Dakona

Dakona came together in the mid-'90s after Ryan McAllister joined forces with his cousin John Biondolillo and their friends Shane Dueck and Brook Winstanley. The group spent idle hours practicing inside an aging barn and accepted every available performance slot, among them an opening spot for a sex therapist that caught McAllister off guard. Upon arrival the band members noticed only a single microphone and assumed they were sharing the bill with a minimalist act. Once the therapist took the stage, Dakona saw the humor in the situation. Momentum improved after that point. The quartet built a loyal audience across Canada and nearby border communities. Their independent approach eventually yielded results when, roughly twelve months later, they issued the single “Good Enough for Me,” which earned favorable notices. In 2000 the band delivered the follow-up “Ordinary Heroes.” Following their signing to Maverick, the members chose to collaborate with producer Arnold David Lanni, whose prior credits included work with Our Lady Peace, a band McAllister had long admired. Dakona exited those sessions ahead of schedule in order to “grow” as a band. They subsequently entered the studio with Grammy Award-winning producer Rob Cavallo (Goo Goo Dolls). After eighteen days of recording, Dakona completed the project that became Perfect Change.