One Bad Son

Throughout their nearly 20 years as a band, One Bad Son has been a staple on the Canadian rock scene, weathering the ebbs and flows of the ever-changing rock landscape by doing one thing well: writing music that matters to them, regardless of trends.

“We've been incredibly lucky. We've followed our own compass, and the fans have been with us every step of the way,” says singer Shane Connery Volk.

Over the course of five albums, sixteen singles and dozens of tours throughout Canada, the US and Europe, the band has eschewed trends while remaining on the cutting edge of modern rock and gaining a legion of devoted fans along the way.

The band achieved their first number one single on Canadian Rock Radio with the anthemic 2017 single, Raging Bull. The song stayed at the top of the charts for four weeks and was followed by an extensive Canada/US tour which culminated in OBS being selected to share the bill with The Rolling Stones in front of 70,000 fans as part of the Stones' No Filter tour.

Then the pandemic hit. OBS hit a crossroads that almost ended their career. Guitarist and founding member Adam Hicks left the band, leaving fellow founding members Volk and drummer Kurt Dahl to ponder their future as a group.

“If I’m being honest…for a year or two, we forgot how to write songs together,” says Dahl. “Maybe we had to heal the relationship between us. Maybe we had to heal our relationship with the great song writing gods in the sky. Whatever the case – we did it. And then the songs started flowing like never before.”

With the help of Kittie guitarist Tara McLeod and Alberta music scene legend Ryan Kuly on bass, the band started working on new songs with producer Brian Moncarz.

“OBS is more than just a band to us. It’s been the most incredible musical outlet for KD and I for almost 20 years,” says Volk. “There was just no way we were going to give it up! Writing and recording these new songs has been the best experience I’ve ever had in music. I can’t wait for our fans to finally hear what we’ve been up to!”

With a new album in the works, One Bad Son is writing the best songs of their career, tackling real topics such as mortality, mental health and the state of the world. “There's so much to write about and we have a lot left to say. In many ways, we're just getting started here,” says Volk.

One thing is certain: One Bad Son shows no signs of slowing down. “I feel like we've caught a second wind right now and it's such a gift,” says Dahl. “In the studio and on stage, we haven’t had this much fun since the early days. Whatever that magic is that we have – between the two of us and with our fans – it’s never been stronger.”