Photo credit: Katia Trudeau (Found In Love)

CONVOYS is a band that comes on strongly. There’s no “getting to know each other” phase for these guys; as soon as I walked in the door of The Silver Dollar it went straight to “hey-stranger-can-you-wipe-the-sweat-off-my-face-i-can’t-because-im-rocking-out-too-hard-and-i-have-two-beers-thanks.”

It’s that kind of energy that makes every CONVOYS show – and I’ve been to my fair share – a ton of fun. The crowd consistently loves all of their songs and jumps all over the place for the entirety of the set. With this show being the release party for the band’s second EP, Return to…, this was even more evident than I’ve seen in the past.

CONVOYS play a sweaty brand of rugged garage dance-rock; they’re a three-piece, but they sound like a lot more. Jason Jang leads the way in the perspiration/shouting department, while Sebastian Lesch provides the harmonies and basslines and Greg Muhlbock kicks the shit out of his drumkit.

The thing about CONVOYS is that their passion on stage is so evident that it overshadows any mistakes or imperfections that may arise. Their music isn’t meant to be perfect, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s a very visceral feeling, and one that not a lot of bands can convey live.

My favourite song is still undeniably Groundwork from their first EP, GOGO/BANG, but what I’ve heard of the new songs – both live and recorded – indicate that Return to… is no slouch either, with Misinterpreted and Far From Home being the standout tracks.

I’ve been to a number of CONVOYS shows in the past few months, and every time I see them they get better. Be sure to check out the new EP below, as well as this nifty little video taken from the release show!