by Casey Ling
photos by Aaron Brown Photography
I'm fairly new to Saskatchewan, having only recently moving to Regina near the end of 2021 and to Prince Albert 6 months ago. I distinctly remember one of my first thoughts was “What on earth happens in a province with nothing but flat fields”? But one hundred and forty-three kilometres to the southwest of where I am writing this lies the town of Hafford. A small municipality known for two things, some weird curvy aspen trees recognized by the CBC and the hard-hitting rock band The Brothers G.
The Brothers G story starts over ten years ago when brothers Jason and Jordan Gall were writing music just for the hell of it. After writing their first EP Greetings from Highway 16 in 2019, the brothers found that their music was lacking the solid low end to tie the group together. At that point bassist, long time friend, and “honorary” brother Elias Brevik joined the group
Being one of, if not the only, bands in their community, The Brothers G have no bars to meet, no roads to follow and no other groups to tell them what to do or how to do it. They write their own music for themselves and share all the grit and grim Hafford has to offer.
“We have something to prove cause no one else is doing it here” Jordan Gall from The Brothers G explains. “The background of country music is huge in Hafford and there is a large Ukrainian presence with a lot of polkas and waltzes, but we all have our own tastes and we bring that to the front.”
When asked to describe their music, the trio collectively agreed that there is not one right way to do so. As seen in their discography dating back to 2019, The Brothers G explore genres of punk/rock/blues/country/any other genre that might pique their interest.
I think Jason explained it best when he said “We’re not a punk-based trio. We’re not a blues-based trio. But I would say a fusion of all these different genres.”
I personally view that perspective as one that holds so much value in the current age of modern music. Why should you confine yourself to one spot when there is so much more for you to explore and share with others?
“It’s a very organic process when it comes to writing together. Someone tries something and if it works we keep it, if it doesn’t then we move on”.
Listening to The Brothers G’s first album Greetings from Highway 16 can only be described as a summer road trip playlist, with all its highs and lows. "Virginia", "Driver’s Side", and "Hey There Caroline" remind me of the impulse trips I did to Kelowna with my friends during university summers without a care in the world about grades, lectures, or the still looming shadow of student debt. While "Oppression Blues" acts as the perfect soundtrack for when we are surviving car sickness, coming across a slashed tire, or pushing through the food poisoning we got from a Denny’s at 2 AM. "Postcard" rounds the entire ep out with a reflection of all the good times and bad we experienced together.
The music from The Brothers G balance on the razor-thin edge of blues, rock, country, and any other genre the common Saskatchewanian (Saskatchetonian?) person may be drawn towards. Starting in the town of Hafford, the band has been able to pave a path of its own all across the province.
“You can't put your finger down on what it is, but it's cool either way”
The band will be having its first headlining show at The Capitol Music Club in Saskatoon on March 24th at 9:00 PM alongside The Local Group and Kit Langfield.
The Brothers G will also play MooseFest this summer in Bellevue.
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