Royal Tusk

Originating in Edmonton, Alberta, Royal Tusk fuse heavy riffs with an uncompromising low end and refined melodies rooted in classic rock, influences that span post-grunge, progressive rock, punk, and groove-heavy stoner metal. The group came together in 2013 when Daniel Carriere, handling vocals and guitars, joined forces with bassist Sandy MacKinnon; the pair had previously performed together for a dozen years in the Juno Award-nominated Edmonton outfit Ten Second Epic. Soon after, the lineup grew with the addition of Quinn Cyrankiewicz on guitar, Calen Stuckel on drums, and Mike James contributing on keyboards and guitars. Within ten months of their inception, this five-piece headed to New York to work on their first EP alongside producer Gus Van Go, known for his work with Hollerado and the Stills. Hidden Pony Records put out the resulting Mountain in June 2014. The band's first full album, the anthemic DealBreaker from 2016, saw them collaborating with producer Eric Ratz, whose credits include Arkells and Billy Talent; Big Wreck's frontman Ian Thornley also lent a guitar solo to the final cut, "So Long the Build Up." Royal Tusk then signed with Entertainment One (eOne) ahead of their second album, Tusk II, which arrived in November 2018.