Song of the Day: The Rural Alberta Advantage  - Terrified

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Terrified” by The Rural Alberta Advantage from the 2014 album Mended With Gold on Saddle Creek.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Terrified (MP3)

Formed and named with a degree of self-awareness by native Albertans, Toronto's The Rural Alberta Advantage emerged in the mid-2000s channeling the rustic, intimate feel of small country towns through an earnest, sweeping take on indie and folk rock. Founded in 2005 by open mic frequenters Nils Edenloff (vocals/guitar), Amy Cole (keys/vocals), and Paul Banwatt (drums), the trio's kinetic playing and Cole and Edenloff's vocal harmonies drew a local following, self-releasing their 2008 debut, Hometowns, to critical buzz and extensive touring, which drew the attention of Saddle Creek, who signed the band and re-released the album the following year. 2011's Departing was met with similar praise, and after spending the past two winters writing and workshopping songs in a live setting, the band went into the studio to record their third studio album, this year's Mended With Gold.

The Rural Alberta Advantage have always been able to draw a considerable amount of force out of their three members, and "Terrified", a thundering, immediate explosion of a track. Edenloff's vocals alternate between a passionate yell and a vulnerable pine, receiving a ghostly assist from Cole in the chorus and an explosive percussive climax in the bridge. Some of The Rural Alberta Advantage's best material explores ideas of home and comfort, but "Terrified" dives headfirst into the unknown, embodying fight or flight instincts with a breathless pace that switches between exhausted and electrified with no warning.

The Rural Albert Advantage will embark on a tour behind Mended With Gold starting in October, including a stop in Seattle at the Crocodile on October 24th. Get tickets and more info on that all ages show here, keep up with the band on their website and Facebook, and below, watch the music video for their 2011 track "Tornado 87".