Photo by Zachary Vague
Press release –
Some bands wanna tear down the walls, some wanna reinvent the wheel — but for Vancouver alt-rock band Yukon Blonde, they wanna write a love letter to rock ’n’ roll itself, like a dog-eared note stuffed in the locker of the universe. And that’s exactly what they’ve done on their brand new album Friendship & Rock ‘n’ Roll, out today on Dine Alone Records.
That love letter isn’t just to the riffs — it’s to the cracked friendships, the nights spent hanging around after the amps are shut off, still talking about songs like they’re sacred scriptures, and the million beat-up vans hurtling toward nowhere. It’s the sound of finding your people in the dark.
The record is a testament to the band’s 15-year journey together—equal parts messy and magical. Co-written and produced by the four members (Jeffrey Innes, Brandon Wolfe Scott, Graham Jones & James Younger), the album features lead vocals from each member, including the first-ever contribution from drummer Graham Jones.
From the familial chaos of “Colours Of My Dreams” (Younger) to the gear-inspired heartbreak of “Keep On Breaking My Heart” (Innes), the songs capture the highs, lows, and spirit of a band that keeps chasing the intangible, Jones’s “Phaedra” reflects on awe and self-mirroring, while Scott’s “I’ve Got Yours” pays tribute to the bond between bandmates.
Elsewhere, Yukon Blonde tip their hats to rock ’n’ roll tradition (“Waiting On A Call,” “Here She Comes”), explore love’s fog and redemption (“One of These Days”), and honour the power of live connection (“Adore You”). The record closes with meditations on intimacy (“This Night”), bittersweet encounters on the latest single “That Girl” featuring musician/actress Taylor Hickson (Deadpool, North of North), and defiance in the face of control (“What People Can”), showing that after all these years, Yukon Blonde is still leaving it all out there.
The new music is garnering buzz with 3 am Revelations’ Songs of the Week, Alan Cross’ Five Songs You Must Hear This Week, CBC Music, Range Magazine, The Straight’s Van Jams of May, Photog Music’s May 2025 Playlist, City News Toronto, Global TV The Morning Show, Vancouver Province, The Adamantium Podcast, NEXT Magazine, The Leake in Review, Spill Magazine, Barrie’s ROCK95, Toronto’s 949ROCK, Indie88, EDGE, Calgary’s X92.9, Red Deer’s X100.7, Victoria’s ZONE and many more.
Marking a shift in sound, Friendship & Rock ’n’ Roll strips things back to capture the rawness and electricity of the band’s live show. Yukon Blonde will take that energy on the road this fall with more than 20 dates from BC to Ontario. The tour kicked off last night in Kelowna, BC, and wraps October 24 and 25 with two hometown shows at Green Auto in Vancouver. Tickets are available at www.yukonblonde.com.
What’s the Story About the Friendship & Rock ‘n” Roll LP?
If friendship comes naturally to Jeffrey Innes, Brandon Wolfe Scott, Graham Jones & James Younger, so too does rock n’ roll. Yukon Blonde has always sounded classic, but they live in the present day. You won’t see them placating the myth of rock n’ roll. Never have they slipped into a “throwback” caricature of some supposed glory day. No posturing, or pretending – it’s guitar music that doesn’t wink at the camera.
On their new album, Friendship & Rock n’ Roll, the riffs are bold and the vibes are bright. Even when the lyrical tone is defeated or heart-broken, we get the sense that everything is going to be alright. There’s whimsy in the subtext of Keep On Breaking My Heart, where Innes welcomes the punishment from his distant lover. The mid-tempo burner harkens to Tom Petty’s golden era in tone and playfulness – a cheeky grin behind the melancholy.
This is a seasoned quartet making music for the joy of it with songs that were cultivated the old-fashioned way: in a jam space. The band spent the summer of 2024 pooling song ideas and crafting air-tight arrangements before getting to work at Innes’ Vancouver area studio, Midvale Sound.
“This is a straightforward, fun record, made by four people in a jam space,” continues Innes, “and the thing is, it was probably the easiest and most fun record we’ve ever had the privilege of making.”
The pursuit of building a career in music can involve a great deal of struggle, but music can also be fun. And, if four best buds are going to love each other for as long as Yukon Blonde have, perhaps it must be fun in order to last. Perhaps that’s why this album feels so settled and comfortable. They’re older, wiser, and back in the pocket of the energy that spawned the band in the first place.
If you’re going to go it alone out there, you may as well have company. Yukon Blonde are still leaning on each other and tapping the well of their bond. And what better glue is there to bond them than Friendship & Rock n’ Roll? – Bio by Dan Mangan
CATCH YUKON BLONDE LIVE
FRIENDSHIP & ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FALL CANADIAN TOUR 2025
October 1 – St. Catharines, ON – Warehouse
October 2 – Cambridge, ON – Farm League Brewing*
October 3 – Toronto, ON – Longboat Hall*
October 4 – Sudbury, ON – Townehouse Tavern
October 6 – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirates Pub*
October 7 – Winnipeg, MB – Sidestage*
October 8 – Regina, SK – The Exchange*
October 9 – Saskatoon, SK – Amiogs*
October 10 – Edmonton, AB – Double Dragon*
October 11 – Fernie, BC – The Northern*
October 16 – Nanaimo, BC – The Queens+
October 17 – Cumberland, BC – The Waverley+
October 18 – Victoria, BC – Capital Ballroom+
October 24 – Vancouver, BC – Green Auto+
October 25 – Vancouver, BC – Green Auto+
* with support from ALTAMEDA
+ with support from JANKY BUNGAG
