Alleviate

It’s getting pretty common to hear ‘rock ‘n roll is dead’, but in Northern Alberta there lies a band called Alleviate who proves that saying is nothing but untrue.

After their shows it’s not unusual to hear comments about Alleviate helping rebirth rock and roll. Their fans appreciate their memorable sound and powerful lyrics. Since their inception the band had been focused on working hard and having fun, whether you are talking with the band or attending a live show it becomes clear that this is what they strive for. A signature sound with a blend of both electric and acoustic guitars and a combination of lyrics that range from portraying the harsh realities of life to learning to love and grow are key to what draws crowds to Alleviate.

Their live shows make it clear that they’re not only giving it all they got but also walk on and off the stage as great friends. A combination of, energetic and heavy hitter Aaron Passek, Chris Weihmann’s complimentary and thunderous bass playing, the hypnotizing and intimate playing style of Matt Mackenzie and Chad Plamondon’s strong and fiery vocals and lead work is what creates Alleviate’s unique and memorable sound. The band has many influences from every genre of the past 50 years, but their roots are rock and roll, and their music conveys not only the ferocity of classic rock but also brings a new twist that pulls in fans of all ages and genres.

One thing that’s certain is Alleviate prove every time they hit the stage that rock and roll is not only alive and breathing but coming off the rails with intensity and power. Alleviate’s drive to maintain the authenticity of ‘real’ rock and roll with honest lyrics and powerful music is what separates them from the rest. They believe that this mentality has shaped rock and roll into what we know and love and are so excited to be a part of today’s rock and roll scene.

