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Meet the Little Brother

Wes Reamsbottom takes the original route with his band, The Little Brother Band
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Who: Wes Reamsbottom

When: Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12

Where: Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub

 

Reamsbottom is a familiar name in these parts. Greg Reamsbottom is one half of the infamous Whistler duo The Hairfarmers, the unofficial kings of the après party. But it turns out that he isn't the only musically inclined man in the family.

Wes Reamsbottom, the youngest of four brothers, is also a musical soul. He not only teaches music but fronts The Little Brother Band, playing acoustic guitar and singing.

The brothers, who are nine years apart in age, didn't grow up in a very musical family but actually started singing around the same time: Greg in bars and Wes in high school.

"I think Greg is like 70 per cent responsible for the music I listen to: Crosby, Stills and Nash, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, the whole thing," Wes chuckled.

After spending some time playing solo gigs on the Vancouver music scene, Wes decided to start his own band in 2002.

"I was just doing a solo acoustic thing around Vancouver, playing small lounges and pubs and stuff, and I got tired of performing on my own," he explained. "It can be cool, because you do whatever you want and can be at whatever tempo you want and you're never off, and you can do your own thing."

Soon he had recruited another local musician, Dan Myers, to start The Little Brother Band. Today, the band features Wes on acoustic guitar and vocals, Myers on electric guitar and vocals, Kelly McQuillan on keys, tenor sax and vocals, and brothers Davis Friesen on bass and Tyler Friesen on drums.

"I think this lineup has been together for five years, so we're pretty gelled now," he said.

While the players leading the vocals and harmonies - Wes, Myers and McQuillan - have been making music together for about seven years, it wasn't until the Friesen brothers came on board that things really solidified.

"To have Tyler and David together on bass and drums, it's like having an amazing offensive line on a football team, like being able to run and do whatever you want with it because they've got your back so solidly."

Together, the group leans pretty heavily towards a Canadian folk rock feel, making all original music. And while their sound is definitely rooted in the folk/rock genre, the players each bring a range of diverse backgrounds and influences to the table, resulting in some very eclectic tracks that break the mould.

It's pretty clear from the band's name - The Little Brother Band - that unofficial big bro Doug Craig, a.k.a. Guitar Doug, the second half of The Hairfarmers, has had an impact on his musical pursuits.

"I wouldn't say The Hairfarmers are an influence on the band, but they certainly are an influence on me," Wes mused, laughing, "I remember when Doug injured his hand a while back I came up and was 'Little Brother with The Hairfarmers.'"

He paused.

"The biggest influence they've had on me is their ability to read a crowd and what they need and when they need it. It's ridiculous, and it's like a kind of unconscious thing that's going on between them that I can't really explain."

But the two brothers have chosen distinctly different musical paths. Greg has carved out quite the niche for himself, playing over 3,000 covers and fronting Whole Lotta Led, Whistler's hard rockin' Led Zeppelin cover band, while Wes sticks with mainly covers for solo shows but writes all original material for his band.

Big brother Greg and Guitar Doug are something of an institution here in Whistler, but Wes isn't scared to come and perform on their home turf.

"I'm not intimidated by it, I actually like it when people say, 'Oh, I know your brother, Greg - he's a great singer!' and I go, 'Okay, sit back and have a listen.'"

The Little Brother Band released its first album, Reflections back in 2006. Then, just last Friday, they released their sophomore effort, Thicker Than Water.

Listeners can expect to hear blues-infused guitar lines, some funky grooves and serious sax solos on this latest project. And if you consider that the group's musical influences range from Van Morrison, The Eagles and The Barenaked Ladies to Ray LaMontagne, Counting Crows, Ryan Adams, and David Gray, the variety in their own sound makes complete sense.

While Wes is very proud of their debut effort, which was recorded over a ten-day span, he's is confident that the newest album, which resulted from a much slower, more deliberate process, will "blow people's minds."

The thought shows in the assortment of tracks featured on the full-length "It's Only Sadness," a twangier track that combines upbeat music with incredibly sad lyrics, and the band's favourite tune, "If I Quit Remembering."

"For me, there's a part on the album where Kelly takes off on her saxophone solo - which I know she did in one take, because I was sitting there - and at that moment, it's just exactly the kind of music I always hoped and wished that I could make, and there it is. So it's just kind of a goosebump moment for me."

Thicker Than Water also celebrates how each member has grown as a musician over the years, with all five taking strong roles.

"You can listen to any member of the band and groove on what they're doing for the whole album, if you want."

Wes hopes to bring the band up at some point during a time when Greg isn't booked solid with Hairfarmers and Whole Lotta Led shows so the brothers can perform together for the Whistler crowd. But next weekend, Wes will be in town for two back-to-back nights of solo shows at the Dubh Linn Gate Old Irish Pub, a bit of an homage to his pre-Little Brother Band days, perhaps.

"I've got a bunch of solo material that I don't play with the band that I'll be playing and a ton of cover stuff that I also do, which is quite similar to what The Hairfarmers would be doing, and it's the Dubh Linn, too, so I'll be throwing in some Irish stuff," he explained.

"I hope that a bunch of people come to the show and have a listen so they can see what little brother can do!"