Walk off the Earth is walking back up to the Sea to Sky.
The Juno and Canadian Radio Music Award-winning indie pop band from Burlington, Ont. will kick off the 2024 Whistler Summer Concert Series with its signature musical eclecticism—and an assist from opening act DJ Foxy Moron.
Some may know and love Walk off the Earth’s original content, including hit singles like “Red Hands,” “I’ll Be There,” and “Rule the World.” Others may be more acquainted with the group’s covers of famous pop songs like “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Whistlerites might have seen them perform live in the shadow of the Boneyard pre-pandemic.
Thanks in part to their practice of making internet content, Walk off the Earth rode out COVID-19 health restrictions better than most artists did. Now they’re thrilled to be back on tour in the United States this summer alongside decorated violinist Lindsey Stirling before jetting across the pond to Europe.
However, longtime band member Joel Cassady and his mates are glad to head out west before accumulating those frequent-flier miles.
“Hopefully this year’s Canada Day will have [super high] energy, good vibes, lots of hype, and people just celebrating life and music,” said Cassady. “We don’t get to play enough in Canada … to be surrounded by Canadians and good, loving Canadian energy. You don’t get that everywhere else in the world, so it’s something that we definitely don’t take for granted.”
Jacks-of-all-trades
A cornerstone of Walk off the Earth’s philosophy is the band members’ never-say-no attitude. For more than a decade, they’ve routinely pushed creative boundaries in their continuing exploration of new styles and ways of keeping it fresh for their fans.
“We always think about everything as a visual group, not just as a musical group, and that has allowed us to set ourselves apart,” Cassady explains. “People can expect really unique things. They're probably going to want to call or text a buddy midway through [our concert] and say: ‘what the hell is this? I've never seen a musical performance group do something like this before.’”
Each of the group’s members is proficient with a diverse musical toolbox.
For instance, Cassady has played drums, guitars, keyboards, ukuleles, basses and kalimbas in addition to his vocal talent. Gianni Nicassio and Sarah Blackwood are experienced with all of the above, plus the banjo, mandolin, cello and glockenspiel (the latter of which resembles a small xylophone). David “Tokyo” Speirs plays the trumpet, flute and various percussion instruments.
It’s a far cry from your traditional band, which has a fixed lead singer, drummer, bassist and so forth.
Cassady calls himself “a jack-of-all-trades” while recognizing that not everyone loves an avant-garde approach to art. Every now and then, a classically-trained musician might criticize their use of a cello or a harp, but such feedback is usually balanced out by others who thank the group for inspiring them (or their loved ones) to pick up a certain instrument.
‘Don’t slow your grind’
If Cassady were to give an up-and-coming performer advice, he would tell them: “don’t wait on anyone to do anything for you.”
The music industry continues to shift. As formerly-revered labels wane in influence, independent artists are rising from the woodwork using social media and their own enterprising spirit as career launchpads. Yet some may never make it big because they were too passive—after all, there’s much talent and many good ideas out there vying for attention.
“We still work 12 hours a day making sure that all of our stuff has our identity,” says Cassady. “If we don't do that, we know that someone else who's working just as hard right now—who deserves that opportunity—is going to come and take our spot. Just because you get an awesome manager and an awesome agent, don’t let that slow your grind. Otherwise, trust me, it’s going to bite you.”
As part of maintaining their own identity, Walk off the Earth members carefully consider each new project. They won’t cover an existing song unless they feel they can bring a fresh and worthwhile interpretation to the table, and they stick to their guns.
“Having success with our originals as well as covers is a nice one-two punch,” Cassady remarks. “Nine times out of 10, we’ll get hit up by the original artist [of a song we cover], they’ll approve of our version … and we’ve got gold and platinum records for original stuff, too. We’ve been able to define ourselves as more than just a ‘cover band.’
“Even if people think that [we’re just a cover band] initially, they start going down the rabbit hole and see just how much other catalogue we have. That's how we rope them into our cult.”
Foxy Moron gets the party started on July 1 at 6:30 p.m. before Walk off the Earth lights up Whistler Olympic Plaza at 7:30 p.m
Learn more at whistler.com/events/concerts.
