Peak Performance Project: Layten Kramer, Braden Gates, Beach Season
Welcome to the final of our four writeups on the musicians featured in the Peak Performance Project!
The PEAK Performance Project is a seven-year, $4.9 million contest open to all musicians in Alberta. The program is run by Calgary’s 95.3 The PEAK radio station and Alberta Music with the goal of developing Alberta-based emerging artists and preparing them to take on the world.
We asked all 12 musicians featured in this year's Project the same four questions and here are the responses we received from Canmore's Layten Kramer, Edmonton's Braden Gates and Calgary's Beach Season! Make sure you vote from now until October 31 to make sure your favourites get into the top three!
Layten Kramer
How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard you before?
Our music is said to be experimental folk with a touch of alternative psychedelic influence. Things can get pretty weird.
How has your experience throughout the Peak Performance Project been?
The PPP has been the most incredible experience of our life. The amount of content that we have gathered just through the feedback of industry pros throughout the project is quite overwhelming and we think that is pretty neat. Boot Camp was especially great, some seriously cool connections came of it and things got really weird really fast. Everyone in both the AB and BC PPP quickly became very close, maybe a little too close... A lot of "holy water" was consumed from the shiny PPP water bottles we were given.
What are your thoughts on the Alberta music scene and the state of Alberta music?
Alberta has one of the strongest up and coming music scenes in Canada. There are so many hidden gems here that are just waiting to be discovered by the world and so many great artists that have come out of the Alberta music community. It is great having the Alberta Music folks around too, they have become family to us.
What other Alberta bands would you recommend for next year's Peak Performance Project?
Jesse and the Dandelions are a great group of people, Cayley Thomas is a cool cat with a killer voice and a chillin' vibe, Fever Feel will blow your mind and N3K would be a time (probably too much of a time)! There are really too many great bands, I could go on!
Braden Gates
How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard you before?
Folk/roots with a strong focus on storytelling.
How has your experience throughout the Peak Performance Project been?
It's been a great opportunity to meet people involved in all sides of the music industry and to learn from them in an intimate setting. The experience has provided me with a greater understanding of how a career in music can be successfully built, and has developed my confidence as a songwriter and performer. I am very grateful.
What are your thoughts on the Alberta music scene and the state of Alberta music?
There are wonderful artists in Alberta that I am lucky to call friends. I believe that community is very supportive and that the music we are producing is world class.
What other Alberta bands would you recommend for next year's Peak Performance Project?
Nature Of, Lucas Chaisson, Wares.
Beach Season
Photo by J. Dirom
How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard you before?
Booty wave or electronic R&B.
How has your experience throughout the Peak Performance Project been?
To put it in one word: enlightening. To expand: everyone we met somehow opened our eyes to new ideas and concepts, whether they we're an artist, staff or instructor. We we're guided by others but operated on our own accord and within our own creativity. We also made a lot of self-realizations that we didn't know about ourselves before just throughout the challenges and events. Now we feel like professionals and a lot more confident in our craft and business.
What are your thoughts on the Alberta music scene and the state of Alberta music?
It's an experiment, there's no set formula to it, you just do what you do and enjoy doing it. There's no wrong way to go about your craft because there's no one putting anyone down, it's the most community based scene I have ever witnessed which is something truly unique in such a dog eat dog industry.
What other Alberta bands would you recommend for next year's Peak Performance Project?
We would love to see Shaani Cage, Windigo, The Ashley Hundred in the Top 12 next year, they are some of our local faves.
