On Friday, August 18, 2023, Kingston’s ‘indie-folkestra’ The Gertrudes will become the latest band to add to the plethora of new music coming out of the Limestone City, as the group prepares to release their fifth studio album, “Just to Please You” (Wolfe Island Records). According to front man Greg Tilson, the album serves as a unique follow-up to the band’s previous album “Emergency to Emergency,” which was recorded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and released in August 2021.

“[The previous album] was very much a pandemic record. Because of the circumstances, there was a lot of writing going on without opportunities to tour… There definitely was a lot of material, we were ready to move onto the next project," Tilson said. “We were fortunate to receive some FACTOR funding, which helped move [the record] along,” he added.

While “Emergency to Emergency” tapped into familiar themes of isolation and misinformation—a popular trend amongst many pandemic-era recordings—“Just to Please You” serves as a new direction for the group. According to Tilson, the album is a celebration of community, “[We had] more stories to tell, just on the focus of this neighbourhood. The last [album] was about the crises that were right in front of us [at the time], like mental health, homelessness, and addiction. [Whereas], in 'Just to Please You,' it’s a bit more of a love letter, it’s more of a celebratory album,” he said.

The neighbourhood Tilson mentioned is Kingston’s McBurney Park, also known as Skeleton Park. For decades, Tilson and the rest of the band have maintained a strong presence in the community. Tilson currently serves as the artistic director for Skeleton Part Arts Festival (SPAF), a year-round organization committed enriching the artistic vitality of the neighbourhood and its surrounding area.

On “Just to Please You” The Gertrudes paint a celebratory picture of the neighbourhood and what makes it such a special place in Kingston. “I guess it’s still pointing to struggles, for sure, but there’s more love songs, and [music] celebrating the people and how much we love this neighbourhood and this community,” Tilson said.

To produce the new material, The Gertrudes tapped Jason Mercer, whose other credits include production work for the likes of Ani DiFranco and Ron Sexsmith. “He’s worked with us in the past, but this is our first time where he’s been the sole producer. The last album was co-produced by Matt Rogalsky, who produced all our [previous] albums,” noted Tilson.

For a group that has been around since 2009, The Gertrudes have gone through some changes over the years. After their previous release in 2021, the band added Mariah “Mo” Horner on vocals. According to Tilson, Horner—a Kingston-based theatre artist and academic—has brought an exciting new energy to the band. “She’s just such a force vocally. Just the presence she brings to the band and her energy. She’s got that theatre background, she’s an academic, and an incredible singer; she’s got a great voice and stage presence,” he said.

Despite an evolving membership and a musical style, the band’s core mission remains the same as it was when Tilson and Company started making music together all those years ago. “It’s more of a collective than a band. There’s always this cast of characters who are coming in and out of the band. It’s always growing and changing. I’m lucky to benefit from that… It’s kind of what we’re all about: this community building, family and friends, neighbourhood project, less so than a traditional four-piece rock band,” Tilson remarked.

On “Just to Please You” The Gertrudes have maintained the large presence the band is known for, with close to a dozen artists contributing to the material. Led by Tilson on vocals and acoustic guitar, the group features Meghan Balogh (fiddle, vocals), Pete Bowers (drums), Annie Clifford (fiddle, vocals), August Erb (electric guitar), Jason Erb (keys, bass, vocals), Mariah “Mo” Horner (vocals), Josh Lyon (accordion, keys, bass), and Matt Rogalsky (electric guitar, vocals).

Tilson said the band’s lineup has now expanded to incorporate a second-generation of Gertrudes talent, through some of the band member's children. “It’s chaotic, but it’s super fun… Maybe the most rewarding aspect of that right now is our kids, like Arden Rogalsky [son of Matt Rogalsky], who is a renowned musician in his own right with Princess Towers, he’s been drumming with us. Our keyboardist Jason Erb has two kids, Astrid and August, who are all over the album and very prominent players,” he said.

While the full album won’t be released until August 18, several songs have already debuted as singles, including “The Last Rehearsal” and “Cary On.” Leading up to the release of the new record, the band has been playing some of the new material at recent gigs in Kingston and the surrounding area. “We’re definitely starting to play the songs live, for example, at the Skeleton Park Arts Festival, and we were at the YGK Craft Beer Festival. We were also at Blue Skies north of Sharbot Lake, and Spring Reverb. [There’s been] lots of opportunities to play the new music, and hear the response, which has been great,” Tilson said.

With “Just to Please You” set to debut August 18, 2023, The Gertrudes join a long list of Kingston acts who have released new music this year, including Kasador, Christopher Jackson, The Astros, Keaton, and Chris Koster. According to Tilson, who’s work with SPAF puts him near the forefront of Kingston’s bustling music scene, the local industry has come a long way since he first got his start nearly two decades ago.

Tilson explained, “Just over 18 years ago, I was working at the Sleepless Goat Café downtown, and a bunch of us… started [SPAF] and this little record label called Apple Crisp. We made magazines and records, and [the band] PS I Love You came out of that project. We also put on concerts in the basement of Queen Street United Church. [We were] coming out of the dark ages, where a lot of the downtown pubs that used to be thriving in the late 90s, with Weeping Tile, the Mahones, and those guys… had switched over to recorded DJ music and no live bands. Now, the pendulum has swung, and we’re thriving.”

The musician credited the work of organizations such as Kingston Punk Productions (KPP) and Tourism Kingston, as well as the City’s ongoing Music Strategy, for creating more opportunities for performers in the region. “There’s [always] more and more opportunities to make music and art in Kingston. Even in our neighborhood, just two blocks away, is The Broom Factory, one of my favourite new venues… It’s an exciting time. There’s a Music Strategy going on with the City of Kingston, and clearly the powers that be at Tourism want to brand this a music city. So, it’s great to be a part of that,” Tilson remarked.

To support the release of the new record, the band was able to lean on the creative talent of its members to produce a new music video for the album’s title track “Just to Please You.” “The beauty of a big collective, with all kinds of people in the extended communities, [is] you reap the rewards of all the talent and diverse skillsets. Our accordion player, Josh Lyon, is a renowned filmmaker, so it was a piece of cake for him to meet up with Mo and her boyfriend [Cameron Nelles], [and Kay Kenny], to do this fun little music video,” noted Tilson. The video is available now on The Gertrude’s YouTube channel.

One day after “Just to Please You” hits record store shelves and streaming services, the band will celebrate the release with a performance and party at Kingston’s DAFT Brewing Company (768 Princess Street) on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. The show is free, and admittance is on a first-come first-served basis. Posted: Aug 16, 2023 Originally Published: Aug 16, 2023