Four Okotokians with a passion for music are tapping into the ’90s alt-rock movement as they move forward in their own musical explorations.
Yet rather than having visions of fame and fortune, the talented artists that make up Ninedivide are focused solely on sharing their craft with those eager to listen.
“It’s not about getting rich, it’s about having some fun and seeing where it goes,” said vocalist Mike Bronsch. “There is no expectation that we have necessarily. We just want to share.”
The Okotoks alternative rock band hit stages with a combination of cover and original tunes just months after forming in early 2015.
The foursome is made up of Bronsch, bass player Corey Mifflin, rhythm guitarist Taylor McPhail and drummer Luke Thompson.
The group cites the Foo Fighters and Monster Truck among their inspirations for their alt-rock sound.
“We haven’t experienced enough of the scene to see if it’s hard to be alternative,” said Bronsch of breaking into the music scene. “I don’t think it is. For the age demographic we’re after our fans are in their 30s and 40s and even pushing into their 50s. With the ’90s being so big it opened that gate that it’s an achievable sound and people listen to it because it’s been around for so long.”
Bronsch was part of the music scene in Vancouver at the turn of the century as the lead singer for the band Symbiant. His carpentry job brought him to Alberta and it wasn’t long before he made connections with local musicians to form Ninedivide.
The band’s original lead guitarist was Mike Sands, but Sands’ metal sound and his success with Edmonton band All Else Fails took him in a different direction.
The addition of McPhail was a perfect fit for the band. Born into a musical family, McPhail had been playing guitar since age 12 and in 2011 he graduated from the Red Deer College Music Program.
Afterwards, he taught guitar lessons and performed in the odd gig in a range of genres from country to blues.
Drummer Thompson played percussion in his junior and high school concert and jazz bands in High River and played in a few different bands before joining Ninedivide.
The band made itself known to Okotoks crowds with performances at The Owl’s Nest and Original Joe’s Restaurant and Bar and found it was well-received by listeners.
“When you hear the crowd it’s like, this is why you do it,” said Bronsch. “That’s what it’s about is sharing it with people and hopefully they get something from it. Same with the interpretation of the songs and what it means to them. That’s the cool thing about writing your own stuff is it’s open to interpretation.”
After The Owl’s Nest closed, Ninedivide struggled to find local venues and began playing gigs in Calgary.
“What’s frustrating about Okotoks now is there is nowhere for a full band to play,” Bronsch said. “I’ll do some of our originals at Rylie’s open mics, but we can’t fit a whole band there. We are trying to get to all of these Calgary venues and hit 17th Ave.”
Mifflin said establishing a fan base is difficult for any band starting out, but he believes Ninedivide’s sound is drawing a crowd.
To promote the release of its first single Dreams, which has received airplay on Calgary’s alternative rock station X92.9. Ninedivide also played to an enthusiastic audience at the Blind Beggar in Calgary on April 4, said Mifflin.
“I thought it was going to be tough to get into the Beggar but we were one out of four slots to be filled,” he said.
“The reaction we got after they heard us was an explosion. People loved it.”
Mifflin’s childhood was spent attending gigs his father, who played the guitar in numerous bands, performed at throughout Alberta, so it was no surprise that the High River native picked up a guitar and began playing in junior high.
When the musicians who make up Ninedivide came together, Mifflin said it was instant chemistry. It wasn’t long before they were writing collaboratively to create their own originals and get their name out there.
The band has even played at some community events including HarvestFest last year and a private block party in Okotoks.
“We are getting positive feedback on our original songs,” Mifflin said. “Our first single Dreams is a good introduction to the band. It’s very melodic and has explosive parts.”
Ninedivide plans to release two more singles, Old Man and Best of Me, this spring.
The band’s first single is available on iTunes. To learn more about Ninedivide go to Ninedivide.ca
