Juno-nominated rock duo Crown Lands strummed the first chords of the 20th anniversary festivities for Rock The Park in London on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
Here are SWOMP’s photos from their performance:
Crown Lands’ Juno-nominated, self-titled debut album, produced by Grammy-nominated Dave Cobb, was released in the summer of 2020, to widespread acclaim from the likes of Guitar World, Kerrang!, and American Songwriter; coverage from the BBC and the CBC; and placements in campaigns for Peloton, the Canadian Football League, and the incomparable “Hockey Night in Canada” franchise.
Most recently, Crown Lands debut album was nominated for “Rock Album of the Year” alongside a nomination for “Breakthrough Group of the Year” at 2021 Juno Awards.
But without the ability to tour during a global pandemic, the pair was frustrated by their inability to bring their blistering, hard-charging music to the people.
So, like most of us, they adapted.
They released an acoustic EP, Wayward Flyers Volume 1, including a cover of Neil Young’s “Birds.”
They also focused on the politically charged song and video “End of the Road,” which pays tribute to the Indigenous womxn, girls, and two-spirits who have gone missing on the Highway of Tears in North British Columbia.
Hailing from Southwestern Ontario, powerhouse Canadian rock duo Crown Lands –Kevin Comeau (guitar, bass, and keys) and Cody Bowles (vocals and drums) – are a startling fresh jolt of energy, making music that brings together a range of influences from folk and blues to psychedelic prog rock.
The group’s name is indicative of their musical ambitions: “Crown Land” is territorial area belonging to the monarch—or, as Bowles (whose own heritage is half Mi’kmaw, an Indigenous tribe from Nova Scotia) puts it: “Crown Land is stolen land and we are reclaiming it.”
Follow the band at http://www.crownlandsmusic.com/.