N.L. band's debut video hits home for expat Newfoundlanders
A central Newfoundland band is pulling at the heartstrings of homesick Newfoundlanders with their debut video.
And they have yet to play a gig.
Riverside Drive is the first single from Mile Twenty Five, a four-piece band with members from Bishop's Falls and Lewisporte.
"It's where I grew up and if you're from Bishop's Falls you definitely know the street," said drummer Carter Fancey.
"One day Peter (Welsh) was leaving to go back to Lewisporte after a jam and he just come up with 'everyone knows a place on Riverside Drive' kind of thing. And then we kind of filled the rest of the vibe of the town around Peter's idea."
It was the first song written by the group, which formed in March.
When the band got together to record this song, they wanted to make an impact with a video. But they had no idea it would go like this.
Released Sept. 13, the video has more than 13,000 views, many of those by expat Newfoundlanders.
"We've gotten messages from people on the mainland, people who haven't been here in 25 years, saying it's making them homesick for the first time in a lifetime. And that really struck a chord with us because it is a very happy song and is a very happy message," said Fancey.
For lead singer Welsh, the song is about the love of home.
"In a lot of ways, it's also a anthem for all small-towners. Everybody who knows a place they call home, everyone who knows about it. they can run to a refuge, whatever it is. It's definitely a song for everybody."
The band is writing more material and hopes to record an album by early next year. And they also hope to book some live performances too.
But with the members now living across the island, from Corner Brook to St. John's, it's all about timing.
"We're all willing to make sacrifices driving and we're not going to let geography kind of get in the way of what we want to do with this," said Fancey. "We just enjoy it too much."
Lead guitarist Marcel Reid says he's gained more than a creative outlet with the group.
"There's a lot of hard work but it pays off. The brotherhood we have bonded here is to die for. Carter grew up in hockey. I'm sure he can relate to a similar brotherhood but nothing as strong as this," said Reid.