Orillians know how to rock, and that was evident Thursday night to the thousands who got to take in the live performance of Juno-nominated Bleeker.
The hometown band lit up the stage at the Ontario Winter Games opening ceremonies in Orillia with a high-energy set.
“We were hoping we would be good because we are an Orillia band,” lead singer Taylor Perkins told OrilliaMatters after the show. “As stupid as it might sound, we were just repping the Orillia music scene — which is huge.”
While they are pros on stage, they were still feeling the pressure of playing to a crowd of hometown friends as well as Ontario’s finest young athletes.
“It was more interesting having people from across the province,” said guitarist and back-up vocalist Cole Perkins.
The band welcomed the chance to perform live. It had been a while since their last tour, after they released 2016’s Erase You. The album included the singles Highway and Where’s Your Money, both of which enjoyed plenty of airplay on radio stations across Canada and beyond.
Now the boys of Bleeker, including bassist Mike Van Dyk, are focusing on their next album.
“Ninety-five per cent of the writing is done. We just have to record it now,” Taylor Perkins said.
For the first time, they have a choice of producers. Rather than recording an album and then searching for a producer, they will get to have a producer involved in the recording process.
“It’s like having another band member,” Perkins said.
When the album will be released is not yet known, but the band hopes to have a new single out this summer.
Keep up to date with the band at bleekerofficial.com.
