If you’re looking for The Pemberton Project online, consider yourself on a wild goose chase.
The new(ish) rock four-piece hasn’t yet established itself on typical social media channels—making it even more impressive that the band has been accumulating gigs over the last year.
“We’re new in regards to the unit,” says John Rekrut (better known as JR), guitarist and singer with the group. “The guys I’m playing with have been playing for years.”
It all started back in the early days of the pandemic.
“I found myself getting back into music,” he says. “I basically ran into Clive [English, guitarist]. He heard me jamming, playing guitar, and word got out. Clive and I banged around together for about a year. We experimented with a couple other drummers. Then Mark [Bannock, drummer] came into the fold and the three of us started rehearsing and practicing.”
After six months, they recruited Cookie Low to play the bass. “That’s when it really took off with more events,” Rekrut says.
The band’s sweet spot has been “three chords and the truth,” straight-up rock ’n’ roll, he says. That includes everything from Tom Petty to The Beatles, Warren Zevon, and The Band.
“It’s pretty classic,” he says. “I don’t want to call it retirement rock … It’s anything with a straight-ahead driving beat and a story behind it. I rely on the guys behind me to bring the musicality, and I craft the words.”
Only, don’t expect to hear the usual songs from those well-loved artists.
“I’ll never cover ‘Wagon Wheel,’” Rekrut says. “I like doing deep cuts; more obscure music from familiar artists. We change stuff up—go from something like ‘Rockin In The Free World’ to ‘Under the Boardwalk.’”
They also quietly slip in their share of original tracks, too—Rekrut estimates a 70/30 split.
“With the originals people are like, ‘That’s really good. Who was that?’” he says. “We say, ‘Actually, it’s us.’”
But what really helps them stand out is the energy they pour into it.
“If my shirt’s not drenched in sweat, I haven’t worked hard enough,” he adds. “If my throat’s not sore, if my fingers aren’t bleeding, I’m doing something wrong.”
That showmanship has been on display around Pemberton (and in a few Whistler venues, too) over the last year. One gig that stood out was during the sweltering Slow Food Cycle Sunday last year.
“We did an outdoor gig for the last Slow Food Cycle right at the end,” he says. “It had a raised stage and we were looking up at Mount Currie, looking around going, ‘Wow, we’re pretty lucky.’”
The Pemberton Project will have that chance again at the Pemberton Arts Council’s Mountain Muse Festival, coming up on Saturday, June 24. They’re headlining alongside The Spiritual Warriors and The Railtown Prophets. (Several free shows take place as part of the festival on Sunday, June 25 as well).
“It’s great,” Rekrut says. “Living in Pemberton, they have this great barn. It’ll be a great place to play. It’s a great honour. I’m humbled and grateful to have the opportunity.”
Tickets to the festival’s Saturday edition are $20. Get them at pembertonartscouncil.com/mountainmusefestival.
If you can’t make that show, you can catch JR’s solo gig at The Beer Farmers on June 16 from 6 to 9 p.m.
