ROYAL TUSK has signed a worldwide deal with Entertainment One (eOne), with plans to release a brand new LP called TUSK II on October 26, 2018.
Blue-collar troubadours from the Great White North, ROYAL TUSK are steadfast champions of the majesty of kickass riffs, meaty hooks, a thick bottom end, and loud guitars. The four-piece band born in Edmonton, Albertamount a high-octane assault on the lazy security-blanket self-aware irony of hipsters and the disingenuous commercial pandering of rock poseurs alike.
Trailblazers like Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and Pearl Jam defined success on their own terms, putting artistry and authenticity first. Royal Tusk follows in that fine tradition, reveling in unbridled creativity that is provocative, nuanced, and captivating. The laidback charisma of stoner groove, the polished melodicism of classic and progressive rock, and the energy of punk all collide within Royal Tusk, earning them a steadily building buzz as big as their riffs.
This is music with meaning, sometimes even a message, that’s always built around a powerful vibe and uncompromising passion. Royal Tusk is a deeply soulful celebration, brimming with working-class optimism and tempered by renegade realism. On their sophomore-slump-smashing TUSK II, the group summons the effortless energy of an era of rock music when bands weren’t content to merely reverse-engineer hit-making formulas to move units.
The seeds of Royal Tusk were planted when eight-year-old Daniel Carriere knocked on his neighbor’s door. They’d never met, but Carriere knew that Sandy MacKinnon and his siblings owned some instruments and figured maybe they could start a band. This began a creative partnership that eventually resulted in Royal Tusk, a band with more in common with Deep Purple and Aerosmith than anything on the radio. They released the Mountain EP in 2014; their debut full-length, DealBreaker, arrived two years later.
“A lot of ‘rock’ today sounds like people forgot that it’s supposed to be driven by loud guitars,” says MacKinnon. “That’s something we have to bring back.”
Carriere, MacKinnon, guitarist Quinn Cyrankiewicz, and drummer Calen Stuckel take that faithful and earnest approach all over TUSK II, an album equally fueled by throwback minimalism and forward-thinking power.
There’s also a healthy dose of observational commentary about the massively screwed up state of the world. “Our earlier stuff was a bit more gentle,” Carriere explains. “It was about love. This record is angry, fed up, perplexed.”
“I want people to think of us the way we think about our favorite bands,” adds MacKinnon. “When people listen to Royal Tusk, I hope it connects to experiences that matter in people’s lives. That’s the reason why we do this.”
Royal Tusk is:
Daniel Carriere – Vocals/Guitars
Sandy MacKinnon – Bass
Quinn Cyrankiewicz – Guitar
Calen Stuckel – Drums
Press Contact: Bill Meis
