It hasn't been two months since the release of their new album “Pockets Filled With Rocks”, but the Silver Wolf Band has had a memorable summer, both at home in the Lake Melville Area and in central Newfoundland.
In June the band held their album release at the Lawrence O'Brien Arts Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The event was sold out and featured several other local musicians, and marked the first album release for the band in several years.
Since that first successful show this summer they have also opened for the Jerry Cans show in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, performed at the celebrations of National Indigenous Peoples Day, and most recently performed at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival in St. John's.
However, the crowning achievement for the band is their recent nomination from Music Newfoundland and Labrador for Molson/Coors Rock Artist of the Year alongside well-known acts Gene Phillips, Joel Thomas Hynes, Mick Davis and Thin Love, and Newspaper Fashion Show.
Music NL describe themselves as a "collective working to increase awareness locally, nationally and internationally of provincially produced music as an art form and as a viable industry with significant impact on the economy."
On Aug. 10 Music NL announced the nominees for a variety of awards at a press conference at Fred's Records in St. John's. This past year, they've received over 100 applicants. In order to determine who the nominees will be, a jury of professional musicians is employed and they must examine the potential nominees for their musical ability, networking skills and the quality of their recording among other factors.
"It feels great to get that acknowledgement from the music industry,” said band member Jamie Jackman. “It also feels good as a Labrador band to be getting this nod as we're so underrepresented on the provincial level. It's understandable though given the geography and the population.
“It feels awesome.”
The award winners will be announced during Music NL week taking place Oct. 10-14 in Twillingate. The Silver Wolf Band members will attend the ceremony.
"The plan is to go out attend the conference and meet people, network and learn as much as we can,” Jackman said. “We'd like to keep Labrador music a part of the provinces musical landscape. So this really gives us a chance to do so.
“We also are planning on going to St. John’s to play a few shows in the fall. Those haven’t been booked yet, but are in the works.”
Not only will there be artists from Newfoundland and Labrador, but there will also be artists from the United States and the United Kingdom in attendance.
Fans of the Silver Wolf Band can keep updated through their website, www.silverwolfband.com.
