Good news for Swollen Members fans.
The veteran Canadian hip-hop group likely has at least one new album left in them.
"It's still in the future, but we do have about five or six new songs in the can," says Prevail (born Kiley Hendriks) one of the group's founding members. "We have a start. Whether all those will ultimately make the next record, time will tell ... We've talked about it. We just want a really solid underground album. We're not worried about getting anything on the radio or a No. 1 hit. If it happens, awesome, but we want to go into it with—if I can be so brash to say—solidify our legacy of 20 years."
It's certainly no understatement to talk about Swollen Members' legacy. This year marked 20 years since the group released its debut album, Balance. Since then, they've added eight more, along with a greatest hits album, compilations, and singles. All that has added up to four Junos alongside other accolades like MuchMusic Video and Western Canadian Music Awards.
Lately, though, they've been busy with other projects. Madchild has had a thriving solo career and Prevail recently started a new hip hop/ jazz/ alt-fusion group called XL the Band, which spent the summer in Italy recording a new album.
"I'd call it inclusion fusion. I'm not sure if the group would call it that," he says, with a laugh.
While Swollen Members has toured sporadically over the years, they're set to play a show at Tommys Whistler on Sunday, Dec. 22. The reason for the show is two-fold, Prevail says.
First, he's friends with the owner of the newly purchased and revamped club. (As you'll recall, it was formerly Tommy Africa's.)
Second of all, "the mountain is open and the season has started," he says. "Any chance I have to come up there I take it."
Prevail is no stranger to the resort. Not only has he played stages around the village over the years, but he also did a season in '97 (which he calculates after some thought).
"I've said this many times, but I do consider Whistler a second home," he says. "I lived up there for a season many years ago and I've been coming up for 15, 20 years ... There's different storefronts, but truthfully, the vibe of the village and Whistler in general has maintained since I lived there. It's just vibrant."
As for the show, he promises it will span two decades worth of music. "The touchstone for us is Balance, the first album," he says. "There are songs that are more familiar to the audience, but our true underground fans want to listen to more obscure things. We try to play two or three songs off each album. I always do a freestyle and Mad always does a single."
The other option they've offered over the years is a VIP ticket that includes a meet-and-greet.
"For the fans really into it, it provides an opportunity to have a bit of quiet time and not just hang out after the show in a busy back room or hang out in the front of the club that can get hectic," Prevail says. "This will be a nice tête-à-tête, to have a conversation and get to know each other a little bit. I love it."
Swollen Members play Tommys on Dec. 22. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, and $50 for VIP.
Get them at showpass.com/swollen-members-2.
