazine: “Frye has a clear, strong rich voice”

www.youtube.com/thebillsplaymusic

www.marcatkinson.com

www.moodyamiri.com