Looking Back, Moving Forward: The North Sound’s Intimate On Stage Concert in Prince Albert

photos and words by Scott Roos

On Friday, January 23rd, Saskatoon’s The North Sound as part of the On Stage concert series to Prince Albert’s EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts, delivered an intimate, career-spanning performance that showcased both the duo’s evolution and their growing confidence as storytellers, songwriters, and performers.

The North Sound - Forrest and Nevada Eaglespeaker - were joined by a formidable backing band affectionately billed by the Eaglespeakers as “The Boys”: Darnell Stewart on guitar, Dana Remple on bass, and Tanner Wilhelm-Hale on drums. Together, they presented two well-curated sets that pulled from the duo’s two celebrated full-length records, As The Stars Explode (released October 2020) and What It Takes (released May 2025), creating a narrative arc that mirrored the band’s own artistic journey.

The first set focused primarily on As The Stars Explode, an album that blends country roots with a glossy, pop-oriented sensibility. Tracks like “Young, Dumb, Drunk and Not Doing So Good,” “Wild Rose Country,” and “Between The Ditches” immediately benefited from the presence of a full band. While the album itself earned critical acclaim upon release, Forrest Eaglespeaker has often noted that circumstances prevented the band from fully touring the record. Hearing these songs performed live, with richer arrangements and expanded dynamics, felt like a long-overdue moment of realization—these songs finally occupying the space they always seemed to deserve.

The set also featured “Luxury Liner,” an Emmylou Harris cover that saw Nevada step confidently into the lead vocal role. Her performance was a standout moment early in the evening, revealing a voice with warmth, emotional nuance, and a deeply expressive quality that contrasted beautifully with Forrest’s high tenor. It was an early indication that the night would not simply be about revisiting past material, but about showcasing the evolving balance within the duo.

Set two shifted the focus to What It Takes, an album that marks a turning point for The North Sound. While still rooted in country traditions, this newer material leans more heavily into a singer-songwriter aesthetic. Perhaps most significantly, What It Takes represents a deeper level of creative collaboration between Forrest and Nevada, with Nevada taking a more direct role in the songwriting process. This is evidenced in particular on “’Til The Love Runs Out,” a song that feels both personal and universal, and one that hints strongly at the direction the duo seems poised to pursue moving forward.

Vocally, the evening was consistently strong. Forrest Eaglespeaker’s high tenor remains one of the most distinctive voices in Saskatchewan country-adjacent music - a tad unusual, but undeniably compelling. His voice paired beautifully with Nevada’s, and their harmonies throughout the night were tight, emotive, and unforced. Nevada’s lead vocal moments in the second set, particularly on “Wayfaring Stranger,” further cemented her role not just as a supporting voice, but as an emerging co-equal presence in the band’s sound.

Between songs, Forrest shared personal stories that framed the music and gave the performance an intimate, confessional feel. He spoke openly about struggles with addiction and the steps he took toward recovery, offering context that deepened the emotional weight of the songs. These moments gave the show a VH1 Storytellers-style atmosphere. Equal parts engaging, vulnerable, and honest. At times, however, the stories tended to run a bit long, occasionally interrupting the show’s momentum. While the candor was admirable and often moving, a slightly tighter edit might have helped maintain pacing without diminishing their impact.

Instrumentally, the band delivered a strong and cohesive performance. Guitarist Darnell Stewart brought a distinctive flavor to the group, drawing more from a shoegaze and indie rock tradition than from classic country twang. His more textural approach to lead guitar added atmosphere and subtle tension, giving the songs a slightly left-of-center feel that set The North Sound apart from more traditional country acts. Stewart’s playing never overwhelmed the songs, instead enhancing them with restraint and taste.

The rhythm section of Dana Remple on bass and Tanner Wilhelm-Hale on drums provided steady, reliable support throughout the evening. Wilhelm-Hale’s drumming was tasteful and disciplined, while Remple stayed firmly in the pocket, anchoring the arrangements. Visually, Remple’s reserved, statuesque stage presence occasionally read as disengaged—though this may simply be a matter of personal style rather than enthusiasm.

The night concluded with the debut of a brand new song, “The Other Side,” offering a glimpse into what may lie ahead for The North Sound. It was a fitting close to an evening that felt both reflective and forward-looking - a band honouring its past while clearly stepping into a new creative phase.

All told, The North Sound delivered a heartfelt, engaging performance that highlighted their strengths as songwriters, vocalists, and storytellers. While not without minor pacing issues, the show reinforced the duo’s artistic growth and suggested that their most compelling work may still be ahead of them.