The Rocky Fortune

It’s last call again at the tavern and while many tipsy patrons reluctantly begin the journey home, The Rocky Fortune boys have barely started to feel the itch. On their debut album; “Sway” (written during many a late-night session) these three young men: Todd Gesshe (Gesh-uh) - Bass/Guitar/Vocals, Tyler Toews (TAVES) - Guitar/Vocals, and Craig Florence - Percussion/Vocals, put forth an ambitious musical invention that is rarely seen in todays over-hyped and disenchanting musical culture.

Recorded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at Sundae Sound Studios, and produced by Dave Alcock (Falconhawk, Reverie Sound Revue), “Sway” has been praised by listeners and critics alike for its sincerity, character, and its range. Facing a meager budget, the band was only able to afford small blocks of studio time, and as such, the album’s ten tracks were recorded and mixed over the span of two years. However, this slow recording process yielded interesting results.

“If there was any intent when writing these songs, it was to challenge ourselves. We wanted to make an album that nobody has made yet,” says singer/bassist Todd Gesshe. Long periods of writing and reflection took place between sessions, and each time the boys went back into the studio, they brought with them a whole new perspective.

One would always hesitate to call any album revolutionary, but this one is certainly evolutionary.

In just the first three tracks one hears The Rocky Fortune tear deep into the roots of classic rock and roll, timeless folk music, and in between, they lay down a dance gem that would send many of today’s “new-wave” bands running to the hills, scarves between their legs. Shifting smoothly from a “cinnamon-girlish” rock pearl, to a percussive rain-dance, and onto tremulous ballad, “Sway” showcases, in a very raw way, the musical and lyrical talent, of a young band with a mastery of song dynamics.

Only to be outdone by the band’s passionate live performances, “Sway” is a remarkably ambitious debut album that stands to gain The Rocky Fortune a legion of devoted fans.

Having all been raised in the same rural setting of Olds, Alberta, Canada,
The Rocky Fortune draw from an extensive shared history. From the “get-in-the-van” style touring days of the addictive crunch-pop band Darryl’s Grocery Bag, to the rootsy Sons of Daughters circa 2000, they have seen their fair share of this sprawling continent, and seen it through a variety of windshields.

Opening for acts ranging from Hawksley Workman to the Canadian punk-staple D.O.A., The Rocky Fortune have very much cut their musical teeth and now, with the aid of a rusty old suburban, are gnawing hard into the ankle of modern music.

Just listen.

“You were born to know how.”