Vancouver band combines Rush riffs with funky flash on new album

Brass Camel's new album captures the best characteristics of classic '70s prog rock with a decidedly precise production that's right in line with today. Photo by Heather Horncastle /Take Aim Media

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Vancouver quintet Brass Camel made its third album just the way it wanted.

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“We took a very different approach to it this time, teasing it out over time and gradually rolling out the videos,” said lead guitarist and vocalist Daniel Sveinson. “At the end of the day, we are still entirely self-represented, so there is an element of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. But we really had so much fun making this album that we’ve followed it up with the way we are teasing it out.”

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In keeping with the group’s constant touring, the record was made during a mid-gig break. Self-titled Brass Camel, the set was recorded at Crown Lands multi-instrumentalist Kevin Comeau’s Chalet Studio and co-produced and mixed by Terry Brown. Brown’s past credits include Rush, Jimi Hendrix, and The Who, among many others.

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Given the influence of those bands on Brass Camel’s unique mix of Rush-ready riffs and over-driven funk, it was a perfect pairing. The 10 road-tested new tunes were completed at Vancouver’s HippoSonic Studios.

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Brass Camel captures the group rocking harder and louder than ever before on a collection that manages to capture the best characteristics of classic ’70s prog rock with a decidedly precise production that’s right in line with today. It’s a combination that lead guitarist and vocalist Daniel Sveinson couldn’t be happier about.

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“The Chalet was just the perfect place to record for us to get into the right mindset to make something that reflects all the influences we bring together as a band,” he said. “As someone who has been playing professionally since I was 10 years old, it’s so enjoyable to make music with people who are all on the same page about making music that makes us happy to play, and throwing out the so-called rulebook.”

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He notes that the selection of preview singles from the lead-off What Are You Going to Do to the new Everybody Loves a Scandal was deliberately designed to showcase the genre-jumping variations in the combo’s songwriting.

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Working outside of the rulebook is challenging. Without a clearly defined sound or style, Brass Camel defies the easy categorization that often appears to be a pre-requisite to moving up the rock n’ roll ranks. Sveinson openly admits that the group is in a tough place not being able to instantly answer the question, ‘What are you?’

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“The industry is really looking for a one-sentence pitch and so are we, and we have yet to hit upon it,” he said. “That’s one of the most exciting things about this band, and also one of the most frustrating, as we just keep going about playing what we play.”

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Playing concerts has proven to be the solution to getting the band’s music out there.

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Since forming in 2018, and with a revolving door of hired players have worked behind Sveinson, Brass Camel has grown into a genuine group project with a stable membership. They have criss-crossed the country repeatedly, gaining a dedicated following for its high volume/high energy live shows.

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This is a crew comfortable with veering off script when the inspiration grabs them, and fans love being in the room to see and hear it happening. Doubters turn into followers after witnessing the musicians’ skills.