Breaking into the rock scene in 2015, by winning the Creekwood Chapelle Songwriter Contest, with their debut single “Creekwood Memories” and the Landmark Showcase Competition, Alleviate quickly made a name for themselves. By 2017, the band released their follow up full length album “Aggressive Grace”. Now Alleviate returns with a brand new single, “Daredevil” the first single off the upcoming EP “Glass Habits” (available Nov. 16, 2018). The songs on the EP are about changing, growing and learning to love both those around you and yourself. With their signature, high-energy style of rock n’ roll woven into honest stories and memorable melodies, you hear the band’s growth as songwriters. Striving to evolve past their previous release, the band worked with seasoned producer Stu Kirkwood to create something unique and new.“Glass Habits” takes you on a journey. From the lead single“Daredevil” focusing on mental illness and the journey it takes to come to terms with that reality, to the heavy slide driven tale “Gunslinger” the band is proud of what they’ve put together and the path they are going. Join Alleviate in counting down the days to the release of “Glass Habits” on November 16th? “They call me a child, cause I couldn’t grow up” -Télos I do what I do because it’s all I know. When I was 8 years old I had the privilege of going to my very first concert and it was none other than Randy Bachman. I listened and learned as he described how he created his songs. This man, and this concert, showed me I too could have a voice. To say it held a lasting impression is an understatement, after begging for two years to get a guitar, at age 10 finally I started and instantly I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After spending most of my time glued to my instrument I began to branch out into other instruments such as bass, drums, piano, harmonica, ukulele, banjo, lap steel and eventually vocals. At age 14 I started writing lyrics and songs that helped me excel not only musically but also as an individual. Today I work with three band mates and friends that help push me and help me grow to achieve the best music we can write. I believe in truthfulness and in storytelling, which is why my lyrics connect with the audience. My guitar will always be a part of me but I have learned songwriting is where my true voice lies. MATT It was The Rolling Stones’ iconic “tongue” logo plastered on my dads old sweater that had me curious about music at a young age. I was quickly introduced to the world of rock music by my enthusiastic parents who jumped on their first opportunity to get a guitar in my hands at the age of 11. Backed by my fellow band mate Chris Weihmann’s extremely musically inclined family, I was able to learn and grow as a musician rapidly. Influenced by the greats such as George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Randy Bachman and Keith Richards, I would jam their tunes on my old acoustic guitar until the sun came up. Everything from Jack Johnson’s laid back beachside acoustic riffs to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck you can count me in. As the rhythm guitarist in Alleviate, I’ve been able to mature and develop my skills as an artist. My goal has always been to capture the elusive groove that you can’t define, but makes you want to swing and move to the stories being told through the microphone. I aspire to pass along the raw, honest feelings and feel it is my duty as an artist to establish my own creative flavour in order to continue to redefine that feeling for the rest of the world to enjoy. I have to thank a video game for sparking my interest in rock and roll, and yes I did in fact say video game. In my elementary days my babysitter was across the street and so every day I would turn on their PlayStation. Rock music was the majority of the songs on that playlist and for a few consecutive years I’d hear all those same songs over and over again. As I grew older and no longer going over to my neighbours, there was a void without that repetitive playlist in my head and then began my search for more rock music. I took to the radio to find my fix which lead my to every sort of rock you can think of, modern, classic, hard rock, you name it. My dad took notice of that, and a day I’ll never forget was when I walked up the driveway to see a drum kit in the back of the van. While it is cliché, every drummer falls in love with their first drum kit and I was no exception. The special rule to that drum set was that you can take it for free, use it for all the time you need but when you want to part ways with it, make sure you as well give it away for free. This was when I was 13, and I’ve never stopped playing. I was totally glued to this new-found instrument. All the time I’d pop in my headphones and try to bang out a rock tune on the kit but like everyone first starting out, its never as easy as it looks. Continued regular practice made me hone my skill which lead me to experiment and explore other genres other than rock. Punk made its way to my headphones, metal came with it and so did others like ska, and reggae. Unexpectedly my diverse music listening had transformed my playing and what a blessing it was. Being able to bring other styles to the table for beats on Alleviate tunes adds tremendous variety in our tunes, which i feel is a great advantage in writing and keeping the process fresh and fun. It has been a great journey so far, I outgrew that first drum kit and so, as per tradition passed it along to (fill in the blank) with great enthusiasm. Today I am here in a band playing music that I love. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and feel thankful for the great community of musicians and music lovers. I encourage you all to join us on our journey because it is a lot of fun. AARON “They call me a child, cause I couldn’t grow up” -Télos I do what I do because it’s all I know. When I was 8 years old I had the privilege of going to my very first concert and it was none other than Randy Bachman. I listened and learned as he described how he created his songs. This man, and this concert, showed me I too could have a voice. To say it held a lasting impression is an understatement, after begging for two years to get a guitar, at age 10 finally I started and instantly I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After spending most of my time glued to my instrument I began to branch out into other instruments such as bass, drums, piano, harmonica, ukulele, banjo, lap steel and eventually vocals. At age 14 I started writing lyrics and songs that helped me excel not only musically but also as an individual. Today I work with three band mates and friends that help push me and help me grow to achieve the best music we can write. I believe in truthfulness and in storytelling, which is why my lyrics connect with the audience. My guitar will always be a part of me but I have learned songwriting is where my true voice lies. CHAD CHRIS “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” ~Shakespeare This has been my inspiration and my story when it comes to music. Except, I don’t fit into this quote… If I did, it would go something like, “Some are born musicians, others have musical skill beaten into their heads, and some are reluctantly pulled into a band project that they didn’t want to be a part of.” And hint, hint, I identify as the last one. But, reading this might give you a bad taste for what you must think of me. I love music and I love this band. But it didn’t always be that way for a young and naïve Chris Weihmann. I got forced into piano lessons, and that was my first taste of music… and I hated it. To me it was difficult and boring, and it was missing a certain “je ne sais quoi” for me. In junior high I got my hands on a bass guitar for concert band class; it was calling to me. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of mediocre covers, from Day Tripper to Crazy Train, no song was too typical for this young bassist to play. At this time, I was playing with fellow Alleviate member, Matt MacKenzie. We’d play around together and encourage each other to learn other classic rock songs.Our tastes in music were similar which was great. It wasn’t until high school that I started to find out what that “je ne sais quoi” was. Lots of kids in high school get addicted to things… be it, drugs, booze, sex or those amazing French fries your cafeteria makes; I found out I was addicted to bass frequencies. Once I found out that it was low tones that make me feel fuzzy inside, I couldn’t get enough. It was all I could think of, and it was consuming my life. I was shutting friends and family out just so I could get one more sick bass drop from something Skrillex-y. I lost who I was, and I lost what kind of music I should have been focusing on. It wasn’t until the end of my grade ten year that I started to clean up. I was placed in a support group with people that tried to get me back to the kind of music that used to matter to me. The support group consisted of Chad Plamondon, Aaron Passek and Matt MacKenzie. And the support group of course was our uneducated high school band. We played together, grew together, encouraged each other, laughed with each other, and then one day… grade ten ended and we were never all in the same music class ever again. That year together really did help me clean up my musical tastes and get me deeper into the art of bass guitar, but since we weren’t together for the rest of high school, I heard an old and familiar voice calling to me. It would say things like “Come back, Chris… Listen to those sweet 40 Hz frequencies, Chrisss… There’s this new genre you haven’t heard called Trap and you’ll love it, Chrisss…” I started to sweat, was this it for me? All these years of bass guitar skills and nothing to use them on after high school? I was on the edge of musical rock bottom, when suddenly a preverbal hand reaches out and grabs me. It was Chad, he said “Hey guys, let’s, like, get back together and, like, play music again. Our own music. I won a songwriting contest and got some studio time we should record the song.” (Probably the actual quote.) So flash forward a few months; the song we recorded was called “Creekwood Memories”, and then we were contacted and requested to be in a Battle Of The Bands, type of contest. Despite how awesome it was to record in the studio that voice in my head was always there; taunting and tempting. “You don’t want to do this, think of how much time it will eat up. You don’t even like these guys.” A long story short, I was “…reluctantly pulled into a band project that I didn’t want to be a part of.” Jump to our first show, The Starlite Room. First round of LME’s Showcase Event. My knees were weak and my hands were sweating, and my mother’s pasta was begging to make a reappearance. But that single moment when we stepped on stage and the crowd roared for us, changed my perception of music. That single moment replaced that old voice in my head with a new one. It sounded like, “Sup dude, you like that feeling? There’s more where that came from. Keep playing with these jerks and you’ll get a load more.” That was enough to hook me in. Since then, it’s been rollercoaster of shows and light drinking before and after performances. All of this is obviously a joke, I mean the facts are relatively correct, (I am actually a bass audiophile) but I honestly love what I do and the people I do it with. This band is nothing but pure fun for me and no matter where this goes; I hope it will always be a great outlet and hobby for me., I take a lot of inspiration from classic bass stars like Flea (of course) Darryl Jones and Victor Wooten. I love genres like Jazz, Funk, Rock and even Reggae and a lot of these inspirations come out in my playing. I act like an idiot most of my life and I don’t want to sacrifice that and change this bio so it can fit on a website. One of these days I’ll say something that’s too far on stage and it will get me in trouble, but until then… WOOHOO