Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 5, 2007

HAY RIVER - At HayWired Audio Productions in Hay River last month, a group of musicians and friends talked about what happened to the town's music scene.

Among the musicians in the basement studio were the four members of the group Whyte Raven, a band that's been playing together and evolving for about six years under different names.

The Hay River band Whyte Raven are, from left, Dana Cross, Jessica Latour, Randy Randle and Duane Mackie. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

"It's the standard incestuous band that you have all over the Territories," said Dana Cross, the band's bassist.

The band isn't the only thing in Hay River that's changed over the years. They say the music scene is not as vibrant as it used to be.

"The live entertainment scene died horribly," said Randy Randle, the band's guitarist.

They recall a time when Hay River music fans had access not only to local music, but to bands from out of town who travelled there to play.

One of the contributing factors to the dwindling scene is likely the lack of venues in town. Hay River once had four venues, but some of those - including The Zoo - have closed.

It leaves a gap for bands like Whyte Raven that would like to play more than once a year.

"It would be nice to see it as a regular thing," said Randle.

But as Cross explained, the venues that remain can no longer afford the live bands.

"It's got nothing to do with the bands," he said.

But they say there is also difficulty for bands that veer from the popular genre of country, which according to drummer Duane Mackie, most people in the town prefer.

"If you took a vote today out of everyone who could vote in Hay River, it'd probably be 70 per cent," he said.

"And we're in the other 30, so that's what we've got to promote," added Randle.

Jessica Latour, singer for Whyte Raven, said music has always been a part of the community.

"There's always been music but it's like any trend... it comes and goes in waves," she said.

Like her band mates, she said that she would like to see a revival of the scene.

"If we want to see it happen and bring it back, we've got to do the work," she said.

So how does a handful of musicians promote a livelier music scene? Cross, who is now the acting president of Recording Arts Association of Northwest Territories (RAANT), said the answer is in grassroots development.

"The musicians have got to adapt and become more coffee house-oriented... and expand from there," he said.

Such events are being planned for the near future. In the meantime, Whyte Raven continues working forward as a band. They are now working on recording a CD, which will be a step towards playing more gigs.

"Once the CD's out, there's more reason to perform at festivals," said Randle. "Next year hopefully we'll make it to Folk on the Rocks.