Vancouver is home to so many great musicians, but with such a vibrant scene, it can be easy for artists from other spots around BC to be overshadowed. I sat down with Finley Kinghorn of Nelson-based “indie pop-punk confusion” Bucket to hopefully shine a bit of a spotlight on some of the amazing talent coming from our interior.
Bucket was formed by 3 music students, all from different places around BC’s Kootenay region: singer and bassist Kael Koteles, drummer Reed Erickson, and lead guitarist Finley Kinghorn. According to Finley, when the three met, they immediately hit it off and have a great time making music together.
After playing shows together throughout Nelson and the broader Kootenay area, the trio put together their first official project. Dorm Room Demos. This half-hour EP contains 4 tracks, all of which, as the title would suggest, are demos recorded in Finley’s dorm room.
Bucket’s unique, genre-blending style is apparent from the get-go, but they’ve done nothing but improve as they continue to develop their sound. Between the 3 of them, they have an eclectic list of musical inspirations, but Finley credits bands like Led Zeppelin and The Dirty Nil as his personal influences. “Classic rock’s where it started, it’s that meshed with a bit of pop punk. I love the kind of not serious attitude of it,” he says.
According to Finley, this not-so-serious tone has been an important factor when creating music. “We take the band seriously,” he says, “but we kind of don’t want it to feel that way. It’s always been about having fun first.” Even the band’s name was chosen to reflect their easy-going nature. They wanted something short, fun, and easy to remember. Ergo: Bucket!
2024 brought the release of “Live at the Royal.” Sticking with their established theme of literal titles, it’s a live album recorded at The Royal, a pub and music venue located in Nelson. This is the project that really sold me on Bucket. Their commitment to having fun, while also creating great music, shines through so clearly, and the love they have for performing is almost contagious.
One of the highlights of this show is a bit of a hidden gem. A high-energy, punk rock cover of Jon Travolta’s Greased Lightnin’ from the classic movie musical, Grease. Unlike the other tracks on the album, it’s only available on YouTube, not streaming platforms. It’s campy, it’s catchy, and most importantly, it’s just plain fun!
So what’s up next for Bucket? Finley tells me the trio has been working on an album since September and they’re hoping to release it by the end of this month!
“It’s called ‘this time we’re serious’ because this time…we’re serious,” he chuckled to me. So far, we’re three for three on the deadpan titles, and I’m totally here for it.
If you can’t get enough of Bucket and want to learn more about them, you can check out my recent article where FInley and I discuss the differences in Vancouver and Nelson’s music scenes. You can also listen to their featured episode of New Music Now on the Evolution Podcast Network!