For most music-loving Calgarians, going to see a band on the Coca-Cola Stage in July is a rite of passage.<\/p>\n
It was for the four members of Sea of Lettuce, who began making music in a basement as teenagers in southwest Calgary.<\/p>\n
Even before the four-piece got together musically, they would go see the Canadian bands who played on the famous outdoor stage at the Calgary Stampede, including The Sheepdogs, The Trews and Billie Talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are iconic Canadian bands,\u201d says Sea of Lettuce bassist Daniel L\u2019Amarca. \u201cWe would always go see them when we could. I think seeing those guys growing up, whether we were 12 or 14 or 16 years old, you want to be in that position at that point, especially kids who love music and want to create music. The Coke stage is legendary here in Calgary.\u201d<\/p>\n
So it will be a full-circle moment for L\u2019Amarca, lead vocalist-guitarist Wojtek Musial, drummer Caolan Ayres and guitarist Dylan Hameluck when they play the same stage this year for an afternoon spot on July 4, scheduled to perform after fellow Calgarians Shy Friend.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s another checked box for the band, which will also be playing Sled Island in June for the third year in a row. L\u2019Amarca and Musial began practising and writing music in their basement while attending Bishop O\u2019Byrne High School in 2016. Ayres and Hameluck, who had been pals since elementary school, joined the ranks in 2018, and the band immediately set their sights high and began making plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first formed, one of the first things we wanted to do was play Sled Island,\u201d L\u2019Amarca says. \u201cAlmost all of the young up-and-coming bands were. We were 18 at the time, so that was No. 1 on our list.\u201d<\/p>\n
It would perhaps be a stretch to call the band elder statesmen eight years later, but Sea of Lettuce have produced four full-length albums, including 2024\u2019s Any Day Now, and recently released their third EP. So they are no longer young up-and-comers on the scene. The four-song Open Doors was released in April and was followed by a quick tour that took them to Calgary and Edmonton and into Canmore, Invermere and Cranbrook.<\/p>\n
While this isn\u2019t always the case with Sea of Lettuce, the four songs on Open Doors were written by L\u2019Amarca. After taking a break from recording to concentrate on touring, Sea of Lettuce shook off the studio rust and recorded four songs with L\u2019Amarca serving as producer. It was a DIY operation, done using Logic Pro software.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt saves us on studio costs and the more I do it, the better I get,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s all done in-house.\u201d<\/p>\n
These four songs benefit from the intimate settings, starting with the shuffling mid-tempo Stick Around and ending with the dream-pop of Day by Day. The songs recall the acoustic side of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco or the mellow balladry Beck offered on Sea Change and Morning Phase. Both artists are major influences for L\u2019Amarca as a songwriter.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the best parts of the mix of guys we have in the group is that everybody brings different influences to the table, which I think comes through not only in the original songwriting but our live performances, too,\u201d he says. \u201cWojtek is a big fan of Pink Floyd and the Beatles and a lot of the \u201960s and \u201970s music. I\u2019m a huge fan of Wilco and Beck and a couple of different \u201990s bands. I\u2019ve always liked the Black Keys. Caolan, our drummer, is a huge hip-hop fan, but pretty much every genre. The same goes for Dylan on guitar as well. I feel that having no limits on what everyone listens to makes it more limitless. There are no boundaries in the music we\u2019re trying to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for the subject matter on the newest material, L\u2019Amarca says the themes tend to reflect their lives as twenty-somethings trying to balance life and art.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it is focused on entering the unknown and the pressures that come with being in your mid-twenties,\u201d L\u2019 Amaraca says. \u201cIt\u2019s a reflection of the band itself, the pressures of trying to pursue this thing that you\u2019re really passionate about, but you\u2019re also in your mid-twenties. You have more responsibilities coming professionally and personally. I think it\u2019s harder to juggle both.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of the lyrics are about that and what we go through. The title of the EP itself is on theme with that, too. It\u2019s the idea that you still have all these open doors ahead of you in life. It\u2019s easy when you are in the moment to feel boxed in and feel a lot of pressure, like you\u2019re running out of time. The EP name is a bit more of a helpful take on the theme, which is that there are still open doors available to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Open Doors by Sea of Lettuce is still available.<\/p>\n
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