Rock forces Thousand Foot Krutch are releasing a new live concert recording spanning hits from their last three albums (Exhale), Oxygen:Inhale (2014) and The End Is Where We Begin (2012). Untraveled Roads features eight of the band’s last nine active radio songs. The 12-track album releases independently on September 15. The album was recorded during this year’s 46-city Winter Jam Tour Spectacular and attended by nearly 500,000 people. Vocalist Trevor McNevan was kind enough to fill us in on the process of completing this live album, what he is working on coming up, and Canadian music.
For everything TFK check out their website at:https://thousandfootkrutch.com
Alt Revolt: Congrats on your new live album!
Trevor: Thank you very much. We are excited!
Alt Revolt: Can you tell me about where you recorded it and the process it was to put it together.
Trevor: Yes. We were out on a 46-city tour that ended about a month ago and it was called the Winter Jam Tour. While we were out on that tour we were inspired to record each show and put it together into a live album. In 2010 we released Live at the Mascarade. That captured a lot of the catalog and music prior to that and we have not done anything like that since. We went independent and have released The End Is Where We Begin and Inhale/Exhale but never captured a live experience from that yet. We felt really inspired to do that which sparked Untraveled Roads and became this special thing. In the end we were really excited on how it came out. It really captured the energy probably the best so far in terms of the live experience. It is exciting the listen to. I like to throw in on and hear this different excitement and even the personalities of certain members of the band that is hard to capture on a record. It has become a special piece. We hope everyone digs it.
Alt Revolt: Were you a fan of live albums early on discovering music?
Trevor: Some. Not a lot to be honest. I guess it depends on the artist. I like listening to live albums if it is real experience and you can feel it. And that is what I loved about how this one came out. Some of them sound exactly like the record or its too doctored up and perfect not real and takes some of that live luster out of it. But I have appreciated a few over the years. And there were a lot that did not interest me.
We had originally intended to do a live DVD as well and brought a camera crew out on tour and captured a lot of great footage. There were a couple cranes we needed in the arena to capture the experience on a wide level. We just weren’t able to get into these areas logistically so at the end of the tour we looked at the footage. It looks great but it was not something we wanted to present as a live DVD experience. We are actually going to edit all twelve songs individually which will go straight to our official YouTube channel. There will be video for each song there but no live DVD.
Alt Revolt: Are you releasing each song one at a time?
Trevor: We are actually figuring that out. The videos are still being edited so it might be something that we release the entire thing the day of but maybe piece by piece potentially up until the release until you get the whole thing. We are trying to get creative with that part now. It also depends on when the videographers can get everything edited up too.
Alt Revolt: Do you still enjoy touring and interacting will all of your fans?
Trevor: Absolutely! The fans are such a part of what this band is. The live experience is always been important to us to connect with people face to face to share stories. We have been very fortunate our whole career. When we went independent in 2011, and did The End Is Where We Begin it was just 100% us and our audience just walking together. They have showed up and supported us in every way. Their loyalty just humbles and blesses us. We have been walking the journey together without any label or anybody in-between ever since and it has been an awesome experience. Getting to connect with people all over the globe is what it is all about.
Alt Revolt: Besides finishing the live album, what else are you working on?
Trevor: There is a bunch of stuff going on. We are only a year into Exhale and there are a handful of other singles we would like to release to radio off this record. There still is a lot of legs we want to work on Exhale. We just finished touring about a month ago. We have just taken a fully intentional break off the road just to be with family. I have a one year old and our drummer Steve has a new baby. We are just enjoying our families and working on a hip hop project as well for fun in my off time here. We are just getting some family time and it has been great. This is first summer where we have not played every festival in twenty years so it has been a much needed break.
Alt Revolt: Do all of your band members still live in Canada?
Trevor: We have actually been all over the place. At one time we lived in different regions in Canada. I moved to Nashville about twelve years ago. I have recently come back to Canada. Our bassist Joel moved to Nashville two years ago. Steve our drummer he is still in Canada. We are all spread out now.
Alt Revolt: There is a lot of great music coming from Canada today. Where you influenced by any in particular when you were getting your feet wet as a band?
Trevor: Yes. We did. We have a awesome music scene here. Back then there was huge Canadian acts like Bryan Adams and Celine Dion. There was so many cool pop, rock, and even hip hop artists at that time. It was beautiful thing for sure. Bands like Treble Charger, Kill Joy, Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, Moist that were in this local area and cool to see them grow and do their thing.
Alt Revolt: Have you ever licensed any of your music for use in major sports such as the NHL?
Alt Revolt: Yes we have. It started in 2003. Long story short. Our song “Rawkfist” got picked up by ESPN/TSN in Canada and more MLB, NBA, NHL sports teams got interested and it kicked the doors open for us. Since then we have had this organic relationship with a lot of those teams and professional sports in general. We have had songs on the Super Bowl and its fun to be part of that for us. It is a powerful thing when music and a area full of people supporting a team come together. Its a pretty rad thing. We have also been on a lot of EA sports games as well. It is super fun.
Alt Revolt: Did you pull for the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Finals?
Trevor: Yes I did! Mike Fisher from the Predators is a good buddy of mine. He was the captain this year and we were excited to get down and support our brother. The city was just buzzing! It was the fist NHL finals and it was cool overall!
Alt Revolt: Congrats again on your new live album! Continued success on your bands journey.
Trevor: Thanks for having me and all of the support!