Orillia drummer Nick Raseta has released a new album with his rock band, Unbranded.
Sunshine City is an album that features songs that reflect life in Orillia, says the 20-year-old Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School graduate.
“All the songs are about stories, people, and places that have to do with Orillia. When you listen to the lyrics you can see the town and what it has to offer, whether it be good or bad,” Raseta said.
“We are under the belief that when you go off to school or to another city a little bit of home is always with you. I think where you grow up kind of shapes you as a person which is true for all of us. So, I think it’s always cool to incorporate where you come from as musicians,” Raseta explained.
Unbranded consists of Zane Fenton, Christian Strong, Ben Schryer, and Raseta, who all grew up in Orillia. The debut album is three years in the making.
“We started recording a few songs that are on the album such as Society and This is My Home. However, we all got busy with school and work and kept putting the album on the back burner,” Raseta explained.
“It wasn’t until all the lockdowns happened that we had free time to record ourselves in our home studios; we actually weren’t physically together until the final stages of the project.”
Up until the release of Sunshine City, Raseta and his bandmates didn’t have much of a vision for the band’s future. But now it’s clear as day.
“We just love playing. If it takes us somewhere, great, but really the goal is to play some shows before we all head off to school in the fall,” he said.
“Before COVID we were a frequent band who played a lot in the downtown scene. We like getting our sound out there, we like entertaining people, and we hope this album helps people get back to normal life.”
Unbranded will be performing live tonight at St. Louis Bar and Grill from 9 p.m. till 11 p.m.
“We are going to do a few originals off the album, but we will also be playing a lot of fun rock covers. We play anything from The Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz, AC/DC. Lots of songs to sing along to as we try and bring that live music element back to a small town that once prospered with live music,” Raseta said.
Sunshine City can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you stream your music. For more live show dates and updates on the band, follow them on Instagram and TikTok.
