Two friends from St. John's make Out East music out west
Have a First Listen to He's, the debut EP by Jon Allan and Adam Ravalia
When Jon Allan found out that his buddy Adam Ravalia was taking a job in Vancouver, he convinced Ravalia to find a place to live in the nearby town of Squamish, where Allan is based.
Allan, originally from Corner Brook, and Ravalia, originally from Twillingate, knew each other from playing in bands in the St. John's music scene, including Park Day.
"When I gave him the indication that I was coming out west, we made a pact to start something," said Ravalia.
"And it turned into Out East pretty quickly."
It's own vibe
Squamish is about an hour's drive north from Vancouver, but Allan describes it as being a world away from the busy and expensive city.
"It's in between Vancouver and Whistler, so it's got its own vibe," said Allan.
"The ocean ends at the port in Squamish and that's where the mountains start."
Ravalia agrees that Squamish is a beautiful place to live, but he says the music scene there isn't quite as happening as the one he left in St. John's.
"I would say it's up and coming," joked Ravalia.
"We're trying our best to kick it off."
'A bit of an experiment'
Out East doesn't particularly sound like a band with roots in Newfoundland.
The duo's first EP, He's, creates music with a dreamy, experimental feel, and uses electronic instruments and synthesizers to fill out their sound.
"It's certainly not East Coast music or traditionally based, so it's a bit of an experiment." said Ravalia.
Live gigs coming up
Because of the pandemic, Allan and Ravalia have kept Out East mainly in the studio, writing and recording material.
Now that pandemic restrictions in British Columbia are lifting, Out East is booking its first live gigs in the Vancouver to Whistler area.
The band hopes to eventually play before a live audience in their home province.
"I think it would be awesome to come back and play a festival — Lawyna Vawyna or the folk festival, when these festivals get up and running again," said Ravalia.
"There's nothing quite like playing live music in St. John's."
Do you have a new album of music that Weekend AM should know about for First Listen? Email us, wam@cbc.ca, and tell us about it. You can hear First Listen on Sundays on Weekend AM: 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in Labrador) on CBC Radio One.
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