This week I’d like to turn the spotlight to a band out of Sherwood Park called Yikes. Yikes is a group of awesome, fun loving dudes who love to play classic rock. That’s really it, they’re a modern band but in many ways they are a classic rock band. The band’s influences span decades and the sound that comes out, while varying, is continuously more classic. I’m talking a late ’60s and ’70s vibe. They have songs that are reminiscent of the early ’80s, or the ’90s, but in general, I would characterize this band as a 21st Century classic rock band.
Yikes started a little over three years ago and, until recently, was a five-piece with three guitarists, a bassist and a drummer. After losing a guitarist and the drummer, they found a new drummer and decided to remain as four. In the end, it’s worked out really well for them. They say it’s never been better and the flow of writing and recording songs has just become so much easier. The band released their debut CD last month and threw together a release party to go with it.
Their first album is called In Space. If you don’t get it, I’ll give you a moment. Yikes. In Space. Yikes In Space. It was a theme that basically wrote itself and on the album they include three short little, oh, let’s call them scene pieces, short little scene pieces that paint the picture of space. Besides that, they have 10 songs on the album and they’re in the process of another five or so. The band has survived a lot and they aren’t going anywhere. Their main problem right now is being in Sherwood Park. They have all talked about just how hard it is to get out there and play in Sherwood Park, with practically no venues to play all-ages shows. The band now consists of members who are all over 18 but that wasn’t always the case. While it’s always hard to get heard in a city where you can’t even play a lot, it’s a challenge Yikes has taken on. The band plays as much as they can in the Park and branches outside of the county as well. They normally play shows in Edmonton but recently they haven’t been able to get out there as much. The band says that they’ve been at a bit of a standstill for shows with the album, but now that it’s finished, they’re looking at getting out there.
Their release party was the first chance I had to see the entire band with the new drummer and, if there is one thing that band likes to do, it’s put on a show. The amount of energy they drive into each show demonstrates the dedication and the strife of trying to get out of the Sherwood Park scene. In Space, is available on Bandcamp, as well. Their first single is “Evol,” a song about a poisonous relationship one of the band members had but my personal recommendation is to check out “Leather Soul.” You can support the band and check them out on Bandcamp by just looking up Yikes. It’ll be the one with the space theme.
Nate Bryant
