The four-piece band hailing from Edmonton, Alberta better known as Royal Tusk continues its assault on the Billboard charts as their sophomore album Tusk II keeps gaining momentum. These Canadian hard rockers have also embarked on their Octane Accelerator Tour with Like A Storm and Afterlife. The 20-city North American tour, the first such tour curated by SiriusXM’s Octane, kicked off January 23 in Anaheim, CA.
The band’s latest album, Tusk II, was produced by Eric Ratz (Billy Talent, Monster Truck), who gives Royal Tusk a heavier sound that is crisp and clear with just enough edge. The band’s more defined sound puts guitars front and center.
Royal Tusk is Daniel Carriere (Vocals/Guitars), Sandy MacKinnon (Bass), Quinn Cyrankiewicz (Guitar), Calen Stuckel (Drums).
Music Madness sat down with Dan Carriere prior to show two of the band’s Octane Accelerator Tour in Sacramento.
Music Madness: Congrats on the release of Tusk II and the success of “Aftermath”. You guys wrapped up 2018 strong and hit the ground running in 2019 with the Octane Accelerator Tour which kicked off yesterday.
Dan: Thank you. Yeah, yesterday was the first show, man, which is nice. Then we got to drive down, get a little bit of press in LA and it’s good to get the first one out of the way.
Music Madness: How was the response on opening night?
Dan: Oh it was dope. It was a little chaotic getting in there, just the first day of the tour. All the bands are sorting out how gears are gonna work. I didn’t have a lot of time to pay attention to just enjoy the show, but once we got on stage, the crowd was cool and they were really digging the tunes. I could tell a lot of them knew some songs especially the ones from Octane and the videos.
It just feels like a great fit. We’ve been sitting there on top of the United States for four or five years now, and finally signing a US record deal, so getting down here is long overdue. And the response has been deadly. So it just makes the hype for what’s coming up, you know.
Music Madness: Absolutely. I know “Aftermath” has been doing well on Octane. The new album has a different vibe to it…heavier. Is it maturing musically or becoming more comfortable within the band and finding your sound.
Dan: Yeah man, totally. I mean, the change is obvious and we’ve definitely gotten better at playing. There’s nothing to do up there in Canada so we play guitar a lot. Those crazier guitar parts and heavier stuff in Tusk II is actually less challenging for us in the sense that the sounds we captured on the album are more natural to us. So it came out easier.
There’s only two original members, but slowly we cemented the lineup and that has pushed us towards the way you hear Tusk now. We all feel like it’s like a brand new band. It’s happening really natural because we’re really digging writing these groovy and heavy tracks and we want to continue. We feel like we wrote two, three records right there. So, it’s just exciting man, because there’s a lot of gas in the tank.
Music Madness: Sweet. I’m sure now that you have found your comfort level, coming up with new material should get a little easier now that you have a direction.
Dan: Oh absolutely man. That’s exactly it. Once we laser focused in on what we sound like, shit got a lot easier. We had the songs written, but we did the entire record in 24 days in the studio. Two halves, we did 12 days in the studio and then 12 days in the studio. So, it was really quick, just put her down.
Music Madness: Do you think, having limited time, it forced you to stay focused and just knock it out? Or do you find when you drag that process out, that it lends to more creative opportunities?
Dan: It’s a great question. That’s all part of making records. You gotta strike it and find a balance. If you’re constructing the next Chinese Democracy, you might be in trouble. On the other hand, if you’re rushing, you might just make a chunk of shit. You gotta find that balance, because the worst thing to do is then just over-edit and over-analyze what you’re doing. It’s like you don’t want to second guess yourself. A lot of times, the best thing that happens is what comes naturally. That’s what we practice for, that’s what we think about all day, so that when you get to the writing spot, and that first lyric that comes up, that’s probably the one that matters. It’s like catching lightning in a bottle.
Music Madness: Right. Lets face it, timing is everything. I think timing on the Tusk II album and the tour are hitting at the right time. Maybe that’s why you guys had to nail down your sound and connect with the right bandmates. So maybe all that shit happened for a reason.
Dan: Yeah man. That’s it. Everyone is super positive and we’re having a blast. And yeah, it feels like we’re definitely surfing the wave right now.
Music Madness: Very cool. It looks like you guys are on the road for about a month doing some US dates, then you guys head across the pond. Is this your first trip as a band to Europe?
Dan: No, actually in 2017, we did the UK, Germany and a few festivals. We were just trying to get anywhere and everywhere because we were between labels and trying to find someone to get on board to make Tusk II with us. So we were looking high and low and following any opportunities that came up. We are looking forward to getting back there, because they’ve always been really cool. It’s like a different culture over there, how they assess music. At that time, in 2017, we didn’t really have any hype, but we were still getting fans. We can’t wait to get back, and touring with our boys in Monster Truck…it’s gonna be a blast.
Music Madness: After you guys blow up Europe for five or six weeks, you head right back to the US for Rock USA.
Dan: Yeah man. I love the Midwest too. We love getting over there. It just kind of feels like home. Up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, you know. The culture feels very similar to the Midwest. So yeah, we can’t wait to get over there. And then we’ll be announcing more touring for the fall, but that’s just in the works right now.
Music Madness: Are you planing on releasing any other songs, videos or any additional tours or festivals that you can share?
Dan: Well, absolutely. We think all the songs on Tusk II are banging. So, the more interest we can get, there’s always resources associated with bringing us on the radio or doing a video, but given the chance, we’re gonna jump on it. So, having “Aftermath” hit the Billboard charts for rock songs, it was really cool and is inspiring to think, “Hey man, we should bring some more to the table”.
Music Madness: Absolutely. Last question cause I know you guys have sound check shortly. What was the first concert you ever attended?
Dan: Yeah, it was the Rolling Stones, the Voodoo Lounge Tour and I saved up my allowance to go to that one. And that was pretty fucking cool.
Music Madness: That’s awesome! My very first concert, I was in sixth grade, was Diary of a Madman, Ozzy.
Dan: Oh my God, man. That must have changed your life. (laughing)
Music Madness: It’s never been that same. Thanks Dan and good luck to you and Royal Tusk on the upcoming tours!!
Check out Royal Tusk:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/royaltusk
TW: https://twitter.com/ROYALTUSK
IG: https://www.instagram.com/royaltuskmusic/
SP: https://open.spotify.com/artist/122qG4lB9vG6XCjrwJPnRJ