Victoria, B.C.'s Acres of Lions is a high energy pop band, and they're starting to make waves with their second album Collections, and the single Reaction, which has become a viral hit with a low budget, high impact video.
Tyson Yerex with Acres of Lions says that the first album for the band, Working, lead to many great things for the band, and he hopes the latest album is just as much an experience as the first.
It's already going well, with the video for Reactions getting lots of positive attention across the country, and leading the song to 20 on the Alternative Rock charts.
"The video for that song was so much fun to make. We kind of talked about different ideas, but we decided this time to not have the band in the video. I think our budget was $500, and what we ended up doing was leverage all the friends we've made touring around on the first record," Yerex explains.
The video involved getting the many friends the band has made to hold up some of the song lyrics and be "artistic director" for their frame. The many images taken over the period making up the video. "It's hilarious seeing fully grown people doing the art classes you do in Grade 2," he recalls.
With the second album, he says the record is a more collaborative effort for the band, and his role on keyboards was expanded. He says that while they started in heavier bands, they wanted to go in a pop direction, and make a record everyone could enjoy.
"It was just a logical step. I don't know if it's just getting older, but it's something that came naturally, and incorporating the piano into the songs moved it in that direction."
The reaction to the new music has been as positive as the music itself, and Yerex is proud of the work they've done. It's also a good contrast with 10 Second Epic, who they are touring with. He says they enjoy offering something a bit different to their fans, since the pop sound of Acres of Lions is a contrast between the heavier sound of 10 Second Epic.
The tour so far has been a lot of fun, and he says that the two bands compliment each other in style. He notes that during early shows he noticed the guitarist for 10 Second Epic bopping along to Reaction, and predicts that by the end of the tour they will be on stage and singing together.
Acres of Lions and 10 Second Epic will be playing at the Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium on November 18.
