Pulse Music Magazine Kicking off a new era of fully independent releases on their self-owned label Right On Records, beloved Canadian rockers, The Sheepdogs, unveil their new five-track EP, Paradise Alone.
A masterpiece in miniature, Paradise Alone showcases some of the best music of The Sheepdogs’ career, and notably the first official recording featuring guitarist Ricky Paquette, who’s performed with the band since 2022. Produced by frontman Ewan Currie, Paradise Alone was recorded over five days at Southern Grooves in Memphis with Grammy-award-winning engineer, Matt Ross-Spang.
The seeds for Paradise Alone were planted early in 2023. Following some difficult times in his personal life, Ewan found himself alone in the Florida Keys. Absorbing the dulcet ‘80s and ‘90s country of Alan Jackson and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – not to mention the lavish, drinking-from-a-coconut spirit of Margaritaville – he sat at the end of a bar drinking mezcal, watching other people have a wonderful time.
Back home, those lovably unironic country tones percolated in his mind, but it took a while to channel them into songs. At the same time, the prospect of turning 40 loomed in Currie’s mind. “It was not lost on me that the potential for a midlife crisis was in front of me, but I chose not to go into it fully. I just had a bad time, and then I went, ‘alright, I’ll write some songs.’ It’s what my life is. I’m a musician, it’s what I do. I’m so fucking lucky to do this job for a living.”
That sense of joie de vivre came flooding back in April 2024, when the band – armed with a Dropbox of demos and zero practice – headed to Memphis. Surrounded by heaps of beautiful vintage gear in Southern Grooves, it was a joyful albeit intense time. With only five days there, they did a song a day and worked insane hours. Still, there was something special about following only their orders, working hard but savouring the experience.
After parting ways with Warner Music Canada in 2022, The Sheepdogs have since been able to buy back their award-winning catalogue and distribute the music along with future releases via Right On Records, distributed through The Orchard worldwide. This newfound freedom has empowered the band to make a major shift in how, and how often, they release music.
“We’ve been a band for 20 years, and pretty comfortable with who we are and how we do things. We’ve lasted this long by staying true to ourselves, doing things our way, and not chasing trends,” says bassist Ryan Gullen. “Acquiring our catalogue and starting our own label is about taking things to the next level. We want to be in the driver’s seat, doing things our way, and maybe even helping other artists do the same. With so much constantly changing, we’re focused on staying true to our approach.”
He adds, “In a world of content, we believe that the best thing a band can offer is music, and that’s how we want to approach our releases. While funny videos are great. people ultimately are here for the music, so we’re setting up a system to deliver as much of it as possible (and yes, we’ll still make those funny videos too). This record is the first in a series of planned releases, allowing us to experiment, collaborate, and take risks. Instead of sticking to the traditional album cycle, we want to challenge ourselves creatively and share more music with people.”
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