Local Music – The Hourhand – Candy

Regina’s The Hourhand entered summer with the release of a rocking new track entitled “Candy” just in time for appearances at a few festivals around the province!

In the past when i’ve been asked what this band sounds like, i’ve typically say something along the lines of “they’re a band for guitarists” – and by that, i mean they’re a guitar-based band with a high level of musicianship that obviously draws inspiration from the so-called golden era of rock. There’s no lack of homage to players like Garry Moore, Slash and Jimmy Paige in The Hour Hand’s previously released discography and while that has served them very well up to this point, evolution is truly the way forward.

The band’s new single touts a production credit from Monster Truck‘s very own Jon Harvey and I think this is the first give away that these young rockers are refining their identity as a band. While there’s still plenty of impressive guitar leads, a ripping solo and countless moments of syncopated riffage, “Candy” seems to have a much more focused attention forward melody and chorus than many of the band’s previous releases. Whether that’s simply due to the evolution of the band, Jon’s production influence or a mixed bag of both, I welcomed it as a listener and feel this slight shift will help the band reach wider audiences.

Adding this obvious growth in the band’s writing/compositional style to the crystal clear engineering from Hamilton’s Threshold Recording, and electric live performances, I’m excited to see what The Hourhand’s trajectory for the rest of 2024 looks like. “Candy” is available now on all platforms.

Tags: local music, regina music, the hour hand

About the Author

Matt Stinn is a Saskatoon-based award winning producer, touring musician, and cat lover. When not working in the music industry he hones his skills as an amateur writer and professional little spoon.