The Shivas Bring Sun-Soaked Psych Rock to Calgary’s Bob-Sled Festival
Photo credit: Ron Sparrow
Since forming in 2006, Portland, Oregon, rockers The Shivas have combined surf rock, psych rock, garage rock, and ‘60s-influenced pop to create addictive, danceable, rockin,’ timeless tunes. With ten albums under their belt (and currently working on another one), The Shivas have consistently put out great music. Ahead of their show at Calgary’s Bob-Sled festival, singer and guitarist Jared Molyneux of The Shivas chatted with REVERIE about the festival, their 2024 album Can’t Stop Coming Around, and their upcoming record.
The Shivas will make a handful of stops in Canada, where they will play at music festivals. Their first stop will be in Calgary for Bob-Sled. The Shivas will play on the second night of the festival, January 22nd, at the Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club. The other artists playing that night are Dirty Fences, Suburban Pagans, and Amy Nelson. “As far as the bands we’re playing with, it is our first time meeting or playing with any of them, but we are fans, so we’ve been looking forward to it,” Molyneux smiles. “I’m just really excited to get back up to Canada. It’s always super fun, and we just like coming in and playing in Canada. It’s been great playing in Calgary in the past. Edmonton, we’ve played there in the past, and it was fantastic. We’ve never played in Saskatoon or Winnipeg, so excited to check out some new cities. I’ve never seen the Northern Lights. Maybe we will get lucky and see some Northern Lights. It looks like the weather is gonna be cold, but we’re ready.”
Molyneux shares that some fan-favourites at live shows include “If You See Me,” “Turn Me On,” and “You Make Me Wanna Die.” He says that at The Shivas’ upcoming shows in Canada, people can expect a wide assortment of songs throughout their career. “The setlist is really gonna be stuff all throughout, from the earliest stuff to the most recent stuff, and as much in between as we can get in.”
The Shivas’ most recent album, Can’t Stop Coming Around, which was released in 2024, is one of Molyneux’s favourite of their discography. “Making the last album was really fun,” Molyneux reflects. “We kind of, at least, Kristin [Leonard] and I really locked ourselves in the basement. We were just recording at home in the basement for three months or so during the winter. It was super cold outside. For two or three weeks, we were snowed in, and we just spent pretty much all day each day, except when we were walking the dog, down in the basement recording, which was really, really fun and very enjoyable. I feel like even though it was a tight timeline and we were trying to get a lot done each day, it was really fun, cozy, and nice. I really enjoyed the whole recording of the album.”
The album opener “Cold Blooded” perfectly sets the stage with a mysteriously ominous blend of surf rock and psych rock, often feeling like it is the theme song of an action-packed spy thriller. “That song has always been a favourite of mine,” says. “It’s never quite fit on an album for one reason or another, but one that I’ve always really liked, and we kind of revisited when making that last album and made a version of it that was very different from any of the ways we played it in the past. I felt like we finally hit the sweet spot on it, but as far as the surf goes, I feel like that’s always a sound that we’ve embodied over the years at different times and something that we always really liked. To me, not to compare ourselves or anything, but one thing I liked about that riff or that song is that it reminded me of something like Link Wray or James Bond kind of guitar tone, with a weird, dark surf sound. I like all that stuff, and that’s definitely what the song sounds like in my head, and that’s what it came out sounding like on the record... We’ll be playing that one at these shows for sure.”
One of the standout songs on the album is the soothing, relaxing retro pop tune “If You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” which features bright melodies, an incredibly catchy chorus, and groovy instrumentation. “That song makes me think of the Wall Of Sound era like the Ronettes or The Crystals – early ‘60s girl groups with lots of reverb,” Molyneux shares.
The songs “Hellbound” and “Nightmare Song” from Can’t Stop Coming Around show off The Shivas’ versatility. “Hellbound” is very sweet, calm, and gentle, featuring hypnotically enchanting instrumentation. On the other hand, the aptly titled “Nightmare Song” is very in-your-face, with menacing instrumentation and a somewhat eerie atmosphere. In the album’s track sequencing, “Hellbound” comes right before “Nightmare Song.” “I remember liking ‘Hellbound’ going into ‘Nightmare Song,’” Molyneux reflects. “I feel like we’re always chasing that kind of dynamic where it goes from one thing to something that’s pretty different, but somehow the two relate, and there’s that dynamic, tension, or consonance between them.”
The Shivas have multiple members who sing, whether in harmony or taking lead vocals. For example, on their last album, Can’t Stop Coming Around, Leonard takes lead vocals in the track “If You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” meanwhile Molyneux takes lead vocals in the track “Closer To Me.” How exactly do they decide who will sing certain parts or songs? “Usually, a lot of times, whoever writes the song will sing it, unless for whatever reason it seems like a certain other singer's voice or sound will somehow suit the song better,” Molyneux states. “I mean, we will all get together and flesh everything out, but sometimes one of us will come up with the seed of it, then it becomes the finished thing later, and often they’ll end up singing their own song.”
The Shivas have some exciting things in store for fans, too, as they are currently working on a new album. “The songs are still all taking shape, but I guess with everything we’re trying to do something different while some things will inevitably stay the same,” Molyneux states. “If I had to guess, there will be some departures and some of the same old same old, but I don’t know for sure. We’re still getting into what exactly the next record is gonna look like and sound like, but my favourite part is when the possibilities are still endless.”
Similar to Can’t Stop Coming Around, The Shivas have been working down in the basement on the new record as well. “The last several things that we’ve done we’ve done here [in the basement,]” states Molyneux. “Everything has been working really well with that. It’s flexible, easy to schedule, easy to get a lot done, it’s cheap, and fun. We’ve already been working on it down there, and I think we’ll end up probably finishing it down there.”
Reflecting on how the creative process generally works, Molyneux explains, “It’s usually pretty collaborative, throwing ideas back and forth, and seeing what we can make happen,” Molyneux explains. “Everybody is contributing things and putting their own spin on things that make it turn out in a way that it wouldn’t if everybody weren’t there.”
Usually, before recording or putting the finishing touches on new songs, The Shivas will perform them live. “It gives you a feeling of how people are responding to things,” Molyneux says. “Often, before we record something, we’ll have the live context in mind, because we'll usually be playing stuff at shows and on tour for a while before we start laying it down in the studio.”
The Shivas are still working on the new record, but Molyneux says more info will be coming out soon, so keep your eyes peeled on the band’s social media accounts!
The Shivas will be making other stops in Canada for Winterruption festivals, including Edmonton (January 23rd), Saskatoon (January 24th), and Winnipeg (January 25th). These festivities and shows are all jam-packed with amazing artists who will undoubtedly deliver fantastic performances!