The magic of TrailerHawk just might be the band’s organic origin story.
After playing in various well-known Canadian bands (Matthew Good, Sons of Freedom), the collective of Vancouver musicians had all but stepped away from the stage back in 2016 when they decided it would be fun to play some classic country covers—think Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
It turned out to be more than just fun, so they kept going.
“When we got together as TrailerHawk, it opened the floodgate,” says singer Carmen Bruno. “As soon as we started playing together, we started with a couple covers, but immediately we were just coming up with [original music]. We were like, ‘This is it. This is how it’s supposed to be.’”
Building momentum with their rock ‘n’ roll-tinged Americana, they released their first full-length record, 12 Tracks & Roadmaps, in—dun dun dun—2020.
“We were just getting ready to go out on the road with Blackberry Smoke, which was a big deal to us,” says guitarist Rod Bruno (husband of Carmen). “We were on the phone firming that up and the other call came in that everyone was off the road.”
Despite being their first, the record marked several major wins for the group.
First, they landed Canadian producer (and musician) Colin Linden, who worked on the country music drama Nashville as the musical director.
“Colin really believed in the songs and thought they were something he’d like to share with [musicians on the show],” Carmen says.
Funnily enough, Carmen and Rod had been Nashville fans since before TrailerHawk was even a twinkle in their eyes.
“Carmen was like, ‘We have to watch Nashville,’” Rod remembers. “I was like, ‘Oh it’s a soap-opera chick show.’ After one episode we were compromising sleep to watch more.”
Fast-forward a year later, and Deacon Claybourne—also known as the actor and musician Charles Esten—was lending his vocals to their track “Church of Jim Beam.”
“He chose that song and was quite insistent on singing it,” Rod adds.
So, it’s no stretch to say that with this record in the bag and a promotional tour planned, the band—which, at the time, was also made up of drummer Don Short, pedal-steel player Lanny Hussey and bassist Don Binns—was disappointed to watch the pandemic quash the plan.
“It was disappointing in the moment, but we believed so much in that album that we did our best,” Carmen says.
After the challenges of that time, Short and Hussey decided to step back from playing live music, leaving Carmen and Rod to replace them.
Now, they’re set to hit the road again with Gord Robert on drums and Tom Hammel on pedal steel and acoustic guitar.
As for Binns, well, he might be one of the more determined musicians around.
“We’re all ready to come and play for you guys [in Whistler], but Don somehow had an X-Acto knife in his pocket and he accidentally severed his finger and tendons,” Rod says. “He’s in a full cast. We thought about cancelling, but that’s not in our vocabulary. I said, ‘What about a bass synth with your picking hand?’ He said, ‘Yeah’ and that’s what’s happening. It’s becoming Spinal Tap.”
But the show must go on, and for TrailerHawk that means “full steam ahead.”
“[Whistler] has been on our bucket list for a long time,” Rod adds. “Then Donny cut his hand off and now we’re a dance band.”
But don’t worry, the show was never in real peril.
“He would literally have to be dead to not play,” Carmen says.
Catch the most dedicated rock band in Vancouver as part of Arts Whistler Live! At the Maury Young Arts Centre on Dec. 10.
Tickets are $25 at showpass.com/aw-live-trailerhawk.
