(Druin / Bandcamp)

The first time I met Ross he was setting up for his first night as Audio Tech at the Biltmore Cabaret. I was off to the side killing time by creating an art-music video on my phone.

“Check out what I’m doing!” I said as he passed nearby. From this brief interaction I learnt he was a visual artist too. In fact he was in the processes of building an art and light installation at one of the downtown Vancouver art galleries. I knew we’d get along.

I’d later meet Ross again at a local bar called Hail Mary’s. What might see like a hole in the wall is actually revered throughout the late-night industry workers as THE place. You begin by knocking on the door. Hailey, the bar owner, is selective with the patrons that enter through, especially late at night. So she checks who’s at the locked door through the security camera and if its too busy, you’ll be left outside needing to find another watering hole. If there is space, she opens the door and invites you in.

Hailey careful cultivates the seating arrangement in this small venue. If you’re looking for privacy she offers you one of the booths, if you’re looking to be a part of the conversation she adds you to the colourful line up of patrons at the bar. The top of the bar is encircled with old VHS videos, almost all the good ones you can imagine. Each time one finishes playing on the teeny tiny tv screen, Hailey grabs her robo-toy arm and selects a new one. Images of religious jest everywhere the eye can see, sexual, nefarious, hilarious. It fits the image of Hail Mary’s.

Finally you notice the bathrooms. Saint and Sinner are your choices. I chose Sinner the first time, we all know sinners are the coolest. But low and behold when you choose Saint it is not as Saintly as you might imagine. The walls are plastered with wonderfully sexual “Saint” images. Yes this whole space is a personality of its own.

(Hail Mary’s)

This is where I’d get to know Ross better. A local Rigger who worked in stadiums and film sets. A person with many passions, visual arts, scoring high-up in the death-by-fall realm all crazy riggers live in, a post-doom musician and producer… and oh ya, a captivating cat dad.

What is post-doom you may ask? Post-doom is a sub-genre of heavy metal that incorporates elements of doom metal with other genres like post-rock, post-metal, and shoe gaze. It’s characterized by slow, heavy riffs, often with a melancholic atmosphere and elements of ambient music.

I’d later learn more about Ross when my romantic partner moved in with him for a short period of time. Druin had yet to release any music, but now I got to be privy to the making-of. Through the walls I’d hear eclectic riffs. The buzz of metal strings somehow melding together sounds in a way my brain did not compute. He had numerous pedals set up that seemed to bend sound even further. Notably ridiculously expensive equipment…. but in the hands of someone who undoubtedly deserved them.

(Adobe Stock)

I reached out to Ross to ask him a little more about the band origins. I was told that Druin started off as a solo act, relying heavily on synthesizers and drum machines to produce everything. However the challenge came when Ross was trying to figure out how to do odd time signatures within the sequencer.

(Druin / Bandcamp)

“It wasn’t something I was able to make happen so I had to recruit band members to get the ideas across.” – Ross Albrecht

After finding the perfect fit with bandmates he told me that it just made sense to scrap all those original ideas and write new material with them. This was a challenge in and of itself, “but it ended up becoming something of its own.” -Ross Albrecht

Ross went on to tell me that his favourite part of the music creation was writing leads to the riffs he created.

“I feel a particular trance in doing that. I’ll have a riff I’m working on, and spend hours working out those leads just in my head before I even touch the guitar.” – Ross Albrecht

Druin has released their first album ‘The Goat Whispering in the Panthers Ear’ which you can listen to here.

The band has an upcoming show on May 10th at Grey Lab (address will be emailed with ticket purchase). You can find the information you need for the show here.

Find out more about Druin below:

Find their music on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Written by Volante Matheson, Radio Arts & Entertainment at BCIT

Contact: vmatheson1@my.bcit.ca