Sylvie

One of the first things people notice when the Sylvie plays is their cohesion, which is largely due to the group being sticklers for detail. Also helping keep the band cohesiveness is the fact that they have been good friends since their high school days. Joel Passmore (vocals/guitar), Riva Farrell Racette (bass) and Les Schaeffer (drums) played together for nearly eight years as Ned of the Bush. When Chris Notenboom (guitar) joined three years ago, the band decided to have a fresh start as Sylvie.

When it came time to title their debut, the band naturally reflected on their time on the road. Hence I Wish I Was Driving was born. It was recorded over five days in the spring of 2002, produced and recorded by Dave Taylor. The band’s debut disc lies somewhere between Jawbox and Tool in that they fuse passionate songs with modern-prog. Both mellow and hard while exploring a number of pitches and dynamics. It is pure, honest, heartfelt music from one of the prairies most beloved bands.

"Remember when the word ‘emo’ meant something more than a reason to squirm in your boots? Regina, Saskatchewan's Sylvie sound totally oblivious to the current MTV-style ‘emo’ hype, instead drawing influence from the DC scene that spawned integral emotional hardcore bands like Jawbox and Fugazi. I Wish I Was Driving features nine excellent songs that set a pleasant, uplifting mood that is great for when the chips are down. Raspy, heartfelt vocals push this into the upper echelon of the genre. Sure, the album tends to drag through some moody ballads and instrumental interludes, but in a world where most bands are pushing pop as emo, it's refreshing to hear a band who aren't afraid to let their songs develop and pulsate." -Jersey Beat Issue #73