Amateur Boyfriend

Amateur Boyfriend bring big guitars, tight rhythm and a certain 70's swagger to mind when you first listen to their debut self titled release. It's hard to say exactly who they will remind you of, all though Cheap Trick, Supertramp and some or that Lennon/Mcartney stuff will come to mind. With a broad audience appeal and an excess of talent, AB absolutely stand out as champions of their musical roots.

In need of a backing band for a local cable access show performance in early 2003, singer/keyboardist Sean Bates (Medicine Hat, Firebrat) enlisted a few musician friends to play what was to be a one time only gig. Guitarists Danny Newcomb (Goodness, The Rockfords) and Gary Mula were the first to jump in to the project. Bassist Mark Patterson (Kitchen Radio) and drummer Kelly Van Camp (The Noses, Engine 54) quickly joined in to complete a group that at the time was named Ruby Minor.

It was soon discovered that the prolific songwriting combination of Bates & Newcomb along with the all-around great writing contributions within the entire group was something too good to be set back on the shelf. The first order of business was a name change and Amateur Boyfriend was offically born. New songs were written, weekly practices led to gigs, gigs led to fans and fans asked for recordings of the band. The stage was set and during the summer of 2003 the band, along with producer/engineer Alex Kostelnik, entered Buttermilk Studios, to record their debut album.

Their debut album is nothing short of breathtaking. The opening track Mr. Sympathy is amazingly dynamic with it's 70's guitar tones, subtle verses, driving keyboards and lyrics that are delivered with true passion. Voodoo takes on the indie staple of lost youth with a interesting taste of optimism while Deceiving matches heartache with fading love. In genereal, the sound, emotion and hard work captured in this recording is difficult to ignore and impossible to forget.